Season 2 of Six Of Crows, a potential Netflix spinoff, which introduces Kaz (Freddy Carter) and his gang, the Crows. The Netflix series combines the stories into one narrative, meaning several details of the stories and characters had to be hurried through, including Kaz’s gangster moniker “Dirtyhands.”
Though Kaz is only seventeen in the books, he’s carefully cultivated a dreadful reputation that inspires fear in everyone in the New York-underbelly-inspired Barrel. This reputation for being willing to commit any sin, no matter how horrifying, became so pervasive that Kaz earned the nickname Dirtyhands. When Kaz has his final showdown against fellow mob boss Pekka Rollins, that reputation could have been more explicit if the show had utilized that nickname more often.
Kaz's Dirtyhands Nickname Is More Important In The Shadow & Bone Books
In the Six of Crows books, “Dirtyhands” is more than just a nickname. Kaz wears leather gloves at all times, and no one, even his fellow Crows, knows that the real reason for them is that he suffers from PTSD-induced haphephobia. Instead, his brutal reputation paired with the leather gloves only makes him seem more fearsome: rumors circulate that his hands are actually demon claws or stained red with blood. Kaz uses this fear as a way to redirect attention from his weaknesses and turn them into intimidation.
Most characters in the books know him primarily by the name Dirtyhands, and Kaz takes every opportunity to live up to the name. Whether it’s ripping out an eyeball or delivering an unnecessary gunshot wound, Dirtyhands is always willing to go to extremes. However, the show only mentions the name once or twice over its two seasons, so it’s unclear how widespread that reputation is.
How Shadow & Bone's Show Kaz Brekker Is Different To The Books
Netflix’s condensed presentation of Shadow and Bone meant it couldn’t spend as much time building Kaz’s reputation as the books did. Though he was intimidating and clever, Kaz wasn’t necessarily any nastier than other Barrel thugs. He was just better at the business. This created a problem when it came time for him to get revenge on his rival, Pekka Rollins. Ultimately, begging Kaz for mercy did more to humiliate Pekka Rollins than to showcase Kaz’s barbarity.
As Kaz threatens the life of Pekka Rollins’ son in the book, even Inej believes him to be capable of such an act. However, when the show reveals that Kaz was only bluffing, the effect is less dramatic because he hasn’t been portrayed as the cold-blooded Dirtyhands clearly enough for the audience to wonder what he’s done. Unfortunately, the fact that Kaz gets his revenge on Pekka so quickly, as opposed to the long, drawn-out plot in the book, makes it seem anticlimactic, especially since Kaz only became Dirtyhands to take him down.
Netflix’s Shadow and Bone series has taken many liberties with the books, and most have paid off nicely. With season 3 being incredibly likely and a possible Six of Crows spinoff on the horizon, it’s a safe bet that there will be more opportunities to see Kaz Brekker in action. For his character arc to make the appropriate impact moving forward, Dirtyhands’ merciless reputation will need some special attention.
