Summary
- Elend Venture is one of the heroes in the
Mistborn
trilogy, known for his idealistic nature and growth. - Despite starting the series at the age of 21, Elend becomes more mature as Brandon Sanderson’s books continue.
- Readers can use
Mistborn
‘s timeline and Vin’s age to gauge how old Elend is in the later books.
Vin is the heroine of Brandon Sanderson’s original Mistborn trilogy, but the first three books feature several different heroes — and despite diving into leadership at a young age, Elend Venture is one of them. Although Elend doesn’t get a POV in the Mistborn books until The Well of Ascension, he plays a prominent role from the time he’s introduced. Unlike the other nobles Vin meets while attending Luthadel’s balls, Elend is an idealist with surprisingly honorable morals. This leads Vin to fall for him, and it also finds Elend becoming emperor after the Lord Ruler is defeated.
Elend is fairly young to take on such a massive role, and he’s forced to learn and grow into an effective leader. But while Elend is young in the Mistborn books, he’s still a bit older than Vin — which is likely one reason they take their relationship slowly. Elend’s relationship with Vin and his leadership struggles may leave readers wondering about his age in Sanderson’s novels. Fortunately, the author reveals how old he is in The Final Empire, and readers can use that to determine his age as the story continues.
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Elend Venture Is 21 Years Old When The Mistborn Trilogy Begins
Brandon Sanderson Reveals His Age In The Final Empire
Elend’s age is only explicitly stated in the first Mistborn book, and The Final Empire reveals that he’s 21 years old when the original trilogy begins. This makes sense given where he is at the start of the story. Elend’s father is clearly frustrated by his son’s lack of interest in properly taking on the role of heir, and Elend is even engaged to be married in The Final Empire. The fact that he’s expected to take a wife and be involved in his father’s empire means he’s old enough to properly take on such responsibilities, even if he’s reluctant to.
Of course, Elend’s also somewhat naive and immature in the early Mistborn books. This can be attributed to him still being a young adult — and one who’s lived a fairly sheltered life at that. As Elend grows into his mid-twenties in the later installments, he becomes more mature and more capable of being a leader. It’s unclear exactly how old he is in The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages, but readers can use the series’ timeline and Vin’s age throughout Mistborn to hazard a guess.
How Old Elend Is Throughout Mistborn Era 1
He’s In His Mid-Twenties When Brandon Sanderson’s Trilogy Ends
If Elend is 21 years old in The Final Empire, he should be about 25 or 26 when Sanderson’s trilogy closes. With approximately four or five years between The Final Empire and The Hero of Ages, Elend would be in his mid-twenties by the time he truly takes control of the Final Empire. This would place him at about 23 years old when The Well of Ascension takes place. That sounds about right, especially since that’s when he begins working with Tindwyl and truly comes into his own.
With approximately four or five years between
The Final Empire
and
The Hero of Ages,
Elend would be in his mid-twenties by the time he truly takes control of the Final Empire.
Even with proper training, Elend remains young for his position throughout the Mistborn trilogy — and his age certainly makes his and Vin’s fates sadder. It’s impressive what they accomplish in just a few years. But with rebellions and wars to worry about, the two hardly get to enjoy their youth. Their relationship is probably the closest they come to being ordinary young adults.
