Summary
Vin is the heroine of Brandon Sanderson’s originalMistborntrilogy, but the first three books feature several different heroes — anddespite diving into leadership at a young age, Elend Venture is one of them. Although Elend doesn’t get a POV in theMistbornbooksuntilThe 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 intheMistbornbooks, he’s still a bit older than Vin — which is likely one reason they take their relationship slowly.Elend’s relationship with Vinand his leadership struggles may leave readers wondering about his age in Sanderson’s novels. Fortunately,the author reveals how old he is inThe Final Empire,and readers can use that to determine his age as the story continues.
10 Books To Read If You Love Mistborn
Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn books feature some of the best storytelling in fantasy, and they may leave readers wondering what to pick up next.
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 inthe firstMistbornbook, andThe Final Empirereveals 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 inThe 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 earlyMistbornbooks. 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 inThe Well of AscensionandThe Hero of Ages,but readers can use the series' timeline andVin’s age throughoutMistbornto 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 inThe Final Empire,he should be about 25 or 26 when Sanderson’s trilogy closes. With approximately four or five years betweenThe Final EmpireandThe 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 whenThe Well of Ascensiontakes 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 betweenThe Final EmpireandThe 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 theMistborntrilogy — 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.
