History Characters / Mistborn

-->-- The Lord Ruler to [[spoiler:Sazed]]

The main character of the series. Vin is a Mistborn, a special type of Allomancer who can use the powers of all the metals. This is because she is the bastard child of a Skaa woman and a high noble. At first, she is the member of a thieving crew, but Kelsier recruits her to his rebellion. For some strange reason, she has powers unlike any Mistborn ever before.

* AntiHero: She can be ruthless and has a dark streak in her, but at the end of the day she's fundamentally a good person. She does sometimes veer into darker territory, most notably when she assaults Cett's keep with Zane in book 2.

Kelsier's brother, who aides him in his rebellion. He is a Seeker, an Allomancer who can detect the use of Allomancy in others. [[spoiler:He eventually becomes a Steel Inquisitor, but one working for the good side.]] Also, [[spoiler:the spikes within him allow him to be made Ruin's puppet.]] However, [[spoiler:after Ruin dies, Sazed allows him free will, so he is essentially immortal.]]

The leader of the Steel Inquisitors

[[folder:Other Modern Characters]]

* [[spoiler: BadassBookworm]]
* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: he's Abel]]

* [[spoiler: TookALevelInBadass: Twice. First under Tindwyl's tutelage in ''Well of Ascension'', and then another after becoming Mistborn himself at the end of that book.]]
* [[spoiler: UnskilledButStrong: As a Mistborn, he's got more raw allomantic power than anyone in the series short of the Lord Ruler himself- but he's also the first to admit that Vin has a far more subtle affinity for her powers]]. It turns out that his is because [[spoiler: he acquired his Mistborn powers directly from the same metal that was used to grant the ''original'', near-godlike Mistborn their powers by the Lord Ruler.]]

* BigBrotherBully: Bizarrely mixed with BigBrotherInstinct. He abused Vin because he thought that [[BrokenBird breaking her]] was the only way she'd survive.

* PetTheDog: [[spoiler: Sacrificing his life rather than telling the Inquisitors where to find Vin]]
** RedemptionEqualsDeath
* PosthumousCharacter

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

* [[spoiler: UnwittingPawn: The voice in his head isn't just in his head.]]

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

See [[Characters/TheAlloyOfLaw here]] for characters in the SequelSeries ''Literature/TheAlloyOfLaw''.

[[folder:Kelsier's Crew]]

A man known "The Survivor of Hathshin", due to his survival in the Lord Ruler's pits. He is the leader of a rebellion against the Lord Ruler, and has a fiery hatred of nobility.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: In-universe. No one is entirely sure whether he's just an egotistical GloryHound, a MagnificentBastard bent on rather spectacular revenge, or a GuileHero who really does care for the ideals of the revolution, possibly [[WellIntentionedExtremist a little too much]].
** One of the first metals Kelsier Burned was Atium; we later learn that Atium [[spoiler: is the body of Ruin, and he can influence your thoughts through it.]] So, killing scores of nobles and overthrowing the Lord Ruler, [[spoiler: aka the man who is stopping Ruin from destroying the world]]- how much of that was really ''your'' idea anyway, Kell?

* [[spoiler: DoomedMoralVictor]]
* [[spoiler: AGodAmI]]: Deliberately invoked [[spoiler:to give the skaa something other than the Lord Ruler to believe in]].

* MagnificentBastard / GuileHero: And no one seems to know which, in-universe or out.
* [[spoiler: MentorOccupationalHazard]]
* [[spoiler:MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning]]

* AngstDissonance: In-universe- Vin thinks he's far too angsty to have become an EvilOverlord. [[spoiler: She's right]].
* TheChosenOne: [[spoiler:Subverted in that he was killed by Rashek before he did what he was Chosen to do. Then deconstructed when it was revealed he was only chosen in the first place because of Ruin screwing with the prophecies]].

!!Goradel

* StarterVillain: He's the first bad guy in the series, being the antagonist of the first book's prologue.

!!Tevidian Tekial

* SpikesOfVillainy

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Unusually, both inverted and played straight. WordOfGod is that [[spoiler:Rashek]] actually grew as a person as a result of acquiring and being forced to responsibly use godlike power; pity that the [[spoiler:hemalurgy]] he used brought him into telepathic contact with [[spoiler:Ruin, who wormed his way inside his head and drove him to increasingly brutal, irrational, and tyrannical actions in the name of the greater good]].

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

* TheChosenOne: [[spoiler: Subverted in that he was killed by Rashek before he did what he was Chosen to do- and then deconstructed to boot when it was revealed he was only chosen in the first place because of Ruin screwing with the prophecies]].
* {{Expy}}: Of any number of generic ChosenOne types, but in particular he resembles [[WheelOfTime Rand al'Thor]]- which became HilariousInHindsight when Sanderson was contracted to finish WheelOfTime.
* PosthumousCharacter
* StartOfDarkness: [[spoiler: Subverted, because he was never the Lord Ruler, and though he was heading towards dark territory he never fully jumped off the slippery slope before he was killed]].

* [[spoiler:ChekhovsGunman]]

* [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice]]

!!Ladrian ("Breeze")

A Soother, one who has the ability to calm emotions through Allomancy. He aides Kelsier in his Skas rebellion.

* HiddenHeartOfGold: He's not nearly as selfish as he acts but prefers to downplay this.
* HeroicBSOD: Suffers one of these [[spoiler: After seeing all the suffering and death at the fall of Luthadel. He gets better by the next book, with Sazed's help]]

* {{Foil}}: He and Breeze are often contrasted.

* 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.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Dear God, does he have a bad case of this. The very idea of altruism is alien to him and he ascribes nefarious or selfish motives to ''everything'' that ''anyone ever does''. For example, the idea that somebody could save the life of another because they didn't want to see an innocent man die is an idea he finds both hilarious and stupid, too stupid to be what really happened (even though it basically was). The life in question, by the way, was the life of his son- and it was in danger because Straff had sent assassins [[OffingTheOffspring to kill him]].

* OffingTheOffspring: Attempts it several times over the course of the series. [[spoiler:It backfires on him.]]

[[folder:[[spoiler:Powers of Creation]]]]

* HeroicBSOD: In ''Hero of Ages'' he has a brief one before [[spoiler: Preservation]] manages to snap him out of it.

* 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.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Unusually, both inverted and played straight. WordOfGod is that [[spoiler:Rashek]] actually grew as a person as a result of acquiring and being forced to responsibly use godlike power; pity that the [[spoiler:hemalurgy]] he used brought him into telepathic contact with [[spoiler:Ruin, who wormed his way inside his head and drove him to increasingly brutal, irrational, and tyrannical actions in the name of the greater good]].

!![=TenSoon=]

A Kandra employed by the Venture family.

* [[spoiler:ApologeticAttacker]]: [[spoiler:He apologizes to Vin when he reveals his true allegiances.]]
* TheBlob: In his true form.
* [[spoiler:CanineCompanion]]: [[spoiler:Forced to be one for Vin when impersonating [=OreSeur=].]]
* DeadPersonImpersonation: His race's ability to assume the form of living creatures after absorbing their bones makes him very good at this, [[spoiler:and his Dead Kandra Impersonation isn't too shabby either.]]
* [[spoiler:FantasticRacism]]: [[spoiler:He feels this as a result of the way humans treat him. Vin helps him change.]]
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceTurn]]: [[spoiler:He comes to like and respect Vin after spending time with her. This leads to him going over to her side during her final battle with Zane.]]
* TheMole: In ''The Well of Ascension'', he kills and impersonates someone in Luthadel. [[spoiler:It turns out to be [=OreSeur=].]]
* [[spoiler:NotSoDifferent]]: [[spoiler:When Vin tells him of her experiences as a member of a thieving crew, he realizes the experience isn't that different from having to follow the Kandra Contract. Leads to an OddFriendship of sorts.]]
* [[spoiler:OddFriendship]]: [[spoiler:With Vin after he warms up to her.]]
* {{Squick}}: [[invoked]] [[spoiler:His need to eat someone before he can imitate them ''really'' bothers Vin.]]
* [[spoiler:TalkingAnimal]]: [[spoiler:When using a wolfhound body.]]
* VoluntaryShapeshifting

!!Ashweather Cett

The king of Fadrex, Cett left his city after [[spoiler:hearing about Straff Venture's siege of Luthadel. Fearing that Straff would take the atium within the city, Cett besieged Luthadel himself, wanting to take the atium and increase his wealth.]]
----

!![=KanPaar=]

The leader of the second generation of Kandra.

!!Zane [[spoiler: Venture]]

The immortal ruler of the Final Empire. All-powerful and invincible, he is revered as God. He apparently defeated The Deepness in the past.

* GodIsEvil: What the skaa certainly think, and with good reason. [[spoiler: The truth's a bit more complicated. He really does mean well and his harshness is arguably necessary, but Ruin's been attacking his mind for the last thousand years. And it's getting to him.]]
* HealingFactor

* [[spoiler:NoImmortalInertia]]

* [[spoiler:SympatheticMurderer]]:

!!Lord Aradan Yomen

An Obligator from Urteau who was Cett's political rival. When Cett left Fadrex to [[spoiler:besiege Luthadel]], he takes over.

* AntiVillain
* BadassBookworm
* TheChessmaster: Barring the Lord Ruler and [[spoiler:Ruin]] themselves, he's probably the smartest "bad guy" in the series.
* CombatClairvoyance: [[spoiler: Well, he is an atium Misting]].
* GreyAndGreyMorality: He and Elend both make good points, and considering the circumstances are both pretty justified in their actions- Yomen just has incomplete information.
* HesJustHiding: [[invoked]]His opinion regarding the Lord Ruler- since obviously a god can't be killed, he must have ''let'' the skaa overthrow him as part of some {{plan}}. Yomen spends a lot of ''Hero of Ages'' trying to figure out just what that plan is.
* [[spoiler: HeelFaceTurn]]
* NotSoDifferent: He's basically Elend, if Elend had been an Obligator.
* WorthyOpponent: Again, he's Elend's intellectual equal, and the two of them actually enjoy their philosophical sparring, though their larger conflict is very serious.

!!Ashweather Cett

The king of Fadrex, Cett left his city after [[spoiler:hearing about Straff Venture's siege of Luthadel. Fearing that Straff would take the atium within the city, Cett besieged Luthadel himself, wanting to take the atium and increase his wealth.]]
----

!!Goradel

A soldier from Luthadel who joins Vin at the climax of ''Mistborn: The Final Empire''.

* [[spoiler:BigDamnHeroes]]: [[spoiler:Shows up with Elend in ''Mistborn: The Final Empire'' when they go to save Vin from the Lord Ruler.]]
* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal]]: [[spoiler:Marsh offs him in ''The Hero of Ages''.]]
* MookFaceTurn
* [[spoiler:SmallRoleBigImpact]]: [[spoiler:He's a very minor character, but he is pivotal to saving the world on two separate occasions.]]

!!Lord Themos Tresting

One of the nobles of the Final Empire.

* InplacableMan: [[spoiler:But he's still vulnerable to decapitation, as Kelsier proves.]]

!!Milev

!!Lord Tresting

A man working for Lord Tresting.

!!Tevidian

!!The Hazekillers

Soldiers of The Lord Ruler who are equipped to counter Allomancy.

* EliteMooks
* NoSell: What happens when you use Allomancy on them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other Modern Characters]]
!!Tindwyl

A Terriswoman who arrives in Luthadel during ''The Well of Ascension''. She believes in things being "proper".

* 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. It's explicitly stated she's like this to him because as an idealistic nobleman's son, she feels he needs to be hit over the head with reality before he can become a good leader. She's much nicer to Vin, based on the fact that Vin's been the target of physical and emotional abuse for good chunks of her life and what ''she'' needs is confidence and self-worth.
* GoodIsNotNice
* [[spoiler:MentorOccupationalHazard]]
* SternTeacher

!![=KanPaar=]

The leader of the second generation of Kandra.

* {{Jerkass}}
* TheLeader: Of the second generation of Kandra.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pre-Ascension Characters]]
!!Alendi

The so-called "Hero of Ages", declared as such by Kwaan. Although he started off as an idealistic youth, but became cynical during his quest to defeat The Deepness. Although the prophecies said that he needed to give up the power at the Well of Ascension, he used it for himself instead, becoming the Lord Ruler. [[spoiler:Except he didn't. He was killed by his packman Rashek, who went on to take the power and become the Lord Ruler.]] Author of the epigraphs in ''Mistborn: The Final Empire''.

* AngstDissonance: In-universe- Vin thinks he's far too angsty to have become an EvilOverlord. [[spoiler: She's right]].
* TheChosenOne: [[spoiler: Subverted in that he was killed by Rashek before he did what he was Chosen to do- and then deconstructed to boot when it was revealed he was only chosen in the first place because of Ruin screwing with the prophecies]].
* {{Expy}}: Of any number of generic ChosenOne types, but in particular he resembles [[WheelOfTime Rand al'Thor]]- which became HilariousInHindsight when Sanderson was contracted to finish WheelOfTime.
* PosthumousCharacter
* StartOfDarkness: [[spoiler: Subverted, because he was never the Lord Ruler, and though he was heading towards dark territory he never fully jumped off the slippery slope before he was killed]].
* {{Wangst}}: [[invoked]] His journal is full of it, in Vin's opinion.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Though he apparently became quite ruthless, he always remained dedicated to helping the world and ''not'' taking up the power of the Well of Ascension for himself. [[spoiler: Which is why Ruin chose him in the first place]].

!!Kwaan

The Terrisman prophet who originally declared Alendi to be the Hero of Ages. Later, he turned against Alendi, being the only Terrisman prophet to dispute Alendi's claim to be the Hero of Ages. (Major ''The Well of Ascension'' ending spoilers.) [[spoiler:He ordered his nephew Rashek to kill Alendi and prevent him from accidentally releasing Ruin at the Well of Ascension.]] Author of the epigraphs in ''The Well of Ascension''.

* [[spoiler:CassandraTruth]]: [[spoiler:Nobody believed him when he claimed that Alendi was in fact, not the Hero.]]
* [[spoiler:UnwittingPawn]]: [[spoiler:To Ruin. But then he wises up.]]

!!Rashek

Alendi's packman. A Terrisman who hates the fact that the Hero of Ages was not from Terris. [[spoiler:He kills Alendi and becomes the Lord Ruler. See the "Final Empire" section for more information on him.]] As revealed in ''The Well of Ascension'', [[spoiler:Kwaan is his uncle.]]
----
* [[spoiler:ChekhovsGunman]]
* {{Jerkass}}

[[folder:[[spoiler:Powers of Creation]]]]
!!The Mist Spirit[=/=][[spoiler:Preservation]]

A mysterious creature made out of mist, mentioned in the logbook Kelsier and Vin find. He seems to be reappearing, and has a strange connection to the mists. Whether he is friend or foe is unclear, but he does have strange habits.

[[spoiler:He is actually the living incarnation of Preservation, one of the two forces of creation who created the world long ago.]]

WordOfGod reveals that [[spoiler:he is actually a man called Leras who took the Preservation Shard, one of the 16 Shards of Adonalsium, each representing an aspect found in humans. Over time, the Shard's power overcame him, and he became completely driven to protect things.]]

* [[spoiler:AllPowerfulBystander]]: [[spoiler:Justified because initially all his power is tied up in keeping Ruin imprisoned and after Ruin gets out, one of his first acts is to kill the weakened Preservation's mind]].
* [[spoiler:AnthropomorphicPersonification]]: [[spoiler:Of preservation.]]
* [[spoiler:BigGood]]
* [[spoiler:TheChessmaster]]: [[spoiler:Preservation is the best Chessmaster in the whole GambitPileup. Culminates with Vin absorbing his power and using that to destroy Ruin, because while Preservation himself ''can't'' destroy, humans ''can'' because they are of both Preservation and Ruin.]]
* [[spoiler: GodIsDead]]: [[spoiler:But [[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning His death is just the beginning]]]].
* [[spoiler:TheManBehindTheMan]]: [[spoiler:A rare heroic example.]]
* [[spoiler:PhysicalGod]]
* [[spoiler:ThanatosGambit]]
* WalkingSpoiler: Just look at all the white text!

!![[spoiler:Ruin]]

[[spoiler:One of the two forces of creation that created Scadrial long ago. Ruin agreed to help Preservation create the human race, under the condition that he would eventually be granted the right to destroy all things. To prevent Ruin from accomplishing his goal, Preservation sealed him in the Well of Ascension, but he was released by Vin. He can manifest in the minds of people with Hemalurgic spikes. He is Zane's "God" and the voice of Reen in Vin's head.]]

WordOfGod confirms that [[spoiler:he was once a man named Ati, who took the Shard of Ruin into himself. Over time, he became completely controlled by the Shard and the desire to destroy.]]

* [[spoiler:AboveGoodAndEvil]]
* [[spoiler:AnthropomorphicPersonification]]: [[spoiler:[[CaptainObvious Of Ruin]]; that is to say, of entropy and destruction.]]
* [[spoiler:BadassBoast]]: [[spoiler:"I am mountains that crush. I am waves that crash. I am storms that scatter. I am ''the end.'' ...I am Ruin."]]
* [[spoiler:BigBad]]
* [[spoiler:BreakThemByTalking]]
* [[spoiler:TheChessmaster]]
* [[spoiler:TheCorrupter]]: [[spoiler:To people who have hemalurgic spikes, with subtlety ranging from making them hold onto an item to convincing them to do morally dubious experimentation to simply urging them to kill everyone they meet. He's so good at this last one that he sometimes has to force his victims to ''not'' kill everyone they meet, as it is slowing them down.]]
* [[spoiler:[[EvilCannotComprehendGood Destruction Cannot Comprehend Life]]]]
* [[spoiler:DeadPersonImpersonation]]: [[spoiler:Pulls one of several people, notably Kelsier (to Spook and Quellion), the Lord Ruler (to Penrod), and Reen. Vin sees through the last pretty quickly, at least when it's more than just the voice.]]
* [[spoiler:EvilRedhead]]: [[spoiler:As a human, he had red hair. This is played with, because he was only evil as a Shardholder, and he didn't have a body then.]]
* [[spoiler:ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin]]
* [[spoiler:FaceHeelTurn]]: [[spoiler:He was once a kind and generous man, but due to his Shard's Intent he was corrupted and became nothing more than an instrument of destruction.]]
* [[spoiler:HoistByHisOwnPetard]]: [[spoiler: When Ruin and Preservation worked together to create the world, they both put part of themselves into humanity, thus allowing humans to both preserve and destroy. Thus, when Vin absorbed Preservation's power (just as planned) she could use that same power to attack and destroy Ruin, unlike Preservation.]]
* [[spoiler:TheManBehindTheMan]]
* [[spoiler:ManipulativeBastard]]
* [[spoiler:NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast]]
* [[spoiler:NiceJobFixingItVillain]]: [[spoiler:He could have prevented his eventual defeat simply by not forcing Marsh to read the message he intercepted from Spook.]]
* [[spoiler:OmnicidalManiac]]: [[spoiler:His very nature is the end of all things, and 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:OurGodsAreGreater]]
* [[spoiler: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.'']]
* WalkingSpoiler: There's probably a [[spoiler:Shard]] of White Text.
* [[spoiler:WasOnceAMan]]: [[spoiler:Before he took the Shard of Ruin, he was a man named "Ati".]]
* [[spoiler:WeaksauceWeakness]]: [[spoiler:He can't see or directly affect words written in metal- a rather potent weakness, as his greatest success came from altering written records, especially prophecies. He also can't read minds, though he can influence them if the person has a Hemalurgic spike.]]

!![[spoiler:Harmony]]

[[spoiler:See "Sazed" under "Main Characters".]]

!!Demoux

A younger man in the rebel army. He has a prominent scar on his head, and is appointed a captain by Kelsier, due to his bravery.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Final Empire]]
!!The Lord Ruler

The immortal ruler of the Final Empire. All-powerful and invincible, he is revered as God. He apparently defeated The Deepness in the past.

[[spoiler:He is Rashek, packman of the so-called Hero of Ages, Alendi. He killed Alendi and took the power of the Well of Ascension for himself.]]

[[spoiler:His deeds were at the instruction of his uncle Kwaan, who was trying to stop Alendi from unleashing Ruin, the incarnation of destruction.]]

!![=TenSoon=]

A Kandra employed by the Venture family.

!!Lord Renoux

One of the nobles of the Final Empire. Kelsier offs him before the story begins. For the Kandra impersonating him, see "[=OreSeur=]".

* [[spoilera:CurbStompBattle]]: [[spoiler:He gets attacked by six Steel Inquisitors. You can tell how it turns out.]]

* MajorMinorCharacter: He has very little screen time, but holds a very high position.

* 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

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other Modern Characters]]
!!Tindwyl

A Terriswoman who arrives in Luthadel during ''The Well of Ascension''. She believes in things being "proper".

* 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. It's explicitly stated she's like this to him because as an idealistic nobleman's son, she feels he needs to be hit over the head with reality before he can become a good leader. She's much nicer to Vin, based on the fact that Vin's been the target of physical and emotional abuse for good chunks of her life and what ''she'' needs is confidence and self-worth.
* GoodIsNotNice
* [[spoiler:MentorOccupationalHazard]]
* SternTeacher

!![=KanPaar=]

The leader of the second generation of Kandra.

* {{Jerkass}}
* TheLeader: Of the second generation of Kandra.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat

[[folder:Pre-Ascension Characters]]
!!Alendi

The so-called "Hero of Ages", declared as such by Kwaan. Although he started off as an idealistic youth, but became cynical during his quest to defeat The Deepness. Although the prophecies said that he needed to give up the power at the Well of Ascension, he used it for himself instead, becoming the Lord Ruler. [[spoiler:Except he didn't. He was killed by his packman Rashek, who went on to take the power and become the Lord Ruler.]] Author of the epigraphs in ''Mistborn: The Final Empire''.

* [[spoiler: {{Immortality}}: The same way as the Lord Ruler; in fact, he's still alive two hundred years later in the sequel]].

[[folder:Main Characters]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kelsier's Crew]]

!![=OreSeur=]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other Modern Characters]]
!!Tindwyl

A Terriswoman who arrives in Luthadel during ''The Well of Ascension''. She believes in things being "proper".

While ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' doesn't have as [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters ridiculous a cast size]] as other fantasy books, it does have a sturdy group of characters.

* BadassGrandpa

* [[spoiler: AndIMustScream]]
* [[spoiler: TheAtoner: In ''Alloy of Law'', he's working for Harmony, probably for this reason.]]

* [[spoiler: TheGrimReaper: By ''Alloy of Law'', the Church of the Survivor has a god of death named "Ironeyes."]] Kelsier would probably have found this hilarious.

!![=OreSeur=]/[[spoiler:[=TenSoon=]]]

* TheBlob: In his true form.
* CanineCompanion: Forced to take a dog's form at Vin's request since she doesn't want to kill a person just to give him a body. He ends up liking it more than he expects after he sees its usefulness.
* DeadPersonImpersonation: His race's ability to assume the form of living creatures after absorbing their bones makes him very good at this, [[spoiler:and his Dead Kandra Impersonation isn't too shabby either.]]
* FantasticRacism: Both experiences this from humans and exhibits it towards them.
* [[spoiler:HeelFaceTurn]]
* [[spoiler: TheMole]]
* NotSoDifferent: When Vin tells him of her experiences as a member of a thieving crew, he realizes the experience isn't that different from having to follow the kandra Contract. Leads to an OddFriendship of sorts.
* {{Squick}}: [[invoked]] His need to eat someone before he can imitate them ''really'' bothers Vin.
* TalkingAnimal: When in his dog body.

* [[spoiler: DarkMessiah: Ruin tries to turn him into one in ''The Hero of Ages''. It almost works.]]

** [[spoiler: Hilariously, by the time of The Alloy of Law this once annoying street slang is now known as High Imperial.]]

* TookALevelInBadass: In The Hero Of Ages. [[spoiler:Twice.]]

!!Demoux

A younger man in the rebel army. He has a prominent scar on his head, and is appointed a captain by Kelsier, due to his bravery.

Elend's fiance.

!!Yomen

* [[spoiler:BigBadWannabe]]:[[spoiler:He spends most of the second book being outwitted or outplayed or reacting to events, and is a threat mainly because he has the biggest army, the greatest resources, and the fewest moral qualms of all the kings (that is to say, [[TheSociopath none]]. After he is killed, the story continues for another Act until ''Ruin's'' EvilPlan comes to fruition, and Ruin had been manipulating half the cast the whole time]].
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Dear God, does he have a bad case of this. The very idea of altruism is alien to him and he ascribes nefarious or selfish motives to ''everything'' that ''anyone ever does''.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Straff puts up with Zane's constant attempts to kill him and his madness because otherwise he won't have a Mistborn. [[spoiler: Turns out Zane hardly ever actually tried to kill him; not only were his few attempts half-hearted, they were actually withdrawl symptoms, the result of Straff being an ignorant drug addict- ignorant in that the drug was the "antidote" his WomanScorned servant had been giving him over the years to cure what he thought were Zane's poisoning attempts, which were usually somebody else.]]

* 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''.

* CareerKillers: She thinks of herself as an Assassin, though there's more to her character than that).

* [[spoiler: PhysicalGod]]

The main character of the series. Vin is a Mistborn, a special type of Allomancer who can use the powers of all the metals. This is because she is the bastard child of a Skaa woman and a Steel Inquisitor. At first, she is the member of a thieving crew, but Kelsier recruits her to his rebellion. For some strange reason, she has powers unlike any Mistborn ever before.