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City of Ashes (2019) movie poster

Timeline

City of Ashes (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 100 mins · Spanish
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Directed by
Jhon Salazar
Starring
Patricia Tamayo, Jorge Herrera, Luis Fernando Hoyos, Alex Adames, Caterine Escobar, Patricia Castaño Valencia

A Colombian farmer struggles with his wife’s inability to have children and desires to adopt his orphaned niece. To realize his dream, he must confront and vanquish a demon that has secretly plagued the town, negatively impacting his life and preventing him from achieving happiness.

Horror Thriller Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

City of Ashes Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of City of Ashes (2019) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Jace imprisoned in Silent City

    Clary returns to the Institute after Izzy texts that Jace angered the Inquisitor Imogen Herondale. Jace has been imprisoned in the Silent City and will stand trial before the Soul Sword to determine if he is truly in league with Valentine. The Soul Sword, one of the Mortal Instruments alongside the Cup and the Mirror, compels truth, and Valentine killed the Silent Brothers to seize the Sword.

    Where
    Silent City

  2. Rescue attempt and opening rune frees Jace

    Clary, Izzy, and Alec race to the Silent City to mount a rescue, but arrive just too late. Clary unleashes an amplified opening rune she subconsciously conjures in a moment of panic to free Jace from custody. The act briefly breaks him free, though the danger remains.

    Where
    Silent City

  3. Inquisitor arrives and accuses Jace

    The Inquisitor arrives with a troop of Shadowhunters and accuses Jace of aiding Valentine, threatening drastic measures. The confrontation underscores the seriousness of the charges and the tension of a possible high profile trial.

    Where
    Silent City

  4. Magnus arrives to help and keep Jace

    Magnus Bane is summoned by Alec and offers to keep Jace imprisoned at his apartment while the group searches for Valentine's plan. The moment also signals the growing romance between Magnus and Alec that fans notice in the series.

    Where
    Magnus's apartment

  5. Seelie Queen invites to court

    Jace receives an invitation from the Queen of the Seelie to visit her court and seek aid against Valentine. The queen hints at dark secrets about Jace and Clary being experiments created by their father, sowing doubt about whether help will come.

    Where
    Seelie Court

  6. Faerie food and the kiss that frees Clary

    Clary is tricked into faerie food and learns she can only escape by kissing the one she desires most. Simon offers to kiss her, but the queen says he is not the one. The moment leads to the possibility that the kiss might be from Jace, setting up the later revelation.

    Where
    Seelie Court

  7. Jace and Clary declare love; Simon's heartbreak

    The kiss occurs and Clary and Jace confess their love, complicating their sibling bond. Simon reacts with heartbreak, realizing the kiss was not for him, and storms away as the group returns to their realm.

    Where
    Institute

  8. Simon becomes a vampire

    Raphael arrives at the Institute with Simon, who is near death after a mishap at Hotel DuMort. Simon is buried and transforms into a vampire, altering his life and relationships with the group.

    Where
    Institute

  9. Demons attack; Clary's rune helps

    Maia arrives badly wounded and Luke is attacked outside the house as demons threaten the group. Jace, Simon, and Clary fight off the demons, who flee when they see Clary's forearm rune, a symbol of the power she discovered in a dream.

    Where
    Institute

  10. Fearless rune created and tested

    Clary reveals she can create runes on her own rather than angels' runes. She forges a new Fearless rune at Jace's suggestion and tests it on Alec, after which they suspect it has altered his capacity to love a Downworlder.

    Where
    Institute

  11. Jace meets Valentine on a ship; trade planned

    Jace secretly takes Raphael's motorcycle to visit Valentine aboard a ship, where Valentine offers protection if Jace joins him. The next morning, the Inquisitor imprisons Jace again, planning to trade his life for the Soul Sword and vowing revenge on Valentine.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    Valentine's Ship

  12. Maia kidnapped; rescue

    Maia is attacked by a demon in the form of her dead brother, and Valentine kidnaps her. Clary and the others, aided by Magnus, mount a rescue, but Simon has suffered further blood loss in the attack.

    Where
    Valentine's Ship

  13. Simon revived; Inquisitor dies

    Valentine drains Simon's blood, and Jace revives him by feeding him his own blood. The Inquisitor arrives and, after seeing Jace's star-shaped shoulder scar, sacrifices herself to save him from a demon, her loyalty shifting in her final moments.

    Where
    Valentine's Ship

  14. Opening rune leads to ship explosion; escape

    Valentine confronts Clary on his boat and taunts her with Jace's loyalty. Clary draws an opening rune on the ship, causing the vessel to break apart and explode. The group escapes by truck, and Clary is saved from the river by nixies summoned by the Queen.

    Where
    Valentine's Ship

  15. Daylighter reveal and love decision

    Simon learns that Jace's blood has made him tolerant to sunlight, a Daylighter. Luke talks with Clary about love and not telling her mother how he feels, while Clary resolves to tell Jace about her love and to pursue a relationship despite the risks. Jace reveals he will only act as her brother from now on, breaking Clary's heart.

    Where
    Road

Last updated: November 22, 2025 at 16:00

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Timeline questions answered

City of Ashes Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of City of Ashes (2019): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was Jace imprisoned in the Silent City?

Jace was imprisoned because the Inquisitor Imogen Herondale accused him of aiding Valentine, his father. Since Valentine killed the Silent Brothers to obtain the Soul Sword, the Inquisitor wanted to use the Sword to force the truth from Jace and determine whether he was truly loyal to his father or secretly working against him.

Foreshadowing: The Soul Sword was introduced earlier as one of the Mortal Instruments capable of compelling truth from anyone it touches.

  • jace
  • imogen herondale
  • silent city
  • soul sword
  • valentine
Q2

How did Clary's opening rune free Jace from prison?

Clary subconsciously created an amplified opening rune during a moment of panic while attempting to rescue Jace. This powerful new rune, something she created rather than received from angels, broke through the magical barriers holding Jace in the Silent City, allowing him to escape custody.

Foreshadowing: Clary had previously discovered she could create new runes after experiencing a dream where her mother blessed her with a special rune on her forearm.

  • clary
  • opening rune
  • jace
  • rescue
  • silent city
  • magic
Q3

What is the Soul Sword and why does Valentine want it?

The Soul Sword is one of the three Mortal Instruments, alongside the Cup and the Mirror. It is a weapon that compels truth from anyone it touches. Valentine killed the Silent Brothers and sought the Sword so he could force people to reveal their true loyalties and secrets, using it to advance his campaign against Downworlders and gain power.

Foreshadowing: The Mortal Instruments were mentioned when the Sword was first described as a legendary artifact with immense power.

  • soul sword
  • mortal instruments
  • valentine
  • truth
  • silent brothers
Q4

Why did the Seelie Queen help Clary escape the faerie court?

The Queen helped because Clary was tricked into eating faerie food, which traps anyone who consumes it. The only way to leave was to kiss the person she most desired. When Jace kissed Clary and broke the spell, the Queen honored the magical rule and released her. Additionally, the Queen had interests in the group's conflict with Valentine and sent nixies to aid them later.

Foreshadowing: The Queen hinted at hidden knowledge about Jace and Clary being products of their father's experiments, suggesting she had her own reasons for watching their fate.

  • seelie queen
  • clary
  • jace
  • kiss
  • faerie
  • escape
Q5

Why did Jace choose to fight against Valentine instead of joining him?

Jace chose to fight on Clary's side because of his love for her, a love that transcends the familial bond they share as siblings. On the ship, Valentine taunted Clary with the Soul Sword, but Jace defied him and helped rescue her. Valentine himself conceded that Jace's loyalty belonged to Clary, not to him.

Foreshadowing: Jace secretly visiting Valentine earlier showed his conflicted loyalty, but his choice ultimately proved his love for Clary was stronger than his connection to his father.

  • jace
  • valentine
  • clary
  • love
  • loyalty
  • choice
Q6

How did Simon become a vampire?

Simon was dying after being severely injured at Hotel DuMort while investigating as a rat. Raphael brought him to the Institute, and with no other options, Simon was buried and transformed into a vampire. His turning was a desperate measure to save his life after he had already ingested vampire blood.

Foreshadowing: Simon's earlier decision to investigate the vampire lair as a rat set the events in motion that led to his transformation.

  • simon
  • vampire
  • raphael
  • turning
  • blood
Q7

What made Simon able to withstand sunlight as a vampire?

Jace saved Simon after Valentine drained his blood by feeding Simon his own blood. This act of sharing his blood with Simon transformed Simon into a Daylighter, a rare vampire capable of walking in sunlight without being burned. This ability was revealed when the group escaped and Simon discovered he could tolerate daylight.

Foreshadowing: Jace's blood had previously shown unusual properties, and his willingness to sacrifice for his friends created this unexpected transformation.

  • simon
  • daylighter
  • jace blood
  • sunlight
  • vampire powers
Q8

Why did the Inquisitor sacrifice herself to save Jace?

The Inquisitor Imogen Herondale sacrificed herself after recognizing the star-shaped scar on Jace's shoulder, the same scar her son Stephen Herondale had. Realizing Jace was her grandson, she chose to shield him from a demon attack rather than let him die. Her change of heart came too late to save herself, but it proved her loyalty had shifted to protecting her family.

Foreshadowing: The Inquisitor's earlier determination to punish Jace for his supposed allegiance to Valentine made her sudden sacrifice a shocking reversal.

  • imogen herondale
  • jace
  • sacrifice
  • scar
  • grandson
  • demon
Q9

What was the significance of Clary's forearm rune that scared the demons?

Clary's forearm rune was a powerful symbol she received in a dream from her mother Jocelyn. When demons attacked the Institute, they fled upon seeing this rune on her arm, indicating it holds significant power, possibly connected to angelic or ancient magic that demons recognize and fear.

Foreshadowing: The dream sequence where Jocelyn blessed Clary with this rune was presented as a meaningful moment that would have future importance.

  • clary
  • rune
  • demons
  • forearm
  • jocelyn
  • magic
Q10

Why did Jace reject Clary's love and decide to only be her brother?

After everything settled, Jace chose to honor their sibling bond and rejected the romantic relationship Clary pursued. Despite their confessed love and the emotional connection they shared, Jace decided to act only as her brother from that point forward, ending their romantic possibility and leaving Clary heartbroken.

Foreshadowing: The entire story built tension around their forbidden sibling romance, and this ending confirms Jace's choice to prioritize their family relationship over their feelings.

  • jace
  • clary
  • love
  • rejection
  • siblings
  • relationship end

Movie threads

More Movies Like City of Ashes, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes City of Ashes tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Dark Fantasy Romance movies like City of Ashes

Forbidden desires bloom amidst high-stakes battles against demonic forces. If you enjoyed the blend of a dangerous, star-crossed romance and a high-stakes demonic threat in City of Ashes, you'll find similar stories here. These movies feature passionate but forbidden relationships set against a backdrop of supernatural war and peril.

  • tense
  • romantic turmoil
  • dark fantasy
  • dangerous
  • demonic threat
  • star-crossed
  • Tone: tense, melancholic, romantic
  • Pacing: fast, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically centers on a protagonist whose personal desires, especially a forbidden romance, are directly complicated by a larger supernatural conflict. Their quest for happiness is inextricably linked to confronting and overcoming a powerful, often demonic, antagonist, leading to high-stakes confrontations.

Why they belong together: Movies in this group share a core tension between intense, emotionally heavy romance and the constant pressure of a supernatural battle. The pacing is fast, the tone is tense, and the experience is defined by the high emotional cost of fighting evil while pursuing a complicated love.

City of Ashes movie poster

City of Ashes

2019
Holy Night: Demon Hunters movie poster

Holy Night: Demon Hunters

2025
Truth or Dare movie poster

Truth or Dare

2017
Witchtrap movie poster

Witchtrap

1989
Home Sweet Home: Rebirth movie poster

Home Sweet Home: Rebirth

2025
Banal movie poster

Banal

2019
The Prophecy: Forsaken movie poster

The Prophecy: Forsaken

2005
The Devil Inside movie poster

The Devil Inside

2012

Movies with bittersweet endings like City of Ashes

The enemy is defeated, but the personal price of victory is devastating. If the ending of City of Ashes, where victory is achieved but accompanied by heartbreaking personal sacrifice, resonated with you, explore these similar films. They feature characters who win the battle but lose something irreplaceable, resulting in a poignant and bittersweet conclusion.

  • bittersweet
  • melancholic
  • personal sacrifice
  • hollow victory
  • emotionally heavy
  • tense
  • Tone: bittersweet, melancholic, tense
  • Pacing: fast, culminating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative builds towards a major confrontation where the protagonist vanquishes a powerful antagonist. However, the climax involves a deep personal sacrifice—such as the end of a crucial relationship or a permanent transformation—that fundamentally alters the protagonist's life, making the victory feel pyrrhic.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared emotional arc: a high-intensity journey culminating in a success that is simultaneously a profound failure on a personal level. They deliver a heavy emotional weight and a tone that blends tense action with deep melancholy, leading to a definitively bittersweet ending feel.

Fading of the Cries movie poster

Fading of the Cries

2011
Halloween Ends movie poster

Halloween Ends

2022
1920: Horrors of the Heart movie poster

1920: Horrors of the Heart

2023
No Tears for the Dead movie poster

No Tears for the Dead

2014
The Victim movie poster

The Victim

1980
Mourning Grave movie poster

Mourning Grave

2014
Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming movie poster

Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming

2007
I Bury the Living movie poster

I Bury the Living

1958

Every angle

City of Ashes (2019) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about City of Ashes in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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