Legend’s dystopia is a commentary on wealth inequality in the world.[4] Lu stated that she chose Los Angeles as the setting in the novel particularly because it is a location with rampant wealth inequality.[4] She commented that in Los Angeles, "The fact that you can go down the street and you run into a wealthy neighborhood. Then two blocks later, it's a really poor street. It's very extreme and I think that is kind of symbolic for Legend where there is no middle class."[4]
Although their romantic involvement is not revealed until later in the series, there are two LGBTQ+ characters in this novel, Metias and Thomas. In an interview with Everdeen Mason from The Washington Post, Lu states that she wished she included more LGBTQ+ representation in the novel, aside from solely Thomas and Metias, since this limited representation solely allows LGBTQ+ readers to relate to either Thomas's or Metias's characteristics of a dead brother or an antagonist.[10]
