Mistborn Was Right To Keep Its Best Death Permanent (Especially After 1 Unexpected Twist)

Mistborn could have found a way around one of its best character deaths, but the fantasy series was right to keep it permanent. Despite taking place in a world with a metal-based magic system, powerful deities, and many other fantastical elements, the Mistborn books take a realistic approach to mortality. Era 1 doesn’t hold back on the gruesome impact of the Lord Ruler’s reign, nor does it shy away from the losses that accompany any war. The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages all feature major character deaths, driving home the stakes of the story.

Mistborn rarely undoes major losses — though you could argue some of Era 1’s deaths deserve more attention — and that’s part of what makes Brandon Sanderson’s books so powerful. It’s even more impressive that Sanderson could have worked around one of the saga’s greatest sacrifices but chose not to. Mistborn: Secret History reveals that there is, in fact, a way to cheat death. However, Sanderson is right to leave Vin’s fate alone, regardless of this fact.

Secret History Was Right To Keep Vin’s Death Permanent After Mistborn Era 1

The Novella Reveals That She & Elend Willingly Moved On

Mistborn: Secret History is essential reading before finishing Era 2, as the novella reveals that Kelsier isn’t as dead as The Final Empire suggests. Secret History unpacks what becomes of Kelsier after being killed by the Lord Ruler in the first book, detailing his impact on the events that follow. As it turns out, Kelsier is the one who stabs Elend at the end of The Well of Ascension, and he tries to stop Ruin throughout the original trilogy. He’s not quite alive, but he refuses to move to the Beyond.

And Vin and Elend could have followed Kelsier’s lead after dying in The Hero of Ages. However, Secret History shuts down any hope of their survival, revealing that they venture to the Beyond when given the opportunity. This makes their deaths more permanent, but Sanderson is right to leave Vin’s and Elend’s fates final. Vin, in particular, makes a huge choice by sacrificing her life at the end of The Hero of Ages. Her death is arguably the most powerful of the original Mistborn trilogy, and it would feel cheap to retcon it.

Undoing Vin & Elend’s Deaths Would Have Diminished The Hero Of Ages’ Ending

It Would Hurt Vin’s Character Growth Throughout Mistborn Era 1

The Hero of Ages delivers one of the best fantasy endings out there, and undoing Vin’s death in a later Mistborn book would weaken this finale. Sazed finding Vin and Elend in a field of flowers is one of the most powerful and emotional moments of Sanderson’s saga, and it highlights why they sacrifice themselves to rid the world of Ruin in the first place. Vin and Elend envision a better world than the one they live in, and they’re willing to give up their chance to see that world if it means bringing about change.

This choice highlights Vin’s growth throughout Era 1 as well, as her motives in the first installment are very much about self-preservation. Vin eventually comes to fight for something bigger than herself, however, taking Kelsier’s words in The Final Empire to heart. She continues to showcase her evolution by making the choice to go to the Beyond after her death. Vin knows what she’s giving up, and she does it anyway. This is the power of her ending, and it wouldn’t be the same if she seized the chance to return.

Vin’s Return Would Have Felt Repetitive After Mistborn’s Big Kelsier Twist

Two Main Characters Returning Would Raise Eyebrows

In addition to weakening the ending of the first Mistborn series, bringing Vin back from the dead would feel somewhat repetitive after Secret History‘s big Kelsier reveal. Mistborn‘s brutal stakes are a strength of Sanderson’s saga, and it’s shocking enough that Kelsier manages to defy death. But Kelsier evading the Beyond can at least be chalked up to his relentless stubbornness and determination. And Kelsier’s return doesn’t completely destroy Mistborn‘s stakes, because the other major deaths remain permanent.

However, bringing back two main characters would raise eyebrows in regard to Sanderson’s stakes and world. Additionally, it would fail to acknowledge the differences between Kelsier and Vin — differences Mistborn Era 1 goes to great lengths to emphasize. Despite his idealism, The Final Empire proves that Kelsier is more angry and unforgiving than Vin, while Vin still manages to see the good in even the nobility. It’s not hard to believe that Vin would make peace with her fate and move forward with Elend, while it’s easy to see Kelsier raging against even death itself.