The metallic arts and identical twins.

[DoctaDajman]

I had an idea for identical twins being born as metalborn. 

Would the SDNA be identical as well?  If one was born a mistborn or feruchemist would they both be born that way?  If one was born as a copper compounder would the other be born a copper compounder?  

Would they be able to tap and store into eachothers metalminds?  

Honestly twins capable of copper compounding and being able to compound eachothers memories would be pretty bonkers I think.  They could each study a seperate subject and become masters of that subject only to hand over some metalmind and gift eachother mastery of those talents and knowledge. 

 

[Trusk'our he/him]

40 minutes ago, DoctaDajman said:

I had an idea for identical twins being born as metalborn. 

Would the SDNA be identical as well?  If one was born a mistborn or feruchemist would they both be born that way?  If one was born as a copper compounder would the other be born a copper compounder?  

Would they be able to tap and store into eachothers metalminds?  

Honestly twins capable of copper compounding and being able to compound eachothers memories would be pretty bonkers I think.  They could each study a seperate subject and become masters of that subject only to hand over some metalmind and gift eachother mastery of those talents and knowledge. 

Twins are more likely to share Metalborn powers than non-relatives or even other siblings and identical twins are even more likely to share the same power(s).

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/404-american-fork-high-school-signing/#e13526

Questioner (paraphrased)

Would Allomancers born twins or triplets have the same metals?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

It is more likely, but not 100%.

 

Footnote: Brandon later mentioned that the question was not specific on identical twins, triplets, etc. and RAFOed further prodding.

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/448-row-release-party/#e14416

Questioner

We've seen that Metalborn siblings can end up with different powers. What about Metalborn twins?

Brandon Sanderson

Can happen. Most likely, they will have the same power.

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/6-bands-of-mourning-release-party/#e345

zas678

Are twins more likely to be Allomancers?

Brandon Sanderson

They are more likely to share--

zas678

--to share Allomantic attributes.

Brandon Sanderson

--to share Allomantic attributes.

zas678

Does it make a difference if they’re identical or fraternal?

Brandon Sanderson

It does… Yeah, it does. Fraternals are still more likely. But identical are even more likely.

zas678

Okay so fraternal are more likely than siblings--

Brandon Sanderson

Than siblings, yes.

zas678

And identical are more likely than--

Brandon Sanderson

Mmhmm.

Sharing Identity could happen, but perception matters a lot.

Spoiler

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/124-drogakrolowpl-interview/#e1823

DrogaKrolow

We have this one bizarre question, that actually was really, really weird but we have to know it.

There was a question about Siamese twins. If they were born gold Feruchemists, and they they were split apart, would they like, form together again?

Brandon Sanderson

Uhhhnn... It depends on how they view themselves

DrogaKrolow

That's the answer to every question like that!

Brandon Sanderson

Right! But that's the whole point of the cosmere is that-- Spiritual Realm is filtered through the Cognitive Realm to the Physical Realm, right? And this lens is going to filter how things work. Perception is really important in the cosmere. That's where most of these things come from, and so-- Yeah that is the answer to everything. But that's the point of the answer to everything, is that there aren't a lot of hard and fast rules when it comes to a lot of these things, with Identity and whatnot is going be filtered through perception.

DrogaKrolow

So it is technically possible for them, if they are seeing each other as one.

Brandon Sanderson

Right.

DrogaKrolow

So we can--

Brandon Sanderson

Now the big hard question is, what if one of them views them as one and one of them doesn't?

DrogaKrolow

Oh.

Brandon Sanderson

Aaaaoooohhh! Then it depends on who's using the magic.

DrogaKrolow

What if both of them are?

Brandon Sanderson

Both of them what? Are gold? If both of them are healing and one doesn't want to and one does, magic's gonna cancel each other out and nothing will happen.

DrogaKrolow

Ok.

Brandon Sanderson

Mmhmm. Yeah I made your question harder and weirder.

DrogaKrolow

Well it was a very logical answer to a very unlogical question.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. I've had to answer a lot of these. My feeling is that if I can make the fundamental magic principles work then you can answer those questions rationally but really what you would have to do is-- Even I'm not the expert on these things. Like I'm the ultimate word in some ways but in another ways the answer would be "I don't know, let's have a thought experiment and if it ever comes up, try it out and see what happens". But yeah, there you go. There is my best answer to you.

 

Edited September 14, 2025 by Trusk'our

[DoctaDajman]

11 minutes ago, Trusk'our said:

Twins are more likely to share Metalborn powers than non-relatives or even other siblings and identical twins are even more likely to share the same power(s).

  Hide contents

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/404-american-fork-high-school-signing/#e13526

Questioner (paraphrased)

Would Allomancers born twins or triplets have the same metals?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

It is more likely, but not 100%.

 

Footnote: Brandon later mentioned that the question was not specific on identical twins, triplets, etc. and RAFOed further prodding.

  Hide contents

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/448-row-release-party/#e14416

Questioner

We've seen that Metalborn siblings can end up with different powers. What about Metalborn twins?

Brandon Sanderson

Can happen. Most likely, they will have the same power.

  Hide contents

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/6-bands-of-mourning-release-party/#e345

zas678

Are twins more likely to be Allomancers?

Brandon Sanderson

They are more likely to share--

zas678

--to share Allomantic attributes.

Brandon Sanderson

--to share Allomantic attributes.

zas678

Does it make a difference if they’re identical or fraternal?

Brandon Sanderson

It does… Yeah, it does. Fraternals are still more likely. But identical are even more likely.

zas678

Okay so fraternal are more likely than siblings--

Brandon Sanderson

Than siblings, yes.

zas678

And identical are more likely than--

Brandon Sanderson

Mmhmm.

Sharing Identity could happen, but perception matters a lot.

  Hide contents

https://wob.coppermind.net/events/124-drogakrolowpl-interview/#e1823

DrogaKrolow

We have this one bizarre question, that actually was really, really weird but we have to know it.

There was a question about Siamese twins. If they were born gold Feruchemists, and they they were split apart, would they like, form together again?

Brandon Sanderson

Uhhhnn... It depends on how they view themselves

DrogaKrolow

That's the answer to every question like that!

Brandon Sanderson

Right! But that's the whole point of the cosmere is that-- Spiritual Realm is filtered through the Cognitive Realm to the Physical Realm, right? And this lens is going to filter how things work. Perception is really important in the cosmere. That's where most of these things come from, and so-- Yeah that is the answer to everything. But that's the point of the answer to everything, is that there aren't a lot of hard and fast rules when it comes to a lot of these things, with Identity and whatnot is going be filtered through perception.

DrogaKrolow

So it is technically possible for them, if they are seeing each other as one.

Brandon Sanderson

Right.

DrogaKrolow

So we can--

Brandon Sanderson

Now the big hard question is, what if one of them views them as one and one of them doesn't?

DrogaKrolow

Oh.

Brandon Sanderson

Aaaaoooohhh! Then it depends on who's using the magic.

DrogaKrolow

What if both of them are?

Brandon Sanderson

Both of them what? Are gold? If both of them are healing and one doesn't want to and one does, magic's gonna cancel each other out and nothing will happen.

DrogaKrolow

Ok.

Brandon Sanderson

Mmhmm. Yeah I made your question harder and weirder.

DrogaKrolow

Well it was a very logical answer to a very unlogical question.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. I've had to answer a lot of these. My feeling is that if I can make the fundamental magic principles work then you can answer those questions rationally but really what you would have to do is-- Even I'm not the expert on these things. Like I'm the ultimate word in some ways but in another ways the answer would be "I don't know, let's have a thought experiment and if it ever comes up, try it out and see what happens". But yeah, there you go. There is my best answer to you.

 

Legit. Thanks for this. Honestly I think a pair of copper compounding twins would be a really fun thing to talk about from a story telling perspective. They may get hopelessly lost in some serious identity confusion and crisis. But the possibilities for a skill monkey type of build is out of this world. Doubling your time learning any skill would be insane. Far cheaper than time manipulation in the cosmere. 

Edited September 14, 2025 by DoctaDajman

[Trusk'our he/him]

14 hours ago, DoctaDajman said:

Legit. Thanks for this. Honestly I think a pair of copper compounding twins would be a really fun thing to talk about from a story telling perspective. They may get hopelessly lost in some serious identity confusion and crisis. But the possibilities for a skill monkey type of build is out of this world. Doubling your time learning any skill would be insane. Far cheaper than time manipulation in the cosmere. 

Always glad to help where I can!

You know, I had seen something like this a while ago, but I must have forgotten the actual response Brandon gave because I was initially going to say "well, twins probably don't have any higher chance of having the same Metalborn power. Spiritual DNA is just different, here's a WoB on it." Really glad I double checked, especially since this is really interesting and opens some weird and interesting possibilities.

Like, if you could test what Allomantic or Feruchemical ability is tied to certain genes, maybe you could artificially create identical twins or find a way to clone a person? Maybe just a part of them in cell cultures, since that should have the same physical and spiritual genes (though the Spiritweb might get wacky, what with not having a full body).

Even with hypothetical uses aside, it'd be kinda fun to see identical twins or triplets have the same powers, then work together as a group. An infamous trio of Pewterarms slugging it out in the Roughs as a pack, or a pair of Ferrings that work by putting most of their attributes into one twin who prefers and specializes in the power- like pewter or gold- while the other acts as a support, working a role that doesn't rely on a large amount of said attribute (maybe the tapper could become a Savant from this?)

Lots of fun scenarios, especially for the RPG when the Mistborn expansion comes out.

[DoctaDajman]

2 hours ago, Trusk'our said:

Always glad to help where I can!

You know, I had seen something like this a while ago, but I must have forgotten the actual response Brandon gave because I was initially going to say "well, twins probably don't have any higher chance of having the same Metalborn power. Spiritual DNA is just different, here's a WoB on it." Really glad I double checked, especially since this is really interesting and opens some weird and interesting possibilities.

Like, if you could test what Allomantic or Feruchemical ability is tied to certain genes, maybe you could artificially create identical twins or find a way to clone a person? Maybe just a part of them in cell cultures, since that should have the same physical and spiritual genes (though the Spiritweb might get wacky, what with not having a full body).

Even with hypothetical uses aside, it'd be kinda fun to see identical twins or triplets have the same powers, then work together as a group. An infamous trio of Pewterarms slugging it out in the Roughs as a pack, or a pair of Ferrings that work by putting most of their attributes into one twin who prefers and specializes in the power- like pewter or gold- while the other acts as a support, working a role that doesn't rely on a large amount of said attribute (maybe the tapper could become a Savant from this?)

Lots of fun scenarios, especially for the RPG when the Mistborn expansion comes out.

Just because I really cant stop myself... 

Here is a pair of identical brothers who are full feruchemists. Honestly, in my mind one is a nerd and one is a jock but as feruchemists this could 100% pass as the same person minus the beard. They can store and tap sight for the need or not for glasses. They can store and tap nutrition and strength to augment their actual build. 

With full access to manipulating identity regardless of if it would work as twins baseline, they could completely share and spread their storage to which ever one needs it. The nerd could absolutely be some extra cool engineer who supplies the other with gadgets and the first hand knowledge of the users manual and blueprints with it. Meanwhile his brother could have shared some experience and knowledge of techniques in the field fighting. 

Heck take it up one notch and give them both the royal locks too so they can manipulate and grow their hair on a whim. 

Totally rad. 

Eating because I am hungry at work and looking forward to tearing off a chunk of bread for lunch. 

[Qianweilian He/him]

Wow, AI's getting much better. The only weird stuff I could see is what is in the bearded guy's left hand(right from our perspective), the bent upside-down screwdriver on the bottom shelf, and the flooring. Very cool concept though, I always thought full feruchemy was an interesting power set that hasn't really been dived into.