Mistborn Era 3 Needs To Finally Surpass The Series’ Greatest Villain, 22 Years Later

Includes SPOILERS for Mistborn through The Lost Metal

One of Mistborn Era 3’s most crucial goals should be to surpass the series’ best villain, dating back to the first book. Brandon Sanderson knows how to write compelling villains. Be it a complex human character like Taravangian or Hrathen or a powerful god-like Ruin, Sanderson is a master at filling his Cosmere fantasy universe with antagonists who prompt the reader to change what they think. However, there are few who have played as central a role in their respective volumes as The Lord Ruler, Rashek, in The Final Empire.

Mistborn’s most recent release was The Lost Metal, which came out in 2022 after years away from the series. This established yet another break, with the next volume set to come out in 2028. Mistborn Era 3, titled “Ghostbloods,” will be a trilogy set in an era of Scadrial influenced by early 1980s computer technology. It’s another drastic aesthetic change from the medieval fantasy and urban-Western style of Eras 1 and 2, but it’s meant to involve more connectivity to other Cosmere books and ties to characters from the original trilogy than before.

The Lord Ruler Is Still The Mistborn Series' Best Villain

No Villain Since Has Had Rashek's Appeal

The Lord Ruler with spears impaling him from Mistborn Spanish illustrated edition

The Lord Ruler may only have a few scenes where he’s actually present, but his influence looms over the entire novel from the prologue to the moment of his death. There’s no villain in the Cosmere who’s been that directly related to the novel’s plot aside from Odium in Wind and Truth, with the novel’s premise literally being about the plan to overthrow him. The Final Empire is arguably still the best Mistborn book, as it’s the one where the stakes feel simultaneously grounded and dire. A god destroying the world isn’t quite as poignant as an oppressive, mass-murdering dictator.

Not only is the Lord Ruler one of the most imposing threats relative to the power level of the book’s protagonists, but he’s also shockingly complex. The plot twist regarding Rashek, his being a Terrisman, and, of course, the fact that the Lord Ruler’s presence was keeping Ruin at bay raises plenty of interesting discussions about his reign. The narrative aspect of uncovering his identity and discovering his weaknesses, while the reader hasn’t even met the character, allows him to take shape as a terrifying god-like being in and of himself, and it’s a huge aspect of what makes that first book so addicting.

None Of Mistborn: Era 2's Villains Were As Compelling As Era 1's

Wax & Wayne's Villains Never Had As Much Impact

Mistborn Era 2 is generally believed to be a step down from the original trilogy, and a significant component as to why is the lack of intriguing villains. Miles Hundredlives, Mister Suit, and Telsin fulfill their roles, but they’re all fairly simplistic antagonists with predictable personalities. Telsin is the strongest of the three, but even she’s not the most memorable in the saga. Autonomy, one of the Shards of Adonalsium, is Era 2’s most important antagonist, but she’s still disconnected from the story with her Vessel being on another planet.

Villains, unfortunately, are not the four-book saga’s strong suit.

Mistborn Era 2 has plenty of qualities to complement. The slow-burn relationships between characters, particularly Wax and Sterris, are handled with the excellence one would expect from a Sanderson novel. Not to mention, the world-building and development incorporating the Mistborn magic systems into a world with consistently advancing technology is handled with care and allows for exciting new combat mechanics. Villains, unfortunately, are not the four-book saga’s strong suit.

What Mistborn: Era 3 Needs To Surpass The Lord Ruler

Autonomy Or Even Kelsier Could End Up Surpassing Rashek

Kelsier art from Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series

Surpassing the Lord Ruler will be tough, as the mystery approach won’t be as possible given how much readers already know about the landscape on Scadrial. However, a mystery isn’t integral in creating a compelling antagonist. Aside from the original characters who will be introduced in the new books, Mistborn Era 3 already has two incredible candidates for an iconic villain: Autonomy and Kelsier. Autonomy’s return will likely be orchestrated throughout the series, with her urgency amped up by Scadrial’s rapidly growing computer technology.

Kelsier is another phenomenal candidate with decades of growth to contribute. Once a fan-favorite hero in The Final Empire, Kelsier is a much more significant X-factor centuries later. Even Brandon Sanderson has said the character is dangerous and unpredictable, and a moment’s decision could be the difference between him being a legendary hero and one of the Cosmere’s most horrifying villains yet. It’s hard to imagine a better candidate to be Mistborn’s greatest villain than the man who worked tirelessly to kill the previous one.