One of Alina’s main traits is that she has trouble trusting others and feeling as though she belongs. Bardugo makes this quality central to Alina’s story arc from the beginning of the series when Alina is a lowly, isolated orphan from rural Ravka. Except for Mal, Alina grew up without anyone to trust, confide in, or reassure her that she was loved and valued. As the series progresses, some of Alina’s most difficult decisions are whether to trust other characters. Even her faith in Mal, normally unshakeable, wavers at the beginning of Ruin and Rising when he can’t confide in her about the plan to help her get her power back. The Darkling exploits this desire for love, belonging, and acceptance in his relationship with Alina, constantly framing the two of them as possessing a special bond of similarity and understanding that no one else can achieve.

One of the Darkling’s emotional motivations is his own deep fear of being alone, a fear that he experiences when he discovers that Alina has lost her power: “I saw the realization strike him. He was truly alone. And he always would be” (382). In addition to wielding her as a weapon, the Darkling wants to be with her because he has been set apart from other Grisha during his life through his extraordinary power.