10 Genius Mistborn Theories I Really Hope Are True

Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn saga is one of the most beloved modern fantasy series, and the extensive narrative leaves plenty of room for theory-crafting. With seven already written Mistborn books, there’s plenty to dive into, given the story arcs that have been ongoing since The Final Empire in 2006. The series has grander implications on Sanderson’s fictional universe, the Cosmere, and the connections to series like The Stormlight Archive become more apparent with each novel. While theories will focus mainly on Mistborn plot lines, the Cosmere is practically impossible to ignore by The Lost Metal.

The first three Mistborn novels compose Era 1, while the next four cover Era 2 after a three-hundred-year time jump. The next Mistborn novel will begin a third era, referred to as the Ghostbloods Trilogy, making another time jump to real-world 1980s-era technology. Limited information from Sanderson, which has revealed that the protagonist will be a Terris woman, offers some room to speculate on the happenings of Mistborn Era 3. Given the technological advancements and other plot details, like the spy thriller/serial killer premises, there are plenty of clues for where the series could head.

10 Kelsier Will Be A Big Bad In Mistborn Era 3

Kelsier Could Be A Complex Antagonist In Mistborn’s Future

Kelsier, who’s arguably the main protagonist of The Final Empire and the Mistborn who trains Vin, sacrificed himself to spark rebellion against The Lord Ruler. In The Final Empire, Kelsier is one of the most powerful Mistborn characters, but he seems to have surpassed that power in his second life after returning from the Cognitive Realm. Kelsier is the leader of the Ghostbloods, which has been described as the most powerful organization in the Cosmere, allowing him to operate on both Scadrial and Roshar.

While Kelsier was originally a protagonist, many have speculated that Era 3 will see him commit some terrible act. Brandon Sanderson is excellent with morally ambiguous antagonist characters, so even if Kelsier is used as an antagonist, it could have an angle similar to The Lord Ruler in The Final Empire, where Kelsier goes to an extreme degree with the best interests of Scadrial in mind. Sanderson even once stated (via Arcanum), “Kelsier is a little frightening to me as a writer, just because he’s a character that I can’t guarantee will make good decisions.”

9 Kelsier Will Be A Hero In Mistborn Era 3

Kelsier Could Become A Redeemed Hero In Mistborn Era 3, After Doing Something Villainous

The possibility of Kelsier being a hero can be seen as either a contradiction or an extension of him being a villain in Mistborn Era 3. While Kelsier seems like a character who could make an enormous mistake, pitting him against the Era 3 protagonist, it’s also possible that he would do everything in his power to fix that mistake. As previously mentioned, the moral ambiguity of actions taken in desperate times is a prevalent theme throughout Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive, and it’s feasible Sanderson could have Kelsier commit both terrible and heroic acts.

Kelsier’s actions could see him manipulating Harmony, possibly into stealing Shards so he could act against Autonomy or another antagonist on his own. Still, one fan on 17th Shard explored a fascinating theory tying Kelsier to the original Hero of Ages prophecy from Era 1. Sazed was believed to be that hero, but the Shard name “Discord” seems to apply more to Kelsier’s chaotic personality, leading many to suspect that Kelsier could become Discord through some means in Era 3, finally fulfilling the prophecy to completion.

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8 Harmony Will Become Discord (But Will Remain A Hero)

Harmony Will Fulfill The Original Hero Of Ages Prophecy

Expanding more on the Discord theory, the original prophecy from The Final Empire reads: “He will be their savior, yet they shall call him heretic. His name shall be Discord, yet they shall love him for it.” This could mean Kelsier, but fans have also speculated that Sazed is, in fact, the Hero of Ages, and Harmony will somehow become Discord. Shard names in the Cosmere embody that Shard’s purpose, with Discord not sounding like the most pleasant title for one. However, the prophecy seems to imply that Discord will still be a hero despite the chaos it brings.

In Mistborn Era 2, Harmony struggles to balance the Shards of Ruin and Preservation. Another Brandon Sanderson quote (via Arcanum) saw him saying, “There’s another name Harmony could go by if he weren’t able to control the conflict between his halves,” hinting at this transformation. Harmony becoming Discord could take Scadrial out of its period of relative peace, allowing it to advance significantly in technology, playing into conflict in future eras.

7 Mistborn Era 3 Will Explore A Cold War Scenario

Mistborn Era 3’s ’80s-Era Setting Could Imply A Cold War Conflict

Given that Mistborn Era 3 is intended to take place in a world similar to the 1980s, one Reddit theory suggested the new saga could explore some sort of Cold War scenario. This would work perfectly with the spy thriller genre elements Sanderson announced and could tie to a conflict between Elendel and Southern Scadrial. This theory could establish an incredibly complex thematic backdrop to the new Mistborn era. With the previous theory in mind about Harmony becoming Discord, something like a Cold War seems all the more likely.

Mistborn Era 4 is meant to take place in a space-age setting, meaning some sort of space race could play into effect sometime in Era 3. Because of the Discord Shard creating a Cold War, Scadrial would be placed in a position where aggressive technological advancement becomes a necessity. This would harm the immediate population but benefit Scadrial in the long run as it progresses into the space age, strengthening the system for future Cosmere conflicts.

6 Mistborn Era 3 Will Expand On Allomancy (Again)

Brandon Sanderson Will Continue To Expand His Mistborn Magic System

The Mistborn magic system is one of Brandon Sanderson’s crowning achievements, and the original trilogy saw it used to complement medieval fantasy weaponry. Throughout the trilogy, more metals were discovered, and Hemalurgy was researched further. In Mistborn Era 2, Sanderson expanded the magic system to accommodate for increased technology.

With Mistborn continuing to progress through time and technology, the magic system will continue to grow more complex. It will be fascinating to see how Sanderson ties Allomancy to ’80s-era weaponry and combat, and even further. Sanderson has considered a Mistborn trilogy with cyberpunk technology to follow Era 3, which could be an even more compelling integration of his magic system.

5 Marsh Becomes An Avatar Of Ruin

Harmony Will Turn Marsh Into An Avatar Of Ruin To Help Him Maintain Balance

Like his brother Kelsier, Marsh has managed to last longer than anyone would’ve expected in the Mistborn series. Known as “Ironeyes” in Era 2, Marsh acts as an agent of Harmony and has become a subject of mysticism throughout the broader Cosmere. He was even mentioned in one of Brandon Sanderson’s secret projects, Tress of the Emerald Sea.

An interesting fan theory about Marsh (via 17th Shard) has suggested that he could become an Avatar of Ruin, helping Harmony balance the Ruin and Preservation in his system. Avatars are manifestations of Shards, essentially placing a piece of themself in a human vessel. This could play into Marsh’s persona of Death in Scadrial and the Cosmere, growing his power even further.

4 Mistborn Era 3 Will Have Massive Implications For The Cosmere

Mistborn Era 3 Could Have Enormous Consequences On The Cosmere

One of the few details about Mistborn Era 3 is that Brandon Sanderson is “greatly looking forward to writing book ten,” implying that it should be an exciting, climactic Cosmere experience. Looking at the wider scope of the Cosmere, Sanderson’s upcoming novels include book 5 of The Stormlight Archive; then he’ll dive into Mistborn Era 3 and the Elantris sequels. After that, he’s planning another five novels in The Stormlight Archive and his Dragonsteel trilogy.

Sanderson has embraced the Cosmere as a fictional universe that can be enjoyed as individual components. However, each novel seems to embrace its Cosmere references more and more, with revelations about an overarching narrative growing increasingly frequent. Mistborn Era 3 could be a pivotal series for the Cosmere, especially given theories about changes to the Harmony Shard. Harmony is possibly the most powerful being in the Cosmere, and events pertaining to him have drastic effects all around.

3 The New Mistborn Protagonist Will Be A Twinborn

The Mistborn Era 3 Protagonist Will Be A Terris Woman

Details about the main character in Mistborn Era 3 reveal that she’ll be a Terris woman and a computer programmer. This creates speculation about her being a Feruchemist, given her Terris origins. Therefore, she could be a Twinborn with some Allomantic powers, though it’s largely dependent on the stage of magic in the new series. Allomantic power dilutes over time, and after The Hero of Ages, Spook was the only Mistborn left alive. By Era 2, Mistborn were essentially gone.

It will be interesting to see how powers play out in Era 3. It would be wonderful to see the return of full-blown Mistborn, but it seems that the protagonist being a Twinborn is the most significant possibility. The dilution of Allomantic powers has stabilized and reached its baseline already, so they won’t go completely extinct.

2 Mistborn Era 3 Will See Lerasium Become A Valuable Resource

After Wax Created Lerasium, Future Tech May Find A Way To Replicate The Process

In Mistborn Era 1, Elend takes a lerasium bead to become a Mistborn in The Well of Ascension. Lerasium is a manifestation of Shard power, used to create a natural, un-diluted Mistborn. Hence, when Elend consumes it, he has a raw Allomantic strength that could surpass Vin’s, though he isn’t as well-trained. In Mistborn Era 2, Waxillium finds a way to create lerasium, which he and Wayne use to become Mistborn.

If Wax is capable of creating it in Era 2, surely someone in Era 3 will figure out a way to replicate this. This ties into multiple other theories. Lerasium, as a valuable resource, could be a source of conflict in a Cold War scenario. Also, Kelsier hoped to use lerasium to create a Mistborn army to defend Scadrial, which could be part of his plans if he goes behind Harmony’s back in Era 3.

1 Mistborn Era 3 Will Feature A Major Hoid Reveal

Some Of Hoid’s Motives Could Be Explained In Mistborn Era 3

As mentioned, Mistborn Era 3 should tie into an overarching narrative of the Cosmere. Hoid has been one of the critical characters throughout Sanderson’s universe since Mistborn Era 1, appearing in other series like The Stormlight Archive, interfering with events as he sees fit. It’s still unclear what Hoid’s long-term goals are, and Mistborn Era 3’s Cosmere connectivity could be the perfect time to reveal this.

Another Brandon Sanderson hint (Via Arcanum) suggests that Hoid’s goal is “To make that which once was.” Fans have speculated on the meaning of this goal, suggesting that Hoid could be planning to resurrect someone who’d previously died. Hoid’s goal in the Cosmere has been left vague so far, as have many of the over-arching events in Brandon Sanderson’s universe, but the future Mistborn series could finally provide some answers.