Every Known Worldhopper in the Cosmere

Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere novels take place across a range of planets, in various stages of technological development. Most of the stories Sanderson has written thus far take place in worlds that are somewhere between the middle ages and the 19th century — and yet there are some characters that we know are moving between planets. But how?

Well, while the void of space may separate the planets of the Cosmere, in the Cognitive Realm — the realm of thoughts — distances are different. Perhaps even more importantly, it seems that you can go from one planet to another without traversing the void of space, which is something of a game-changer.

There are many reasons for a character to travel between planets: collecting weapons or resources, research, or simply running away from people who want to catch them and do bad things to them. Below, we’ve listed all the known worldhoppers in the Cosmere, plus noted a few possible, but unconfirmed travelers of the Cognitive Realm.

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for most of the books in the Cosmere.

Confirmed Worldhoppers

Baon

Baon is a member of the Seventeenth Shard who participates in worldhopping activities. Little is known about his background or motivations, though it is known that he has the ability to use sand mastery.

  • AKA: Blunt, Vao
  • Home Planet: Taldain
  • Planets Visited: Various across the Cosmere, seen as a member of the Seventeenth Shard in “The Stormlight Archive” series.

Dao

A seon from Sel bonded to Kaise.

  • AKA: Thinker
  • Home Planet: Scadrial
  • Planets Visited: Various across the Cosmere, including Roshar where he appears as part of the Seventeenth Shard.

Demoux

Demoux is a former soldier from Scadrial who becomes involved with the Seventeenth Shard, an organization of worldhoppers. He appears in “Mistborn” and “The Stormlight Archive” series.

  • AKA: Thinker
  • Home Planet: Scadrial
  • Planets Visited: Various across the Cosmere, including Roshar where he appears as part of the Seventeenth Shard.

Design

Design is a Cryptic spren bonded to Hoid. Hoid rescued Design from occupied Kholinar, and eventually ends up with Hoid on Komashi running a successful Noodle Shop.

  • Home Planet: Roshar
  • Planets Visited: Komashi

Dlavil

Mask-wearing sibling of Iyatil, Dlavil was born in Silverlight, the ancient Cognitive Realm city, but is from South Scadrial genetically. He doesn’t seem very trusting.

  • Home Planet: Silverlight, Cognitive Realm
  • Planets Visited: Komashi

Felt

This pale, mustachioed spy was employed by House Venture during the Final Empire, and later ended up on Roshar, working for Dalinar Kholin. He was well-trusted by the Kohlin household, and was sent on the mission to Lasting Integrity when Adolin and Shallan seek the Honorspren in Shadesmar.

  • Home Planet: Scadrial
  • Planets Visited: Roshar

Galladon

Galladon is a native of Sel who possesses knowledge of the Dor and the Shaod. He is seen at the Purelake in the company of a couple of other worldhoppers — Demoux and Baon — in an interlude in Stormlight Archive.

  • AKA: Teemoo, Grump, Dendo
  • Home Planet: Sel
  • Planets Visited: Roshar

Hoid

Hoid is one of the most enigmatic figures in the Cosmere, appearing in various forms and under numerous aliases throughout different series. He possesses the ability to worldhop and has vast knowledge of the cosmere’s workings.

  • AKA: Wit, Cephandrius
  • Home Planet: Yolen
  • Planets Visited: Roshar, Scadrial, Nalthis, Sel, Lumar, Komashi, Canticle, Taldain

Iyatil

Mask-wearing Iyatil is the sibling of Dlavil, and was born in Silverlight, the ancient Cognitive Realm city. However, her heritage is Scadrian, specifically of the southern continent — this is made clear by the mask she always wears. Mraize refers to her as his babsk, suggesting that she is a high-ranking member of the Ghostbloods.

  • Home Planet: Silverlight, Cognitive Realm
  • Planets Visited: Komashi

Kaise

Relatively mundane as far as Worldhoppers go, Kaise is a clever woman from Arelene on Sel, and a member of the Ghostbloods on Scadrial.

  • AKA: Codenames Are Stupid
  • Home Planet: Sel
  • Planets Visited: Scadrial

Khrissalla

Khrissalla is a scholar with a deep understanding of Investiture and the Cosmere. She travels between planets to study and document various magical systems and phenomena.

  • Home Planet: Taldain
  • Planets Visited: Scadrial, Silverlight

Masaka

Masaka is a Sleepless we meet in The Nightmare Painter book — she expresses being tired with war, isn’t very good at imitating a human, but prefers to be seen as one. On Komashi, she works as a Nightmare Painter.

    • AKA: Chinikdakordich
    • Home Planet: Unknown
    • Planets Visited: Komashi

MeLaan

A shape-shifting Kandra working with the Shard(s) of Harmony, MeLaan first supported Wax and Wayne on Scadrial. She was later sent by Harmony to fight Trell’s influence by doing unknown activities off-world.

  • Home Planet: Scadrial
  • Planets Visited: Unknown

Mraize

Mraize is a Ghostbloods member who is likely from Thaylenah. He has bonded an Aviar, and posesses other powerful Cosmere objects such as white sand from Taldain, an aether, and a seon — so while it may not technically be confirmed that he’s visited other worlds, it seems incredibly likely. He works to recruit Shallan to the Ghostbloods in the Stormlight Archive novels.

  • Home Planet: Roshar
  • Planets Visited: Komashi

Nazh

Nazh is a meticulous cartographer and scholar who assists Khrissalla in her studies. He is responsible for creating detailed maps and annotations of different worlds.

  • Home Planet: Threnody
  • Planets Visited: Various across the Cosmere, often seen working with Khrissalla and providing annotations in “Arcanum Unbounded.”

Nightblood

Nightblood is a sentient sword created on Nalthis with a powerful and dangerous intent. It appears on Roshar alongside in the posession of the Herald Nale, who gives the sword to Szeth-son-Neturo.

  • Home Planet: Nalthis
  • Planets Visited: Roshar

Riina

The Sorceress from Tress and the Emerald Sea, Riina is an Elantrian member of the Ire as well as an Awakener. She seems to take great pleasure in cursing anyone who bothers her. After being thwarted in the Ire’s plot to take up a Shard on Scadrial, she settles on Lumar — in large part so she can tormet people and avoid danger (as Lumar is not technologically advanced when she arrives).

  • Home Planet: Sel
  • Planets Visited: Lumar, Scadrial

Riino

Another Elantrian (in case the name didn’t give it away), who somehow ends up as a fortune teller and ligthouse keeper in the Cognitive Realm of Roshar.

  • Home Planet: Sel
  • Planets Visited: Roshar

The Sleepless

The Sleepless are a mysterious species capable of taking various forms, as their bodies are made up of swarms of smaller creatures, called “hordelings”. They appear on Roshar and Komashi and are known for their knowledge and enigmatic nature.

  • AKA: Dysian Aimians
  • Home Planet: Unknown
  • Planets Visited: Roshar, Komashi

Shri Prasanva

Prasanva goes by Twinsoul while working with the Ghostbloods on Roshar. He has bonded an aether, Silajana, which allows him the ability to turn water into roseite (a kind of rock or crystal) — he is able to create any object he understands the workings of with his aether.

  • AKA: Twinsoul, Sanvith Prasanva Maahik va Sila
  • Home Planet: Unknown
  • Planets Visited: Roshar

Sigzil

Sigzil was a member of Bridge 4 in the Stormlight Archive novels. He eventually became a Windrunner, bonding an Honorspren and swearing the 4th ideal. At some point, Sigzil became a Dawnshard, gaining the ability to Skip from planet to planet. In Sunlit Man, he has been fleeing the Night Brigade for some time, and has visited a number of Shard planets.

  • Home Planet: Roshar
  • Planets Visited: Canticle, Ashyn, Threnody, Unknown additional planets

Shai

Shai is a Forger from Sel, able to create Soul Stamps. In the short story The Emporer’s Soul, Shai restores the mind of the emporer Ashravan. Later, she left Sel and found her way into the employ of the Ghostbloods — as Moonlight, she plays a pivotal role in the events of Mistborn Era 2 on Scadrial.

  • AKA: Wan ShaiLu, Moonlight
  • Home Planet: Sel
  • Planets Visited: Scadrial

Ulaam

Another Kandra, Ulaam appears on the Crow’s Song in Tress and the Emerald Sea. Unlike MeLaan, he makes no real attempt to appear human.

  • Home Planet: Scadrial
  • Planets Visited: Lumar

Vasher

Vasher is a Returned and Awakener from Nalthis who possesses advanced knowledge of BioChromatic Breath. He appears on Roshar under the alias Zahel, where he teaches swordsmanship.

  • AKA: Zahel, Kalad the Usurper, Tax
  • Home Planet: Nalthis
  • Planets Visited: Roshar

Vivenna

Vivenna is an Idrian princess and an Awakener holding Biochromatic Breaths. She appears on Roshar under the name Azure, leading the Kholinar Wall Guard and wielding a strange shardblade.

  • Home Planet: Nalthis
  • Planets Visited: Roshar (appears in “The Stormlight Archive” series)

Xisis

A powerful Dragon who has probably been around as long as any known character in the Cosmere, Xisis is seen in Tress and the Emerald Sea; he’s there studying the planets Aethers. He seems to have a number of powers, including Awakening, and the ablity to control the spores of the spore sea.

  • AKA: Xisisrefliel, Foil
  • Home Planet: Yolen
  • Planets Visited: Lumar

Other Worldhoppers

These Worldhoppers have been spotted in the books, but we don’t know enough about the character to give them a proper bio (yet), or they aren’t around anymore:

  • The Admiral – Commander of the Night Brigade, appears in Sunlit Man pursuing Nomad (Sigzil).
  • Ala – A seon stuck in a cube by the Ghostbloods on Roshar, used by Shallan to communicate with Mraize.
  • Alonoe – An Elantrian and member of the Ire residing (when we meet her) in the Cognitive Realm of Scadrial.
  • Aux – Aux is a highspren bonded to Sigzil who sacrifices what’s left of himself in the Sunlit Man
  • Elrao – Another member of the Ire from Elantris hanging out in the Cognitive Realm on Scadrial
  • Gereh – Presumed Terris Feruchemist from Scadrial, who ended up as the house steward of Kholinar Palace and also probably bonded an Aviar.
  • Unknown Terriswoman (Lemex’s nurse) – Brandon Sanderson has confirmed she is a “background worldhopper” — she plays a minor role in Warbreaker.
  • Maod – Another Ire member in Scadrial — this one’s a guard
  • Sixteen – A mysterious Worldhopper from Scadrial who lives in Lasting Integrity in the Cognitive Ream of Roshar
  • Truth-Is-Waiting – Another member of the Night Brigade (Staff Sgt.), likely from Threnody due to their name.
  • Zellion – A Threnodite who brought some of his people to Canticle, likely via spaceship.

Speculated Worldhoppers

These characters are likely to be Worldhoppers, but the text of Brandon’s novels have yet to confirm that fact. Note that this section is incomplete, as there are some new or minor characters not listed.

Aslydin

This mysterious member of the Seventeenth Shard is a Terriswoman who is in a relationship with General Demoux. We haven’t seen much of her yet, but Brandon Sanderson has spoken of her during some QnA sessions. As Demoux is a known Worldhopper, it seems likely his love interest is as well, especially given her involvement with the 17th shard.

  • Home Planet: Scadrial

Axindweth

Almost certainly a Terriswoman, we can assume Axindweth is a Worldhopper since, y’know, she’s probably Scadrial. This has yet to be confirmed, however her name and the fact that she wears a bunch of rings (likely metalminds) make it fairly certain.

  • Home Planet: Scadrial
  • Planets Visited: Roshar

Denth

Technically, this is confirmed, since Brandon Sanderson has said that Denth has “spent a lot of time on Roshar”. Since it doesn’t show up anywhere in the books, however, we’ll leave this as speculation for now, in the spirit of this being a Cosmere-aware compendium.

  • Home Planet: Nalthis
  • Planets Visited: Roshar

Let us know if we missed a character — even if it’s just a speculation — by dropping us a line in the comments below!

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DanielD
DanielD

A huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy (really anything with tons of weird proper nouns), music, and video games. Enjoys the outdoors, but has plenty to do on a rainy day.

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