Who Are The Most Powerful People/Beings In The Cosmere?

[Patar Artifabrian]

I've been thinking about this for a while. I know that Harmony and Odium are probably the strongest, but how do the others rank? Can someone more knowledgeable than me create a ranking system that includes not only shards, but powerful people (Vin, Raoden) in it as well? I'm really curious to see how these extremely powerful characters rank against one another.  

[The Sovereign Tarachin Superstar]

As you said, Harmony is probably the most powerful.
 

WoB to support this:

Interview: Sep 22nd, 2012

Orem Signing Report - Zas (Verbatim)

Josh and Eric

So are Shards the most powerful thing in the Cosmere?

Adam

Or is Adonalsium?

Josh and Eric

No, no, let him RAFO the first one first, or he'll lump them together.

Brandon Sanderson

It depends on what you believe. The Shards are the most powerful things currently overtly manifest. There are those who would say there are other subtle forces being manifest. Most people in the know would say that Shards are the most powerful thing.

Adam

Does Hoid believe that Shards are the most powerful thing?

Brandon Sanderson

You'll have to ask him sometime. [gives troll grin]. Or see him get asked something like that sometime. There's argument to be made that right now Harmony is the most powerful thing in the Cosmere.

 

As for non-shards, In no particular order I would guess:
Marsh
Raoden (while in the direct proximity of Elantris)

Susebron (from a raw-power standpoint, not necessarily skill)
Rashek

 

I am omitting Vin:

For holding Preservation

 

[Awesomness Arbiter]

As for non-shards, In no particular order I would guess:

Marsh

Raoden (while in the direct proximity of Elantris)

Susebron (from a raw-power standpoint, not necessarily skill)

Rashek

 

 

For non shards, I vote for Marsh definitly. 

 

He has huge powers that no longer exist in Scadrial, and he has been around for several hundreds years, while most of the other characters recently acquired their powers, and/or their powers are not so extensive.

 

As for Rashek:

He held Preservation, and then he´s dead... :/

[The Sovereign Tarachin Superstar]

As for Rashek:

He held Preservation, and then he´s dead... :/

Regarding Rashek:

He never really held the ("full") powers of Preservation though, he held a Piece (albeit a large one) of Preservation's power that was held in the well for a couple of minutes. Vin on the other hand absorbed the full power of the mists. That is why I didn't count him as a shard.

[ericth Noble]

The stick.

[Shadowspren Oldblood]

So... Marsh vs Szeth. Who would win?

[WayneSpren Kandra]

I think Marsh is more powerful (he's presumably a fullborn with hemalurgy) as he's basically the Lord Ruler but with more powers that hadn't been discovered yet in TLR's time.

[SmurfAquamarineBodies Soulcaster]

So... Marsh vs Szeth. Who would win?

 

It depends on whether or not Marsh knows to avoid being hit by the Shardblade. But in  fight where they both know about the others powers Marsh wins. His power supply lasts much longer.

[Evil_Reptile Arbiter]

Assuming that Marsh knew what a Shardblade does, and doesn't let Szeth hit him in a lethal spot that wouldn't usually kill him, Marsh would probably win because of his raw allomantic power and 400-odd years of experience. Having said that, there's no guarantee that a Shardblade would do the same thing to an Inquisitor, since they don't really die like humans. They die when their Hemalurgic Spikes are separated, but is severing one's soul from something the same as separating their spikes? I just don't know. I'd have to say Marsh would probably win.

         As for the most powerful non-shard beings in the cosmere, I'd have to say these      , in no particular order:

        Susebron, due to his great amount of Breath, if not experience.

        Marsh, who, as WayneSpren said, is basically the Lord Ruler+.

        The Nightwatcher, assuming that she isn't secretly Cultivation

        The Stormfather, since he seems to be in a similar weight class as the Nightwatcher, assuming, again that she's an uber-spren.

        Frost, just because he's a dragon.

[Xaladin Seer]

Nightblood.

 

EDIT: Actually, assuming Hoid is human, he is obviously the most powerful human in the Cosmere.

Edited August 19, 2015 by Xaladin

[DreamEternal Kandra]

I wouldn't say Marsh is more powerful than TLR, since in terms of raw allomantic strenght he gained his power directly from the Well, or at least from Lerasium, so he is probably much stronger than the avarage Inquisitor.

Edited August 19, 2015 by CognitivePulsePattern

[Wubdor Noble-Blooded]

Having said that, there's no guarantee that a Shardblade would do the same thing to an Inquisitor, since they don't really die like humans. They die when their Hemalurgic Spikes are separated, but is severing one's soul from something the same as separating their spikes? I just don't know. I'd have to say Marsh would probably win.

       

 

That is actually a very good point, I had never thought of that. That makes me very curious. I wonder if there's a WoB on that or if he'd answer the question if we asked him.

[WayneSpren Kandra]

The most powerful altogether is almost definitely

(Major Mistborn Spoiler:)

Harmony, according to Brandon.

[Mestiv Knight Radiant]

Brandon Sanderson is the most powerful creature in the Cosmere

 

Other than that, I agree that Harmony is the most powerful. Or the thing oposing Adonalsium.

Edited August 19, 2015 by Mestiv

[Zathoth Tarachin Superstar]

I am decently sure that there is a WoB that says that a bloodmaker could heal from a shardwound, so definitely Marsh, but only this far, Szeth with Nightblood might be something different completely.

 

Hoid is by his own words terribly ineffective at hurting people, but of course he is also incredibly hard to kill. I'm probably going with Marsh as well.

 

Though is Marsh really fullborn? The spikes shouldn't give him all the powers, unless Harmony did something.

[Blightsong Highprince]

I think Marsh is more powerful (he's presumably a fullborn with hemalurgy) as he's basically the Lord Ruler but with more powers that hadn't been discovered yet in TLR's time.

I think I saw somewhere that TLR was aware of all the metals. I'm not sure, however, if some one can find that WoB that would be nice.

[The Honor Spren Dawnshard]

Hoid is powerful. There is also Nightblood and Marsh. Heralds (I am assuming) are pretty full of power too, when they have their Honorblades and Stormlight.

One person I haven't seen mention here yet is Lift. I MEAN LOOK AT HER, SHE CONVERTS FOOD INTO PURE INVESTITURE. What could she do at a large banquet I wonder. . .

[ADIMORTIS Cobalt Guard]

Is there a WoB that marsh can use bendalloy and cadmium....Does he have the spikes for them?

If yes then I will go with him as being the more powerful than szeth...

[The Sovereign Tarachin Superstar]

I think I saw somewhere that TLR was aware of all the metals. I'm not sure, however, if some one can find that WoB that would be nice.

You are referring to Epigraph 72 from The Hero of Ages:

Yes, there are sixteen metals. I find it highly unlikely that the Lord Ruler did not know of them all. Indeed, the fact that he spoke of several on the plates in the storage caches meant that he knew at least of those.

[Patar Artifabrian]

What about Raoden? How would he fare in a battle against Marsh (in Elantris, of course)?

[teknopathetic Dawnsinger]

I saw a WOB stating that full Elantrians in Elantris would be capable of pretty amazing feats and that Brandon might bet on them if there was ever a full on Allstar grudgematch.  

 

I personally think Shae is likely to be the most powerful person in the cosmere. She may not be (as it stands) the most burst-power individual, but her ability to re-write pasts could be VERY effective. Assuming she found any other magic system to tap-into, sh could grow exponentially.  I also asked Brandon a question, and his WOB was that The Moon Scepter was taken by Hoid because it somehow assisted with using Sel based magic. It would be possible for her to trackdown Hoid, and level-up as it were. 

 

I think Hoid is not super powerful. He always mentions his birth and the anti-violence restrictions on him. 

 

There is a character in Whitesand that WoB states is "the most Csmereically aware" person. Even more so than Hoid.Though I have read that story, and there is no hint as to how she would ever ascend to that status. She is fairly normal, almost like a Rosharian Scholar, in the book. Shrug. But knowledge is power. 

Edited August 21, 2015 by teknopathetic

[Ansalem Oldblood]

I think Hoid is not super powerful. He always mentions his birth and the anti-violence restrictions on him. 

 

Just because he has difficulty killing doesn't mean he isn't super powerful. Harmony has difficulty acting at all and yet he is the most powerful being in the whole known Cosmere currently.

 

I think it's safe to say Hoid is the most powerful non-Shard being in the Cosmere. He has artifacts and access to powers from many different Shardworlds, more than any other being we know of so far, plus whatever he started with from Yolen. He could kill basically anyone if he weren't restricted and his restrictions seem to be self-inflicted, possibly even psychosomatic. Give his powers to someone else and that person probably could win any fight other than against a Shard, I think.

 

It might turn out there is someone more powerful than Hoid, but if there is I don't think they've been mentioned yet.

[Newan Sentient Awakened Object]

Way back at the Words of Radiance release, my friend asked Brandon Sanderson who would win in a fight between Szeth and Marsh.  Brandon said that Marsh is pretty much an atium savant by now, so Marsh would win because it's hard to fight somebody who sees the future.  

 

Hoid, though.  Isn't there a WoB somewhere that says Hoid's head would grow back if it was cut off?

[Awesomness Arbiter]

 

Hoid, though.  Isn't there a WoB somewhere that says Hoid's head would grow back if it was cut off?

Never read it (and I´m sure I´d remember if I would have read it)

Storms, I´d like tu see that!!

[Newan Sentient Awakened Object]

Never read it (and I´m sure I´d remember if I would have read it)

Storms, I´d like tu see that!!

 

Blam!