The following contains spoilers for Vampire Academy Season 1, Episode 5, "Near Guard, Far Guard," now streaming on Peacock.
Vampire Academy raised the stakes when St. Vladimir's Academy lost Mikhail Tanner. Only halfway through its first season, the series is no stranger to loss. Lissa Dragomir was thrust further into the spotlight after the deaths of her mother, father and now her brother. St Jude's Academy, a neighboring school, suffered a massacre by the Strigoi during the Peacock drama's four-episode premiere. The loss of Mikhail brought everything closer to home for many of the show's main players in another example of a supernatural drama creating even bigger consequences.
As heartbreaking as it is, the upsetting nature of Mikhail's loss underscored why it was necessary. His death and its layered context created a ripple effect throughout Season 1, Episode 5, "Near Guard, Far Guard." It painfully pulled breakthrough moments from characters like Rose Hathaway and Sonya Karp. Those noticeable shifts in the characters pivoted Vampire Academy's story in the direction of the revolution it continues to tease. Plus, Mikhail's death veered away from the canon of Richelle Mead's book series -- proving Vampire Academy plans to surprise even the most loyal fans.
Mikhail's involvement in the series was not as central as Rose and Lissa's, but his role was important. In five episodes, Vampire Academy's writing and Max Parker's performance made it easy to root for Mikhail and his relationship with Sonya. The pair only shared a few short scenes, but their connection was genuine. The small details like Mikhail singing old Moroi opera to make Sonya smile and tapping Rose's boot to boost her confidence mattered. They made Mikhail a fully-formed character rather than merely a device for the plot.
Investment in Mikhail and his relationships strengthened the overall connection to him so that his death was painful and surprising, even if it was foreshadowed in the episode before. In Season 1, Episode 4, "Benchmark," Mikhail essentially cosplayed as a Strigoi alongside Dimitri to train the Dhampir Guardians. Then as tensions rose during "Near Guard, Far Guard," Mikhail's line about having a date to get to became more of a red flag than a white one, knowing that a Strigoi lurks in the shadows. Even Mikhail's words of wisdom to Rose started to taste bittersweet.
When Rose was pushed to the point of staking Mikhail, it stung everyone involved -- including the viewers. Mikhail may have been a Strigoi when Rose killed him, but he still looked and fought like himself. In a matter of minutes, Dimitri lost another friend while Rose lost one of the best people in her corner... and by her own hand. Rose's reaction became even more devastating when paired with Sonya's reaction, as Sonya was still in the outfit that she planned to wear on her date with Mikhail when Mia told her he was dead.
In those moments, Vampire Academy seamlessly wove coming-of-age drama with the consequences of its supernatural world steeped in outdated politics. Losing Mikhail caused Sonya to use her spirit abilities to presumably cure her father, which pushed her further into the darkness. Lissa knew she needed to make personal sacrifices to help others, so she ended her relationship with Christian. Rose grew closer to Dimitri as she shielded her true feelings about that night from Lissa and Mason. Mikhail's death doesn't happen in a vacuum.
The reasonable argument stands that Mikhail's death and its effects were avoidable had the Council reconsidered its decision to let a Strigoi hunt the Dhampirs. His loss is not in vain, giving Victor a larger platform to criticize the Dominion's harmful politics. There's also the possibility that Vampire Academy will play with loopholes like fellow teen supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries and its universe so often did, eventually revealing Mikhail somehow lived.
Yet the immediate effects of Mikhail's death won't lose their meaning if he is alive. Plus, that twist would create a path to explore the Strigoi more. From what the show reveals about Christian's mom, she sounds more lucid than Mikhail appeared to be before his death. That difference may be a sign that the Strigoi are more complicated beings than anyone knows. Mikhail's death has numerous relevant implications for the world Vampire Academy is building -- and makes the series even better.
New episodes of Vampire Academy stream Thursdays on Peacock.