“Sometimes, son, […] you need to help the heroes along.”

This saying, spoken by David’s father, recurs a few times throughout the novel and reminds him what his father stood for. In a world run by superpowers, David is an average kid with commendable intelligence and an obsession with Epics. He can’t always wait for the heroes to arrive and fix everything; sometimes, those heroes might rely on his inspiration and courage to save the world.

“In the settling smoke and dust, the two figures stood before each other—one a massive, regal Epic, the other a small homeless man with a silly T-shirt and worn jeans.”

This contrast between Steelheart and David’s father highlights the latter’s bravery and sincerity. The image alludes to David and Goliath, especially when it returns in the final confrontation between David (who shares a namesake with the Biblical character) and Steelheart. In both bookend scenes, the “David” overcomes the “Goliath”—his father by exposing Steelheart’s weakness and David by causing his downfall.

“[Curveball] was a bodyguard and hit man in Steelheart’s organization. There was no way he was part of the Reckoners’ plan—they didn’t work with Epics. Ever. The Reckoners hated the Epics. They only killed the worst of them, but they would never let one join their team.”

Sanderson establishes readers’ expectations based on David’s unwittingly limited understanding of the Reckoners, which later prove false: Two out of five Reckoners on the team are Epics, with only one by accident. Especially considering that the organization’s founder is an Epic, Sanderson leaves plenty of space for David—and, through first-person narration, readers—to repeatedly adjust his assumptions.