History Characters / Mistborn

* OffingTheOffspring: Is willing to do this in order to [[spoiler: usurp the throne from Elend after he took it over in the aftermath of The Collapse.]]

* [[spoiler: TookALevelInBadass]]

* [[spoiler: GodIsDead: But [[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning His death is just the beginning]].

* CainAndAbel ([[spoiler: He's Cain]])

* TheDragon (to Straff)
* NotSoDifferent (see ShadowArchetype)

* ShadowArchetype (to Vin)

* TheStarscream (subverted. He continually pretends to try and kill Straff, because that's what Straff expects, but he has no real desire to do it- he points out that if he did, Straff would already be ''dead'')

* OmnicidalManiac (His very nature is the end of all things, and [[spoiler:part of the bargain that allowed the two gods to create life at all stipulated that Ruin would eventually get to destroy it all.]])

* [[spoiler: TheDragon (to Ruin)]]

* [[spoiler: DarkMessiah (Ruin tricks him into becoming one in ''Hero of Ages'')]]

* SuperSenses (especially in ''Hero of Ages'')

* TheUnintelligible (the accent/slang he has at first. He gets better)

* CynicalMentor (to Elend)
* DeadpanSnarker (she can even give Vin a run for her money in this regard)
* DrillSergeantNasty (Elend finds out the hard way)

* LawfulEvil ([[spoiler: though he started out GoodIsNotNice]])

* ShroudedInMyth (a large part of the series deals with finding out what kind of man the Lord Ruler really was, and where the man ends and the myth begins)

* EvilOverlord ([[spoiler: sets himself up as one after the Lord Ruler dies]])

* HannibalLecture (loves doing this to Vin)

* SealedEvilInACan ([[spoiler:''Two'' cans. His power is sealed in the Well of Ascension, and his body is atium... also known as ''the single most valuable substance in the Empire.'']]
* WeaksauceWeakness (he can't see or directly affect words written in metal- a rather potent weakness, as his greatest success came from [[spoiler: altering written records, especially prophecies]]. He also can't read minds, though he can influence them if the person has a Hemalurgic spike.)

* TheHero (She's the main character of the books, and evolves into the BigGood and biggest {{Badass}} on the good guys' side after [[spoiler: Kelsier dies]]. Subverted in that [[spoiler: she's ''not'' actually the Hero of Ages]].

* BadassCape (Mistcloaks are very cape-like and Vin wears one for quite a while. They're the most common symbol of a Mistborn; when you see someone wearing one of these, you look away, mind your own business, and pray to the Lord Ruler that they're not after you.)
* BrokenBird (She gets better.)
* CareerKillers (She thinks of herself as an Assassin, though there's more to her character than that).
* {{Chickification}} (played straight in that she becomes more traditionally feminine as the series progresses; averted in that this in no way makes her less of a Badass ActionGirl)

* CuteBruiser (As a Mistborn, she can burn pewter for enhanced strength and endurance. She may look like a scrawny teenager, but she could tie an Olympic weightlifter up in knots without breaking a sweat.)

* ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl (Mistborn are rare, but Vin is by no means unique, apart from being an unusually quick learner... [[spoiler:and for her ability to penetrate copperclouds, which is shared, for the most part, only by Steel Inquisitors.]]

* JeanneDArchetype (How the skaa see her, more or less. Vin herself finds this ''very'' bothering.)

* RealWomenNeverWearDresses (Averted with a vengeance. Vin's mostly a tomboyish ActionGirl in terms of personality, but that doesn't mean she can't take the opportunity to appreciate fancy dresses, dance parties, or other traditionally feminine interests.)
* [[spoiler: RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething (Empress Vin is every bit as {{Badass}} as Vin the Mistborn insurgent was)]]

* StreetUrchin (at first)

* WaifFu (justified by her ability to burn pewter- she may ''look'' small and harmless, but she can acquire incredible superstrength pretty much whenever she needs it.)

* [[spoiler: AGodAmI (deliberately invoked to give the skaa something other than the Lord Ruler to believe in)]]

* GoodIsNotNice (not to noblemen that is)

* TheObiWan (to Vin)

* WellIntentionedExtremist (often veers perilously close to this)

* BadassBookworm (He manages to incapacitate a Steel Inquisitor early in the first book; it happens off-camera, but it's the first instance of a Steel Inquisitor encounter being treated as anything other than "run or die".)

* DeadpanSnarker (occasionally)
* LetsGetDangerous (he's a polite, kindly servant/scholar who hates fighting. Threaten hs friends or his life's work, though, and you'll find out [[spoiler: one of the reasons]] why the Lord Ruler feared Feruchemists)

* CainAndAbel ([[spoiler: he's Abel]])

* NonActionGuy ([[spoiler: at least until the third book]])

* ReplacementScrappy (Becomes one in story for [[spoiler: Kelsier]] after [[spoiler: he becomes king in Kelsier's place after the later's death]])
* ShallowLoveInterest (he's not a shallow ''person'', but gets comparatively little development in the first book. When he becomes a POV character in books two and three, this changes)

* WideEyedIdealist (politically, at least)

* GoodIsNotNice (at first)

* [[spoiler:NiceJobFixingItVillain]] (deliberately)

* TheBlob (in his true form)
* DeadPersonImpersonation (his race's ability to assume the form of living creatures after absorbing their bones makes him very good at this, [[spoiler: his Dead Kandra Impersonation isn't too shabby either.)]]
* FantasticRacism (both experiences this from humans and towards them, at least until he meets Vin...)

* {{Squick}} (the fact that he needs to ''eat'' someone before he can imitate them...)

[[WMG: Tindwyl]]

* CoolOldLady
* CynicalMentor (to Elend)
* DeadpanSnarker (she can even give Vin a run for her money in this regard)
* DrillSergeantNasty (Elend finds out the hard way)
* GoodIsNotNice
* [[spoiler:MentorOccupationalHazard]]

* WeaksauceWeakness (he can't see or directly affect words written in metal- a rather potent weakness, as his greatest success came from [[spoiler: altering written records, especially prophecies]]. He also can't read minds, though he can influence them if the person has a Hemalurgic spike.)

[[WMG: Marsh]]

* [[spoiler: BrainwashedAndCrazy]]
* [[spoiler: TheDragon (to Ruin)]]
* [[spoiler: FaceHeelTurn: Forcibly.]]
* GoodIsNotNice (at first)
* HeroicWillpower: [[spoiler: resisting Ruin even to the small degree that he manages it is implied to take phenomenal amounts of this. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome It pays off]].]]
* ImplacableMan
* [[spoiler:MoreThanMindControl]]
* [[spoiler:NiceJobFixingItVillain]] (deliberately)
* TheStoic: Earns him the nickname "Ironeyes". [[spoiler: Prophetically, as it turns out]].
* [[spoiler:WasOnceAMan]]
* TheWoobie

[[WMG: Breeze]]

* DeadpanSnarker: Especially when dealing with Ham
* GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul: An arguable and generally benevolent case; he often toys with the emotions of those around him, lessening the effects of negative emotions such as fatigue, fear, or sadness, in order to emphasize the effect of positive emotions the subjects already feel.
* GoodIsNotNice: As noted below under JerkWithAHeartOfGold, he's overbearing, manipulative... and caring to a fault.
* HeroicBSOD: Suffers one of these [[spoiler: After seeing all the suffering and death at the fall of Luthadel. [[IGotBetter He gets better]] by the next book, with Sazed's help]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He appears, at first, to be a pompous, selfish, lazy, egotistical, and manipulative scoundrel. All of this is absolutely true, but it becomes clear (especially in the second and third books whenever he becomes a point-of-view character) that at least as much of his manipulation goes toward helping others as toward getting his own way.
* MayDecemberRomance: With Allrianne Cett
* NonActionGuy: Despite carrying around a dueling cane, there's little indication that Breeze is a warrior of any kind.
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Claims to be on the cynical side, despite his actions and emotions pushing him toward idealism.
* TrueNeutral -> NeutralGood
* VitriolicBestBuds: Has something of this sort of relationship with Ham, due to the latter's insistence on submitting philosophical questions for consideration.

[[WMG: Ham]]

* TheBigGuy
* DumbMuscle: WordOfGod is that he's a deliberate subversion- between his physical appearance and role in the crew, you'd expect him to be this, but he's really an intelligent, thoughtful guy.
* {{Foil}}: He and Breeze are often contrasted.
* GeniusBruiser
* GentleGiant: He may be a hulking professional soldier, but he's also an amiable family man who'd rather not fight at all if he can avoid it.
* NeutralGood
* ThePhilosopher: Though he's more interested in ''posing'' questions than answering them.
* SleevesAreForWimps: Ham wears vests rather than shirts if he has any say in the matter- he even ''rips the sleeves out of his general's uniform'' to create a makeshift one.
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Breeze

[[WMG: Clubs]]

* BadassGrandpa
** RetiredBadass
** HandicappedBadass
* GoodIsNotNice
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold
* ParentalSubstitute: To his nephew, Spook.
* PowerNullifier: To an extent; as a Smoker, he's immune to emotional allomancy himself and can shield others from being detected by Seekers, but he can't interfere with other allomantic powers.
* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: He's the oldest member of the crew, and also the grouchiest and most standoffish, but his word is good and when he gives his loyalty, he means it. See JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
* SixthRanger: From the perspective of the other crew members- though he joins up near the beginning of the book, he's the only major crewmember apart from Vin who Kelsier has never worked with before.

[[WMG: Shan Elariel]]

* [[spoiler: DarkActionGirl]]
* TheLibby: She's in a court, rather than school, setting, but otherwise fits the trope to a "t" [[spoiler: though she's rather more dangerous than most]].
* MurderTheHypotenuse: Not Vin's intention, but Shan ''was'' Elend's fiancee, and [[spoiler: Elend does make a dark joke along these lines in ''Hero of Ages'', mentioning that Vin married him after killing his fiancee, his [[AbusiveParents father]], his [[CainAndAble brother]] and [[GodEmperor his god]], to boot]].
* [[spoiler: NotSoHarmless]]
* TheReveal: For most of her appearances, she's built up as practically a female [[HarryPotter Draco Malfoy]]- arrogant, obnoxious, and annoying, but ultimately harmless. [[spoiler: Then it turns out she's a Mistborn nearly as powerful as Vin]].
* RichBitch
---

* TheHero ([[spoiler:The books tend to revolve around her viewpoint, especially the first one. It's also averted in that the actual Hero of Ages is ''not'' Vin.]])

* ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl (Mistborn are rare, but Vin is by no means unique... [[spoiler:except for her ability to penetrate copperclouds, which is shared, for the most part, only by Steel Inquisitors.]]

* RealWomenNeverWearDresses (Averted with a vengeance. Vin's mostly a tomboyish ActionGirl in terms of personality, but that doesn't mean she can't take the oppurtunity to appreciate fancy dresses, dance parties, or other traditionally feminine interests.)

* RealWomenNeverWearDresses (Averted with a vengeance. Vin's mostly a tomboyish ActionGirl in terms of personality, but that doesn't mean she can't take the oppurtunity to appreciate fancy dresses or parties.)

* [[spoiler:ShroudedInMyth]]

* [[spoiler:BrainwashedAndCrazy]]

* GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul: An arguable and generally benevolent case; he often toys with the emotions of those around him, lessening the effects of negative

*

* [[spoiler: MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning]]

* LawfulNeutral --> [[spoiler:LawfulGood]]

*LawfulGood

[[WMG: Tyndwil]]