Vin

Vin with a Koloss Sword created by Inkthinker

A Fanart Drawing of Vin on top of Kredik Shaw, drawn by Inkthinker on Deviantart.com

Vin is the main protagonist of the Mistborn Trilogy. She was recruited to help overthrow the Lord Ruler by Kelsier, and played a pivotal role in the Lord Ruler's defeat, the subsequent Skaa government, and the consolidation of the Second Final Empire. She was later being praised as Warrior of Ascension in The Alloy of Law

Characterization

At the begining of the first book when we meet Vin she is a very untrusting girl growing up in Luthadel in the Central Dominance. She knows that she is special in that she has Luck (Allomancy) to help her survive in the thieving crew that she's in.

She has an older brother named Reen, but he deserted her. She still hears his voice in her head, however this is revealed to be Ruin, speaking through her ever present earring.

Her sister was a Seeker, her mother was insane. Her mom killed her sister and gave Vin an earing, effectively bestowing Vin with increased use of Bronze through the use of Hemalurgy. Reen, seeing this terror, fled with Vin. After he deserted her, Vin found out that he had been killed by Steel Inquisitors, trying to protect her by denying her existence.

Her father, Tevidian is former Head Prelan, and was executed by the Inquisitors. Vin scarcely knew her Father, due to her existance being illegal under the Lord Rulers law.

Vin lived a hard life, and grew up on the streets. Reen taught her to trust no one. She has trouble going against this, but eventually learns to trust the fellow Crewmembers.

While attending Noble balls in the guise of Valette Renoux, Vin falls in love with Elend Venture, a nobleman, and heir to the strongest noble house. Elend becomes King at the end of the first book, marries Vin in the second, loses his title of King, and becomes Emperor at the end of the book. This effectively makes Vin empress.

The Church of the Survivor originaly viewed Vin as a deity, the Lady Heir, as she was the apprentice of Kelsier, who the Church of the Survivor worship as a messiah. At some point in the next three hundred years her title changed as she is then known as the Ascendent Warrior.

Powers

Vin is a Mistborn of great power and skill. She can pierce Copperclouds through usage of the earring she got from her mother, which Hemalurgically increases her abilities to sense other Allomancers. She has great skill with most other metals, and can make use of Duralumin to control Koloss, Kandra, and potentially Steel Inquisitors, although due to Ruin's influence this is never possible. As Preservation's chosen successor,she can draw power from the Mists, and used this ability to kill the Lord Ruler and defeat thirteen Inquisitors at the same time. She can only do this, however, when she is not wearing her earing, as Ruin is able to block her connection to the mists thanks to the earring's Hemalurgic properties. Vin is more powerful than most Mistborn, coming from a "pure lineage", although first generation Mistborn (such as the Lord Ruler, and for functional purposes Elend) have greater raw power. She can push and pull on metals, and Soothe and Riot with a high degree of power. She has great control of Ironpulls and Steelpushes, using horseshoes to fly forward indefinitely. She can defeat Ham, a trained Thug, using only pewter and is able to win many fights in this manner.

In addition to her Allomantic abilities, Vin posseses great resourcefulness and cunning, attributes gained from her time on the streets of Luthadel. She has a strong sense for danger, and is able to read a battle situation quickly, such as when she defeated Cett's assasins. She demonstrated a willingness to try innovative battle techniques, such as turning off her atium early to lull Shan into fatal overconfidence, as well as when she defeated Zane, who was burning atium, despite not burning atium herself.

Hero of Ages

Through much of the series, Vin is thought to be the Hero of Ages, but eventually it is revealed that she is not. While this title is common, both Alendi and the Lord Ruler claiming it, the only true Hero of Ages is Sazed.

Vin being the Hero of Ages was really an elaborate plot by Ruin to achieve freedom. He altered the texts of the Terris Religion, making it appear as if Alendi, and later Vin, was the Hero. Vin uses her increased Seeking ability to find the Well of Ascension, then Ruin uses the altered texts to trick Vin into freeing him.

During the third book Vin absorbs all of the Mists, becoming Preservation. After Ruin arranges for the death of Elend, Vin uses her new power as the God Preservation to kill Ruin, which also results in her own death. Sazed then absorbs the power from the bodies of Vin and Ruin and becomes God. Sazed hints at his ability to return Vin back to life later on when he learns more about his new powers.