The immortal god-emperor who has ruled the Final Empire for a thousand years. Believed to be the Hero of Ages who saved the world, he controls all Allomancy, Feruchemy, and the nobility through an iron grip of terror and religion. His true nature and origins are among the deepest mysteries of the series.

Elend's ruthless father, king of the Northern Dominance

Ashweather Cett's daughter, a Rioter who fled her father's camp to seek refuge with Elend's crew. Flirtatious and seemingly shallow, she is considerably more perceptive and capable than she allows others to see. Her relationship with Breeze develops across the siege of Luthadel.

The crude, politically ruthless king of the Western Dominance who besieges Luthadel with one of the three armies converging on the city. A pragmatist with no patience for pretension, he is one of the book's most darkly comic characters despite being a genuine threat.

A former friend of Elend's who leads the third army besieging Luthadel, having gained control of a koloss army through counterfeit atium beads. His deteriorating mental state as he loses control of the koloss is one of the book's warnings about power sought without the wisdom to wield it.

A senior nobleman in Luthadel who manoeuvres against Elend in the Assembly, ultimately winning the kingship through legal means. Not a villain but a genuine political rival whose success forces Elend to reckon with the limits of his idealism.

A spy and scout originally in service to Straff Venture who defects to Elend. Skilled at reconnaissance and information gathering, he becomes a reliable member of Elend's forces across the later books.

A high obligator who has become the self-declared king of Fadrex City following the collapse of the Final Empire. A true believer in the Lord Ruler who has maintained order in his city while the rest of the world falls apart. He is one of the more interesting antagonists in the trilogy precisely because his convictions are genuine.

An elderly nobleman in Fadrex City and a contact of Kelsier's crew from the old days. One of the few nobles who knew what Kelsier's operation was really about. He serves as a link between the world of the Final Empire and the desperate present of Hero of Ages.