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=== Death ===
{{quote
Kandra do not appear to die of natural causes, but they are not immortal, just incredibly long lived.{{wob ref|10583}} One of the kandra secrets references the unknown acid mixture. Being bathed in acid can effectively kill a kandra, so this is one way how misbehaved kandra were executed in kandra homeland during the [[Final Empire]] with the other way being starvation. Because of their ability to change shape, most damage to a kandra is of no consequence; they do feel normal physical pain as a result of trauma, though [[MeLaan]] has said that kandra have the ability to turn nerves off and thus experience no pain.{{book ref|mb6|24}} This leads to kandra guards mostly using hammers to break bones, thus hindering movement. ▼
|All this time, and he’s never come to see me. Wise, I suppose. He knows I keep a vat of acid just for him. It’s one of the only ways to be sure about them, you know. That or a good fire.
|[[Riina]]{{book ref|tress|60}}
}}
▲Kandra do not appear to die of natural causes, but they are not immortal, just incredibly long lived.{{wob ref|10583}} One of the kandra secrets references the unknown acid mixture. Being bathed in acid can effectively kill a kandra, so this is one way how misbehaved kandra were executed in kandra homeland during the [[Final Empire]] with the other way being starvation.
Because of their ability to change shape, most damage to a kandra is of no consequence; they do feel normal physical pain as a result of trauma, though [[MeLaan]] has said that kandra have the ability to turn nerves off and thus experience no pain.{{book ref|mb6|24}} This leads to kandra guards mostly using hammers to break bones, thus hindering movement.
A kandra digesting another kandra can perform the killing, but it is unknown if the two kandra will fight and try to eat each other during the process. After the [[Catacendre]], the kandra develop a way to take their own lives at will. Also developed by the kandra post-catacendre is a liquid which upon injection will disable kandra and make them transparent, but will not make them unconscious. Though it does not kill the kandra, further pulling out their spike will turn them back to mistwraith.{{book ref|mb6|29}} Destroying the spikes with explosion or by other means can turn them back into mistwraith, practically killing them.{{book ref|mb6|3}}
Kandra have the ability to shapeshift. However, in most cases, they only have the ability to change into and take the appearance of any creature they have digested. Because of this, in order for a kandra to appear as anyone in particular, the subject must be dead and be digested. The shapeshifting process may take anything from several hours or even days to as little as a few seconds.{{book ref|mb5|21}} The digestion is necessary also because kandra cannot create hair, fur, bones, or [[singer]] carapace, so these parts they must get from the digested victims, and be put into place one by one.{{wob ref|2905}}
Especially skilled kandra are able to make their own adjustments to the shape of the creature they are taking. Although mimicking an existing unique individual or creature is most common, the most skilled kandra can use just a skull or set of bones to build a working structure to gain the ability to move around freely and communicate. Being without bones will make kandra unable to move fast, speak or form any proper shape, but doesn't affect their mental ability.{{book ref|mb3|2}} Kandra can create bodies without a beating heart, which helps reduce caloric intake.{{book ref|tress|18}}
By reforming their body inside the mechanism, they can crack simple locks.{{book ref|mb6|19}} Kandra are also known as unmatched actors. Before assuming the role of a certain person, a kandra will spend a significant amount of time observing the individual in order to learn their mannerisms, history, and relationships. As a result, it is almost impossible to tell a kandra apart from the actual individual they are impersonating. Wearing a body can influence how a kandra acts, such as wearing a dogs body may have them adopt dog mannerisms.{{book ref|mb7|11}}
In combat, kandra can form powerful muscles and heal most wounds immediately, utilizing their ability to shapeshift. By creating a special [[True Body]] for this purpose, they can gain many advantages such as metal bones, hidden weapons, etc. Breaking bones can slow them greatly. They can also turn off their nerves that cause pain.{{book ref|mb6|24}}
Kandra are capable of assuming smaller shapes, but losing too much mass will cause a kandra to be unable to maintain their intelligence.{{wob ref|750}} They are unable to divide their consciousness between multiple brains.{{book ref|tress|18}}
Losing one or both of their Blessings leaves holes in a kandra's memories.{{book ref|mb6|3}} The longer without their Blessings, the bigger the holes will be.{{book ref|mb6|21}} Removing a single spike will cause a kandra to lose their sanity. Kandra with only one spike will refuse a spike from another kandra, and this process can cause radical changes in personality, memory, and temperament. Giving them back their missing Blessing will restore their sanity.{{book ref|mb6|3}}
The confrontation between Harmony and [[Trell]] led to Harmony deciding to start sending Kandra off-world as his agents on other planets, to help deal with the rising threat of Trell.{{book ref|mb7|1}}{{book ref|mb7|11}}
On multiple planets, Kandra are the reason for talking animals in stories and folklore.{{book ref|tress|28}}
At some point long after the events of the first confrontation between Harmony and Trell, [[Sazed]] is said by [[Hoid]] to have released the Kandra as a whole, presumably from his own control. The true meaning of this statement is currently unknown.{{book ref|Tress|42}}▼
▲At some point long after the events of the first confrontation between Harmony and Trell, [[Sazed]] is said by [[Hoid]] to have released the Kandra as a whole, presumably from his own control. The true meaning of this statement is currently unknown.{{book ref|
== Culture ==
{{quote
|They were of Preservation all along.
|[[Harmony]] on the kandra{{epigraph ref|mb3|80}}
}}
The kandra initially believe that they are of [[Preservation]], while the koloss, humans and Inquisitors are of [[Ruin]]. This is despite the fact that, like other Hemalurgically-created races, they have Hemalurgic spikes, which are of Ruin. The Lord Ruler creates the kandra to be his spies, and the noble class believe them to be spies for the new government. They often use the kandra as such, but Rashek's ultimate plan is for them to be double agents against Ruin, with their essence being of him but their [[Intent]] being of [[Preservation]]. According to the plan, Ruin would believe that he could take control of the kandra whenever he wanted, as they are planted with Hemalurgic spikes. However, due to a clause in the First Contract, as well as the Trust and the Resolution, instead of being used by Ruin, they would pull their spikes free when and if Ruin were to try to seize control of them. Just prior to the [[Battle of Hathsin]], this plan comes to fruition exactly as the Lord Ruler had planned, disrupting Ruin's efforts and ultimately leading to his demise, demonstrating that the kandra's true allegiance has always lain with Preservation.
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