Waxillium Ladrian

Also known as Dawnshot

Major
First seen · Book 4 · Ch. 1

Waxillium Ladrian is a Roughs lawman in Mistborn (Book 4).

Gender: male
First appears: Book 4 · Ch. 1
Books: 2

Waxillium Ladrian begins as a Roughs lawman and Coinshot Allomancer who reluctantly returns to Elendel’s high society, then matures into a senator, husband, and father whose personal losses and divine mandate converge in a final confrontation with the Set and Autonomy. Across the books he shifts from a grief-stricken widower seeking justice to a devoted family man who chooses life and love over isolation, while his uneasy partnership with Harmony deepens into a wary alliance that forces him to act when even a god hesitates. By the climax of The Lost Metal he has become both political leader and battlefield tactician, wielding twin identities as noble and gunslinger to protect Scadrial from existential threats.

Description

A tall man around fifty years old with prominent sideburns, dressed in a long mistcoat duster whose tassels flare in the wind over a fine vest and cravat. Multiple revolvers rest at his belt and inside the coat, including a large weapon carried for aerial use. He carries himself with the confident posture of a seasoned lawman and Allomancer. A tall, middle-aged human lawman with prominent sideburns, wearing a vest and neatly tied cravat beneath a thick, long duster-style mistcoat. Its distinctive tassels flare and stream around him as he moves. A gunbelt with holstered pistols completes his practical, imposing appearance; his expression is often grim and focused. His hair, eyes, complexion, and exact build are not visually specified in the available passages.

Connections

Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals

Steris Ladrianconflicting source relationships
Starts as a calculated political marriage that deepens into mutual respect and love; by the later books they are devoted partners balancing family life with political and investigative work.
Telsin Ladrianconflicting source relationships
Sibling relationship deteriorates from hidden antagonism to open warfare as Telsin’s leadership of the Set forces Wax to confront and ultimately defeat her.
L
Lessieformer partner
Wax’s deceased Roughs partner whose memory continues to influence his emotional landscape and investigative motives long after her death.
ML
Max Ladrianson
Wax transitions from solitary lawman to devoted father, taking Max on flights and finding renewed purpose in protecting his children.
Marasi Colmsconflicting source relationships
Evolves from former romantic interest and junior colleague to trusted sister-in-law and independent investigator who shares Wax’s mission while establishing her own authority.
Sazedconflicting source relationships
Begins as a distant divine patron who resurrects and directs Wax; evolves into a strained but essential partnership where Wax questions Harmony’s omniscience and must act when the god cannot.
TenSoonally
Kandra ally who provides intelligence and battlefield support; their cooperation expands from occasional assistance to coordinated defense of Elendel.
Wayneconflicting source relationships
Longtime law-enforcement partner and closest friend whose comic relief and loyalty anchor Wax emotionally; their bond strengthens from Roughs constables to battlefield allies against existential threats.
V
VenDellconflicting source relationships
Begins as Harmony’s messenger and becomes a scientific collaborator on Hemalurgy and harmonium, marked by mutual respect and occasional friction over ethics.
Autonomyopponent
Abstract divine adversary whose agents and ideology Wax ultimately thwarts, transforming his personal battles into a cosmic struggle for Scadrial’s survival.

Story so far

BOOK 4The Lost Metal (The Mistborn Saga)
- Returns to Elendel and resumes the Ladrian noble title after his uncle’s death.
- Marries Steris Harms, transforming a political arrangement into genuine partnership.
- Learns his sister Telsin leads the Set and has betrayed him repeatedly.
- Fights Miles Dagouter and dismantles the Vanisher gang, confirming Harmony’s trust in him as divine agent.
- Discovers the true nature of the Bands of Mourning and begins questioning Harmony’s limitations.
BOOK 7Mistborn 07 - The Lost Metal
- Elected to the Senate and opposes the Elendel Supremacy Bill while investigating the Set’s conspiracy.
- Dies confronting the Set, is restored by Harmony, and returns to thwart an Autonomy-backed super-weapon.
- Confronts and defeats his sister Telsin, ending her threat to Scadrial.
- Fights enhanced Hemalurgic operatives Dumad and Getruda alongside Wayne, solidifying their lifelong partnership.
- Balances senatorial duties, fatherhood to Max and Tindwyl, and his role as Harmony’s chosen sword.