| “ | To be a Shadowhunter is all I ever wanted. | ” |
–Sophie to Gideon, Clockwork Princess | ||
Sophia "Sophie" Lightwood (née Collins) is the wife of Gideon Lightwood, with whom she had three children. A mundane who possessed the Sight, she was a former servant in the London Institute. After years of serving them, Sophie underwent Ascension and became a Shadowhunter.
Biography
Early life
Sophie was born into a poor family and began working as a maid at a young age. Because of her beauty, she was promoted to a parlormaid. In a house in St. Johns Wood, London, Teddy, the son of her employer, took an interest in her and tried to seduce her on several occasions, and she turned him away repeatedly. In a fit of rage, Teddy cut Sophie's face with a knife, wanting to leave a scar that will permanently disfigure her face, telling her that if he couldn't have her, he'd make sure no one ever wanted her again. When she went to Teddy's mother, Teddy claimed that it was Sophie who tried to seduce him, and that he'd taken up the knife to fight her and protect his virtue. The family then threw her out onto the street.
Sophie was then found by Charlotte Branwell, whom Sophie saw, despite Charlotte's glamour. Charlotte then took her to the Silent Brothers, and while they were able to heal the infection from her wound, it was too late to remove the scar. Sophie then began working at the London Institute as the ladies' maid, particularly Jessamine's.
At the Institute, Sophie experienced considerable freedom and was treated well, especially compared to her past employment. She became good friends with the other servants of the Institute, Agatha and Thomas, who developed feelings for her. The other residents of the Institute were also very nice to her, save for Jessamine and Will, both of whom were rude to most everyone except the third ward in the Institute, Jem Carstairs, whom Sophie grew to love. Sophie also became particularly attached, and grateful, to Charlotte who always treated her with kindness.
Over time, Sophie became comfortable, to some extent, with the residents of the Institute. She acted as Charlotte's "angel", who reminded her when she began to become too blunt. Knowing that Will would also be mean to her, a condition of Sophie's employment included the allowance to speak to him any way she liked, and she did so as curtly and frankly as she saw fit. She was allowed to speak freely and was generally treated better than typical servants in the time.
The Grays
When the believed Downworlder Tessa Gray was brought to the Institute, Sophie attended to her and quickly became good friends with her. Her fondness and protectiveness of Charlotte immediately became evident to Tessa, and vice versa. Sophie helped Tessa with certain tasks, much to the other girl's discomfort, not used to being pampered. Nonetheless, Sophie continued to serve her, and even helped her adjust and become familiar with the Institute and its residents; particularly, she warned her about Will.
After an incident between the Shadowhunters of the local Enclave and the vampires of Alexei de Quincey's clan, Sophie was supposed to help Will purge his body of vampire blood. Unwilling to listen and drink the holy water that would cure him, Will even went as far as throw Sophie a bucket of the water, much to her frustration. A livid Sophie left and had just given up when she ran into Tessa, who offered to take the holy water and get Will to drink it for her. While apprehensive for Tessa, she let her, no longer wanting to deal with Will herself.
Suspicious of what transpired between them the night before, Sophie continued to warn Tessa about Will. She tried to give her advice about love and, instead, ended up indirectly speaking about her feelings for Jem, which Tessa mistook as her feelings for Thomas. Sophie, still oblivious to Thomas' feelings for her, denied any possibility of a romance budding between them. Despite this, Tessa continued to wonder about them.
When Jem and Tessa returned to the Institute one evening with a pair of automatons right behind them, Sophie cared for Tessa and worried greatly for Jem, who fell ill after the attack, albeit refusing to see him out of shame. It was then that her feelings for Jem became known to Tessa.
After Jem and Will left the Institute to find the Dark Sisters, Sophie, Tessa and Agatha (the cook) were attacked by an clockwork automaton, which buried a knife in Agatha. Sophie screamed and ran to her. Together she and Tessa lifted Agatha across the room, and Sophie was heard by Tessa to be screaming while at least a dozen automatons advanced towards them. They were joined by Jessamine, Thomas and Nate. Tessa managed to pry Sophie's fingers off Agatha, and she was grabbed by Thomas. Jessamine was hit, and Thomas released Sophie, screaming at her and Tessa to run to the Sanctuary, which they did. They realized they had forgotten the key, which Sophie went to get. She came back to find Nate unconscious after being hit by Jessamine, and the three girls went into the Sanctuary. Sophie defended Tessa after Jessamine suggested that it was all Tessa's fault, and then heard that Thomas was most likely dead. She commenced screaming at Jessamine for leaving him down there alone, when Jessamine was capable of staying and helping, calling her "selfish".
Jessamine opened the Sanctuary doors at Will's voice, but it turned out to be Axel Mortmain. Sophie screamed and ducked behind a pillar, and was told by Mortmain to get out. She bravely resisted, and refused to leave without Tessa. However, Mortmain simply ordered the automatons to kill both Sophie and Jessamine, and despite Sophie's efforts to run away amongst the pillars, she was brought down to the ground, screaming. She managed to break away, only to be jerked back. Tessa pleaded with Mortmain to stop and leave them alone, at which he agreed and Sophie and Jessamine were brought downstairs. They were found here by Jem, who had returned from the mansion where Mrs. Black was hiding. Nate explained his plan to Jem, while Sophie and Jessamine watched and struggled. Jem fought the automatons, and managed to knock Nate to his knees. Nate screamed at the automatons to release Sophie and Jesssamine, which they did, and cling to each other. Charlotte and Henry Branwell returned, and fought off the automatons and Nate.[2]
Training
Sophie was first seen informing Charlotte that Brother Enoch had arrived at the Institute. After the meeting, Sophie heard the voices of Tessa and Jem. She watched them from a separate room, clearly in love with Jem and jealous of Tessa, as Jem loved Tessa, but he had no romantic feelings for Sophie.
On the orders of Consul Josiah Wayland, she started to be trained by the Lightwood brothers with Tessa. She began to fall for Gideon Lightwood as her feelings for Jem began to fade, even feeling happy for them when he and Tessa announced their engagement. While her feelings for Gideon were obviously reciprocated, she was quite conflicted because of what she believed their relationship to be doomed due to their very different social status. However, she did agree to meet him in London for a picnic.
Later, Sophie brought Gideon's lunch to his room, he asked her why she had been avoiding him. Before he could continue to talk to her, Henry burst in to tell Gideon that his brother, Gabriel was here and asking for him. Gideon also asked Sophie to bring him lots of scones around this time because she was still a servant and therefore he would be able to talk to her. Gideon later asked her to marry him and Sophie agreed.[3]
Ascension
A few months after the battle at Cadair Idris, Sophie finally Ascended and became a Shadowhunter, taking on the inactive Shadowhunter name Ashdown.[1] Eventually, she married Gideon and had three children with him, namely Barbara, Eugenia, and Thomas Lightwood.
Later life
In 1937, an elderly Sophie, along with her two daughters, was present at the deathbed of Will Herondale.[4]
Personality
Sophie is a kind, often shy girl, though can be outspoken at times. She has a kind heart, and can often see through a person's façade to what is underneath. She is also self-conscious due to her scar. Because of her last employer she often feels uncomfortable in the presence of men.
Physical description
Sophie is described as slender, with dark hair and eyes that are a "luminous dark hazel". She is very pretty, but her beauty is marred by the thick, silvery ridged scar which slashes from the left corner of her mouth to her temple, pulling her face sideways and distorting her features. When meeting her people are often shocked about her scar, something Sophie does not like.
Relationships
Love interests
Gideon giving Sophie a kiss.
Gideon Lightwood is a Shadowhunter who was first introduced in Clockwork Prince. He is the eldest of the Lightwood children and has spent the past few months leading up to Clockwork Prince studying at the Madrid Institute before his father called him back to London. He is forced by his father into helping train Tessa and Sophie. During the training sessions, he primarily trains Sophie while Gabriel trains Tessa. He begins developing feelings for Sophie during their training sessions and they begin stepping out in secret, Sophie meeting with him on her days off. Her feelings for Jem begin to disappear because of her developing feeling for Gideon and is even happy when Tessa and Jem announce their engagement. Gideon is in love with her, he even tells her his family secrets and casts away his family ring, and at the end of Clockwork Prince, she seems to confirm that she reciprocates his feelings.
Sophie has a difficult time around Gideon when he lives at the Institute, embarrassed that he saw her working as a servant. The two of them had an argument when she found out that he was asking her to bring him scones so he could see her, but hiding all the scones under the bed instead of eating them.
They next argued when Sophie found Gideon and Gabriel looking through Charlotte's letters to trick the Consul. She told them that she was more loyal to Charlotte then she was to them, but was convinced not to tell when she read the letters and started laughing.
Sophie was stunned when Gideon declared his intention to marry her, but reminded him that he did not propose to her as a proposal is asking her. He then proposed and she said yes.
Sophie Ascended to become a Shadowhunter and married Gideon. The two of them had three children together and both of them passed away in the twentieth century.James "Jem" Carstairs is a Shadowhunter at the London Institute, and an employer of Sophie. He is kind to her, as he is to everyone, but does not seem to have any romantic feelings towards her. However, Sophie is in love with Jem, despite knowing that he doesn't love her back. She never tells anyone directly, but her feelings are sometimes made obvious, such as her calling him by his first name. It is very obvious to Tessa that Sophie likes Jem but Sophie would not tell him, because he liked Tessa.
Friends
Charlotte, head of the Institute, is a kind employer, and a good friend to Sophie ever since she rescued her from the streets of London. She is described by Charlotte as her "good angel", admonishing Charlotte when she is too blunt. Sophie often speaks favorably of Charlotte.
Sophie and Will had a strained relationship during her first years of employment at the Institute. Will treated everyone uncouthly, Sophie was not exempt from this. Sophie was among the people who never tolerated his behavior, and thus Sophie found herself despising Will, particularly since he also reminded her of her last employer, Teddy, who gave her the scar, thinking Will was also beautiful, proud, and cruel like Teddy.
This changed when Sophie found out about Will's supposed curse. It was in her nature to be understanding, and she felt sorry for him. The two have since considered each other friends, or at least amicable comrades.Sophie was good friends with Thomas, a fellow Sighted mundane and servant at the Institute. Thomas was always kind to Sophie and had feelings for her, which was obvious to everyone except Sophie, who assumed that Thomas was merely always pleasant and cheerful and nice to everyone. Despite finding out from Tessa, Sophie never returned his feelings, though she remained good friends with Thomas and was visibly distraught when he died defending her and the others. Sophie later gave birth to a son and named him after Thomas.
Appearances
- Clockwork Angel (first appearance)
- Clockwork Prince
- Clockwork Princess
- Nothing but Shadows (mentioned only)
Gallery
Trivia
- Sophie was 19 at the beginning of the series, and she has stated that she was almost 20. When her birth year was revealed in a found family tree, it was confirmed that she indeed would have turned 20 in 1878.
- According to the found family tree, Sophie died some time in 1939 at the age of 80 or 81.