Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and emotional abuse.

Animus magic is a powerful symbol in Darkstalker, representing the main themes of The Corrupting Influence of Power, The Dangers of Arrogance and Domination, and The Triumph of Free Will Over Fate. According to dragon legends, animus magic comes at a steep price: Every spell chips away at the user’s soul. This warning is made real through the character of Albatross, a SeaWing animus who uses his powers constantly at his queen’s command. Though initially perceived as eccentric but harmless, the constant use of his animus power results in Albatross losing his emotional and logical capacity, and he murders most of his family in a fit of violence. His story is both a cautionary tale and a warning that unchecked power corrupts even good intentions.

The motif of soul decay appears throughout the novel, especially in Darkstalker’s observations of other animus dragons. He notes that his father, Arctic, bears “patches of damp, rotten vileness” and “holes in [his] soul” (41, 170), which are metaphors for how animus magic has corroded Arctic’s moral core.