Talk:Mal Volari/@comment-44621812-20200130062213/@comment-4521153-20200207003006

Don't know about Nik Ryder (haven't read Nightbound yet), but Flynn Rider from Disney's Tangled yes. Both are thieves, prideful, care about their reputation, and (at least initially) interested in financial gain rather than doing the right thing.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if we later learn that Mal was previously a partner with the group of thugs that was holding him prisoner in the ruins (though I doubt he was aware of Duke Erthax's involvement at that time).

I think Mal learned of the Onyx Shard from this group, and then double crossed the thugs in an attempt to acquire the Shard for himself. He then lured in Grenn and Angus to help him get past the initial areas of the ruins, possibly hoping to have them distracted by the wealth lying around so that he could slip off alone to get the Onyx Shard without them being any the wiser. Unfortunately the thugs caught up to him and killed Grenn and Angus to serve as a warning about what would happen to him if he failed to deliver the Onyx Shard.