Allomancy, Feruchemy, Hemalurgy: sixteen metals, three magic systems, dozens of specialist names. The Mistborn magic system is one of the most satisfying in fantasy, but there’s a lot to keep track of.
The Coppermind wiki is fantastic for deep dives (I’m a massive fan of that community; I even wrote my university thesis about the Arcanum archive), and the in-book tables work great while you’re reading. But I wanted something in between: an interactive allomancy chart where you can click a metal and immediately see what it does across Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy. Same reason I write Malazan chapter summaries: making complex systems accessible in a format that actually works mid-read.
That’s what the Metallic Arts Explorer below is. Click any of the 16 base metals, compare the three arts side by side, and finally remember what a Skimmer is. (It’s an iron Ferring. I had to look it up too.)
Spoilers for the full Mistborn series, including Era 2.
If you’re not sure where Allomancy fits in the bigger picture of Sanderson’s universe, my Cosmere reading order guide covers the full journey. And if you’re still deciding between Mistborn and Stormlight Archive, I’ve got strong opinions on that.
In Short: Quick Answers
How does Allomancy work in Mistborn?
Allomancy is one of the three Metallic Arts on Scadrial. Allomancers swallow and “burn” specific metals to fuel supernatural abilities, with each metal granting a different power. Most Allomancers are Mistings: they can only burn one metal. The incredibly rare Mistborn can burn all of them. The system follows consistent physics: Steelpushing launches metal away from you (or you away from it, if the metal is heavier), while Ironpulling works in reverse. Think of it like RPG resource management; you’re burning through your metal reserves the same way you’d manage mana or stamina bars.
What are the 8 basic metals in Mistborn?
The 8 basic Allomantic metals are the ones discovered earliest in-universe, and the ones you’ll encounter most in Era 1: Iron (Pulls metals), Steel (Pushes metals), Tin (enhances senses), Pewter (enhances physical abilities), Zinc (Riots emotions), Brass (Soothes emotions), Copper (hides Allomancy), and Bronze (detects Allomancy). These form the Physical and Mental classifications, each with a Pulling and Pushing pair. The remaining 8 (the Temporal and Enhancement metals) show up more in Era 2, where Allomancy has had 300 years to evolve alongside industrial technology.
What’s the difference between Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy?
All three Metallic Arts use the same metals, but they work fundamentally differently. Allomancy burns metals for immediate powers; it’s “end-positive,” creating energy from Preservation’s Investiture. Feruchemy stores personal attributes in metalminds (like weight, speed, or health) to tap later; it’s “end-neutral,” meaning you get out what you put in. Hemalurgy steals abilities by driving metal spikes through people; it’s “end-negative,” powered by Ruin, and always loses something in the transfer. Same sixteen metals, completely different applications. The explorer above lets you compare all three side by side for each metal.
What is the 11th metal in Mistborn?
The “eleventh metal” is malatium, an alloy of atium that Kelsier discovers during The Final Empire. It lets you see a vision of who someone could have been, their past possibilities. In the broader Metallic Arts system, malatium is classified as a God Metal alloy rather than one of the 16 “true” Allomantic metals, which is why the standard chart lists 16 base metals plus the God Metals (atium and lerasium) separately. The explorer above includes the God Metals in a separate section below the main grid.
What’s the difference between a Mistborn and a Misting?
A Misting can burn exactly one Allomantic metal. They’re specialists, and each type has its own name: Coinshots burn steel, Lurchers burn iron, Thugs burn pewter, Tineyes burn tin, and so on. A Mistborn can burn all metals, which is extremely rare and extremely powerful. Think of it like RPG character classes: Mistings are specialized builds that can master their one metal over decades, while Mistborns are multiclass characters who can spec into every skill tree simultaneously. Each type has unique Mistborn powers that combine in ways the specialists can’t match. In Feruchemy, the equivalent specialist is called a Ferring, and the full equivalent is a Feruchemist.
How many metals are there in Mistborn?
There are 16 base Allomantic metals organized in a 4×4 grid: four classifications (Physical, Mental, Temporal, Enhancement) with four metals each. On top of that, there are the God Metals (atium from Ruin and lerasium from Preservation) plus their alloys. So depending on how you count, there are 16 standard metals or 18+ when including God Metals. Era 2 introduces all 16 into the story, while Era 1 primarily focuses on the 8 basic metals.
Want to see how Stormlight Archive’s magic compares? Check out the interactive Surgebinding Explorer, same concept but for the Knights Radiant Orders and their Surges.
For the recommended reading order through Sanderson’s connected universe, see the complete Cosmere reading order guide. And if you’ve just finished the first Mistborn trilogy and aren’t sure what’s next, I’ve written a guide on what to read after Mistborn.