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Mistbornauthor Brandon Sanderson latterly critiqued the way many modern stories handle " antihero case , " and one of his most beloved characters is proof that he knows what he ’s talking about . Brandon Sanderson is an author of high fantasy and sci - fi books , with his first novel write all the way back in 2005 . As a veteran of the industry , at this point , Sanderson has become one of the most widely respected voices in speculative fiction literature , often sharing his thoughts on other medium and franchises via his YouTube channel , podcast , and various panels .
Brandon Sanderson ’s magnum opus ishis Cosmere population , an tremendous share universe of discourse that encompass phantasy titles likeMistborn , The Stormlight Archive , andElantris . He ’s already released seventeen full - length novels in the Cosmere , along with several garbled book , sohe ’s no beginner to the vast number of characters it take to keep a apportion universe compelling . There are a number of archetypical illusion heroes in his taradiddle , but there ’s also a net ton of variation . His good - know antihero is theMistborncharacter , Kelsier .
Brandon Sanderson Is Right About Antiheroes: What So Many Stories Get Wrong
The Definition Of “Antihero” Has Shifted In Contemporary Fiction
In a recent cartridge clip from one of Brandon Sanderson ’s teaching speech , he share his thoughts on the problems with modern antihero . Helisted three prominent Marvel characters as examples : Venom , Deadpool , and the Punisher . give that he referencedDeadpool 2and that the Punisher recently appeared in the Disney+ seriesDaredevil : bear Again , it seems like he ’s have-to doe with specifically to the film and television versions of these characters . He certainly has a level .
That ’s not to say these are n’t entertaining or well - crafted characters . Jon Bernthal ’s Punisher is one of the strong characters in the MCU dealership , but it ’s hard to call him an antihero at this point . These characters do sorry thing for morally good reason , but that ’s not what being an antihero is . An antihero is specifically set as a character who can be viewed as a champion due to the frame of the story but who often miss qualities like morality . The Punisher , for object lesson , undoubtedly has a moral compass that guides his heroic intentions .
One Of Brandon Sanderson’s Best Cosmere Characters Is An Antihero Done Right
Kelsier Is The Ideal Antihero Character
Kelsier is one of Brandon Sanderson ’s most well - written character reference , and he represents the true significance of what it means to be an antihero . Kelsier is the first protagonist intheMistbornbooks , and he seems like a relatively appealing fibre in the first novel . By all accounts , his design and action are a major force for good on his planet , butthe preeminence that make him an antihero is his intention , which is n’t to protect multitude ; it ’s to assay out vengeance on the Lord Ruler and those who took his wife from him .
Kelsier ’s delegacy is revenge disguised as rising .
Brandon Sanderson has described Kelsier as being the clinical definition of a sociopath . He is deep egotistic and has a deficiency of empathy all around . His goals see him working toward the melioration of Scadrial , but he ’s not doing it because he believe it is the right-hand affair . Kelsier ’s foreign mission is retaliation mask as rebellion . Unlike his brother Marsh , Kelsier only pursued this path after Mare was take from him , and he ’s dead fine killing any Luthadel nobles he can find , as they ’re all the enemy , no matter what .
What Other Fictional Antiheroes Can Learn From Kelsier
Antiheroes Shouldn’t Just Be Characters Doing Bad Things For The Right Reasons
Kelsier ’s story inThe Final Empiremakes him a quintessential antihero . He ’s a fictitious character who wants retaliation , but his quarry just so happens to be an malevolent authoritarian . Therefore , he benefits from his pursuit of revenge socially , as many mass to his side as followers , believing his journeying to be righteous , fuel his ego . This even live on as far as Kelsier ’s deification . It ’s apparent thatin different circumstance , Kelsier could be a villain . For instance , imagine if Mare had been killed due to the used actions of a beneficent Danaus plexippus .
Brandon Sanderson ’s Mistborn would be the perfect modern phantasy TV series , despite the fact that it may not get made — at least for a while .
It ’s take exception to make a unfeignedly compelling antihero , as it require the characters to not learn from their wrongdoings . lease ’s use Walter White as another representative . InBreaking Badseason 4 , he faces off against Gustavo Fring . In the show ’s frame , Walter is our protagonist , and Gus is the more grave villain . However , Walter is n’t seem to down Gus because Gus is a bad mortal ; he ’s doing it to save his own life . I ’d bonk to see fancied antiheroes taking a page out of theMistbornbook more often , embracing public figure whose morality is really questionable .
Summary
The Mistborn series , created by Brandon Sanderson , is a high - phantasy saga prepare in the populace of Scadrial , where conjuring trick is power by metals through a system called Allomancy . The series focus on political machination , armed robbery , and the battle between proficient and evil . The first trilogy , Mistborn : The Final Empire , follow the struggle to overturn a tyrannical ruler , the Lord Ruler . Later books in the series , including Era 2 , take place hundreds of years after the events of the original trilogy , expanding the story into new configurations with new characters , all while maintaining connections to the original storyline .
Custom image by Ana Nieves
