Mistborn: The Well of Ascension Characters: Full List & Analysis

Who drives the story

Main characters

Vin

Half-skaa Mistborn, the Survivor's Heir, convinced she is the Hero of Ages. She holds Luthadel together through assassination, koloss-commanding Allomancy, and sheer violence, then releases the Well's power instead of taking it, freeing something ancient.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 2: The King They Deposed; Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal; Part 4: The Well of Ascension
Themes:: The burden of winning; Prophecy as manipulation; Violence and identity; Trust and infiltration; Faith and its collapse

Elend Venture

The well-meaning noble king of the Central Dominance, deposed by his own Assembly, then named Emperor by Vin. Stabbed at the Well, he survives by burning a lerasium bead that makes him Mistborn.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 2: The King They Deposed; Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal; Part 4: The Well of Ascension
Themes:: The burden of winning; Violence and identity

Sazed

Terrisman Feruchemist Keeper of religions who researches the Hero of Ages prophecy and becomes convinced Vin is the Hero. Discovering the prophecy was manipulated, he loses his faith.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 2: The King They Deposed; Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal; Part 4: The Well of Ascension
Themes:: Prophecy as manipulation; Trust and infiltration; Faith and its collapse

Tindwyl

Terriswoman Keeper of great political leaders who trains Elend into a king. She argues with Sazed over the prophecy and dies in the koloss attack.

Appears in:: Part 2: The King They Deposed; Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal
Themes:: The burden of winning; Faith and its collapse

Zane

Straff's illegitimate Mistborn son who calls himself insane and courts Vin toward violence and flight. When she chooses Elend, TenSoon helps her kill him.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 2: The King They Deposed
Themes:: Violence and identity; Trust and infiltration

OreSeur

The kandra bound to Vin by Contract who takes wolfhound form at her request; the two begin in mutual contempt. He is revealed to have been murdered and replaced by TenSoon.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 2: The King They Deposed

Straff Venture

Elend's father, a Tineye and king of the Northern Dominance, who besieges Luthadel and lets the koloss soften it first. Vin splits him in two with his own horse's horseshoe.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal

Ashweather Cett

Self-declared king of the Western Dominance who besieges Luthadel, abandons the siege after Vin's massacre, then allies with the city and swears allegiance to Elend.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 2: The King They Deposed; Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal
Themes:: Violence and identity

Jastes Lekal

Elend's former best friend and king of the Southern Dominance, holding the koloss army together with counterfeit coins. He loses control, flees, and Elend kills him for endangering the city.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal

Marsh

Kelsier's brother, turned into a Steel Inquisitor during the rebellion. He leads Sazed to the Conventical of Seran, vanishes, and later attacks Sazed while struggling against his own compulsion.

Appears in:: Part 1: Three Armies at the Gate; Part 4: The Well of Ascension
Themes:: Trust and infiltration

Also in the story

Supporting characters

TenSoon

The kandra belonging to Straff, later commanded by Zane, who killed the real OreSeur and took his place. Growing to respect Vin, he betrays his contract, helps kill Zane, and returns to the kandra homeland.

Appears in:: Part 2: The King They Deposed
Themes:: Trust and infiltration

Dockson

The only non-Allomancer in Kelsier's crew and the man closest to Kelsier, running operations for crew and city. He dies in the koloss attack.

Appears in:: Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal
Themes:: The burden of winning

Ham

A pewter-burning Thug and general who loves philosophical debate, especially with Breeze. He saves Sazed from Marsh at the Well.

Appears in:: Part 4: The Well of Ascension

Breeze

The crew's Soother, working the Assembly and the city's morale with emotional Allomancy.

Clubs

A Smoker, Spook's uncle, and a general in Elend's military. He dies during the koloss attack.

Appears in:: Part 3: The Prophecy and the Betrayal
Themes:: The burden of winning

Spook

Clubs' nephew, a Tineye, the youngest of the crew, once called Lestibournes until Kelsier renamed him. He survives the koloss attack and helps Vin find the Well.

Appears in:: Part 4: The Well of Ascension

Allrianne

Cett's only daughter, whom Vin dismisses as a ditz, who later helps in negotiations.

The mist spirit

An enigmatic entity guiding events: it shows Sazed the missing text, stabs Elend at the Well, and points Vin to the lerasium bead. It is the imprisoned power's manifestation, freed when Vin releases the Well.

Appears in:: Part 4: The Well of Ascension

How they are connected

Key relationships

Elend Venture Vin
The well-meaning noble king of the Central Dominance, deposed by his own Assembly, then named Emperor by Vin.
Sazed Vin
Terrisman Feruchemist Keeper of religions who researches the Hero of Ages prophecy and becomes convinced Vin is the Hero.
Tindwyl Elend Venture
Terriswoman Keeper of great political leaders who trains Elend into a king.
Tindwyl Sazed
She argues with Sazed over the prophecy and dies in the koloss attack.
Zane Vin
Straff's illegitimate Mistborn son who calls himself insane and courts Vin toward violence and flight.
Zane Straff Venture
Straff's illegitimate Mistborn son who calls himself insane and courts Vin toward violence and flight.
Zane Elend Venture
When she chooses Elend, TenSoon helps her kill him.
Zane TenSoon
When she chooses Elend, TenSoon helps her kill him.
TenSoon OreSeur
The kandra belonging to Straff, later commanded by Zane, who killed the real OreSeur and took his place.
TenSoon Straff Venture
The kandra belonging to Straff, later commanded by Zane, who killed the real OreSeur and took his place.
TenSoon Vin
Growing to respect Vin, he betrays his contract, helps kill Zane, and returns to the kandra homeland.
OreSeur Vin
The kandra bound to Vin by Contract who takes wolfhound form at her request; the two begin in mutual contempt.

Go deeper

Mistborn: The Well of Ascension themes & symbols

The burden of winning · Prophecy as manipulation · Violence and identity · Trust and infiltration

Themes explained

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