In the Shadow and Bone series, Grisha is the term for the scientific powers that appear to manifest similarly to magical abilities seen in other fantasy stories. In the Grishverse, they never refer to it as magic and instead see it as an extension of their mastery of the natural world and its sciences. There are three different classifications of the Grisha abilities, and we’ll explain all types of Grisha in Shadow and Bone.
What’s a Grisha in Shadow and Bone?
The term Grisha is sort of a nickname coined after Sankt Grigori who was a mystical healer and among the first to teach what is known as small science. Throughout the history of the world, Grisha practitioners were seen as witches, which made most people fear and hate them. This is the reason why Grigori is eventually left to perish in the woods when people discovered his strange healing abilities. Grisha also use amplifiers to increase their small science powers.
Corporalki
Corporalki is a Grisha who specializes in the order of the living and the dead, which means their powers deal with the human body. The three main groups of Corporalki are Healers, Tailors, and Heartrenders.
Tailors control camouflage by being able to change someone’s hair and eyes with the proper materials. They can also alter the bone structure and facial shape as well as vocal cords and hair. The duration of these changes varies, with more powerful tailors being able to make changes permanently.
Heartrenders can directly inflict damage and pain onto others by manipulating their body. They can do things like control a person’s bodily functions, while one of the most feared Heartrender Grishas was able to control the dead.
Healers are the most straightforward Corporalki who can help fix and heal wounds and injuries on the human body.
Materialki
Materialki are known as the order of fabrikators and are masters of manipulating inorganic materials such as glass, metal, chemicals, and textiles. The two main orders are the Alkemi and Durasts who both have contributed to creating useful items such as Grisha steel, fabrikator glass, corecloth, and blasting powders.
Durasts are more specialized with solids and are responsible for corecloth and Grisha steel. They have also proven their ability to move objects without physical contact, manipulate plant growth, strip away color, or absorb matter from other people.
Alkemi are known for their uses of poisons and blasting powders. As such, they can separate toxic chemicals from water, albeit at a dangerous risk. They are also known to advance the uses of blasting powders making them a valuable addition to any side they’re on.
Etherealki
Etherealki are an order of summoners who can control the natural elements. There are three main types; Squallers, Tidemakers, and Inferni. You’ll usually find them training in pairs, though most Inferni tend to stick to themselves.
Squallers work with air, storms, and winds while being able to use these powers to lift, carry, or throw objects. It’s no surprise they’re great assets to have on a ship, but also on the battlefield since they can create air forcefields or mess with an enemy’s air consumption.
Tidemakers are masters of water allowing them to manipulate moisture from the air or H2O from nearby sources. They can also convert water to mist and use this as a weapon. More powerful Tidemakers have been shown to affect different kinds of liquids, like those found in plants or the human body.
Inferni work with combustible gases like hydrogen and methane and once ignited, can create crazy explosions. Although they cannot spontaneously start fires, they can control flames once the fire starts, which is why many of them carry flints or have ways to ignite sparks.
These are all types of Grisha in Shadow and Bone that you need to be aware of in order to enjoy the series in book form or on Netflix. Now get to your small science and watch out for Shadow and Bone!
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