Biggest Differences Between the ‘Shadowhunters’ Book and TV Show

The Big Picture

• Shadowhunters changed some key aspects from the original novels, such as aging up the characters and updating the visual style.
• The show made significant changes to the relationships between certain characters, particularly Alec and Magnus, which were well-received.
• The finale of Shadowhunters diverged from the book series by having Clary lose her memory, but still managed to capture the heart of the story.

Freeform’s Shadowhunters, based on The Mortal Instruments series by bestselling young adult author Cassandra Clare, was a pretty big hit during its time on air. This isn’t the first adaptation of The Mortal Instruments, but it was the only adaptation to finish out adapting the entire series, well, at least for the most part. The series was unfortunately cancelled during its mid-season break in the third season but was thankfully given two hour-long episodes to wrap up the story. From even just watching the original movie, and especially reading the books, there are a lot of big differences in this adaptation of the story that the television show made. It only ran for a short time, three seasons, and had the gargantuan task of adapting six fairly large books. There was a lot they had to cram in, and the visual style was quite different, but they achieved it just the same. There is a lot to love and there’s also a lot to dislike, but it is quite an enjoyable show, despite the biggest changes it made.

A Fresh Start Was the Best Choice

As said before, this is the second adaptation of The Mortal Instruments series. After the original film did not fare well at the box office as one would have hoped (that film is also worth checking out, for a bit closer adaptation of the novel), the series route seemed a bit more accepting of a place for this YA series to grow and thrive. And they were right. Series had become the safe haven (or quite the opposite, as many have been canceled recently) to adapt everyone’s favorite book series into a long-form show. But Shadowhunters doesn’t stop there. It decided to go in a different direction than its predecessor, both visually and in its storytelling.

Shadowhunters is still an adaptation at heart, but it does change some things. A big change the series made was aging up the characters. In the original novel, Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara) was 15 years old. In the series, she and the rest of the characters are aged up to 18, and we begin with her being accepted to the Brooklyn Academy of Art. This opens up the show to not only being a bit more believable but also brings the possibility for a lot more in terms of storytelling. They can explore more mature themes, both in violence and sexuality, that would not have been possible if they were to have kept the characters so young. The show also looks very modern and largely strays far away from the gothic source material for the Shadowhunters themselves.

Characters Are Similar, But Have Big Changes Too

Right out the gate, there are some major differences between a few characters and their book counterparts. Luke (Isaiah Mustafa), who has feelings for Jocelyn Fray (Maxim Roy) in the book, is already set up as her potential partner. He also owns a bookstore in the novel, while in the show he is an NYPD officer investigating curious murders in the mundane world. Jocelyn Fray has several differences in her character. Instead of being an artist, she owns an antique store. That also brings in the difference for Dorothea. Madame Dorothea was an older woman who happened to be the Fray’s neighbor, but they largely ignored each other. Dot, portrayed by Vanessa Matsui, is a much younger interpretation of the character who works in Jocelyn’s store and is essentially part of the family.

Perhaps the biggest draw for the show was Alec (Matthew Daddario) and Magnus (Harry Shum Jr.). It was a huge win for a pretty barren spectrum of queer representation in a pre-Heartstopper world. The series versions of Alec and Magnus progress a lot quicker than that of their book counterparts, and there is no big display of affection like that of the iconic wedding scene in the episode titled “Malec.” That’s right, the now iconic wedding kiss is a complete invention of the show, even Lydia Branwell (Stephanie Bennett) was a completely original character. Alec and Magnus’s relationship takes more of a backseat in the books, opting for a slow burn instead of the faster-developed relationship in the show. It was probably one of the smartest changes to the series since their relationship continued to be one of the highlights of the entire show.

The biggest difference would still go to Jocelyn Fray. After she is put into a coma-like state while trying to evade her ex-husband and villain of the series, Valentine, Clary and the Shadowhunter gang have to find and save her, and then they have an even harder task: waking her up. It is quite a long journey before this plot line is resolved, but they eventually do succeed in waking Jocelyn. Just when everything seems to be perfect, that is when tragedy strikes: Alec is possessed by a demon, and that demon uses Alec to kill Jocelyn. Her death does not occur in the books, as she does indeed go on to marry Luke, and was a shocking moment for fans of the show, who were unsuspecting of such a major departure from the source material. It pushed the show further, leaving Clary all on her own, a rift between her and Alec, and giving Luke an all-new storyline for the future.

A Fitting, But Different Ending

With the announcement of the series’ cancellation, it’s understandable that there would be changes made to fit the finale in the last two episodes the network gave Shadowhunters. One such change was Clary’s fate in the shadow world. As punishment for continuing to create new runes in her attempt to take down her brother, Sebastian (Will Tudor/Luke Bains), the angels force the loss of her memory of the shadow world. Her runes fade, and so does her ability to see the world, and with that, she no longer has her family. Instead, we pick up with her after a time jump, making a name for herself in the art world, back in the mundane world. Jace (Dominic Sherwood) attends, but just as it’s set up in the pilot episode, no one can see him. Well, almost everyone. Clary can, and she follows him out, asking the same questions she did when she first met him, and the series ends with a small hint of recognition in her eyes.

This entire end sequence is a complete invention for the show, but it is inspired by the book series’ ending. Someone does lose their memory of the shadow world, but it is not Clary, it is instead her best friend Simon (Alberto Rosende). It’s likely that the show, in its abrupt finale, wanted to center Clary instead of anyone else, like Simon, and chose her for this to happen. While it may be a bit cliché, the end of the series brings both a pang of heartache and hope that comes with a series finale. It’s a major change, and one not everyone liked, but it’s a fitting end to the show that wasn’t afraid to push its boundaries as an adaptation.

Shadowhunters is by far not the worst adaptation in the world. In fact, it is quite a good series that is worth checking out, especially for fans of classic supernatural series like Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this show certainly feels cut from the same cloth as those two. There might be some big changes, but what adaptation doesn’t do that? Shadowhunters manages to achieve the most important thing an adaptation needs to do to succeed in winning over the books fans. It keeps the heart of the story intact. The rest of the changes are just a new mode of storytelling.

Stream all episodes of Shadowhunters on Hulu in the U.S.

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