All 10 Major Romances In The Mistborn Books, Ranked

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Mistborn - Franchise

Covers from Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn books

Brandon Sanderson is not only an expert at creating fantasy worlds and magic systems, such as in his beloved Mistborn books, but also an outstanding writer of characters and their relationships with themselves and others. Throughout Mistborn's The Original Trilogy and the Wax and Wayne series, Sanderson built numerous multifaceted characters and even more complex relationships between his powerful Mistborn characters in a way that resonates.

Mistborn fans frequently debate which romance on Scadrial is the best or most disturbing, and Sanderson has given them abundant content to consider. The list below ranks some of these relationships based on their foundation, trust, mutual admiration, and cultural impact. Romantic dealings are complicated, and none of the relationships on this list are exceptions. Relationships are ultimately defined by time and how they navigate phases and obstacles. Some of these couplings are outright troubling, while others are dependably constructed. Some characters appear in multiple relationships, only highlighting the distinctions and drama between couples.

10 Zane and Vin

Their Relationship Is Ultimately Immature & Unhealthy

Mistborn protagonist Vin depicted in Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere RPG.

A favorite relationship trope often used by Brandon Sanderson is the love triangle, and the more dramatic the better. Zane is a powerful Mistborn who appears in The Well of Ascension as the half-brother of Vin's love interest, Elend Venture. Zane frequently interacts with Vin, using his abilities to fight foes with her and attempting to persuade her to leave Elend and Luthadel.

There comes a point where Vin nearly chooses him over Elend. This romance is, however, conceived in the unhealthy behavior of two young people. Zane is filled with self-hatred and is being constantly manipulated by Ruin.

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Zane is mostly drawn to Vin because he believes she can save him from his self-hatred (this turns out to be far from the truth). Zane entices Vin because of their superficial companionship rooted in lies and manipulation. Vin also believes she is more worthy of the violent Zane than his honorable half-brother. Ultimately, the romance concludes with Vin’s dagger in Zane’s neck. This was never a great coupling.

9 Zane and Amaranta

Zane Is Just Not Built For A Relationship

Zane makes the list again with another relationship rooted in bewilderment and deception. Amaranta was one of Straff Venture’s concubines and thus Zane’s father’s mistress. Straff was attracted to younger women and, therefore, lost his carnal interest in Amaranta as she aged, only keeping her around for her superior skills as an herbalist. Straff’s rejection caused Amaranta to feel undesirable and angry. Enter Zane.

This relationship was built on the unhealthy behaviors and destructive actions of two people who continued to drag the other down.

Zane made Amaranta feel desired but would also physically harm her in ways that he hurt himself. The romantically involved couple did successfully work together to trick Straff into believing he was being poisoned by Zane and cured by Amaranta, allowing them to have control over him. This relationship was built on the unhealthy behaviors and destructive actions of two people who continued to drag the other down.

8 Wax and Lessie

The Feelings Were Real But Her Truth Was Not

Mistborn’s Era 2 Lead protagonist, Waxillium Ladrian, fought alongside Lessie for some time before the two married. Later, Wax went to rescue Lessie after she was captured by the villain Bloody Tan. Attempting to save her, Wax shot at Bloody Tan, only to have him use her body as a human shield. Wax’s bullet hit Lessie in the head, killing her and causing years of trauma for Wax.

Although the couple was married and had real feelings, the relationship was built on deception. Unknown to Wax, Lessie was Kandra (a shapeshifting race created by the Lord Ruler) named Paalm, sent by Harmony to guard him. Lessie faked her death and took on another alter ego named Bleeder, fighting directly against Harmony and Wax.

Wax later confronts and shoots Lessie (again), leading to her actual death. Wax was manipulated the entire relationship and had no clue who Lessie was. At the time of her death, Lessie asked Harmony to watch over Wax, but it was too little, too late.

7 Wayne and MeLaan

Duty To A Greater Purpose Derailed Their Romance

Wayne was a Twinborn and associate of Waxillium Ladrian from Mistborn’s second era who had romantic feelings for the Kandra MeLaan. Both Wayne and MeLaan admired one another’s talents and character. This romance was one of the few public relationships in Scadrial between two different species, which didn’t seem to bother either of them.

Wayne and MeLaan’s romantic relationship was official and existed outside the perceived constraints of race and gender (MeLaan gravitated to materializing herself in the female form but often took the appearance of men). Both admired and were drawn to the other.

In The Bands of Mourning, Wayne saved MeLaan from death while killing her assassin. However, before Wayne’s demise in The Lost Metal, MeLaan ended their relationship to fortify a mission given to her by Harmony. Although the relationship between these two heroes had its positives, it ultimately collapsed because of MeLaan’s greater purpose.

6 Hammond and Mardra

Their Relationship Was Built On Healthy Devotion But Had Early Tumult

Hammond was one of the Mistings in Kelsier’s original crew, along with Vin. Ham’s ability to burn pewter granted him unparalleled strength, which he used to fight alongside Kelsier and Elend and Vin in their rule of the Central Dominance. Ham was one of the more consistent characters in the Mistborn books and reliably sought the good of those he loved.

Not much is known of his wife Mardra, other than the fact that she was a seamstress who lived away from Ham and his dangerous line of work (for her own safety). Ham would visit Mardra and their two children for a few months every year when he could take time off from his job.

Ham’s employment was almost entirely for the benefit of his family, so he could earn enough to move them to a better and safer place. Ham survived all of Era 1 and was eventually reunited with his wife and family. The romantic relationship between Hammond and Mardra lasted their entire lives and was built on an unwavering foundation of trust and protection.

5 Kelsier and Mare

A Once-Strong Relationship Was Ruined By Mistrust But Made Both Better

Mistborn's Kelsier was one of the lead characters in The Final Empire and will continue to be throughout the entire Mistborn series. Kelsier’s desire to overturn the Lord Ruler and recreate Scadrial was in honor of his late wife, Mare. Kelsier desired that the flowers Mare hoped to one day see could again grow throughout the desolate land.

However, Kelsier and Mare were on a mission to infiltrate the Lord Ruler’s palace when they were taken captive, and the Lord Ruler thanked Mare for betraying Kelsier. Later, during their imprisonment, Mare sacrificed herself to save and free Kelsier. The Lord Ruler’s declaration to Mare tarnished Kelsier’s trust in her, leading to constant suspicion.

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Even though the relationship fueled the rebirth of Scadrial, it was mainly in honor of Mare’s memory and not the actual romantic relationship between her and Kelsier. To their credit, Mare’s love for Kelsier was longstanding and sacrificial, and Kelsier’s love for her motivated lasting change.

4 Breeze and Allrianne

They Looked Out For & Understood One Another

Edgard Ladrian (Breeze) was a soother on Kelsier’s crew that overthrew the Lord Ruler. Allrianne Cett was a noble person and a very skilled rioter. Although they both had similar allomantic skills, their abilities contrasted with one another. Breeze could dampen specific emotions, while Allrianne could amplify those emotions.

Both abilities accomplished the same goal but functioned on opposite sides of the spectrum. Since opposites tend to attract, the two seemed perfect for one another. A 20-year age discrepancy between the older Breeze and Allrianne in their romance makes people uncomfortable, but it’s obvious they belonged together if that gap could be overlooked.

In Scadrial, those capable of manipulating emotions were viewed cautiously because no one knew whether they were being influenced. Breeze and Allrianne understood this about each other and accepted the risks. Breeze and Allrianne frequently looked out for one another’s safety. However, amid all these positives, the relationship did have a foundation built on manipulation.

3 Sazed and Tindwyl

They Were Exactly What The Other Needed At The Time

Sazed, the Terrisman Keeper, Feruchemist, Hero of Ages, and vessel of the Shard Harmony had an essential role in Mistborn’s Era 1 and Era 2 and is bound to play an equally important role in Era 3. Tindwyl was also a Terris Keeper who was forced to be in the Lord Ruler’s breeding program, where she birthed over 20 children.

Sazed knew Tindwyl for years and convinced her to help educate Elend Venture in the art of being a king. Sazed and Tindwyl ended up being precisely what the other needed. Sazed was a eunuch struggling to define his sexuality, while Tindwyl’s past in the Lord Ruler’s breeding program led to a complicated relationship with her own body.

Together, the harrowing experiences that defined them led them to one another. The relationship was not without challenges; Tindwyl felt Sazed was abandoning his duties as a Terrisman. However, through the conflicts and time spent studying old texts, they came to love one another. Although the relationship was cut short by Tindwyl’s death, they were always honest and gracious to one another.

2 Vin and Elend

Both Overcame The Insecurity Of Youth To Wed & Build A New World

vin and elend in the book cover of mistborn hero of ages

Although rooted in teenage infatuation and mutual swooning, the relationship between Vin and Elend evolved into one that came to define Mistborn’s first and second eras. Vin met Elend at a ball she had infiltrated under the alias Valette Renoux. Elend Venture was heir to the most powerful house in Luthadel but shared similar views with Vin regarding the Lord Ruler’s tyranny.

Vin constantly struggled to accept that she was falling for Elend, while he seemed to embrace his infatuation for her. Throughout The Original Trilogy, Vin struggled with feelings of unworthiness in her relationship with Elend, causing her to consider running away with his half-brother Zane.

Elend had a similar fear of worthiness concerning Vin. Both eventually overcome their fears, getting married and becoming the emperor and empress of the New Empire. This relationship became the foundation for a new world without the tyranny of the Lord Ruler.

1 Wax and Steris

Their Relationship Was One Built On Steadily Growing Love & Mutual Transparency

Waxillium Ladrian and Steris Harms had a romantic relationship straight from the pages of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. Steris and Wax had their marriage arranged in hopes of elevating their family’s standings. Wax considered Steris a necessary inconvenience, and Steris felt the same.

Waxillium Ladrian and Steris Harms had a romantic relationship straight from the pages of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice .

However, after Wax saved Steris from the clutches of a criminal gang, their feelings for one another began to develop. Wax became protective of Steris, and she helped to heal him from the final death of his first wife. Many Mistborn fans would agree that the romantic relationship between Wax and Steris continually matured from their first introduction in The Allow of Law until the Wax and Wayne series’ conclusion with The Lost Metal.

The couple worked with one another and grew closer until their relationship came to be defined by the transparency and trust that only comes with time. In the end, their relationship moved from obligation (an all-too-powerful theme among Mistborn’s characters) to true love. Of all the romantic relationships in Mistborn, Wax and Steris set the standard.

Mistborn

The Mistborn series, created by Brandon Sanderson, is a high-fantasy saga set in the world of Scadrial, where magic is powered by metals through a system called Allomancy. The series focuses on political intrigue, heists, and the battle between good and evil. The first trilogy, Mistborn: The Final Empire, follows the struggle to overthrow a tyrannical ruler, the Lord Ruler. Later books in the series, including Era 2, take place hundreds of years after the events of the original trilogy, expanding the story into new settings with new characters, all while maintaining connections to the original storyline.

Books:

Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006)
Mistborn: The Well of Ascension (2007)
Mistborn: The Hero of Ages (2008)
Mistborn: The Alloy of Law (2011)
Mistborn: Shadows of Self (2015)
Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning (2016)
Mistborn: The Lost Metal (2022)

Created by Brandon Sanderson

Character(s) Vin , Kelsier , Sazed , Marsh , Elend Venture , Waxillium "Wax" Ladrian , Wayne , Steris Harms

Summary

The Mistborn series, created by Brandon Sanderson, is a high-fantasy saga set in the world of Scadrial, where magic is powered by metals through a system called Allomancy. The series focuses on political intrigue, heists, and the battle between good and evil. The first trilogy, Mistborn: The Final Empire, follows the struggle to overthrow a tyrannical ruler, the Lord Ruler. Later books in the series, including Era 2, take place hundreds of years after the events of the original trilogy, expanding the story into new settings with new characters, all while maintaining connections to the original storyline.

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