

He shows little empathy or fear, as well as a high ego, and is frequently quick to resort to using violence-often lethal violence-to solve problems, even when doing so clearly won't actually help the people he is supposedly trying to help. Kelsier is a psychopath, or at least has some psychopathic tendencies.

If Kelsier orders a person around, it is a sign of affection. He has an imposing presence and is a natural leader, easily taking charge and swaying even the downtrodden skaa of Luthadel into joining the rebellion with his charming personality. He hates all of the nobility and tends to believe that all of them are to blame for the plight of the skaa, although near the end of his life this attitude changes due to Vin's insistence that Elend is different and that not all the nobles should be fought, although his views did not fully change, and he retained his prejudice and distrust. He does this in order to fight the Lord Ruler's oppression of all the skaa, wanting to have one thing which cannot be taken away from him. He always smiles and projects an excited and positive attitude, which is particularly unusual in the skaa underground. He is almost always late to gatherings, which he attributes to always having somewhere better to be. He usually wears a nobleman's suit (a colored vest with dark trousers and a coat), and during the night he wears his mistcloak. Kelsier is tall and hawk-faced and has light-blonde hair and hazel eyes he has a multitude of scars crossing both arms from his time in the Pits of Hathsin.
