TheMistbornmovie has the opportunity to fix the series' most disappointing character death, anddoing so could make one story fromBrandon Sanderson’s bookseven better. After the author’s blog post stating that development on the project has been paused (viaBrandon Sanderson), it’s not entirely clear iftheMistbornmovie is still happening. It would be a mistake for Hollywood to let an adaptation of this fantasy story go unrealized. And ifMistbornis brought to the big screen, it will follow a group of heroes as they overthrow a tyrannical leader and deal with the aftermath.
With stakes like these, it’s no surprise that important characters die in Sanderson’s books. Kelsier’stragic death at the end ofMistborn: The Final Empireproves that the series doesn’t hold back when it comes to such sacrifices. Unfortunately, not all the characters get such dramatic send-offs. The upcoming film can improve upon Sanderson’s source material by giving certain losses the attention and weight they deserve. Andfixing the most underwhelming death from the original trilogy would benefit Elend Venture’s narrativeas well.
Fixing Dox’s Underwhelming Mistborn Death Will Make Elend’s Movie Story Better
It Would Help Flesh Out Elend’s Leadership Struggles
The deaths of several crew members happen fairly quickly inThe Well of Ascension,but Dox’s demise is probably the most disappointing. The reason it’s so underwhelming is that it gets lost among everything else going on. None of the surviving characters get to truly mourn him. They barely even struggle in the wake of losing him, which feels unrealistic given how many management responsibilities he takes on. TheMistbornadaptation can finally fix thisby spending more time on this pivotal loss. And doing so won’t just do justice to Dox;it will also help Elend’s on-screen arc.
The Mistborn Movie Should Expand 1 Of Elend’s Most Devastating Relationships From The Books
The Mistborn books primarily see Elend interacting with Vin and Kelsier’s crew, but the movie must expand on one of his most interesting friendships.
Elend Venture spends much ofThe Well of Ascensionlearning how to wield his newfound power in Luthadel, and he depends on Kelsier’s crew for help in this endeavor. He gets the hang of being king by the end of the book, andThe Hero of Agesshows a more mature and polished leader. However,it’s likely Elend would struggle in the wake of losing Dox, as he’d need to find someone dependable to manage the more tedious aspects of his empire — or learn to do it himself.
By focusing on this challenge of losing Dox, theMistbornadaptation can better set up Elend’s shift fromThe Well of AscensiontoThe Hero of Ages.
By focusing on the challenges of losing Dox, theMistbornadaptation can better set up Elend’s shift fromThe Well of AscensiontoThe Hero of Ages.Doing so would also pay homage to Dox’s characterand his importance to the team. This would give him a better send-off thantheMistbornbookswhile making Elend’s journey feel more fleshed out and realistic.
How Dox’s Death Can Be Used To Fuel Elend’s Transformation In The Hero Of Ages
It Could Make Elend’s Journey Feel More Grounded & Relatable
The Elend readers follow throughoutThe Well of Ascensionfeels very different from the one who appears at the beginning ofThe Hero of Ages.The latter version of the character is more competent and sure of himself, and much of this can be attributed to his newfound Allomantic powers. But there’s likely a difficult transition period after the Siege of Luthadel as well. Andshowing this in theMistbornmovie would make Elend’s transformation feel more groundedand compelling.
I’m Worried That The Mistborn Movie Might Have Already Made Its Biggest Mistake
I’m hoping for the best out of a Mistborn adaptation, but I’m skeptical about one significant aspect that Brandon Sanderson has settled on.
All it takes is adding a few scenes to the end of the secondMistbornmovie, depicting the aftermath of the losses Elend and the crew face. This would go a long way towards making Elend’s outcome feel earned, and it would fit with his entireWell of Ascensionstory arc. Additionally, it would allow theMistbornmovie to acknowledge character deaths like Dox’s, which the books sort of gloss over.
Mistborn
TheMistbornseries, created by Brandon Sanderson, is a high-fantasy saga set in the world of Scadrial, where magic is powered by metals through a system called Allomancy. The series focuses on political intrigue, heists, and the battle between good and evil. The first trilogy,Mistborn: The Final Empire, follows the struggle to overthrow a tyrannical ruler, the Lord Ruler. Later books in the series, includingEra 2, take place hundreds of years after the events of the original trilogy, expanding the story into new settings with new characters, all while maintaining connections to the original storyline.Books:Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006)Mistborn: The Well of Ascension (2007)Mistborn: The Hero of Ages (2008)Mistborn: The Alloy of Law (2011)Mistborn: Shadows of Self (2015)Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning (2016)Mistborn: The Lost Metal (2022)
