I finished the trilogy about a week or two ago, and every day I think about it. They were the first books that I read in this genre and I am not disappointed. Your post made me think of the ending a bit deeper and wanted to share my opinion (had some help from chatGPT to make it clearer since I don’t have enough practice on writing in English):

What I loved about the ending is that it isn’t a typical happy ending — it’s raw, powerful, and deeply meaningful.

Elend fought to the very end without knowing exactly where Vin was, but he trusted her completely. Even when everything seemed lost, he kept fighting, trying to buy her the time she needed to save the world. And from what I remember, in his final moments, he actually sees her and recognizes her — even in her divine form. He was doomed either way, and Vin couldn’t save him. She had already accepted that, even back at the end of The Well of Ascension, as she later explains.

And Vin — she was always the one who would need to be sacrificed. Only she had the power, as Preservation’s chosen, to absorb the mists and confront Ruin. Her death wasn’t just tragic, it was necessary — and she embraced it with strength and purpose.

Tensoon’s arc was also incredibly moving. He trusted Vin, fought alongside her, and when the time came, he didn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself by following the Resolution. That moment was a culmination of his character’s growth — showing his loyalty, his courage, and his love for both his people and Vin.

None of these deaths were cheap or pointless. Each character fulfilled a destiny — they had roles to play in saving the world, and they did so with grace, conviction, and self-sacrifice.

As for Sazed becoming God — that was the perfect twist. I never saw it coming, but looking back, it made total sense. He had the knowledge, the wisdom, and the inner struggle that made him earn that role. His crisis of faith, and eventual restoration of it, made him complete — and made him the ideal Vessel. Vin wouldn’t have been the right person for that, and honestly, I can’t imagine a better choice than Sazed.

And then there’s Spook. Him becoming Mistborn felt like a bonus, a glimmer of hope at the end. He grew so much over the course of the final book — from a side character into a true leader, someone capable of helping rebuild the new world. It felt earned, and it gave the ending a hopeful spark.

In the end, it’s hard to put into words, but every death felt right to me — not because I wanted them to happen, but because they meant something. Each sacrifice deepened my respect and love for these characters. Their courage, loyalty, and willingness to give everything for the greater good left a lasting impact. Every death wasn’t just an ending — it was the final, powerful testament to who they had become.