This is a list of key characters in The Inheritance Cycle, a fantasy adventure series by Christopher Paolini. The series contains several hundred characters, while the following list contains only the most frequently mentioned.[1]
Many of the names Paolini has used originate from Old Norse, German, Old English, and Russian sources, as well as the invented languages.[2][3][4] With the exception of Angela, the characters' personalities are entirely imagined and not based on actual people.[5] Some characters, like the titular character Eragon were developed before the series was written, while others (such as Angela) were added on an as-needed basis.[4]
The Dragon Riders are the humans and elves who bonded with dragon hatchlings, as well as a kind of police force existing in the time before Galbatorix's rise to power. They began with the first Eragon, an elf who adopted a newly hatched dragon during a massive war between their two species. Their rule ended 100 years before the events of Eragon with the death of Vrael.[7]
- Oromis is Eragon's second teacher after Brom. He is an elf and the last remaining Dragon Rider of the old order. He is also known as "Osthato Chetowa, the Mourning Sage" and "Togira Ikonoka, the Cripple Who is Whole" because of a curse placed upon him by one of the Forsworn. He is bonded to Glaedr.
- The Forsworn were a group of 13 Riders (and their dragons) who joined Galbatorix during the Fall. When the dragons learned that thirteen of their kind were willingly helping to exterminate the rest of their race, they banded together and erased the Forsworn's dragons' names and identities. After "The Banishing of the Names" the Forsworn's dragons became beastlike and some of the Forsworn themselves went insane.[9]
- Morzan was a Dragon Rider, long dead by the start of Eragon; he is actually the father of Mertuga. Brom later killed him with his own sword.[6]
- Kialandí was a male Rider. (deceased, pre-series)
- Formora was a female elven Rider. (deceased, pre-series)
- Glaerun was a male elven rider and one of the Forsworn. He died during a nuclear-like explosion caused by the elven Rider Thuviel sacrificing himself at Doru Areba.[9]
- Enduriel was a Dragon Rider and one of the Forsworn. It's implied that Enduriel died after the event of the destruction of Ilirea and Vroengard. He may have been killed by Brom or the Varden.[6] (deceased, pre-series)
- Vrael was the last leader of the Riders before their Fall and was bonded to the male white dragon Umaroth.
- Anurin was an elven Dragon Rider, and leader of the Dragon Riders before Vrael.
- Arva was an elven Rider who was at Ilirea when the Forsworn attacked the city. He fought Kialandí (who dealt him a mortal blow) but managed to pass his sword Támerlein to his sister, Naudra (mate of Lord Fiolr).[6]
- Thuviel was a Dragon Rider whose dragon was killed before the battle of Doru Areba. Crippled by the emotional and psychological effects of losing such a bond, Thuviel became depressed and no longer wished to continue living. Vrael however, encouraged Thuviel to sacrifice himself by turning his body into pure energy. Galbatorix long believed the eggs hidden within the Vault of Souls to have been destroyed in the explosion. Thuviel's sacrifice made Doru Areba uninhabitable for even hundreds of years afterward, akin to the effects of nuclear radiation.
In the books, the dragons are grouped into those bonded to Riders and wild dragons. The wild dragons are far more fierce, while the bonded dragons are more intellectual. All dragons hatch from eggs, in which they can remain for a very long time; once hatched they have a nearly infinite lifespan and continue growing their whole lives. They can breathe fire and reproduce at about six months old.[7] When a dragon dies, it has the option to transfer its consciousness into a diamond-like organ inside its body called an Eldunarí. If it disgorges its "heart of hearts" before its death, the dragon has no choice but to retreat into it when it dies. Such Eldunarí will live on until another creature destroys them.[9] Dragons are a variety of colors, which do not appear to be related to their parents' colors.[4]
- Glaedr is the gold dragon bonded to Oromis. He is at least three times as large as Saphira but lost his left foreleg in battle with Formora. After escaping the Forsworn, Glaedr and Oromis went into hiding in Du Weldenvarden to teach the first of the new generation of Riders.[8] He disgorges his Eldunarí shortly before his and Oromis's death in Brisingr, and is thus forced to live on after his body dies.[6]
- Thorn is a red male dragon bound to Murtagh. He has been magically grown to large proportions, but still has the mind of a child. Saphira refers to him as "Red-Shrike-Thorn".[6]
- Shruikan is Galbatorix's black dragon, the largest of all the dragons to appear in the series. He was twisted into the king's service through black magic.[9] The dragon's name is a play on the word "shuriken".[3]
- Jarnunvösk was Galbatorix's first dragon, who was royal purple. She was killed by Urgals (deceased, pre-series).
- Saphira is a female dragon bound to Eragon and a central character of the series. Eragon first encountered her as an egg (believing her to be a rare stone) while hunting in the wilderness of the Spine Mountains early in the first book. Her name is a play on the word "sapphire", due in part to her deep blue coloration.
- Fírnen was one of the eggs that was captured by Galbatorix. His didn't hatch until Arya, his bond, brought him to the Crags of Tael'neir when the war with the Empire had finished. He is a small green dragon and Saphira's mate.[9]
- Bid'daum – the dragon whose egg was found by the first Eragon. (deceased, pre-series)
- Unnamed, or, He Whose Name Cannot Be Pronounced in any Language, a dragon (whose name "cannot be pronounced in this language or any"), who brokered the peace treaty between the elves and dragns, after Du Fyrn Skulblaka, the Dragon War. (deceased, pre-series)
- Umaroth (pronounced "oo-MAR-oth") was the white dragon bonded to Vrael, leader of the Dragon Riders before their downfall. He speaks for all the Eldunarí in the Vault of Souls.
- Cuaroc served as guardian of the Vault of Souls in a magical automaton body.
- Valdr (meaning "Ruler) is the eldest of the Eldunarí in the Vault of Souls. He gives Eragon a vision where the dreams of starlings are equal to the concerns of kings.
- Belgabad was an enormous, ancient, wild dragon who lived alone in the northern region of Alagaësia. (deceased, pre-series)
- Raugmar The Black was black male wild dragon who was a distant descendant of Belgabad. Raugmar was a great-great-great grandsire of Vervada, Saphira's mother. (deceased, pre-series)
The elves are one of the oldest races, but not native to Alagaësia. They came from a land called Alalea. They are very gifted in magic and live in the forest called Du Weldenvarden.
- Queen Islanzadí is queen of the elves until her death in the final novel.[9] She lives in the elven capital Ellesméra. She is the widow of the former king of the elves, Evandar, and the mother of Arya.[8]
- King Evandar was the mate of Islanzadí and Arya's father. He was ruler of Du Weldenvarden before Islanzadí was. He died in the elves' and Riders' final siege of Urû'baen. (deceased, pre-series)
- Queen Tamunora was the elven queen who worked with the dragons to create the pact that would lead to the formation of the Dragon Riders, ending Du Fyrn Skulblaka.(deceased, pre-series)
- Queen Dellanir was queen of the elves when Anurin decided to add humans to the pact so that there would be human Dragon Riders.[8] (deceased, pre-series)
- Lord Däthedr is a counselor of Islanzadi.
- Lord Fiolr is Arya's friend and leader of Sílthrim. He is well trained in magic. It is implied that he fought at Ceunon and Gil'ead. He lives in the House of Valtharos. He is the owner of Támerlein, one of the last swords of the Dragon Riders that was his wife's brother's sword. Later in Inheritance, Arya adopts this sword (with a few modifications) after she becomes a rider.[8]
- Rhunön is an ancient elf who created all of the Dragon Riders' swords. After the betrayal of the Forsworn, Rhunön swore never to make another sword. In Brisingr, Eragon works with her to circumvent that oath and forge his sword Brisingr.[6]
- Blödhgarm (translated in an appendix as "Bloodwolf") is an elf who has magically edited his body to appear beast-like. He is the leader of a small group sent to protect Eragon and Saphira.[8]
- Wyrden was a powerful elven spellcaster under Blödhgarm.[8]
- Vanir is a (comparatively) young elf, who is Eragon's sparring partner during his training in Eldest. He is cocky and dismissive of Eragon until the latter's transformation during the Blood-Oath Celebration.[8] His name comes from the group of Norse gods known as the Vanir, associated with fertility and prophecy.[3]
The dwarves are one of the only humanoids native to Alagaësia. Their mythology holds that they were born from the rock of the mountains there.
- King Hrothgar – the King of the dwarves, controlling the thirteen dwarf clans and Tronjheim, the city within Farthen Dûr. He admits Eragon as a member of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, an honor that had never previously been bestowed upon a non-dwarf. He is killed with magic by Murtagh in the Battle of the Burning Plains. His name comes from that of a legendary Danish king who lived in the 6th century and who appears as a character in the Anglo-Saxon epics Beowulf and Widsith.[3] He is succeeded by his nephew Orik.[8]
- Vermûnd is the Grimstborith of Az Sweldn rak Anhûin, a clan that lost everything during the Fall. Vermûnd orders the assassination of Eragon when he stays in Tronjheim during Brisingr. Because of his crime, Az Sweldn rak Anhûin are banished from the dwarves by Orik and the other clan chiefs until Vermûnd is replaced. Vermûnd himself is branded a traitor and shall be ignored until he dies.[6]
- Gannel Ormsson is Grimstborith ("clan chief") of Dûrgrimst Quan, the religious clan of the dwarves. He is also the head priest of the dwarves. He gives Eragon a necklace that will prevent anyone from scrying him. He supports Grimstborith Nado for the dwarven kingship, and later summons the chief dwarf god, Gûntera.[6]
- Korgan was the first dwarf king. He discovered Farthen Dûr while tunneling for gold.[7] (deceased, pre-series)
- Ûndin Derûndsson Grimstborith of Dûrgrimst Ragni Hefthyn — "the River Guard", host of Eragon's party in Tarnag. He original voted for Gannel as the dwarves new king, but switched his vote to Grimstborith Nado under Gannel's orders.[6]
- Hadfala is Grimstborith of Dûrgrimst Ebardac. She original supported Gannel as king, but converted her vote to Orik after the attempt on Eragon's life.[6]