Shadowhunters (The Mortal Instruments) is a novel series written by Cassandra Clare. The first six books of the main saga were published between 2007 and 2014, achieving widespread acclaim and appearing on the New York Times Bestseller list. The first novel was adapted into a film in 2013 (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones), but its box-office performance led to the cancellation of subsequent movies. In 2016, the franchise was rebooted as Shadowhunters (2016–2019), a supernatural drama TV series developed by Ed Decter.
The story follows Clary Fray, who learns on her 18th birthday that she descends from a long line of Shadowhunters — angel-human hybrids who hunt demons. After her mother’s abduction, Clary is thrust into this hidden world of magic, ancient lore, danger, and forbidden love.
A standout character is Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn — a 400-year-old spellcaster with the appearance of a 19-year-old. A flamboyant party-lover and brilliant sorcerer, Magnus is explicitly described in the books as a “freewheeling bisexual.” The TV series organically portrays his sexuality through dialogues referencing past relationships with men, women, and even supernatural beings (fairies, vampires, and djinn). Magnus avoids most bi stereotypes, and his complex backstory ensures he’s never reduced to his sexuality alone.
His romance with Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood became a fan favorite, but the show avoids bi erasure. In a defining moment, Magnus tells Alec:
I’ve been alive for hundreds of years. I’ve been with men, been with women — with faeries and warlocks and vampires, and even a djinn or two.
Magnus Bane stands as a critically praised example of positive, bi representation — free from harmful tropes and never defined solely by his orientation.
The series overall was honored for its LGBT representation, receiving a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series. Shadowhunters
makes a proactive effort to understand its LGBT characters and set a new standard for creating positive and affirming representation of bisexuality that helps inform and raise awareness.