What does the "Shadow of Self" really mean and imply?

[BeatDownBlvd]

Ok so this will have spoilers all the way up to (you guessed it) Shadows of Self and secret history

So I'm reading mistborn for the second time and HoA this exchange happens between sazed and the first gen kandra:

“Preservation’s power remains, for power cannot be destroyed. His mind however, was all but destroyed-for this was the sacrifice he made to imprison Ruin.”

 

“The sliver remains,” another reminded. “The shadow of self.”

 

I found a post from like 6 years ago discussing it but nobody touched on one point I thought about (sorry if this is the wrong place for this I'm new here ><)

So it seems to me in the context of HoA the "Shadow of self" refers to what was left of Leris after he created ruins prison. Slowly fading eventually leaving the power up for grabs. Reading Shadows of Self the first time I figured the title more leaned towards being about Wax as in this book we learn the bulk of his past (or at least the key moments like his childhood with his uncle, meeting Lessi etc) and where his identiy is in question. But what I wonder this time around is that maybe it's a hint about Trell too. Trell atm is not confirmed to be a shard however it must be shard like at least. This book is where we get confirmation that Trell is actually real. It has it's own form of hemalurgy, a more refined version maybe given what Lessi/Paalm was able to do with it which implies investiture in some capacity in my eyes. Trell must be something big being an object of worship pre-dating the lord ruler and being able to control/influence others. Even Miles was a follower and seem to have been influenced in some way by it? 

Anyways where I'm going with this is what if something similar is happening to Trell where only a sliver remains of them and they are trying to act with whatever time they have left. At the very least they have a plot in motion and if my previous thought is true they have a power that cannot be destroyed. Whether Trell is a shard or not that could have interesting implications in the cosmere especially if Trell isn't a shard. 

 

What do you guys think though? I'm mostly just eagerly awaiting The Lost Metal to come out so my brain is spinning trying to figure out whats gonna happen. 

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by BeatDownBlvd

[AquaRegia]

5 hours ago, BeatDownBlvd said:

“The sliver remains,” another reminded. “The shadow of self.”

Seems to me, in retrospect, that both the quote and the title might actually refer to Kelsier.  He Ascended and held the Power of Preservation, and he is a Cognitive Shadow.  Thus he is literally both a Sliver (by the accepted Cosmere definition) and a "shadow of himself". 

Is there any evidence that the Kandra knew he was still around during HoA, even though none of the human characters (nor we as readers) knew at the time?

[Honorless]

I could only find these two WoBs on the subject –

This, which might refer to the quote you hunted down:

Quote

Questioner

is the title 'Shadows of Self' a reflection on the character development if Wax, or another thing like Kandra. 

Brandon Sanderson

The answer is yes. If you look through the previous Mistborn books, I actually used the phrase 'shadow of self' at some point.

Shadows of Self Portland signing (Oct. 10, 2015)

and this:

Quote

Questioner

My other question is about the phrase "Shadows of Self".  It's mentioned in the last Mistborn book *audio obscured* so are we ever going to see the shadows in Shadows of Self?

Brandon Sanderson

We are not going-- Well yes and no. What it is referencing in this book is the different roles that each person plays in their life. That is the core meaning of Shadows of Self. But then, there is also, there is a kandra involved, which they change shape and become different people, so "who are you?" and identity is a big thing.

Firefight Seattle Public Library signing (Jan. 7, 2015)

So, I think technically the title refers to the roles and identities that people play but it might also be a hidden reference to something (Who knows, maybe the Trell is Kelsier theory is going to turn out to be true)

[BeatDownBlvd]

2 hours ago, Honorless said:

I could only find these two WoBs on the subject –

This, which might refer to the quote you hunted down:

and this:

So, I think technically the title refers to the roles and identities that people play but it might also be a hidden reference to something (Who knows, maybe the Trell is Kelsier theory is going to turn out to be true)

Oh! Thanks for sharing these I never saw them! I suppose it is on a more personal level then, instead of being a way to describe dying shards. 

 

Also wow I did not know there was a theory about Trell being Keslier but off the top of my head it seems odd cause "Trell" existed LONG before Keslier was born, unless it implies there really is a shard like power and Keslier ends up snatching it

[BeatDownBlvd]

13 hours ago, AquaRegia said:

Seems to me, in retrospect, that both the quote and the title might actually refer to Kelsier.  He Ascended and held the Power of Preservation, and he is a Cognitive Shadow.  Thus he is literally both a Sliver (by the accepted Cosmere definition) and a "shadow of himself". 

Is there any evidence that the Kandra knew he was still around during HoA, even though none of the human characters (nor we as readers) knew at the time?

Ohh I never thought of that! As far as I've seen there shouldn't have been a way for the kandra to know, I don't believe Keslier even interacted with them at all during HoA and as you said, the human characters who he did interact with didn't know it was him. 

[BeatDownBlvd]

10 hours ago, Debarra said:

Memory may be off but isn't there a WoB which RAFO'd if any Shard Vessel's are still wandering the cognitive realm?

Have we ever had confirmation that Leras moved on from the cognitive realm and didn't stick around? Might be a tin foil hat theory but maybe he is Trell?

So I read Secret history a couple of days ago and it appeared to me that leras did move on from the cognitive realm, since that was the only way Kelsier would have been able to take the power of preservation with the glass gem. However with technology like that gem existing, I wonder if something could have just pulled his consciousness elsewhere. Maybe I'm reaching cause I like the theory that Leras is Trell haha