Every Cosmere Cameo & Character Mention In Wind And Truth Explained

Includes SPOILERS for The Stormlight Archive through Wind and Truth, Mistborn eras 1 & 2, and other standalone Cosmere novels.The Stormlight Archive book 5, Wind and Truth, features several references to other characters from the Cosmere. The Cosmere book universe is one of the most exciting worlds in contemporary fantasy, but it can be an enormous challenge to navigate the increasing number of connections between Brandon Sanderson's projects. Especially for those who only read The Stormlight Archive, the numerous character mentions in Wind and Truth may have left feelings of confusion. The author is deliberate with his references, but they can still be somewhat vague.

Not only does Wind and Truth mention characters who originated in other stories, but the book series also includes multiple Worldhoppers, most notably Wit. There are some characters in the series who have traveled to Roshar from other worlds, though they are mentioned for the first time in The Stormlight Archive books. For example, Axindweth is a Feruchemist, presumably from Scadrial, but her first appearance was in Rhythm of War rather than the Mistborn series. Similarly, Iyatil was first mentioned in Words of Radiance. Characters first introduced in The Stormlight Archive won't be included.

15 Hoid

The Cosmere's Most Well-Known Worldhopper

Art by Ari Ibarra

Hoid is the most apparent Worldhopper who appears throughout practically every Cosmere story, though he goes by Wit in The Stormlight Archive. He's originally from the planet Yolen, which will be the main location of Brandon Sanderson's planned Dragonsteel series. Hoid arrived on Roshar along with the would-be Heralds much earlier on The Stormlight Archive's timeline, coming through a portal from the doomed planet, Ashyn. As Wit, Hoid maintained his position as an ally to Dalinar and the humans of Roshar, helping with advice and perspective, though never directly intervening in any conflict.

14 Thaidakar

From Mistborn Era 1

One of the biggest reveals in The Stormlight Archive book 4 was that Thaidakar, the leader of the Ghostbloods, was actually Kelsier from the Mistborn trilogy. After dying in The Final Empire, Kelsier is reborn in the novella Mistborn: Secret History, and he's become an immortal being manipulating events throughout the Cosmere. His main goal on Roshar was to transport Stormlight back to Scadrial as a form of Investiture, though his primary agents, Mraize and Iyatil, were killed by Shallan in Wind and Truth. Kelsier will likely be seen next in the upcoming Mistborn: Ghostbloods trilogy.

13 Sazed

From Mistborn Era 1

Art by by Diego López

Very early on in Wind and Truth, Wit namedrops one of the main characters from the original Mistborn trilogy: Sazed. Sazed has since become Harmony, the combination of the Shards Ruin and Preservation, making him the god looming over Scadrial. However, the reference in The Stormlight Archive regards his mortal life, with Wit praising him as a "man who lost every belief he thought he had, then started over new." This refers to Sazed's arc in The Hero of Ages, following the death of Tindwyl and his rise to becoming the titular hero.

12 Vin

From Mistborn Era 1

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Vin isn't mentioned by name in Wind and Truth, but her storyline is referenced by Wit, and she's such an iconic character that it's worth noting. Wit refers to Vin as the only mortal he's ever seen giving up the power of a Shard, referring to her opportunity to take up the power of Preservation at the end of The Well of Ascension. By not taking the power, she released Ruin into the world. Importantly, Wit says this to Dalinar, foreshadowing his choice to give up Honor's power in Wind and Truth's ending. Read Wit's full quote below:

"It wasn’t a full Ascension, but a mortal did give up the power once. It proved to be the wrong choice, but it was the most selfless thing I believe I’ve ever witnessed."

11 Ruin

From Mistborn Era 1

Ruin is one of the Shards on Scadrial, who ends up being the major antagonist of the original Mistborn trilogy. Ruin's power is currently held by Sazed, kept in balance with Preservation's power. However, Tanavast's chapters in Day 9 of Wind and Truth reference the original vessel, Ati, describing him as "perhaps kindliest among us, who had boldly taken up Ruin." He also describes Ati as one of the "strong ones," referring to how Tanavast viewed Ati as a mortal. It's fascinating how each of the vessels described in this chapter has a personality counter-intuitive to that of their Shard.

10 Preservation

From Mistborn Era 1

Preservation is another Shard of Scadrial, held by Kelsier and Vin for brief periods of time before Sazed took on its power. Preservation is mentioned in Wind and Truth in the same paragraph as Ruin, with Tanavast describing its original vessel, Leras. He states that Leras "always had such a strong nature," listing him among the vessels who, in their mortal lives on Yolen, were considered the "heroes" by Tanavast. In the same ilk as Ati with Ruin, Leras' described nature is notably the opposite of his Shard's.

Related 9 Biggest Reveals From Stormlight Archive Book 5: Wind And Truth The Stormlight Archive book 5, Wind and Truth, has provided some major reveals about the events on Roshar and the larger Cosmere universe.

9 Demoux

From Mistborn Era 1

Custom Image by Yeider Chacon

Demoux is another character readers may remember from the original Mistborn trilogy who became a devout follower of Kelsier and later a general in Elend's army. He survived the Final Ascension and went on to join the Seventeenth Shard, a mysterious organization that exists throughout the Cosmere. He appears in Wind and Truth Interlude 11, alongside Galladon and Baon, other Cosmere characters, in their mission to search for Hoid.

8 Ulaam

From Mistborn Era 2 & Tress Of The Emerald Sea

TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA by Howard Leon

Ulaam appears at the end of Wind and Truth when Wit is zapped by Retribution, appearing back on Scadrial. Ulaam is a Kandra who first appears in the Mistborn novel The Lost Metal but then appears more prominently in Tress of the Emerald Sea, one of Brandon Sanderson's Secret Projects. Ulaam's holds a cell culture for Wit, which would keep him alive if his body was ever destroyed, allowing Wit to reform it from the cell.

7 Dlavil

From Mistborn Era 2

Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

When Shallan discusses Iyatil's fate with Thaidakar, he expresses that he'll have to inform Iyatil's brother, setting up a future conflict

Dlavil is a character introduced in The Lost Metal as a member of the Ghostbloods. Like his sister, Iyatil, he comes from the Cognitive Realm city known as Silverlight, but he is of Southern Scadrian descent, a region explored in Mistborn era 2. He only appears briefly, but he's shown to be ruthless, which makes it all the more threatening when he's mentioned in Wind and Truth. When Shallan discusses Iyatil's fate with Thaidakar, he expresses that he'll have to inform Iyatil's brother, setting up a future conflict between Dlavil and Shallan.

6 Galladon

From Elantris

Galladon is one of the characters from the book Elantris, the first novel Brandon Sanderson published. As an Elantrian, Galladon is from the planet Sel, and he's since joined the Seventeenth Shard. It's mentioned in Wind and Truth that Galladon has silver skin. This is because of a process called the Shaod, which occurs on Sel and transforms people into Elantrians. Importantly, he and his companions decide to leave Roshar after failing to find Hoid in Interlude 11.

5 Baon

From White Sand

Baon is another character from the Seventeenth Shard who appears in Wind and Truth Interlude 11, and the characters he interacts with mistake him for the Herald Nale. He comes from the Cosmere graphic novel White Sand, which takes place on the planet Taldain. He was a soldier who could use sand mastery, the magic system and form of Investiture in White Sand, and he previously appeared in Interlude 1 of The Way of Kings with Galladon and Demoux.

4 Endowment

From Warbreaker

WARBREAKER by Dan Dos Santos

Endowment and its vessel, Edgli, are mentioned by Tanavast in chapter 115, and he describes her as "the most compassionate woman I had ever known." Endowment is the sole Shard on the planet Nalthis from the standalone Cosmere novel Warbreaker. This is also the planet where Zahel, previously known as Vasher, and the sword, Nightblood, are from. Unlike other Shards, Endowment isn't a major character in the Warbreaker novel, though she's involved at times in indirect ways.

3 Autonomy

From White Sand, Sixth Of The Dusk, & Mistborn Era 2

Bavadin, the vessel for Autonomy, is described by Tanavast in chapter 115 as "shrewd and capable." Autonomy is the Shard on Taldain from the White Sand graphic novels, though its influence is noted in Mistborn era 2, where it begins an attack against Scadrial. In the series, Autonomy uses Wax's sister, Telsin Ladrian, as her avatar, leading the organization known as the Set to overthrow Scadrian society in Elendel.

2 Devotion & Dominion

From Elantris

Devotion and Dominion are the Shards from Sel, and they're grouped together since they're referred to together in Wind and Truth. Their vessels, respectively Aona and Skai, were killed by Odium, who "drew them into conflict with one another, then finished them off when they were weak." Importantly, their powers were then pushed into the Cognitive Realm of Sel to prevent anyone from taking them up. This created the Dor, a force of Investiture that creates Sel's various magic systems and makes the planet challenging to worldhop to. Wit explains the concept to Dalinar in chapter 21, saying:

"In another, the god’s power was stuffed in a metaphor-ical closet—packed into Shadesmar, left to rot."

1 Ambition

From Shadows For Silence In The Forests Of Hell

In Tanavast's POV chapters, Rayse explains that he killed Uli Da, the vessel of Ambition, saying, "You knew that Ambition was going to be a problem." In The Stormlight Archive book 5, chapter 147, it's also mentioned that Ambition's death resulted in the destruction of several worlds. After the Shattering, Ambition and Odium fought near the planet Threnody, which is the location for the novella Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell. The remnants of Ambition's destruction twisted the planet and its people, creating the basis for that story.