Over the last two seasons of Shadowhunters, there have been many moments that have made us cry, made us laugh, and have left us completely speechless. However, there are a few stand-out moments that have had lasting repercussions on the series and its characters. From Jace finding out he is a Herondale (which is practically Shadowhunter royalty) to Magnus Bane dramatically interrupting Alec Lightwood’s wedding, let’s take a look back at the top ten moments on Shadowhunters that made us say, “OMG!”
10. Simon Lewis Joins the Ranks of the Undead
After getting kidnapped by the New York Vampire Clan and being fed then-leader Camille Belcourt’s blood, Simon started having hallucinations. Confused and afraid, he returned to the Hotel Dumort (a.k.a. vampire headquarters) for some answers…with tragic results. A conflicted Raphael Santiago brought Simon’s dead body to Clary at the Institute, and she was given the choice to either let Simon remain dead or help him fully transition into a vampire. Clary ultimately made the difficult choice to bring him back, and a new vampire was born. Like the Clace sibling reveal, Simon’s un-death was no surprise to those familiar with the source material. But witnessing the killing off of a main character (however temporary, or expected) is always a bit of a shock! Simon’s nitty-gritty rebirth as a new denizen of the Shadow World clawing out of the ground is one image we will never forget.
9. Someone Needs to Tell Shadowhunters About DNA Testing
From the moment Jace and Clary bumped into one another outside of Pandemonium, we could see that these two had some serious chemistry. As they began training and working alongside one another, their connection deepened into one that eventually led them to share a steamy kiss (or two). However, in episode 1×11 “Blood Calls to Blood,” this bond was put to the test when Valentine “revealed” that he wasn’t just Clary’s father, he was Jace’s, too. Talk about awkward. This eventually prompted Jace to do some major soul-searching. Even though book fans knew that Valentine was lying, for the characters (and many show fans), this jaw-dropping revelation was something that would seriously put the breaks on the development of Clace as a couple.
8. Soul Sword Mass Murder Mode: Activate
After seeing a vision that foretold of a “Demonic Morgenstern” who could destroy the Soul Sword – a Mortal Instrument that, when activated, could wipe out the entire Downworld – Jace naturally believed it was referring to him since he had been convinced that he had demonic blood. In the mid-season finale of Season 2, “By the Light of Dawn,” Jace tried to sacrifice himself to save the Downworld but ended up accidentally activating it with his pure angel blood instead. Due to this mistake, every Downworlder within the Institute lost their lives (except for Simon, but we’ll get to that next). While we came extremely close to losing Madzie, Magnus, and Raphael in the blast, they, fortunately, made it out in time; but sadly, we did lose Alaric, along with countless others. Due to the loss of so many lives in one fell swoop, this only intensified the already growing tensions between the Shadowhunters and Downworlders. And Jace, angry from finding out that Valentine had lied to him about having demon blood and dealing with the consequences of activating the Soul Sword, was left crippled with guilt.
7. Simon Lewis Is Walking on Sunshine
After Valentine held Simon hostage and slit his throat in a ploy to lure Clary to the Institute and have her activate the Soul Sword, Jace, disguised as Clary, let Simon drink his blood to save his life. Unbeknownst to either of them, this would turn Simon into a Daylighter. After the Soul Sword was activated, no one was as shocked as Simon to see that not only was he the only Downworlder inside the Institute to have survived the blast, he could also now walk in the sun!
Simon becoming a Daylighter would give him a second chance to live somewhat of a mundane life. The chance to go to college or do simple things like taking his girlfriend, Clary, out on a date in the daytime… You know, be a normal guy again. Seeing Simon’s awe-struck frolic in the sun warmed our hearts so much, we just had to add this moment to the list!
6. Magnus and Valentine’s Freaky Friday
At the end of episode 2×11 “Mea Maxima Culpa,” a greater demon named Azazel escaped the Institute, but not before he body-swapped Magnus and Valentine. We all got to see the aftermath of this Freaky Friday situation play out in the subsequent episode, 2×12 “You Are Not Your Own.” Poor Magnus was not prepared for this scenario. As Magnus fought for his life (in Valentine’s body), his torture brought a lot of bad memories to the surface. Valentine desperately wanted to return to his own body, so he used Jace as a bargaining chip with Inquisitor Herondale, dropping yet another truth bomb that Jace was actually her long-lost grandson. From Valentine-as-Magnus awkwardly getting hugged by Alec to Magnus-as-Valentine trying to convince everyone that he really was Magnus, this mind-bending episode definitely deserves its spot in our top 10.
5. Someone Really Needs to Tell Shadowhunters About DNA Testing
Up until now, having resigned themselves to their brother/sister dynamic, Jace and Clary had each tried moving on – Simon finally admitted his feelings to Clary and the two started dating, while Jace joined a…(ahem) “book club.” But in episode 2×10 “By the Light of Dawn,” Valentine confessed to Jace that he was not his son after all, and then made sure that Clary was clued in about all of this an episode later. This revelation slowly began to undo Clary and Jace’s unsteady relationship again. Eventually, this game-changing Clace reveal also caused a rift between Clary and Simon, as Clary struggled with her re-emerging feelings for Jace.
4. Will the Real Sebastian Please Stand Up?
At first glance, Sebastian Verlac appeared handsome, knowledgeable, and trustworthy after he rescued Isabelle Lightwood from a greater demon (what a guy!). The hotly anticipated opportunity to gain more insight into what was truly going on with him came about in episode 2×15 “Problem of Memory,” which exposed him as kidnapper and imposter of the real Sebastian Verlac.
After Valentine’s prison transfer to Idris was hijacked, the two came face to face and we learned that “Sebastian” was none other than Clary’s real (demon-blooded) brother, Jonathan Morgenstern. While we were beyond excited to see a major character like Sebastian/Jonathan brought to life, the sight of his burnt flesh surely took us by surprise. What the hell happened to Jonathan Morgenstern?
3. Clary vs. Valentine: The Epic Showdown!
In episode 2×20 “Beside Still Water,” these two finally got the chance to go toe to toe, and Clary did not hold back. Our hearts were shattered into a million pieces when we saw Valentine kill Jace. Seeing Alec physically feel the loss of his Parabatai and Clary heartbroken from losing Jace just as she was letting herself fall in love with him had us in tears along with them. With Jace dead, the Angel Raziel risen, and the fate of the entire Downworld at stake, Clary stepped up to eliminate Valentine once and for all. She also used the one wish granted by Raziel to bring Jace back to life. The death and resurrection of a main character like Jace and the (brutally violent) demise of Valentine made for quite the shocking and unforgettable combination.
2. The Malec Kiss™
Everyone who’s a fan of Malec had been waiting with bated breath all season long to see when or how these two would take the plunge and finally kiss already. Magnus and Alec had an immediate attraction that was undeniable. But despite their chemistry, Alec was struggling to come to terms with his sexuality and his political responsibilities to his family, and Magnus was just starting to slowly open his heart up for the first time in over a hundred years.
This “cat and mouse” game came to a head in episode 1×12 “Malec,” when Magnus burst into the Institute to stop Alec’s (self-imposed) arranged wedding. We all watched with excitement as Alec chose to follow his heart, walk back down that aisle, and kiss Magnus in front of everyone. I don’t think any of us were really prepared for all of the #feels that hit us, but this was definitely the outcome we were all dying to see. This epic Malec moment soared (along with our hearts).
1. Hail and Farewell, Jocelyn Fairchild
While hunting the demon that was possessing Shadowhunters within the Institute in 2×04 “Day of Wrath,” Clary stumbled upon bloody footprints, which lead her to a dazed and confused Alec sitting outside her bedroom covered in blood. “What did I do?” The reveal of the victim being Jocelyn with a hole through the center of her chest was definitely a jaw-dropping moment that no one saw coming.
It was heart-wrenching to watch Clary deal with the loss of her mother, Alec struggle with the guilt of being possessed by the demon that caused Jocelyn’s death, and Luke completely broken from losing the love of his life. Although our time with Jocelyn was cut unexpectedly short, she will always be remembered.
Don’t see your favorite moment on this list? Head over to Twitter to let us know what other great moments on Shadowhunters made you say, “OMG!”
Shadowhunters is available for streaming via Freeform for U.S. residents and internationally on Netflix. Shadowhunters returns with Season 3 on March 20th, 2018.
