Crown prince of Arelon who is taken by the Shaod and thrown into Elantris. Despite the apparent curse, he works to rebuild the fallen city and its people from within.

Princess of Teod who arrives in Arelon to find her betrothed apparently dead. Politically astute and fiercely independent, she navigates court intrigue to protect Arelon.

Runs a waystop in the Forests of Hell on Threnody. A bounty hunter who knows the deadly rules of the shades that haunt the forest.

An Eelakin trapper from the Drominad system who bonds with Aviar birds. A man out of time as his world modernises, he navigates the dangerous Pantheon islands guided by his birds Sak and Kokerlii.

A half-skaa street urchin from the slums of Luthadel. Shaped by a harsh life with her brother Reen and a constantly-moving series of thieving crews, she has learned to survive by staying distrustful and unnoticed. When Kelsier spots something unusual in her, she is pulled out of the underworld and into a far larger plan against the Lord Ruler's Final Empire - including a new identity as the young noblewoman Valette Renoux.

Called Shai. A Forger from the Rose Empire on Sel who can rewrite the history of objects and people using soul stamps. Imprisoned and forced to recreate the emperor's soul.

An arbiter of the Rose Empire who schemes to use Shai's Forgery for her own political ambitions.

The primordial force of entropy and destruction

Heir to House Venture, the most powerful noble house in Luthadel. A bookish idealist who reads political theory at balls and quietly advocates for skaa rights. Falls in love with Vin while she is disguised as Valette Renoux.

A Dula trapped in Elantris who becomes Raoden's closest friend. Pragmatic and gruff, but deeply loyal.

An elderly arbiter of the Rose Empire. The only one of the emperor's advisors who genuinely engages with Shai and her art.

Kelsier's Mistborn tutor. An unstable and erratic man who teaches Kelsier the basics of Allomancy shortly after his escape from the Pits of Hathsin.

The god of Scadrial, holding both Ruin and Preservation. Formerly the Terris Keeper Sazed from Era 1.

A former soldier trapped in Elantris who leads one of its factions. Initially hostile to Raoden, she becomes a key ally.

A half-skaa Mistborn and charismatic rebel leader who plans to overthrow the thousand-year reign of the Lord Ruler. Scarred from a year of brutal labour in the Pits of Hathsin, he channels grief and ambition into revolution, assembling a crew of Allomantic thieves for the most audacious heist in history - stealing an empire.

Kelsier's older brother and a Seeker (bronze Misting). A former leader of the skaa rebellion who has grown disillusioned. He infiltrates the Steel Ministry as a spy for the crew, at great personal risk.

An Elantrian woman who looks after the children of New Elantris. Brave and resourceful, she protects them during the Dakhor invasion.

The primordial force of stasis and protection

A scholar from the Eelakin Homeisles who explores the Pantheon islands. Intelligent and driven, she represents the modernising forces that challenge traditional trapper culture.

The mysterious King's Wit, travels between worlds in the Cosmere