Eldest characters

Appears from the start

The young Dragon Rider from Palancar Valley, bonded to the dragon Saphira, who fought at the great battle beneath the mountains and helped the rebels win. Still recovering from a grievous wound to his back, he must now travel to the elves to complete his training in swordsmanship, magic, and the ways of the Riders while war against the Empire deepens.

Appears from the start

Eragon's blue dragon and bonded partner, fierce, proud, and grown to formidable size. She shares his thoughts and fights at his side, and she has her own strong will and sense of a dragon's ancient dignity as the two seek out those who can teach them what it truly means to be Rider and dragon.

Appears from the start

Eragon's older cousin, a strong and determined young man who lost his father and home to the king's servants. Now the Empire's soldiers come hunting him too, and he must find the resolve to protect the people of his village and pursue the woman he loves, discovering a gift for leadership under pressure.

Appears from the start

The intelligent, resolute daughter of the Varden's late commander, who steps into a position of great responsibility over the rebellion at a young age. Politically shrewd and determined to prove herself, she must hold together the fragile alliance of humans, dwarves, and elves and keep the cause alive against overwhelming odds.

Appears from the start

The reserved and formidable elf who carried the dragon egg and was rescued from captivity. She serves as an envoy between the elves and the Varden, guarded about herself but committed to the fight against the Empire, and she remains an important guide to Eragon in the elven world.

Appears from the start

The guarded young swordsman who befriended Eragon and fought beside him, only to vanish amid the chaos of the battle beneath the mountains, his fate uncertain as this book opens. Raised to a hard, secretive life and burdened by his lineage, he is remembered by Eragon with both gratitude and unease.

Appears from the start

A dependable dwarf of the ruling clan who befriended Eragon among the Varden. Loyal, blunt, and skilled in war, he acts as a companion and guide through dwarf lands and customs as Eragon's journey and the wider conflict continue.

First appears in chapter 2

A young woman of Roran's village and the daughter of the local butcher, betrothed in her heart to Roran. Brave and steadfast, she stands to be caught up in the danger that follows Roran when the Empire's servants come seeking him.

First appears in chapter 5

An elder elf living in seclusion among the elves, a survivor of the old order of Dragon Riders who takes Eragon as his student. Patient, wise, and exacting, he instructs Eragon in the deep disciplines of magic, language, history, and combat that a Rider must master.

First appears in chapter 5

A great gold dragon, the bonded partner of Eragon's elven teacher and likewise a survivor of the destroyed order of Riders. Ancient and imposing, he helps instruct Saphira in the lore and skills of dragons as she and Eragon train.

Appears from the start

The tyrant king of the Empire, a renegade former Rider of immense sorcerous power who overthrew the old order and rules through fear. He does not appear directly, but his relentless drive to crush the Varden and claim the new Rider hangs over every part of the story.