Warning: This article contains spoilers for Shadow and Bone season 2.
Shadow and Bone season 2 shows what happened to Kaz's brother Jordie - but this may have raised more questions for some viewers along the way regarding his situation. Kaz Brekker's introduction in Shadow and Bone immediately portrayed him as someone who had seen plenty of life's struggles, and had honed his wits against them. This hinted towards a tragic backstory, especially as Kaz's family appeared notably out of the picture altogether.
Shadow and Bone season 2, episode 2 began to shed some light on said backstory, revealing a young Kaz being led by his brother Jordie to a "Mister Hertzoon". The story quickly revealed Kaz and his brother were victims of a scam that had lost them all their remaining money, forcing them to live on the streets, and eventually contributed to the death and Kaz's brother - and the permanent emotional scarring of Kaz himself. While this fleshes out Kaz's story well and establishes his particular issues with Pekka Rollins, its flashback sequences may have left the fate of Kaz's brother Jordie less clear to viewers.
Kaz's Brother, Jordie, Died Of A Disease In Ketterdam
The Rietveld brothers were ousted onto the streets of Shadow and Bone's town of Ketterdam as the Queen's Lady Plague spread through the city, leading to an outbreak of firepox that killed many. Unfortunately for the pair, Kaz's brother Jordie was one such case, ing away from the disease and leaving Kaz alone in the world. This was made yet worse by the fact that Kaz was also thought to have died from the Plague, leading him to be trapped on a pile of corpses moved out into the waters of Ketterdam and away from society due to the infection.
Why Didn't Kaz Die From The Same Disease As Jordie?
Jordie dying from the Queen's Lady Plague makes Kaz's survival more striking in Shadow and Bone season 2, as Jordie was the older of the two, and thus the brother more likely to have an immune system that could protect him better from the disease. However, it is worth noting that Kaz only just survived the firepox himself, and thus luck may have been the simple reason for his survival. However, the books do hint at another possibility, as they stated Jordie gave Kaz his "dry coat" after his younger brother was thrown into the canal, which may have kept Kaz warmer during his infection and thus saved his life.
Why Kaz Dreams Of His Brother When Poisoned By Neyar
Kaz first has flashbacks to his childhood in the first episodes of Shadow and Bone season 2, but has his most notable sequence after being poisoned by Neyar. During this, Kaz dreams of his brother berating him and then attempting to drown him, only to deny this to the others when he wakes from the hallucination. This is likely because it's a moment that is loaded with personal symbolism for his character and arc.
When Inej attempts to wake Kaz up, his dream turns from Jordie trying to drown him to him being lifted from the water by Inej. This represents both her physically trying to help him, and metaphorically how - where Jordie's memory brings Kaz down into a place of revenge-obsessed bitterness - his memories of Inej do the opposite, with many of Kaz's kindest decisions being in part due to his bond with her. In this, Shadow and Bone season 2 shows just how important Kaz's relationships in the series are, and how important they can be in helping him deal with the trauma that has left such an impact on him.