Eragon
The novel’s 15 year old protagonist. He is also known as Eragon Shadeslayer, Argetlam, and Shur’tugal. In Eragon, he finds a dragon egg in a glade in the woods. This egg eventually becomes Saphira. The character is mildly based on the author, Christopher Paolini. He is believed to be the son of Selena and Morzan, although this is later proven false. Eragon is the cousin of Roran Garrowsson, and until he was 15, Eragon was raised as a farm boy by his Uncle Garrow. He finds a blue egg (Saphira) that draws the Ra’zac to his town. After this, he embarks on a journey with the storyteller Brom to find the Varden, who are the resistance against the evil king Galbatorix. Along the way, he becomes able to perform magic, a talent that all Dragon Riders possess. Eragon is naive, and has to grow up quite quickly. He is brave, smart and strong. He shares an incredibly strong bond with his dragon, Saphira. His name, Eragon, comes from "dragon" but the first letter has been swapped for an "e".
Saphira
Saphira is Eragon’s dragon. He has raised her since birth. She is covered in blue scales and has blue-tinted vision. She is frequently mentioned as being the last female dragon in Alagaesia. Her namesake is Brom’s dragon. She gains the ability to breathe fire near the end of the first book. She accompanies Eragon and Brom on their quest. Her and Eragon have an incredibly strong emotional bond, strengthened the first time he rode her. Her main goal is to keep Eragon safe, even at the cost of danger to her. She is wise and clever, but occasionally immature. When the narrative is written from her perspective, strange phrases are substituted for other words. For example, humans become two-legged-round-ears. Her name is based on the word "sapphire."
Arya
Arya is an elf, and Eragon’s love interest. She appears in the Prologue as the guardian of Sapphira’s egg; she is attacked and captured by the Shade Durza, but not before she magically sends the egg to safety. Following her imprisonment and torture in Gil’ead, Eragon rescues her and begins to fall in love with her. She later helps him to kill Durza. Despite her youthful appearance, Arya is over a hundred years old. She is the daughter of King Evandar and Queen Islanzadí, and is thus often addressed by the honorific “dröttningu” (Old Norse/Icelandic for “princess”, a language on which Paolini drew heavily in constructing the elven tongue). Like the other elves, she has pointed ears and superhuman speed, strength, and magical ability. She has long black hair and green eyes. In personality, she is blunt of speech, stoic and reserved. She has had a difficult life, and thus can come across as stern and judgmental. She is also disdainful of traditional gender roles. She is incredibly dedicated to her cause, as shown by the suffering she was prepared to endure at the hands of Durza.
Brom
Brom is an ex-Dragon Rider and Eragon’s first mentor. He is known for his intelligence, cunning and excellent skills in battle. Brom also had a dragon named Saphira. Brom is responsible for the deaths of many of the Forsworn, including Morzan. He watches over Eragon in the town of Carvahall, in the guise of a storyteller. Brom accompanies Eragon on his journey and teaches him how to use a sword and how to use magic. He believed that intelligence is more important than strength. He is secretive and very irritable. Brom is mortally wounded by the Ra’zac and dies in the mountains. He fulfills the aging mentor archetype found in many fantasy works, such as Gandalf in LOTR, Dumbledore in Harry Potter, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.
Galbatorix
Galbatorix is the main antagonist and the tyrant king of Alagaesia. He is responsible for the destruction of the Dragon Riders previous to the series. He was a Dragon Rider but goes mad after his first dragon dies and he is not allowed a second one. With Morzan’s help, he steals a hatchling. Galbatorix has control over nearly all human lands and seeks to destroy all other races. He is an incredibly powerful magician and a skilled military strategist. Galbatorix is apparently also very charismatic. He lacks compassion and love and is occasionally overconfident. His goal is to acquire Saphira, to force her to mate and remake the dragon race. He is similar to Voldemort and Emperor Palpatine.
Roran
Roran is a human. He is Eragon’s cousin and Garrow’s son. He grew up in Carvahall and is in love with Katrina. His mother, Marian, died when Roran was very young. He left early in Eragon to work at a distant mill, but returned when his father died. His preferred weapon is a hammer, and he is described as having a muscular build, with shaggy brown hair and green eyes. He is practical and down to earth. Roran is talented at speech giving.
Murtagh
Murtagh is a human. Murtagh is the son of Selena and Morzan. He has a large scar on his back from a sword. He is a refugee from the Empire when he saves Brom, Eragon, and Saphira from the Ra’zac. When Brom dies, he accompanies Eragon the rest of the way to the Varden. He is originally held under lock and key, since he refused to let anyone examine his mind. Murtagh is passionate and compassionate. He is solitary, suspicious, and pragmatic. Murtagh is very intelligent and strong, as well as stubborn. He has little empathy and inflated self worth.
The Ra’zac
The Ra’zac are incredibly powerful beings who work for Galbatorix. They are social and intelligent. They speak to each other using a clicking sound. In Eragon, two Ra’zac arrive in Carvahall to search for Saphira’s egg. They kill Garrow and burn down Eragon’s house. Eragon and Brom track them on a revenge quest and they kill Brom in Dras-Leona. Murtagh drives them away. They utilize bows and swords. They are cunning and cruel but rather narrow minded. They are killed in the movie but stay alive in the book.
Durza
Durza is a shade, a sorcerer possessed by the spirits he summoned. He works for Galbatorix. Durza is the secondary antagonist in Eragon. He is a powerful magician and is skilled in combat. He was given the task of retrieving Saphira’s egg from Arya and follows that task throughout the entire book. He is described as tall, with red hair and eyes. Durza is cruel, short tempered, and intelligent. He is the commander of the Urgals. Shades can only be killed by being stabbed through the heart, a task that Eragon achieves at the end of the book. Durza is described as evil incarnate.
Orik
Orik is a dwarf, a skilled smith and warrior, and a guide to Eragon and Saphira. Like the majority of dwarves in this novel, he supports and fights alongside the Varden. He is a memeber of the dwarven clan Durgrimst Ingeitum, which is known for turning out excellent blacksmiths. In addition, Orik is the adopted heir and actual nephew of the dwarf King Hrothgar. He fights bravely and survives the Battle under Farthen Dur.
Ajihad
Ajihad is the leader of the Varden when Eragon and Saphira arrive. When they show up, he has been at the head of the Varden for over 15 years and lead them to several decisive victories. Ajihad is a wise and selfless leader who thinks only of the best interest of the people of the Varden. He made the strategic decision of ally with the dwarves and use their city of Tronjheim as a base of operations for the Varden. Ajihad is also the father of Nasuada, who takes his role as leader of the Varden after the events of Eragon.
The Twins
The Twins, as the name implies, are identical twins who work for the Varden. They are skilled human magicians who combine their mental strength to have a formidable amount of spellcasting ability. The Twins’ real names are not known, nor is anything about their past. They are in charge of mentally screening everyone who enters the Varden, and develop a dislike for Eragon when he refuses to divulge more knowledge of the Ancient Language when the Twins probe his mind upon entering Farthen Dur.
Angela the Herbalist
Angela is a skilled herbalist, potioneer, fortune teller, and witch. She supports herself by selling potions and telling fortunes for the wealthier residents of the city Teirm, where she resides when Eragon meets her. Angela is eclectic and eccentric. She tell Eragon his fortune, which affects his later reactions to encounters with people and places. Angela may seem mostly harmless, but is also a fearsome warrior (as she proves during the Battle under Farthen Dur) and has a sharp tongue. She travels with the werecat Solembum.
Jeod
Jeod is a wealthy scholar and merchant who lives in the port city of Teirm. In the past, he was an agent for the Varden, and continues to support the cause ideologically. He is good friends with Brom, and in the past helped him steal Saphira’s egg from Galbatorix’s castle. Jeod also helped the Varden by smuggling supplies through his shipping company, before he was found out by the Empire and suffered severe losses as a result.
Nasuada
We first meet Nasuada towards the end of ‘Eragon’ as the daughter of Ajihad, the Varden chieftain. She visits and befriends Murtagh during his imprisonment with the Varden. Like Ajihad, she has dark skin and hair and is described as beautiful. In the following books, after Ajihad’s death, she emerges as a clearly-defined character and a strong leader of the Varden.
Garrow
Garrow is Roran’s father and Eragon’s uncle. He serves as a father-figure to both cousins. He is killed by the Ra’zac.
