Vin is a powerful Mistborn and the presumed Hero of Ages. At the start of the narrative, she carries heavy guilt for mistakenly releasing the destructive force known as Ruin from the Well of Ascension. Now married to Emperor Elend Venture, she fights alongside him to protect their crumbling world. She constantly questions her identity and whether she is merely a weapon forged by prophecy or a person with her own agency.

Sazed is a Terris Keeper who previously dedicated his life to preserving ancient religions in his metalminds. Following the death of his beloved Tindwyl, he suffers a profound crisis of faith. He spends his days methodically examining and discarding his stored religious texts, searching desperately for meaning in a deteriorating world. He packs away his metalmind bracelets, stepping back from his previous role as a spiritual guide.

Elend is the idealistic scholar-turned-emperor of the New Empire. Recently transformed into a Mistborn of extraordinary raw power, he commands the military forces desperately trying to maintain order. He struggles to balance his principled political theories with the ruthless, pragmatic decisions required to keep his people alive surrounded by failing crops and deadly mists. He increasingly relies on aggression to enforce stability.

TenSoon is a kandra shapeshifter who betrayed his people to help Vin in the past. Held prisoner by his own kind, he faces a public trial and a potential death sentence for breaking the First Contract and revealing kandra secrets. Unlike other kandra who prefer humanoid forms, he maintains a fondness for the wolfhound body Vin gave him. He remains convinced that serving Vin aligns with the ultimate purpose of their creator.

Ruin is a godlike entity embodying destruction and entropy, newly freed from his ancient prison at the Well of Ascension. He acts as a malevolent intelligence manipulating the world through the deadly mists, falling ash, and individuals pierced by Hemalurgic spikes. He views the end of the world not as an act of evil, but as a necessary and natural conclusion to existence.

Spook, born Lestibournes, is the youngest member of Kelsier's original thieving crew. Operating as a spy in the rebellious city of Urteau, he constantly burns tin to heighten his senses to extreme levels, compensating by wearing a blindfold. He seeks to prove his worth by overthrowing the local tyrant, guided by a voice he believes to be Kelsier. He willingly embraces immense physical pain to protect the city's oppressed citizens.

Marsh is a former human rebel turned into a terrifying Steel Inquisitor. Controlled entirely by Ruin through the metal spikes driven into his body, he is forced to commit atrocities across the dying world. He occasionally regains fleeting moments of lucidity, during which he silently rebels against his captivity and searches for an opportunity to end his own life, thereby denying Ruin a powerful weapon.

Breeze is a highly skilled Soother and a core member of Elend Venture's inner circle. He travels with Sazed to secure treaties for the New Empire before moving to Urteau to assist the local rebellion. Beneath his cheerful, aristocratic exterior and constant wine-drinking, he actively uses his emotional Allomancy to keep his friends from falling into despair as the world collapses around them.

Ham is a philosophical military general in Elend Venture's army. A Thug capable of burning pewter for enhanced strength, he prefers to spend his time debating the morality of their actions rather than fighting. He manages the logistics of Elend's massive forces and tries to maintain order among the troops while managing the increasingly desperate war.

Yomen is the ruler of the heavily fortified city of Fadrex. A devout obligator and follower of the deceased Lord Ruler, he refuses to submit to Elend Venture's empire, believing his city to be the last bastion of true authority. He is a meticulous administrator who uses formal balls and strict adherence to old traditions to maintain order among his people despite the ongoing apocalypse.

Quellion, known as the Citizen, is the brutal ruler of Urteau who has established a skaa-dominated regime. Claiming to act in the name of Kelsier, he ruthlessly executes those with noble blood by burning them alive to maintain his fanatical control over the city. He is a hypocrite who secretly harbors Allomancers while publicly condemning them.

Beldre is Quellion's sister and a quiet, melancholic figure in Urteau. She is caught between loyalty to her brother and her growing disillusionment with his violent methods. When she becomes entangled with Spook's rebellion, she must decide whether to protect her family or help dismantle the oppressive regime she has passively benefited from.

Demoux is a dedicated general in Elend Venture's army and a devout follower of the Church of the Survivor. He struggles with feelings of unworthiness after falling ill from the mists, fearing it represents a divine punishment from Kelsier. Despite his self-doubt, he remains a capable leader who commands the respect of the common soldiers.

Allrianne is Breeze's vibrant and deceptively innocent-looking companion. She travels with him and Sazed to Urteau, using her emotional Allomancy to stoke crowds and assist their covert efforts against Quellion.

Lord Ashweather Cett is a cynical and pragmatic military advisor to Elend Venture. A former warlord restricted to a wheelchair, he frequently advocates for ruthless strategies and criticizes Elend's reluctance to use violence against civilian populations.

KanPaar is a leader among the Second Generation of kandra. Ambitious and rigid, he views TenSoon's trial as an opportunity to assert control over the more independent-minded generations and ignore the signs of the world's end.

MeLaan is a younger kandra raised by TenSoon. Frustrated by the inaction of the elder generations, she urges TenSoon to challenge their authority and lead the younger kandra in preparing for the apocalypse.

Fatren is the leader of the small town of Vetitan. Outnumbered and ill-equipped, he struggles to protect his people until Elend Venture arrives to assume command of the defense.

Human is an unusual koloss traveling with Vin's army. He displays a surprising degree of intelligence, speaks more coherently than others of his kind, and expresses a strange longing to understand humanity.

Slowswift is an informant in Fadrex who assists Vin with intelligence. He provides crucial details about Lord Yomen's rule, his reliance on tradition, and the city's hidden wealth.

Durn is a local thief lord operating in the slums of Urteau. He resents Quellion's harsh policies for disrupting his smuggling operations and eagerly offers to help Spook overthrow the regime.

Captain Goradel is an optimistic soldier in Elend Venture's army. He escorts Sazed's group to Urteau and later volunteers for a highly dangerous mission to deliver a vital message to Vin.

Kelsier, known as the Survivor, is the deceased revolutionary who overthrew the Final Empire. His myth lives on, shaping the choices of empires and rebellions, while Ruin frequently co-opts his voice to manipulate vulnerable followers like Spook.

Tindwyl is a deceased Terris Keeper and former romantic partner to Sazed. Her death during a previous battle profoundly impacts him, causing his devastating and prolonged crisis of faith.

The Lord Ruler is the immortal tyrant defeated by Vin a year prior. Though dead, his long-term preparations, hidden supply caches, and cryptic warnings continue to shape the current battle for Scadrial's survival.

Reen is Vin's deceased brother who protected her during her childhood. His harsh survival lessons still echo in her mind, though his persona is frequently assumed by Ruin to taunt and manipulate her.

Haddek is the leader of the First Generation of kandra. Ancient and composed, he holds the original Terris secrets regarding the true nature of the world's creation and the original prophecies.

Telden is a former nobleman from Luthadel who resurfaces in Fadrex. He engages Elend Venture in conversation, questioning whether the idealistic scholar has simply become another tyrant like the Lord Ruler.

King Penrod is the ruler left in charge of Luthadel in Elend Venture's absence. He becomes the target of an Inquisitor attack designed to implant a Hemalurgic spike and slowly corrupt his mind.

Franson is a skaa worker associated with Durn's gang. He shares information with Spook about Quellion's executions, prompting a rescue mission for his young sister, Mailey.

VarSell is a member of the Fifth Generation of kandra. He acts as an escort and guard for TenSoon during his captivity, delivering the degrading bones chosen for his public punishment.

Noorden is a former obligator who now serves as an aide and scribe for Elend Venture. He applies his analytical skills to find patterns in the mistsickness affecting the soldiers.