Eragon (character)

This redirect is about the title character in the novel by Christopher Paolini. For Eragon (disambiguation), see Eragon (character) (disambiguation).

Eragon
Inheritance Cycle character
First appearance	Eragon
Last appearance	etwhwyetuh
Created by	Christopher Paolini
Portrayed by	Edward Speleers
In-universe information
Nickname	Shadeslayer
Species	Human (by birth) /Half-Elf (by the dragons) /Dwarf (legally)
Gender	unknown
Occupation	Dragon Rider
Family	Brom (mentor/father) Selena (mother) Murtagh (half-brother) Garrow (maternal uncle) Cadoc (maternal grandfather) Holcomb (paternal grandfather) Nelda (paternal grandmother) Roran (cousin) Katrina (cousin in law)

'ragon the Ancient Language and magic. Eragon is also given a mighty sword, Zar'roc, by Brom.

Eragon and Brom eventually lose the Ra'zac's trail. But, with the assistance of Jeod, who lived in the seaport city fortress of Teirm, they trace the Ra'zac to the southern city of Dras-Leona.

Eragon visits a shop in Teirm owned by the witch Angela, where he meets an intelligent and cryptic werecat named Solembum, and Angela herself. She tells his fortune, revealing that he would have a long life; that the great powers of the land would struggle to control him and that he would fall in love with a lady of noble birth. She also predicts that he would someday leave Alagaësia forever, and that he would face betrayal from within his own family. As Eragon was about to leave, Solembum tells him:

"...When the time comes and you need a weapon, look under the roots of the Menoa Tree. Then, when all seems lost and your power seems insufficient, go to the rock of Kuthian and speak your name to open the Vault of Souls."

Solembum does not elaborate, nor does he explain what or where the Menoa Tree or the Rock of Kuthian are.

On the way to Dras-Leona, Brom reveals some startling secrets to Eragon; he is the founder of the Varden, though he gave up the leadership some years ago. Brom then reveals that not all dragon eggs were destroyed: Galbatorix salvaged three eggs during the Fall. One of the three was stolen by Brom and Jeod, and Saphira hatched from the same egg. The remaining two eggs were under Galbatorix's control, though they were as yet unhatched. Brom also reveals that he killed Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn, and Galbatorix's most loyal servant. Thus, Eragon and Saphira are the Varden's last hope, because even if the other two eggs hatched, the Rider(s) would most probably be loyal to Galbatorix. Eragon and Saphira decide to join the Varden and fight the tyrant king, after they finish the task of killing the Ra'zac.

A beautiful elf who is in a prison begins to appear in his dreams. Initially, Eragon does not think much about the dreams. Later on, he discovers through magic that the elf really existed, and he decides to somehow rescue her. She continues appearing in his dreams for some time.

In Dras-Leona, Eragon encounters the Ra'zac, but manages to escape. Eragon and Brom flee the city, but are ambushed in the night by the Ra'zac. A mysterious young man named Murtagh rescues them, but not before Brom was fatally wounded by the Ra'zac. Brom dies shortly afterwards, after revealing to Eragon that he was once a Rider, and that his Dragon was named Saphira, who was slain in the war against Galbatorix. In his final moments, Brom warns Eragon that Galbatorix was evil, and that he and Saphira must not submit to him. Eragon lays Brom to rest, and Saphira uses the unpredictable magic of the dragons to turn the tomb to diamond. Eragon and Saphira decide to let Murtagh travel with them as they journey to the city of Gil'ead, in search of a contact who could lead them to the Varden.

At Gil'ead, Urgals under the command of Durza, a Shade — a sorcerer who has been possessed by the spirits it summoned — capture Eragon and imprison him in the same prison where the elf was being held. Murtagh and Saphira then stage a daring rescue, but Eragon, Saphira, and Murtagh are confronted by Durza. The struggle ends when Murtagh shoots Durza between his eyes, throwing the Shade into a painful disembodiment. Eragon insists on rescuing the elf as well. She remains unconscious, but he is eventually able to speak with her telepathically. She reveals to him that her name is Arya, and gives him the location of the Varden. She tells him that they must reach the Varden if she is to survive, for she had been poisoned in prison, and would die without the antidote, called Tunivor's Nectar. He has by then temporarily forgotten about killing the Ra'zac and rushes to save her.

Journey to the Varden

Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh, with the unconscious Arya cross the Hadarac Desert, racing to reach Farthen Dûr, the Dwarven mountains that house the Varden, in time to save Arya. They are pursued by the Empire and the empire's allies, an army of Urgals and Kull. Before they reach Farthen Dûr, Murtagh, who had been reluctant to go to the Varden all along, reveals that he was the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn. With the Kull on their heels, they are rescued by the Varden and are taken to safety.

The Varden fight against Galbatorix with the help of the Dwarves who are led by their King, Hrothgar. The Elves reside in secret in the forest of Du Weldenvarden, providing covert support to the Varden. Surda, the kingdom in exile, is also sympathetic to the Varden's cause.

Ajihad, leader of the Varden, imprisons Murtagh when Ajihad learned of Murtagh's heritage. Arya was treated for her injuries and recovers. In the meeting with Ajihad, he learns that Saphira's egg was under the care of Arya, until she was ambushed by Durza while transporting it. He is then told that the Durza was not destroyed by Murtagh's well placed arrow, because the only way to kill a Shade is with a stab through the heart. He also meets Angela and Solembum who had left Teirm to aid the Varden. Ajihad wished to send Eragon to Ellesméra to complete his training; therefore, two magicians known as the Twins assessed his magic abilities. The Twins were cruel to Eragon, and attempted to use him to further their knowledge of the Ancient Language. A partially-healed Arya intervened, however, when he was ordered to 'summon the essence of silver', a feat difficult to even powerful mages, and took the task of assessing Eragon upon herself, sparring with him. Eragon, although being soundly defeated, passed the test in Arya's eyes. He begins to feel deep infatuation towards her.

The Varden respected and even revered Eragon. Soon after he arrived in Tronjheim, he was approached by an elderly woman and an orphaned child, Elva, who was the woman's charge. The woman asked Eragon's blessing upon Elva, which he gave readily, using the Ancient Language: Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse skölir frá rauthr, which he thought meant, Let luck and happiness follow you and may you be shielded from misfortune. It is later revealed in Eldest that he made a mistake and said "Let luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune," which cursed her instead of the intended blessing. This is revealed to be because he used the word Skolir, instead of skoliro. Saphira gave the child her own special gift: a silver star, similar to Eragon's Gedwey Ignasia, on her forehead. Saphira told Eragon that the child would have a significant future.

Not long after, war becomes imminent. Ajihad informs Saphira and Eragon of an impending threat: an intercepted message revealed that a mighty host of Urgals and Kull were marching steadily towards the Varden through the tunnels under the mountain range.

In the battle that follows, a seemingly endless tide of Urgals and Kull was poised to take the city. Within Tronjheim, Eragon is confronted once again by the menacing Shade, Durza, this time alone as Saphira was separated from him during the tide of the battle. Eragon was greatly outmatched by the Shade, but, thanks to a sudden distraction from Saphira and Arya, Durza's attention was diverted long enough for Eragon to stab him through the heart. Eragon paid a terrible price for his deed: his back was sliced, and the scar, which carried remnants of Durza's magic, would trouble him greatly over the course of the next few months.

Following Durza's demise, the controlling link the Shade held on the Urgals' minds snap, the Urgals flee, and the Varden rout the Urgal army. Eragon faints and falls into a healing trance; he was watched over by the mental presence of the Mourning Sage/The Cripple Who Is Whole, who urges him to follow Arya to Ellesméra, the capital of the Elves. The book ends with Eragon promising the presence in his mind that he will go to Ellesmera.

Eldest

North to Ellesméra

The first events in Eldest are the attack on Ajihad's life, his death and funeral, the disappearance of Murtagh and The Twins — two magicians of the Varden — who are captured by Urgals and assumed dead, and the election of a new leader of the Varden - Nasuada, Ajihad's daughter, to whom Eragon swears fealty following some internal politics among the Varden's Council of Elders.

Eragon and Saphira decide to accept the advice of the Mourning Sage, and, accompanied by Orik and Arya, travel northward through eastern Alagaësia to Ellesméra, in order to complete his training as a Rider. Before the journey north, Eragon was asked by Hrothgar, king of the dwarves, to become a member of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, one of the most influential of the thirteen Dwarf clans, and to which Hrothgar and Orik belonged. Eragon donned the helmet (that marked him part of that clan) and Orik helped him complete the ritual to make him a true member of the clan. This was the first time in history that a human would join a Dwarf Clan. After a long journey north, they reach Ellesmera, and Eragon and Saphira meet Islanzadí, the Elven queen, and the enigmatic raven Blagden, who spouted riddles concerning Eragon's past and future. Eragon was surprised to learn that Arya was Islanzadí's daughter, and so a princess.

The Training of a Rider

Eragon's training began almost at once. His instructor was an ancient Elvish Rider named Oromis, who is revealed to be "The Cripple who is Whole", who had managed to prolong his life by means of countless tiny spells binding his weak body. Oromis and his Dragon Glaedr were the sole survivors of the Dragon Riders of old. Though they escaped Galbatorix and the Forsworn, they were handicapped: Glaedr has one foreleg missing, and Oromis was greatly weakened by an incurable disease, and the fact that he had been captured by Galbatorix's minions, who broke something in Oromis, meaning that he could not control large amounts of magic. However, Galbatorix was as yet unaware that a Rider had escaped the Fall.

Eragon's exercises with Oromis were frustrating at first, but gradually Eragon learned what it meant to be a true Rider, guided by principles and making responsible choices, and came to understand that his "training" was an ongoing process that would last his entire life. He learned other things, as well, such as history, art and politics. His knowledge of magic and the Ancient Language expanded tremendously, but he is held back immensely by the pain from his scar.

To his horror, however, he learned from Oromis that he had cursed Elva instead of blessing her due to a mistake in his wording (having accidentally said "may you be a shield from misfortune", instead of "may you be shielded from misfortune", thus dooming her to constantly save others from suffering by enduring it herself.) He resolved to revoke the curse, although such a feat would require tremendous magical ability.

Eragon's training also honed his fighting skills. He develops an intense rivalry with an elf named Vanir, and their mutual dislike came to a head during their sparring sessions. Eragon was defeated multiple times, often suffering bouts of agonizing pain from the scar on his back.

Guided by Oromis, Eragon composed a poem to present at the Blood-Oath Celebration, a traditional Elvish ceremony commemorating the pact between the Elves and the Dragons. During the festivities, a magical gift from the Dragons healed Eragon of his wound, and he was physically transformed, acquiring the features and abilities of an Elf. Only after this transformation was he able to beat Vanir, breaking the latter's arm. After this transformation, Eragon was able to cast much more powerful magic; he could read and write more easily and was now as fit and strong as the most athletic elf in Alagaësia.

The Burning Plains

Nasuada made a momentous decision and moved the Varden to Surda. Here, she learns that the blessing Eragon bestowed on the child in Eragon was worded wrongly due to his lack of basic knowledge of the Ancient Language at the time, becoming a curse of sorts. Eragon too is horrified when he hears of this, and promises to try and nullify it. In the meantime the girl, Elva, serves as a sort of bodyguard to Nasuada against Galbatorix's network of spies and assassins, the Black Hand, who are discovered in Surda.

Because Nasuada moved the Varden, the threat of war with Galbatorix seems imminent. Upon hearing of this, Eragon immediately leaves for the battle in Surda and finds the situation poised on the edge of battle. The armies of the Varden, together with the army of Surda, camp on a plain opposite the vast armies of Galbatorix. Meanwhile, Roran and his men take command of a ship of the Empire — with the help of Jeod — the Dragon Wing, and arrive in time in Surda.

With his new skills, Eragon easily kills many of the Empire's soldiers. But his skills were not enough. He begins to tire out—the Empire's army was too large, when Hrothgar arrives with a huge army of Dwarves, turning the battle in the Varden's favor. Unexpectedly, another Rider appeared, mounted on a red dragon. He soon kills Hrothgar and Eragon and Saphira battle him. Wearied by the battle, Eragon was easily outmatched and driven onto the ground with Saphira, though he managed to hamstring the opposing dragon as he went down. He and his opponent then face off with swords. The Rider's skill matched Eragon's, and soon gained the upper hand. Eragon, recognizing the other Rider's manner of fighting, pulls off his opponent's helm, revealing Murtagh. Murtagh revealed that he had been taken to Urû'baen by the Twins, and, when the red Dragon, Thorn, had hatched for him, he had been forced to swear allegiance to Galbatorix in the Ancient Language. He also revealed that Galbatorix knew his True Name, so he owned him in mind and body. His orders from Galbatorix were to try to capture Saphira because she was the last female dragon in existence. Galbatorix needed her to fulfill his goal of rebuilding the order of the Riders. Murtagh decided to have mercy on them this one time, on account of their former companionship, but he claims Zar'roc as his own, and reveals that Eragon and Murtagh were brothers, meaning Eragon was the son of Morzan. In truth, as is revealed by Oromis and Glaedr in Brisingr, Eragon is the son of Brom, but Eragon believes that he is Morzan's son until late in Brisingr.

Meanwhile, Roran kills the Twins, and the Empire is forced to retreat after the departure of Murtagh and Thorn. Haunted by this turn of events, Eragon imparts his newfound knowledge to Roran, Nasuada, and Arya. Eldest ends with Eragon and Roran reuniting, and Eragon promising Roran that he will help Roran rescue Katrina from the clutches of the Ra'zac.

Brisingr

Helgrind

Eragon, Saphira and Roran travel to Helgrind, the fortress of the Ra'zac, and infiltrate it. Roran kills one of the Ra'zac and Saphira slays the Lethrblaka. They find Katrina, and Eragon discovers Sloan, the traitor of Carvahall, blinded and imprisoned. Eragon decides to stay behind, against Saphira's wishes. Saphira then leaves with Roran and Katrina. Eragon slays the second Ra'zac and gains some information from the Ra'zac before killing it. Eragon rescues Sloan, leaves Helgrind, and consults Islanzadi as to what to do with Sloan. He discovers Sloan's true name, and compels Sloan with his true name to travel towards Du Weldenvarden, along with his staff and enchantments to stop Sloan from being harmed on his journey. He mentions to Sloan that if he reforms himself, his true name would change, and he would no longer be bound, but he didn't mention that the elves would also restore his vision, for the reason that Sloan may trick the Elves into restoring his eyesight prematurely.

At the Varden

Eragon escapes the Empire and rejoins the Varden, where he settles minor affairs and, when Roran and Katrina are just about to be married, there appear some soldiers. These soldiers seem weak but they cannot feel pain and cause chaos. Meanwhile, Murtagh and Thorn appear and try to abduct Eragon and Saphira. Eragon tells Murtagh that he and Thorn can change their true names, releasing them of their oaths to Galbatorix, but they fight anyway. Saphira proves to be more powerful than Thorn, and with the help of thirteen elves including Arya he defeats Murtagh. But Eragon falls unconscious from the effort, and Murtagh and Thorn escape. He then marries Roran and Katrina in a traditional ceremony.

Eragon then makes three orbs of gold. He gives one of them to the tanner Gedric, from whom he stole three ox hides in Eragon. He gives the second to Helen, Jeod's wife, to make their marriage happier. He makes the third into two gold rings, which he enchants with magic and gives to Roran and Katrina so they can find each other anywhere, and Roran states he wishes he had these before they were separated.

Tronjheim and Ellesméra

Later he is ordered by Nasuada to go to Tronjheim alone to try and influence the election of a new king of the Dwarves. Eragon is ordered to try and make sure that the new king is sympathetic to the Varden's cause, but at the same time, not to use any force or pressure in doing so. He reunites with Orik in Tronjheim, and declares his support to him. Later on, as Eragon is wandering in Tronjheim, he is attacked by some Dwarves, but manages to escape the assassination attempt unscathed. Orik, after some investigation, discovers that the clan Az Sweldn rak Anhûin is behind the attack, which is hostile to Eragon and Dragon Riders in general. Orik has the clan banished with the support of the other clans, and he is crowned king. From Tronjheim, Eragon travels to Ellesméra with Saphira, where they meet Oromis and Glaedr. There, Glaedr reveals that Brom is Eragon's father, and not Morzan. Oromis explains that Brom had, by chance, fallen in love with Selena, who recripocated and joined Brom in his struggle against the tyranny of the Empire. Seeing Morzan's cruelty to Murtagh, Selena decides that her second child should not suffer so: thus, she leaves Eragon in Carvahall, and dies soon after. Later on, Brom settles there to watch over him. Brom never claimed Eragon as his son, fearing that Eragon would be distracted from his mission, and also fearing that the Empire would find out and take advantage of it. The latter proves unfounded, and Eragon loved and respected Brom.

Oromis also reveals the source of Galbatorix's strength — Eldunarí, or the heart of hearts, which can exist even after a dragon's physical demise, unless it is destroyed. Galbatorix took the Eldunarí of all the Riders and subdued them, gaining their wisdom and strength. An Eldunarí can channel its strength to the bearer, and can also be used to communicate telepathically. Most of the dragons before the Fall had disgorged their Eldunarí, enabling Galbatorix and the Forsworn to defeat the entire Order. As Galbatorix controls several hundred of these, he is almost invincible.

Later, Eragon visits the elven blacksmith, Rhunön, and asks for a new sword. Rhunon had forged all the swords of the Riders, but she reveals that she needs a special meteroic ore — Brightsteel, which she did not possess. Remembering Solembum's advice, Eragon and Saphira go to the menoa tree and try to make contact, but they can't, so Saphira becomes impatient and burns the tree, the Menoa tree then wakes and entangles Eragon and Saphira with her roots, Eragon then tells the Menoa tree of Galbatorix's reign over Alagaesia, and the brightsteel they need, the Menoa tree gives the brightsteel to Eragon, but in return Eragon must do anything for the Menoa tree, though the tree does not tell Eragon what she wants. With the help of Rhunon, Eragon forges a Rider's sword, similar to Zar'roc, but blue in color; the same color as Saphira's scales. His new sword is also a half-hand longer than Zar'roc. Eragon names his sword "Brisingr", which means "fire" in the ancient language, and after which the book is named. Glaedr gives his Eldunarí to Eragon and Saphira, and he and Oromis depart to join the elves, who have finally decided to fight openly against the Empire.

Feinster

Eragon and Saphira travel to the Varden, who are engaged in a siege of the city of Feinster. With Eragon's help, Feinster soon falls. However, Eragon and Arya discover that three magicians of the Empire were creating a Shade. They race to find the Shade, and give battle. The Shade, called Varaug, proves to be stronger than Durza (because Varaug's body contained many more Spirits than Durza's did), and Eragon and Arya struggle. The Shade is finally killed by Arya, and Feinster is captured and secured completely. During the battle, Eragon, through Glaedr's Eldunarí, watched Oromis and Glaedr battle Thorn and Murtagh near Gil'ead. Galbatorix himself takes control of Murtagh's body, and kills Oromis. Glaedr is slain soon after Oromis's death by Thorn, his consciousness still inside his Eldunari. The book ends with Eragon and Saphira mourning the death of their tutors, leaving Eragon the last free Dragon Rider in Alagaesia.

Appearance and Characteristics

Eragon was a human, originally with intense brown eyes and brown hair. After being influenced by magic at the Blood-Oath Celebration he attended in Ellesméra, he resembled an elf:

It was as if the numerous physical changes that, over time, alter the appearance

of a human Rider—and which Eragon had already begun to experience since bonding with Saphira—had been completed while he was unconscious. His face was now as smooth and angled as an elf’s, with ears tapered like theirs and eyes slanted like theirs, and his skin was as pale as

alabaster and seemed to emit a faint glow, as if with the sheen of magic.

.......Yet he was not entirely an elf. His jaw was stronger, his brow

thicker, his face broader. He was fairer than any human and more rugged

than any elf.

......Tears sprang to Eragon’s eyes as he slid his hand over the place

where Durza had maimed him. He knew that his back would never trouble him again. Not only was the savage blight he had elected to keep gone, but every other scar and blemish had vanished from his body, leaving him as unmarked

as a newborn babe.

After this transformation, Eragon is freed from the pain of Durza's scar, and gains the heightened agility and strength possessed by Elves. He defeats Vanir, an Elf, in a training session, proving his super-human swordsmanship skills. From then on, Eragon was faster and stronger than any human. Brom remarked that Eragon was a rare and talented swordsman' as well as a skilled and deadly archer.

It is often implied that Eragon is a prodigy among Riders, though not explicitly stated, as Eragon discovered his magical abilities intuitively and was able to shape the results relatively well, later learning to use magic without the Ancient Language in a similar manner. He has also managed to complete training that required most young Riders many years in little more than a single year, and has learned to read perfectly in both the common language of Alagaesia and the Ancient Language.

Eragon was emotional, and was always worried about the morality of his actions. He disliked killing, though he was forced to do so in battles. Queen Islanzadí mentions his skill in unknowingly getting caught in troublesome situations:

“Oromis may have been your proper teacher, but you have proved yourself Brom’s heir, not Oromis’s. Brom is the only other person who managed to entangle himself in as many predicaments as you. Like him, you seem compelled to find the deepest patch of quicksand and then dive into it.”.

This is probably because Brom was, late in Brisingr, revealed to be Eragon's father.

Brom too mentioned this to Jeod while in Teirm:

...."We'd better go out and join Eragon. I get worried whenever he's alone. That boy has an unnatural propensity for being where there's trouble...."

Eragon was always eager for knowledge of any kind. His curiosity is mentioned more than once in the novels. An elf, Lifaen remarks in Eldest:

..... “You have as many questions as leaves on a tree, Argetlam.”

Whereupon Eragon replies:

"Brom was of the same opinion."

Roran, on seeing Eragon for the first time after becoming a Rider, thinks:

....It seemed inconceivable

that the slight, moody, overeager boy he grew up with had turned

into this fearsome warrior.

Roran and Eragon deeply loved each other, and were "brothers in all but blood".

Initially, Eragon often relied on others for guidance, from Brom to Oromis to Saphira. But he soon matures, and is able to take decisions by himself, as shown in Brisingr when he stays behind in Helgrind to decide Sloan's fate. He slowly grows, showing a new depth in his thoughts and actions. He has no intention of replacing Galbatorix, and only wishes to overthrow him. Eragon desires neither power nor fame, and hopes only for peace and happiness in Alagaesia.

Eragon was rash in his actions, and did not think enough about what he was doing. He allowed his heart and instinct to guide him rather than reason. Yet, his intentions were always noble, and wished no pain to any living creature. After his training in Ellesméra, he gives up eating meat, except only in dire circumstances. He learns to respect the sanctity of life — ranging from an ant's to that of a dragon's. It is mentioned several times in the novels that Eragon detested battle, and though he fought well, he always regretted the loss of life. Eragon had immense will-power and determination. In Eldest, he says of himself to Oromis:

“I would say, rather, that once I dedicate myself to a certain project or path, I see it through, no matter the cost... especially if someone I love is in danger.”

“I like to face challenges.”

...“I enjoy overcoming challenges, but I’ve faced enough hardship to know

that it’s foolish to make things more difficult than they are. It’s all I can

do to survive as it is.”

He wielded Zar'roc, a crimson sword once belonging to Morzan, though this was taken from him by Murtagh during the battle on the Burning Plains. He also has a longbow, sung from a yew tree by Islanzadi, with a quiver of magic swan-fletched arrows that never misses its target. After Zar'roc was taken by Murtagh, he is given a dwarven falchion by Fredric. Later, the Elven blacksmith Rhunön forged him his own sword, which he named Brisingr. A characteristic of his new sword is that, whenever he utters "Brisingr", it bursts into flames.

Love interests

Arya

Eragon first sees Arya captured in his dreams and is able to scry her, even before he meets her. He becomes intent on saving her and eventually succeeds in finding Arya, and saves Arya by bringing her to the Varden. Eragon is clearly attracted to Arya in Eldest. However, she rebuffs him because of the age gap. Arya thinks of him as a child since she is 101 years old.

In "Eldest", Eragon makes a fairth, or to describe it a tablet, that is filled with enough colour ink to have an image on it projecting from the magician's mind of her that shows how he views her. In Eragon's eyes, she has the appearance and bearing of a queen. Even though the fairth is beautiful, Arya smashes it because she is afraid that Eragon's feelings will interfere with his training. However, in Brisingr, Arya becomes closer to Eragon, telling him things about herself that few knew.

Names and Titles

Eragon was initially known only as Eragon, not knowing his father's name. After he slew Durza, he was named Eragon Shadeslayer by the Varden, or sometimes respectfully called Shadeslayer. He was known as Argetlam - a word in the Ancient Language meaning "Silver Hand", referring to the silver mark on his palm due to his bond with Saphira; known as the Gedwëy Ignasia — mainly to the Dwarves and Elves. To the Urgals, he was known as Firesword, referring to the fact that his sword, Zar'roc is an iredesent red, and also referring to the fact that Eragon magically lit his sword on fire when he stabbed Durza through the heart (which freed their chiefs from his control. Saphira affectionately calls him Little One. Elves, especially Oromis, refer to him as Eragon-finiarel. The suffix finiarel is "an honorific for a young man of great promise." Also at the end of Brisingr, Oromis referred to Eragon as Eragon-elda. The suffix elda means "elder". Significantly in Eldest, when Eragon first met Oromis, he called him Oromis-elda seeing as that was "the most respectful term he knew". Other names include Shur'tugal, which means Dragon Rider; Eragon Son of None, and simply Dragon Rider to the soldiers of Galbatorix.

After Eragon learns that Brom is his father, he is shown a memory by Saphira — a memory of Brom in which he speaks to Eragon as a father and not as Brom the story-teller - Brom addresses him as Eragon Bromsson, which is his full name.

Real-world connections

Comparisons

Real life

Author Christopher Paolini states that Eragon started out as an autobiographical character. Paolini started writing Eragon at the age of fifteen, which is his protagonist's age at the beginning of the novel.

When I invented Eragon, he was me. Writing about yourself is probably one of the easiest things for a fifteen-year-old author to do. However, I found that as the story progressed and Eragon did things that I've never done — such as fighting monsters and flying a dragon — he evolved into his own character, which I'm very happy about.

Other

• Eragon was portrayed by Edward Speleers in the Eragon film.

Eragon
File:Eragonfindsegg.jpg Eragon as portrayed by Edward Speleers in the movie Eragon.

External links

• Alagaesia.com, the official site for the Inheritance cycle
• Eragonmovie.com, the official site of the Eragon movie
• Inheriwiki, the site of the Inheritance Cycle Wikia