Brisingr

Saphira is a blue female dragon, whose youth means she is still growing in power and stature. She is Eragon’s dragon, just as he is her Rider. This gives her great pride; the bond between a Rider and a dragon is a symbiotic relationship, their connection is strong and necessary. Saphira is wise and for the most part level headed. She is not quick to anger but is very protective of Eragon and anyone that Eragon loves. She and Eragon communicate mentally. This ability extends for Saphira to others, where if she chooses her voice can be heard telepathically by anyone in her direct vicinity.

Several of the chapters in Brisingr are told from Saphira’s point of view. These chapters often depict Saphira flying, one of her favorite activities, and as such are used by Paolini to describe the setting. Being such a powerful creature she has more endurance than many other races in Alagaësia. This allows her to fly for several days at a time without stopping, though she does experience fatigue. She also requires a lot of food to keep up her endurance and can eat animals and even humans. She is a powerful opponent on the battlefield and can appear to be quite frightening to humans although her demeanor is generally quite calm. Because of her intelligence, she often joins Eragon in meetings of state and possesses an innate magic different from spellcasting. While her character does not change very much in this text, she is asked to undergo two separations from Eragon and while she is reluctant, she handles them with increasing maturity. Many expectations have been placed upon Saphira as Eragon’s dragon and thus far she has proven to meet or exceed these expectations. She is prepared to face Galbatorix in the final battles to come in Inheritance.

Roran is Eragon’s cousin. He began life in Palancar Valley alongside Eragon and his father Garrow. He is a farm boy at heart but has grown to become a formidable soldier. He is committed to the Varden and feels it is his duty to serve his country and defeat the Empire so that his fellow countrymen can return home. He and his wife Katrina are expecting a child. In this book, he and Eragon save Katrina from the Ra’zac in Helgrind. They live together in the Varden for the rest of this book.

While he is not a troublemaker or a rule-breaker by nature, Roran does what he feels is necessary to save the lives of any soldiers who serve the Varden under his command. On several occasions in Brisingr he does this despite direct orders that contradict his actions. Despite positive outcomes, he is made to pay for his crimes by receiving fifty lashes, after which he is made commander and becomes a war hero. Roran has a determined personality and does not give up easily. He can be bull-headed but knows how to listen and take direction if others’ lives are not at stake. He is fearless in battle and is recorded as having killed almost two hundred men in one day, however he is not war hungry, in fact his greater goal is to rid Alagaësia of all enemies to the Varden and bring peace back to Carvahall so that he can return to his lifestyle as a farmer. Roran is one of the narrators of Brisingr and his chapters focus on family and fighting.

Murtagh is the son of Morzan and Serena, the Black Hand. He believes that Eragon is his brother; the reality is that they share a mother in Serena, while Eragon’s father is Brom. They did not grow up together. Murtagh was raised by Morzan, while Eragon was raised by Serena’s brother, Garrow (Roran’s father). As was his father, Murtagh is aligned with Galbatorix and the empire. He also has a dragon named Thorn, who is red in color. Thorn is a baby compared to Saphira but has been enormous in size through Galbatorix’s magic and thus is incredibly powerful. Barely past the phase of being a hatchling, Thorn lacks judgment, however. Each time Eragon sees Thorn, he has grown in size.

Prior to the events of Brisingr, Murtagh spares Eragon and Saphira’s lives at the Battle of the Burning Plain, but his disobedience to Galbatorix resulted in his torture. Although it is clear the brothers would prefer not to hurt each other, the events of Brisingr show they will have little choice the next time they square off against one another. Murtagh and Thorn are responsible for the deaths of Oromis and Glaedr. The two were also apprenticed to Oromis and Glaedr at the same time as Eragon before betraying their mentors in favor of Galbatorix. Unlike Eragon, whose loyalties have been earned, Murtagh’s loyalty to Galbatorix is partially driven by fear. There is speculation that Murtagh’s increased power has come from Galbatorix’s collection of Eldunarí, or else he is surrounded by evil spirits; Murtagh refers to himself as having “hearts,” arousing suspicion in Eragon and Saphira.

Arya is the daughter of Queen Islanzadí, the elvish queen of Du Weldenvarden. She is independent and aloof, and because of her race, despite being quite old, she appears to be about the same age as Eragon. Arya is strong and has a clear mind, with her own opinions, which she is happy to share with Eragon when asked directly. Eragon is in love with Arya, but she has rejected his advances prior to the events of Brisingr, though they still find themselves paired up on many occasions. Their platonic relationship grows stronger throughout this book, leading to them uniting to defeat the Shade.

Arya does not seem interested in taking on a leadership role amongst the elves. Despite her lack of romantic interest in Eragon, she remains a steadfast friend, volunteering to guard him, look after him, and fight with him in battle. Together with Saphira, they face the Shade in Feinster and defeat it. She often serves as motivation for Eragon though her own motives remain unclear.

As the leader of the Varden, Nasuada is incredibly strong willed. She values her country and her people. She is the daughter of Ajihad. Nasuada is surrounded at all times by six members of the Nighthawks, a contingent of guards meant to prevent assassination attempts against her life. She has insisted on racial diversity amongst her guards, including two humans, two dwarves, and two Urgals. She is motivated by the eradication of racism in Alagaësia and has worked to integrate the Urgals into the Varden. As one of the most politically active characters in Brisingr, Nasuada is driven to maintain peace. Once she has made an oath she does not break it and while she has an inner circle of counsellors, she often asks for advice directly from her citizens, who are allowed to call for open conversation with her in her tents. She can often be seen celebrating with her citizens at weddings and other events.

When her value system is challenged by her cousin Fadawar, she undergoes the battle of the long knives, resulting in her own self-mutilation to prove her resilience against his system of values which places obligation to family above obligation to state, a concept that she vehemently opposes. In addition to her guardsmen, she is protected by a child named Elva who remains hidden behind a curtain when Nasuada receives guests. She is a demanding leader and once she has made up her mind about something it is very hard to persuade her otherwise.