Who's the most powerful being in the Cosmere?

[+Child of Hodor]

Harmony has the most pure power right now, but can't use it very well and is ignorant about a lot of things in the Cosmere. 

Nightblood has the potential to surpass a shard since it is growing in power the more investiture it chews up. It also has the problem of not being able to act, it needs a wielder ... for now! 

 

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#26

Mason Wheeler [PENDING REVIEW]

Nightblood is the most ridiculously over-invested thing in the Cosmere, second only to the Shards?

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

Yes.

Mason Wheeler [PENDING REVIEW]

Was this true from the moment of his creation, or did it grow in power over time.

Brandon Sanderson [PENDING REVIEW]

Grew in power over time. Kind of answers a question that people have been wondering. But, yes.

 

Edited November 12, 2018 by Child of Hodor

[Fanghur Rahl he/him]

37 minutes ago, Calderis said:

I think you're overestimating all of those things. The only amazing feats we've ever seen from an Elantrian that I'm aware of happened during the process of transformation itself. 

The amount that sustains them should be a trickle. 

Well it’s at least enough for them to be constantly glowing, which is something they have in common with Radiants (at least while they’re channeling Stormlight). And once Raoden fixes the city, we see the Elantrians pretty much instantly heal from what would otherwise be lethal and/or mutilating wounds (including decapitation in Karata’s case IIRC). So their healing factor would seem to be at least on par with that of a Radiant, if not even stronger. So I think ‘trickle’ is probably a vast underestimation.

Edited November 12, 2018 by Fanghur Rahl

[Calderis he/him]

1 hour ago, Fanghur Rahl said:

Well it’s at least enough for them to be constantly glowing, which is something they have in common with Radiants (at least while they’re channeling Stormlight). And once Raoden fixes the city, we see the Elantrians pretty much instantly heal from what would otherwise be lethal and/or mutilating wounds (including decapitation in Karata’s case IIRC). So their healing factor would seem to be at least on par with that of a Radiant, if not even stronger. So I think ‘trickle’ is probably a vast underestimation.

Karata did not heal. There's a grave for her next to Hrathen's in the end.

As to the others, as I said, we only see that in the moment of transformation. When Raoden fixes Elantris and their actually made into true Elantrians.

This is obviously not the case normally. Galladon's father died of simple heart failure. 

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“He was happy when I returned to Duladel. He told me to be a farmer. I left him a poor, lonely god in a divine city, wishing for nothing so much as the freedom to be a simple man again. He died about a year after I left. Did you know that Elantrians could die of simple things, such as heart-death? They lived much longer than ordinary people, but they could still die. Especially if they wanted to. My father knew the signs of heart-death; he could have gone in to be healed, but he chose to stay in his study and disappear. Just like those Aons you spend so much time drawing.”

 

[Weltall]

One other thing to remember about Nightblood: It drains Investiture at an ever-increasing rate as long as it's unsheathed. Even if an Elantrian has enough incoming Investiture from the Dor via an Aon or combination of Aons such that they could hold an unsheathed Nightblood for a little while without dying, there will come a point (very quickly) when the amount of Investiture being drained exceeds what the Elantrian/the Dor can sustain.

Also, that WoB that @Calderis provided makes it clear that an Elantrian can't draw Nightblood safely using just their own connection to the Dor, so regardless of how much Investiture they're getting from the Dor regularly it's not enough for Nightblood.

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So Nightblood needs kinetic Investiture to feed upon. The Elantrian would have to be able to get a conduit to the Dor to feed Nightblood or Nightblood would just eat their soul.

There's not much room for discussion here.

Edited November 12, 2018 by Weltall

[Ripheus23]

Sel is the most powerful being in the Cosmere

[Quantus he/him]

Honestly, I think whomever happens to be holding Ishar's Honorblade is going to be pretty high on the list.  I generally expect the Bondsmiths to be potentially some of the most powerful (or at least most catastrophically dangerous) of the Surges, which in turn are some of the most potent expressions of Investiture around.  And the Honorblade trades the Radiant's efficient Stormlight channel for a complete lack of Sprenly oversight, which I think ups the Danger level dramatically, especially in the hands of somebody realmically aware enough to supplement the power source.