WhenMistbornfinally receives its long overdue movie adaptation,it can’t shy away from embracing the full extent of Vin’s character. Brandon Sanderson’sMistbornseriesis his most widely read work, and while every book-to-film adaptation comes with its changes, expectations will be high to see his original trilogy brought to life faithfully. Vin is undoubtedly the most crucial character for making the series work, as she’ll be the lead in all three installments. On top of nailing the casting for Vin, developing her movie characterization is essential.

AMistbornfilm productionhas been in and out of progress for years, with 2023 nearly seeing it come to fruition before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. According to Sanderson atDragonsteel Conventionin late 2023, it’s just a matter of time before the series can be shown on the big screen, as Hollywood is definitely interested. That leaves plenty of time to examine theMistbornnovels and hypothesize about how they should best be brought to life.

Mistborn book cover with a film reel background

Vin’s Flaws In The Mistborn Books Make Her A Great Heroine

A Movie Adaptation Shouldn’t Try To Make Vin “Likable”

Vin is a fantastically written protagonist in theMistbornseries, mostly due to her complex nature. She’s a heroine, but a huge part ofThe Final Empireand the trilogy as a whole is her reckoning with what her powers mean for her and how she should be using them.Because of her upbringing, she’s rather abrasive and untrusting at first, and it takes time for her to come out of her shell. That’swhy Kelsier is so important inMistborn, as he’s the more approachable point-of-view character at the start of the book.

She’s a flawed character who’s experienced great hardship in her life, and trying to make her more approachable to audiences would rid the story of its emotional core.

Vin from Mistborn with her cape flying and a knife in her hand

With that being said, it’s not a huge stretch of the imagination to see Hollywood developing these movies and wanting Vin to be more “likable.” That’s a dangerous line of thought, though, asVin isn’t a particularly charismatic heroine at first glance. A significant portion of her complexity is that she doesn’t comply with the societal standards of femininity. She’s a flawed character who’s experienced great hardship in her life, and trying to make her more approachable to audiences would rid the story of its emotional core.

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The Mistborn Movie Can’t Shy Away From Vin’s Dark Side If It Wants To Succeed

All Of Vin’s Choices Are Part Of Her Arc

Beyond just being complicated,The Well of Ascensionexamines Vin in some rather dark situations. Sanderson tests the reader’s willingness to follow her as a protagonist as she works with Zane, even at one point massacring hundreds of guards at Keep Hasting. She gets some leeway for how brutal the world inMistbornis, but Vin commits some acts that are hard to follow. These decisions are all part of her growth that builds toward the trilogy’s ending, and the film adaptation shouldn’t pull any punches.