The core change is race-swapping the established protagonist Alina Starkov—from a pale, white-coded character in Leigh Bardugo's books to half-Shu (a fantasy East Asian analogue)—played by half-Chinese actress Jessie Mei Li. This was an explicit decision by showrunner Eric Heisserer and Bardugo to inject diversity, resulting in multiple scenes depicting anti-Asian microaggressions, slurs like 'half-breed,' denial of resources, and assumptions of disloyalty that form a recurring subplot for Alina.

Diverse casting extends to other roles, including Amita Suman as Inej and Kit Young as Jesper, with creator interviews highlighting inclusive mandates. Jesper's bisexuality is normalized through flirtations and a same-sex encounter, presented casually amid the fantasy setting.

These elements shift focus toward systemic prejudice and representation as emotional drivers, often at the expense of tighter world-building or organic integration, drawing criticism for heavy-handed execution and prioritizing messaging over the original story's internal conflicts. While the central premise remains Grisha powers and the Shadow Fold, the ideological framing of identity and otherness is prominent enough to define much of the adaptation's appeal and controversy.