Mistborn’s Biggest Vin Complaint Doesn’t Hold Up After The Later Books

Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series constructs a world filled with a complex magic system and an equally robust cast of complex characters. Among these characters is Vin, the street thief turned powerful revolutionary. Vin has one of the most exciting arcs in the Mistborn world but is often criticized by fans for falling into the so-called “not like other girls” stereotype.

Throughout the series, Vin’s ambivalence towards femininity is a core theme. Vin was usually antisocial, had short hair, and took a negative attitude toward dresses and the accepted standards and practices of beauty. Vin eventually became comfortable with her femininity, rationalizing that it was only a disguise to hide behind. These frequent mentions and criticisms have led fans to believe Vin became one more victim of the “not like other girls” trope, distancing the powerful female lead from anything associated with femininity. However, the more Vin’s character develops throughout the Mistborn books, the more this criticism feels undeserved.

Mistborn’s Biggest Vin Complaint Doesn’t Work After Reading The Later Books

Although Vin displays several “not like other girls” characteristics in The Final Empire, this trait is strategically disassembled in The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages. The female characters, Allrianne and Tindwyl, provide complimentary examples and perspectives of power and femininity that influence and complete Vin.

Allrianne is a young and attractive noblewoman, assumed to be naïve; she is graceful and up-to-date on the latest fashions of the Final Empire. Upon their first meeting, Vin refers to Allrianne as, “that pink thing I just passed in the hallway.” It is later revealed that Allrianne is a powerful Allomancer capable of manipulating the emotions of others with more talent than the accomplished male character Breeze. Allrianne doesn’t hide her interest in the feminine while wielding incredible power.

Related

Who should play Vin in a Mistborn movie adaptation?

If I had to pick a well-known actress for Vin in a Mistborn adaptation, I’d be open to Dafne Keen. I think she’s certainly capable, but I’d still ultimately rather see a young, less-known talent take on the role. I feel like Kelsier is the role that, more importantly, needs a movie star, as Vin would spend a lot of time in the first movie coming out of her shell anyway.

If Allrianne begins to break down the “not like other girls” trope, Tindwyl outright shatters it. Tindwyl is a Keeper of Terris who moves with elegance and poise. Tindwyl’s efforts in The Well Of Ascension are often focused on training Elend to carry himself in a kingly manner. Tindwyl also spends some time with Vin, helping her bring out and embrace both femininity and power.

In an iconic passage in The Well of Ascension, Tindwyl takes Vin dress shopping, commenting on Vin’s eagerness to shop, her past enjoyment of noble life, and her elegance while modeling the beautiful garments. Vin mentions that she is afraid she enjoyed the gorgeous clothes and noble gatherings too much. Tindwyl, in hopes of helping to consolidate the many parts of Vin, has a dress crafted for her, colored in a beautiful royal blue, but modified to store weapons and allow ease of movement in battle. This sequence of events helps to show that Vin can both wield power and embrace what she loves about her femininity.

Allrianne’s example and Tindwyl’s words come alongside Vin’s character to show that she can be associated with the feminine while displaying commanding power. Elend, in a conversation with Tindwyl, attempts to uphold the “not like other girls” trope by directly commenting on Vin’s differences. Tindwyl’s telling response is, “the more women you come to know, Your Majesty, the more you’ll find that statement applies to all of them.”

How Brandon Sanderson Addresses Vin’s Biggest Issues In Mistborn’s Sequels

Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Era 2, consisting of The Allow of Law, The Shadows of Self, and The Bands of Mourning continues to address the common criticism of Vin. The Shadow’s Of Self references a past speech by Allrianne wherein she reinforces the idea that women should maintain their femininity while doing their jobs. Marasi Colms is one such woman, a constable in Mistborn’s Second Era who enjoys dresses and hairstyles while wielding an Allomantic ability and rifle. She also internally debates the double standard for women to act feminine while men are not told how to behave at work.

Marasi’s half-sister, Steris Harms, also plays a lead role in upending the “not like other girls” trope. Steris chooses to maintain an adherence to societal norms and current fashion. She has a gift for planning that often comes to the aid of those around her. Sanderson deliberately wrote Steris with autism, attempting to not only emphasize a strong female character, but also to represent those on the spectrum. Through Sanderson’s introduction of several strong female characters in Mistborn’s Second Era, he progressively upends the most prominent issue associated with Vin.

Vin’s Initial Flaws Make Her Character Arc Even Better

Vin witnessed the murder of her younger sister, survived the streets with her brother (who she assumed abandoned her), and was beaten by her thieving crew leaders. Vin’s inclination to distrust, retreat, and disguise herself from others are mannerisms anyone would adopt if placed in the same situation. With all her energy being poured into shielding herself from others, it would make sense that she would also deny the parts of herself she associates with weakness.

But, throughout Vin’s character development, she realizes that the feminine qualities she strives to deny are not weaknesses but complementary parts of her character that can and should sit comfortably beside her power. All exciting characters develop over time, and Mistborn‘s Vin is no exception – with her exciting arc growing out of the “not like other girls” stereotype.

Mistborn

Created by

Brandon Sanderson

Character(s)

Vin , Kelsier , Sazed , Marsh , Elend Venture , Waxillium “Wax” Ladrian , Wayne , Steris Harms