Murtagh Morzansson was a male human who was at one point Eragon's ally, but was enslaved by magic and forced to fight for the Empire. He was the son of Morzan, the man who betrayed the Dragon Riders to Galbatorix and helped destroy them, and Selena, Morzan's Black Hand and the most feared of all the Empire's spies and assassins. He was the eldest of Selena's two children, the other of which is Eragon Shadeslayer; He was then Eragon's half-brother and Roran Stronghammer's first cousin. He was a fiercely loyal companion, and an accomplished swordsman. He wielded a hand-and-a-half sword, and later, Zar'roc, which he took from Eragon, a yew bow, a dagger, and a white horn with silver fittings. He rode a warhorse named Tornac, which was named after his old swordsmanship tutor. During Eldest, one of King Galbatorix's Dragon eggs hatched for Murtagh and he named the red dragon Thorn. He was also the primary antagonist in Eldest.
In addition to being a Dragon Rider he was also the Empire's strongest magician after Galbatorix, the Empire's general and champion (involuntarily), the only known child of a member of the Forsworn, and one of the three principal characters in the Inheritance cycle. Murtagh was also a Kingkiller.
Contents [show] History Edit Early period Edit Origins Edit Selena, a young woman from Carvahall, fell in love with Morzan. After almost three years of traveling with him, she became pregnant with his child. Morzan spirited her off to his castle and hid the pregnancy from everyone but Galbatorix. Murtagh was born in his father's castle nine months later.
Early life Edit "He was a victim of fate, and had been since the day he was born." — Eragon Bromsson, thinking about Murtagh Murtagh explained parts of his past to Eragon and Saphira in Eragon, and he explained more to Nasuada in Inheritance, but little was known about his early years. He was taken from his mother Selena at birth and given to a wet nurse. Selena was only allowed to see him for brief visits every few months. As the son of the violent and twisted Dragon Rider Morzan, Murtagh experienced an unpleasant childhood. At the age of three, Murtagh's back was laid open from shoulder to hip when Morzan threw his sword, Zar'roc, at the boy in a drunken rage. Even after his father died at the hands of Brom, Murtagh continued to avoid the courts and its intrigues as much as was possible while living in King Galbatorix's castle at Urû'baen. Selena disappeared early in his life, to secure a better life for her second, unborn child. Upon her return, she fell grievously ill and died. Selena's illegitimate second son, Murtagh's younger brother, was revealed later to be Eragon.
Escape from Urû'baen Edit "His tone was so different from what I had encountered before; it made me realize he didn't possess the mercy or foresight to gain the people's loyalty, and he ruled only through brute force guided by his own passions. It was at that moment I determined to escape him and Urû'baen forever." — Murtagh On his 18th birthday, Murtagh was summoned into Galbatorix's presence for a private meal. The king, in a seemingly rare good mood, readily offered his "friendship" to the son of his former ally, and Murtagh accepted it. Later, however, he realized that he had made a mistake in doing so when Galbatorix commanded Murtagh to take a company of soldiers and destroy the village of Cantos, which was known to harbor rebels, and slaughter its population without even attempting to see if all of them were guilty or not. That night, Murtagh fled Urû'baen with his faithful teacher, Tornac, who was an expert swordsman. Galbatorix, however, anticipated Murtagh's flight and posted men to guard the gates. Tornac was killed by a knife in the back as they fought their way out of the city, and Murtagh continued on alone.
Travels with Eragon Edit To Gil'ead Edit "I do not belong to either the Varden or the Empire. Nor do I owe allegiance to any man but myself." — Murtagh Murtagh fled to the estate of an old friend who sheltered him for a time while he mused on his next course of action, as he was unwilling to side with either the Empire or the Varden. However, he heard news of a new Dragon Rider and decided to follow the trail of the Ra'zac in the hopes of meeting him. He tracked the vile creatures to a point outside Dras-Leona. Fortuitously, he was able to help rescue Eragon and Saphira from the Ra'zac, although Brom received a mortal wound in the process.
Murtagh accompanied Eragon and Saphira to Gil'ead where Eragon was captured; Murtagh and Saphira successfully rescued him and Arya from captivity in Gil'ead, despite the appearance of the Shade Durza. Murtagh was able to temporarily disembody the Shade by shooting him between the eyes.
Flight to the Varden Edit "I always did like races." — Murtagh Murtagh in the Battle under Farthen DûrAdded by Nikajo Murtagh agreed to accompany Eragon and Saphira in their search for the Varden, which was made more urgent because of Arya's desperate condition. She had been poisoned in Gil'ead by Durza, and the Varden was the closest source of the antidote. The unlikely company crossed the Hadarac Desert without ado, aside from an encounter with slavers. Murtagh killed the bandits' leader, Torkenbrand, by beheading him while he was incapitated. This caused Eragon much grief, and started a conflict between them.
They eventually reached the Varden, pursued by a band of Kull. Faced with confronting the Kull on his own or entering the Varden, Murtagh continued by Eragon's side.
Varden's prisoner Edit "You must be willing to protect yourself and what you cherish, no matter what the cost." — Murtagh Once inside, Murtagh refused to allow the Twins, the Varden's strongest magicians, to probe his mind, as was customary for newcomers to the Varden. When Ajihad recognized him as the son of Morzan, he was imprisoned within Tronjheim. He met Nasuada during this time, and entertained himself by reading things that members of the Varden brought to him from the library of Tronjheim.
Later, he was given the chance to prove himself by fighting alongside the Varden during the Battle under Farthen Dûr. He proved himself sufficiently, in Ajihad's eyes, and personally accompanied the Varden leader as the last of the Urgals were rooted out of Farthen Dur's tunnels and destroyed. However, Murtagh repeatedly stated that he did not wish to join the Varden, as he did not share their desire to destroy the Empire.
Capture Edit "He knows our true names, Eragon… We are his slaves forever." — Murtagh Murtagh was targeted by the Twins and a group of Kull while exiting one of the tunnels, and subsequently ensorcelled and taken back to Urû'baen. He was then tortured by Galbatorix for his rebellion. When Thorn hatched for him, they were forced to swear their allegiance to Galbatorix in the Ancient Language.
Rider War Edit Battle of the Burning Plains Edit Murtagh on his dragon, ThornAdded by CleverGuy "Thorn is my dragon, and a thorn he shall be to all our enemies." — Murtagh Murtagh learned dark secrets of magic from Galbatorix and was given several of the Eldunarí that Galbatorix had in his possession. He was then dispatched to The Burning Plains, where an army of Imperial warriors were massed against those of Surda and the Varden, with orders to try to capture Eragon and Saphira. Galbatorix hid the true size of his army from the Varden with a powerful spell that took three days to pierce.
During the battle Murtagh struck down the dwarf king Hrothgar. He also bested the weary Eragon near the end of the battle. After defeating him, Murtagh took Eragon's blade, Zar'roc, claiming that the sword was rightfully his. He then revealed, using the Ancient Language, that Morzan was Eragon's father. He decided at last to exploit a loophole in his orders, which were to try to capture Eragon, and spare his friend, at risk of severe punishment brought by Galbatorix for not completing the deed.
Raid on the Varden Edit Galbatorix was furious with Murtagh for allowing Eragon and Saphira to escape. After Eragon and Saphira killed the Ra'zac, the king "turned his anger" upon Thorn and Murtagh. He then made Murtagh swear additional oaths that would ensure his complete obedience. Murtagh then returned to attack the Varden with a troop of painless soldiers. He and Eragon battled once more. Eragon was able to draw on the strength of Arya and the twelve elven spellweavers sent by Queen Islanzadí to aid him. Murtagh surprised Eragon by a display of elf-quick speed and strength during the contest.[1]
During the confrontation, Murtagh revealed that both he and Thorn suffered greatly for the mercy they showed Eragon. Eragon reasoned that Murtagh and Thorn could escape Galbatorix if they changed their True names, an idea that Murtagh said was intriguing and that he might try after careful study. However, Murtagh realized that he and Thorn could not change themselves in an instant, and then attacked Eragon. Murtagh pierced Eragon in the hip with Zar'roc. Eragon joined strength with the elves, and decided to test Murtagh in a battle of strength in magic. Eragon managed to outlast Murtagh in the brutal contest, but he and several of the elves fainted during the battle. This allowed Murtagh and Thorn to escape unharmed. Before leaving, Murtagh swore that he and Thorn would return, more powerful than ever, and defeat Eragon and Saphira once and for all.
Return to Gil'ead Edit Murtagh then returned once more to Urû'baen, and from there went to Gil'ead, where he fought with Oromis. Murtagh was recognized to have fear in his eyes, but he and Thorn battled the elder pair fiercely nonetheless. Using the vast amount of energy contained within Naegling, Oromis fought Murtagh while Glaedr battled Thorn. Thorn proved faster and stronger than Glaedr anticipated, and the battle went on. Oromis seemed confident that Murtagh's concentration would fail, but Murtagh held on. During the battle, Murtagh seemed to become angry at Oromis for not revealing himself sooner so that Oromis could have helped him. Galbatorix then assumed full control over Murtagh, first speaking to Oromis and Glaedr through Murtagh, attempting to persuade the two ancient warriors to ally themselves with Galbatorix. Oromis suffered a seizure which then made him drop Naegling, which meant that Oromis was separated from his power source that would protect him from harm. Galbatorix then dealt Oromis a fatal blow, using Murtagh's arm. Glaedr attempted to carry Oromis back to the elves, but was killed by Thorn. According to Christopher Paolini, Oromis would have stood "a good chance" of winning the battle against Murtagh and Thorn if Galbatorix had not interfered, and if Oromis had not had a seizure.
It is unknown what happened to Murtagh after Galbatorix used him to kill Oromis and Glaedr. He may have used his remaining power to wreak havoc among the elves, or he may have simply returned to the capital. But it is likely that they were forced to return due to Thorn's grave injury; Glaedr had bitten off several feet of his tail during the battle.
Capture of Nasuada Edit Later Murtagh played a crucial role in defending Dras-Leona, but the Varden were still able to take the city. He then raided the Varden camp, capturing Nasuada and bringing her back to Urû'baen, where Galbatorix tortured her. Murtagh in turn tried to comfort her as much as possible. He often talked to her the way he would have if he had grown up like a normal child, thus keeping her sane. Murtagh also taught Nasuada what to expect from Galbatorix and how best to protect herself from against his attacks.
Murtagh worked on a plan to free Nasuada, but Eragon's invasion of the city prevented him from carrying it out. When Eragon finally confronted Galbatorix, the king refused to duel Eragon personally, instead having him fight Murtagh. Murtagh quickly bested Eragon and nearly struck a fatal blow in his anger, but was stopped by Galbatorix, and the duel continued. Using the Way of Knowing, Eragon realized that Murtagh was the better swordsman, and possessed too much determination for Eragon to defeat in a fair duel. He then deliberately gave Murtagh an opening in order to land a blow, injuring both of them and ending the duel, with Galbatorix announcing Eragon as the winner.
Injured, Murtagh mused that the primary difference between Eragon and himself was that Murtagh had never been willing to sacrifice himself, and he found that his true name had changed. He aided his half-brother by using the Name of All Names to strip Galbatorix of his wards: an important act, as with wards, Eragon would not have been able to kill the king.
After Galbatorix died, Murtagh decided to wander Alagaësia until his anger subsided. Before he left, Murtagh and Eragon said goodbye, acknowledging each other as brothers. The most recently recorded sighting of Murtagh and Thorn was near Du Weldenvarden.
Personal information Edit Physical appearance Edit Murtagh was a stoic, eighteen-year-old. His regular, serious face and fierce gray eyes were framed by the locks of his long dark brown hair. He was clean-shaven, well tanned, fit, muscular, slightly taller (by about one to two inches) than his half-brother, Eragon, very strong and said to be extremely handsome. Across Murtagh's back was a long, twisting scar, reaching from his right shoulder to his left hip, caused when Murtagh's father, Morzan hurled Zar'oc at him when he was a child during a drunken rage, which was likely removed with magic as Galbatorix demanded physical perfection in his servants. Oddly, when Murtagh reappeared in Brisingr, he had black hair instead of brown. In an interview, Christopher Paolini acknowledged this as a small oversight.
Murtagh originally wore battered and travel-worn clothes, but eschewed them by the end of Eldest in favor of a suit of gleaming steel armor. Murtagh carried a yew bow and a white horn with silver fittings. His primary weapon was a hand-and-a-half sword, which was later replaced by Zar'roc.
Powers Edit "You cannot hope to compete with me. No one can, except for Galbatorix." — Murtagh Before becoming a Rider, Murtagh was a powerful warrior in his own right. A lifetime of practice and study in swordplay made him a formidable fighter, surpassing Vanir and matching even Eragon in technical skill. Eragon acknowledged Murtagh as a "deadly swordsman". Murtagh was a master swordsman able to fight on par with Oromis. His experience in archery and wilderness survival allowed him to survive by hunting and foraging when on the run from the Empire. He could talk about hunting and archery for hours, debating their finer points with Eragon for long periods during their journey. His mind was also thoroughly shielded from mental attacks to such an extent that powerful magicians such as Eragon, the Twins, and many others have all failed to breach his mind. The only one known to have broken Murtagh's defenses was King Galbatorix, which proves how powerful his mental defenses were. In the final book, Murtagh implied that Galbatorix only managed to penetrate his defenses by threatening Thorn, which echoed his previous statement to the Twins that they couldn't make him open his mind if they couldn't threaten Eragon's life.
After Thorn hatched for him, Murtagh became even more powerful. Murtagh's mind, well-defended as it was, was augmented by the Eldunarí given to him to control. When Eragon touched his mind in Eldest, he felt a "multitude" of consciences trying to get out. Bregan, the blind man who saw lights and energies in Brisingr ,described Murtagh's light, saying that the light shone through him as if his power came from another source. After the Battle of the Burning Plains, Murtagh gained increased strength and speed that was equal to most elves and combined with his impressive sword skills, these powers further made Murtagh into an extremely dangerous and powerful Rider, more powerful than many previous Riders before him.
Overall, Murtagh's greatest strength was perhaps his formidable magical prowess, which was due to both his heritage as the son of the most powerful Forsworn and his use of multiple Eldunarí. This made him the Empire's strongest magician after Galbatorix. He could immobilize fully grown dragons with a single word, heal even the most severe injuries in seconds, and when coerced to use deadly force, he could unleash blasts of ruby energy strong enough to wipe out an entire group of spellcasters. His reserves of magic were vast, due to the Eldunarí he possessed, though he was still subjected to the rules of magic whenever he used his powers. He was also quite inventive as he placed spells in objects so he could use them quickly.
In terms of swordsmanship, Murtagh was initially equal to Eragon in every aspect even in terms of their stamina and tiring rate. Their sparring sessions were always intense and neither could gain the upper hand on the other, and they always kept each other on their toes. However, during their last battle in Inheritance, Murtagh proved to possess superior combat ability to Eragon. Angry at Eragon, Murtagh quickly bested him and nearly dealt a fatal blow before being stopped by Galbatorix. Using the Way of Knowing, Eragon realized that Murtagh was the better swordsman by a margin that prevented him from gaining the upper hand in their fight, and that he was too determined for Eragon to defeat in a fair duel. To win the duel, Eragon had to deliberately leave an opening for Murtagh to land a blow before retaliating at the right moment, injuring them both and ending the duel. Eragon admitted that Murtagh would win in a fight to the death.
Murtagh was the second person to know the True Name of the Ancient Language which he used at one time to disable close to a hundred wards. With this knowledge, he became one of the most powerful magicians who ever lived, currently matched only by Eragon, Arya, and the Eldunarí from Vroengard (the others who also know the name). However, this was only because Murtagh chose to reveal it to Eragon before he left.
Personality Edit "No stranger's life is more important than Thorn's or my own." — Murtagh Murtagh always exuded a calm, assured air, and his voice "was low and controlled, but curiously emotional." Murtagh was very passionate in all that he engaged himself in. He was also compassionate, as shown when he found a loophole in his oath that allowed him to let Eragon go after their first conflict as Riders and by his refusing to join Galbatorix when first asked. He was very proud that he survived as well as he did under all the difficult circumstances that he was in during his hard life. Indeed, Paolini has stated that, aside from Eragon himself due to the circumstances of her finding, Saphira was most likely to have hatched for Murtagh.
Because of his unpleasant upbringing, a constant sense of danger, and multiple attempts on his life, Murtagh became solitary, suspicious, and practical. He was always wary of everyone, from strangers to his closest friends, and his suspicion made him dislike taking chances, especially for the sake of others. He would not hesitate to defend himself or whatever he held dear, no matter the cost to others. He was practical to the point of ruthlessness in this regard, killing anyone he deemed a threat with minimal hesitation or remorse, and an attitude that was almost casual. Murtagh was very different in this regard from Eragon and Roran, both of whom could not kill without being haunted by thoughts of the lives they had ended.
Murtagh was also very intelligent and strong-willed. He protected his mind behind nearly impenetrable barriers at all times, shielding the last sanctuary that has not been stolen from him. When he was imprisoned by the Varden, he refused to allow the Twins to enter his mind, no matter what they did. He was prepared to be imprisoned, tortured, and confined at all times, but did not give in. When they began bringing him whatever he wanted from the library of Tronjheim, he quickly became addicted to the scholarly environment.
Perhaps because of his indomitable will, Murtagh was also quite stubborn on occasion. Whenever he made a decision, nothing could change his mind. He absolutely refused to "repent" for killing Torkenbrand, or to allow the Twins into his mind. The only one who seemed to be able to sway Murtagh's decision one way or another was Thorn whom he claims to love like Eragon loves Saphira, who would always speak to him with his mind before either of them made an important decision. This level of cooperation and consideration for each other indicates that while Murtagh is stubborn and sometimes uncooperative, he and Thorn work very well together.
When Murtagh became an unwilling servant of Galbatorix, he abhorred the atrocities he had to perform and disliked carrying them out. However, he loved his new powers and reveled in the destruction he could wreak with them. Because of his cruel lot in life and a past filled with agony, Murtagh delighted in striking back at the world that had shown him little kindness, the result of a suppressed desire for revenge all his life.
Though Murtagh relished his power, he also wanted to be away from Galbatorix, proven when a look of desperate longing appeared in his eyes when Eragon proposed a way to escape, and his willingness to listen to Eragon's suggestion. Also, Murtagh said something in the company of soldiers of the Empire that made them wonder if they were hunting down Murtagh himself.
Murtagh was also introverted. He stated repeatedly that he values his own life, and Thorn's, more than any number of others' lives, and refused to sacrifice himself no matter how many innocents it would save, citing his enjoyment of life even as a slave to Galbatorix. In his hard life, he has had few friends, except for Eragon, Saphira, Tornac, Nasuada, and Thorn.
Morals Edit "I am not evil! I've done the best I could under the circumstances. I doubt you would have survived as well as I did …" — Murtagh Because Murtagh considered his life to be more important than others, he often disregarded the feelings and suffering of others for his own sake. For example, when Torkenbrand tried to capture him, Murtagh beheaded the slaver without hesitation, remorse, or emotion.
However, despite his ruthlessness, and his love of power, Murtagh was not sadistic or parasitic at all. He shied away from acts of excessive bloodshed and cruelty, such as the destruction of Cantos, and was willing to help others, such as Eragon, at certain times. He was also empathetic as he often empathized with the subjects of the Empire and Nasauda during her capture and did not judge others, unlike Eragon.
Though Murtagh did not love the Empire or the king, he also held the Varden in distaste. He believed that while Galbatorix was corrupt, the system of the Empire was sound, and the Varden's desire to destroy it utterly was fanatical and destructive. Though he supported Galbatorix as the ruler of Alagaësia, he harbored strong resentment against him and actually betrayed him in Inheritance. Murtagh studied the possibility of changing his true name, which allowed him to disobey and even betray Galbatorix. Paolini himself has said that Murtagh and Galbatorix have had many "difficulties".
However, his tenure with Galbatorix and role as Nasuada's imprisoner left a drastic change. He began to value other lives more, as well as gaining increased empathy, telling Eragon to comfort Arya as killing Shruikan might have left her deeply disturbed and later apologized to Glaedr for his part in his Rider's death.
Inner struggle Edit When faced with the choice of helping Eragon and Saphira escape the Empire by accompanying them to the Varden or fleeing the whole situation on his own, he decided to help Eragon even though he knew he could be punished somehow for being Morzan's son.
At the Battle of the Burning Plains, Eragon appealed to Murtagh's sympathies. Murtagh was only instructed to attempt to capture Eragon and Saphira. Therefore, he was able to find a way around his oath to Galbatorix, and save Eragon and Saphira.
When Eragon was traveling back to the Varden from Helgrind in Brisingr, he overheard a conversation from the soldiers. They said they wouldn't be surprised if the mysterious fugitive that they were hunting on the King's orders was Murtagh himself, because of what they heard him say. Although he was forced to serve Galbatorix, Murtagh did not seem happy about it. Its speculated that he may have said something about either a way to break free, or the destruction of Galbatorix's forces.
In their next encounter, Murtagh delayed his attack on Eragon until he heard what Eragon had to say concerning their true names. Even though he had said that Thorn and him were forever slaves to Galbatorix, he still clung to the hope that they could be freed.
Like Shruikan, Galbatorix attempted to turn Murtagh and to Thorn into remorseless killers, often treating them like a tool or weapon.
Romance Edit It is speculated that he may have had feelings for Nasuada, though nothing came of it. After Eragon killed Galbatorix, Murtagh and Thorn flew away to the north, as they knew they would never be accepted due to all they had done in Galbatorix's name but were acknowledged by Umaroth and the other Eldunari, and Murtagh still felt guilty for the harm he had caused Nasuada in his being forced to torture her by Galbatorix. As Paolini stated, all aforementioned actions "invalidated any feelings that Nasuada may have had for Murtagh", thus made her to say "I cannot forgive, but I understand"
In addition to being a Dragon Rider he was also the Empire's strongest magician after Galbatorix, the Empire's general and champion (involuntarily), the only known child of a member of the Forsworn, and one of the three principal characters in the Inheritance cycle. Murtagh was also a Kingkiller.
Contents [show] History Edit Early period Edit Origins Edit Selena, a young woman from Carvahall, fell in love with Morzan. After almost three years of traveling with him, she became pregnant with his child. Morzan spirited her off to his castle and hid the pregnancy from everyone but Galbatorix. Murtagh was born in his father's castle nine months later.
Early life Edit "He was a victim of fate, and had been since the day he was born." — Eragon Bromsson, thinking about Murtagh Murtagh explained parts of his past to Eragon and Saphira in Eragon, and he explained more to Nasuada in Inheritance, but little was known about his early years. He was taken from his mother Selena at birth and given to a wet nurse. Selena was only allowed to see him for brief visits every few months. As the son of the violent and twisted Dragon Rider Morzan, Murtagh experienced an unpleasant childhood. At the age of three, Murtagh's back was laid open from shoulder to hip when Morzan threw his sword, Zar'roc, at the boy in a drunken rage. Even after his father died at the hands of Brom, Murtagh continued to avoid the courts and its intrigues as much as was possible while living in King Galbatorix's castle at Urû'baen. Selena disappeared early in his life, to secure a better life for her second, unborn child. Upon her return, she fell grievously ill and died. Selena's illegitimate second son, Murtagh's younger brother, was revealed later to be Eragon.
Escape from Urû'baen Edit "His tone was so different from what I had encountered before; it made me realize he didn't possess the mercy or foresight to gain the people's loyalty, and he ruled only through brute force guided by his own passions. It was at that moment I determined to escape him and Urû'baen forever." — Murtagh On his 18th birthday, Murtagh was summoned into Galbatorix's presence for a private meal. The king, in a seemingly rare good mood, readily offered his "friendship" to the son of his former ally, and Murtagh accepted it. Later, however, he realized that he had made a mistake in doing so when Galbatorix commanded Murtagh to take a company of soldiers and destroy the village of Cantos, which was known to harbor rebels, and slaughter its population without even attempting to see if all of them were guilty or not. That night, Murtagh fled Urû'baen with his faithful teacher, Tornac, who was an expert swordsman. Galbatorix, however, anticipated Murtagh's flight and posted men to guard the gates. Tornac was killed by a knife in the back as they fought their way out of the city, and Murtagh continued on alone.
Travels with Eragon Edit To Gil'ead Edit "I do not belong to either the Varden or the Empire. Nor do I owe allegiance to any man but myself." — Murtagh Murtagh fled to the estate of an old friend who sheltered him for a time while he mused on his next course of action, as he was unwilling to side with either the Empire or the Varden. However, he heard news of a new Dragon Rider and decided to follow the trail of the Ra'zac in the hopes of meeting him. He tracked the vile creatures to a point outside Dras-Leona. Fortuitously, he was able to help rescue Eragon and Saphira from the Ra'zac, although Brom received a mortal wound in the process.
Murtagh accompanied Eragon and Saphira to Gil'ead where Eragon was captured; Murtagh and Saphira successfully rescued him and Arya from captivity in Gil'ead, despite the appearance of the Shade Durza. Murtagh was able to temporarily disembody the Shade by shooting him between the eyes.
Flight to the Varden Edit "I always did like races." — Murtagh Murtagh in the Battle under Farthen DûrAdded by Nikajo Murtagh agreed to accompany Eragon and Saphira in their search for the Varden, which was made more urgent because of Arya's desperate condition. She had been poisoned in Gil'ead by Durza, and the Varden was the closest source of the antidote. The unlikely company crossed the Hadarac Desert without ado, aside from an encounter with slavers. Murtagh killed the bandits' leader, Torkenbrand, by beheading him while he was incapitated. This caused Eragon much grief, and started a conflict between them.
They eventually reached the Varden, pursued by a band of Kull. Faced with confronting the Kull on his own or entering the Varden, Murtagh continued by Eragon's side.
Varden's prisoner Edit "You must be willing to protect yourself and what you cherish, no matter what the cost." — Murtagh Once inside, Murtagh refused to allow the Twins, the Varden's strongest magicians, to probe his mind, as was customary for newcomers to the Varden. When Ajihad recognized him as the son of Morzan, he was imprisoned within Tronjheim. He met Nasuada during this time, and entertained himself by reading things that members of the Varden brought to him from the library of Tronjheim.
Later, he was given the chance to prove himself by fighting alongside the Varden during the Battle under Farthen Dûr. He proved himself sufficiently, in Ajihad's eyes, and personally accompanied the Varden leader as the last of the Urgals were rooted out of Farthen Dur's tunnels and destroyed. However, Murtagh repeatedly stated that he did not wish to join the Varden, as he did not share their desire to destroy the Empire.
Capture Edit "He knows our true names, Eragon… We are his slaves forever." — Murtagh Murtagh was targeted by the Twins and a group of Kull while exiting one of the tunnels, and subsequently ensorcelled and taken back to Urû'baen. He was then tortured by Galbatorix for his rebellion. When Thorn hatched for him, they were forced to swear their allegiance to Galbatorix in the Ancient Language.
Rider War Edit Battle of the Burning Plains Edit Murtagh on his dragon, ThornAdded by CleverGuy "Thorn is my dragon, and a thorn he shall be to all our enemies." — Murtagh Murtagh learned dark secrets of magic from Galbatorix and was given several of the Eldunarí that Galbatorix had in his possession. He was then dispatched to The Burning Plains, where an army of Imperial warriors were massed against those of Surda and the Varden, with orders to try to capture Eragon and Saphira. Galbatorix hid the true size of his army from the Varden with a powerful spell that took three days to pierce.
During the battle Murtagh struck down the dwarf king Hrothgar. He also bested the weary Eragon near the end of the battle. After defeating him, Murtagh took Eragon's blade, Zar'roc, claiming that the sword was rightfully his. He then revealed, using the Ancient Language, that Morzan was Eragon's father. He decided at last to exploit a loophole in his orders, which were to try to capture Eragon, and spare his friend, at risk of severe punishment brought by Galbatorix for not completing the deed.
Raid on the Varden Edit Galbatorix was furious with Murtagh for allowing Eragon and Saphira to escape. After Eragon and Saphira killed the Ra'zac, the king "turned his anger" upon Thorn and Murtagh. He then made Murtagh swear additional oaths that would ensure his complete obedience. Murtagh then returned to attack the Varden with a troop of painless soldiers. He and Eragon battled once more. Eragon was able to draw on the strength of Arya and the twelve elven spellweavers sent by Queen Islanzadí to aid him. Murtagh surprised Eragon by a display of elf-quick speed and strength during the contest.[1]
During the confrontation, Murtagh revealed that both he and Thorn suffered greatly for the mercy they showed Eragon. Eragon reasoned that Murtagh and Thorn could escape Galbatorix if they changed their True names, an idea that Murtagh said was intriguing and that he might try after careful study. However, Murtagh realized that he and Thorn could not change themselves in an instant, and then attacked Eragon. Murtagh pierced Eragon in the hip with Zar'roc. Eragon joined strength with the elves, and decided to test Murtagh in a battle of strength in magic. Eragon managed to outlast Murtagh in the brutal contest, but he and several of the elves fainted during the battle. This allowed Murtagh and Thorn to escape unharmed. Before leaving, Murtagh swore that he and Thorn would return, more powerful than ever, and defeat Eragon and Saphira once and for all.
Return to Gil'ead Edit Murtagh then returned once more to Urû'baen, and from there went to Gil'ead, where he fought with Oromis. Murtagh was recognized to have fear in his eyes, but he and Thorn battled the elder pair fiercely nonetheless. Using the vast amount of energy contained within Naegling, Oromis fought Murtagh while Glaedr battled Thorn. Thorn proved faster and stronger than Glaedr anticipated, and the battle went on. Oromis seemed confident that Murtagh's concentration would fail, but Murtagh held on. During the battle, Murtagh seemed to become angry at Oromis for not revealing himself sooner so that Oromis could have helped him. Galbatorix then assumed full control over Murtagh, first speaking to Oromis and Glaedr through Murtagh, attempting to persuade the two ancient warriors to ally themselves with Galbatorix. Oromis suffered a seizure which then made him drop Naegling, which meant that Oromis was separated from his power source that would protect him from harm. Galbatorix then dealt Oromis a fatal blow, using Murtagh's arm. Glaedr attempted to carry Oromis back to the elves, but was killed by Thorn. According to Christopher Paolini, Oromis would have stood "a good chance" of winning the battle against Murtagh and Thorn if Galbatorix had not interfered, and if Oromis had not had a seizure.
It is unknown what happened to Murtagh after Galbatorix used him to kill Oromis and Glaedr. He may have used his remaining power to wreak havoc among the elves, or he may have simply returned to the capital. But it is likely that they were forced to return due to Thorn's grave injury; Glaedr had bitten off several feet of his tail during the battle.
Capture of Nasuada Edit Later Murtagh played a crucial role in defending Dras-Leona, but the Varden were still able to take the city. He then raided the Varden camp, capturing Nasuada and bringing her back to Urû'baen, where Galbatorix tortured her. Murtagh in turn tried to comfort her as much as possible. He often talked to her the way he would have if he had grown up like a normal child, thus keeping her sane. Murtagh also taught Nasuada what to expect from Galbatorix and how best to protect herself from against his attacks.
Murtagh worked on a plan to free Nasuada, but Eragon's invasion of the city prevented him from carrying it out. When Eragon finally confronted Galbatorix, the king refused to duel Eragon personally, instead having him fight Murtagh. Murtagh quickly bested Eragon and nearly struck a fatal blow in his anger, but was stopped by Galbatorix, and the duel continued. Using the Way of Knowing, Eragon realized that Murtagh was the better swordsman, and possessed too much determination for Eragon to defeat in a fair duel. He then deliberately gave Murtagh an opening in order to land a blow, injuring both of them and ending the duel, with Galbatorix announcing Eragon as the winner.
Injured, Murtagh mused that the primary difference between Eragon and himself was that Murtagh had never been willing to sacrifice himself, and he found that his true name had changed. He aided his half-brother by using the Name of All Names to strip Galbatorix of his wards: an important act, as with wards, Eragon would not have been able to kill the king.
After Galbatorix died, Murtagh decided to wander Alagaësia until his anger subsided. Before he left, Murtagh and Eragon said goodbye, acknowledging each other as brothers. The most recently recorded sighting of Murtagh and Thorn was near Du Weldenvarden.
Personal information Edit Physical appearance Edit Murtagh was a stoic, eighteen-year-old. His regular, serious face and fierce gray eyes were framed by the locks of his long dark brown hair. He was clean-shaven, well tanned, fit, muscular, slightly taller (by about one to two inches) than his half-brother, Eragon, very strong and said to be extremely handsome. Across Murtagh's back was a long, twisting scar, reaching from his right shoulder to his left hip, caused when Murtagh's father, Morzan hurled Zar'oc at him when he was a child during a drunken rage, which was likely removed with magic as Galbatorix demanded physical perfection in his servants. Oddly, when Murtagh reappeared in Brisingr, he had black hair instead of brown. In an interview, Christopher Paolini acknowledged this as a small oversight.
Murtagh originally wore battered and travel-worn clothes, but eschewed them by the end of Eldest in favor of a suit of gleaming steel armor. Murtagh carried a yew bow and a white horn with silver fittings. His primary weapon was a hand-and-a-half sword, which was later replaced by Zar'roc.
Powers Edit "You cannot hope to compete with me. No one can, except for Galbatorix." — Murtagh Before becoming a Rider, Murtagh was a powerful warrior in his own right. A lifetime of practice and study in swordplay made him a formidable fighter, surpassing Vanir and matching even Eragon in technical skill. Eragon acknowledged Murtagh as a "deadly swordsman". Murtagh was a master swordsman able to fight on par with Oromis. His experience in archery and wilderness survival allowed him to survive by hunting and foraging when on the run from the Empire. He could talk about hunting and archery for hours, debating their finer points with Eragon for long periods during their journey. His mind was also thoroughly shielded from mental attacks to such an extent that powerful magicians such as Eragon, the Twins, and many others have all failed to breach his mind. The only one known to have broken Murtagh's defenses was King Galbatorix, which proves how powerful his mental defenses were. In the final book, Murtagh implied that Galbatorix only managed to penetrate his defenses by threatening Thorn, which echoed his previous statement to the Twins that they couldn't make him open his mind if they couldn't threaten Eragon's life.
After Thorn hatched for him, Murtagh became even more powerful. Murtagh's mind, well-defended as it was, was augmented by the Eldunarí given to him to control. When Eragon touched his mind in Eldest, he felt a "multitude" of consciences trying to get out. Bregan, the blind man who saw lights and energies in Brisingr ,described Murtagh's light, saying that the light shone through him as if his power came from another source. After the Battle of the Burning Plains, Murtagh gained increased strength and speed that was equal to most elves and combined with his impressive sword skills, these powers further made Murtagh into an extremely dangerous and powerful Rider, more powerful than many previous Riders before him.
Overall, Murtagh's greatest strength was perhaps his formidable magical prowess, which was due to both his heritage as the son of the most powerful Forsworn and his use of multiple Eldunarí. This made him the Empire's strongest magician after Galbatorix. He could immobilize fully grown dragons with a single word, heal even the most severe injuries in seconds, and when coerced to use deadly force, he could unleash blasts of ruby energy strong enough to wipe out an entire group of spellcasters. His reserves of magic were vast, due to the Eldunarí he possessed, though he was still subjected to the rules of magic whenever he used his powers. He was also quite inventive as he placed spells in objects so he could use them quickly.
In terms of swordsmanship, Murtagh was initially equal to Eragon in every aspect even in terms of their stamina and tiring rate. Their sparring sessions were always intense and neither could gain the upper hand on the other, and they always kept each other on their toes. However, during their last battle in Inheritance, Murtagh proved to possess superior combat ability to Eragon. Angry at Eragon, Murtagh quickly bested him and nearly dealt a fatal blow before being stopped by Galbatorix. Using the Way of Knowing, Eragon realized that Murtagh was the better swordsman by a margin that prevented him from gaining the upper hand in their fight, and that he was too determined for Eragon to defeat in a fair duel. To win the duel, Eragon had to deliberately leave an opening for Murtagh to land a blow before retaliating at the right moment, injuring them both and ending the duel. Eragon admitted that Murtagh would win in a fight to the death.
Murtagh was the second person to know the True Name of the Ancient Language which he used at one time to disable close to a hundred wards. With this knowledge, he became one of the most powerful magicians who ever lived, currently matched only by Eragon, Arya, and the Eldunarí from Vroengard (the others who also know the name). However, this was only because Murtagh chose to reveal it to Eragon before he left.
Personality Edit "No stranger's life is more important than Thorn's or my own." — Murtagh Murtagh always exuded a calm, assured air, and his voice "was low and controlled, but curiously emotional." Murtagh was very passionate in all that he engaged himself in. He was also compassionate, as shown when he found a loophole in his oath that allowed him to let Eragon go after their first conflict as Riders and by his refusing to join Galbatorix when first asked. He was very proud that he survived as well as he did under all the difficult circumstances that he was in during his hard life. Indeed, Paolini has stated that, aside from Eragon himself due to the circumstances of her finding, Saphira was most likely to have hatched for Murtagh.
Because of his unpleasant upbringing, a constant sense of danger, and multiple attempts on his life, Murtagh became solitary, suspicious, and practical. He was always wary of everyone, from strangers to his closest friends, and his suspicion made him dislike taking chances, especially for the sake of others. He would not hesitate to defend himself or whatever he held dear, no matter the cost to others. He was practical to the point of ruthlessness in this regard, killing anyone he deemed a threat with minimal hesitation or remorse, and an attitude that was almost casual. Murtagh was very different in this regard from Eragon and Roran, both of whom could not kill without being haunted by thoughts of the lives they had ended.
Murtagh was also very intelligent and strong-willed. He protected his mind behind nearly impenetrable barriers at all times, shielding the last sanctuary that has not been stolen from him. When he was imprisoned by the Varden, he refused to allow the Twins to enter his mind, no matter what they did. He was prepared to be imprisoned, tortured, and confined at all times, but did not give in. When they began bringing him whatever he wanted from the library of Tronjheim, he quickly became addicted to the scholarly environment.
Perhaps because of his indomitable will, Murtagh was also quite stubborn on occasion. Whenever he made a decision, nothing could change his mind. He absolutely refused to "repent" for killing Torkenbrand, or to allow the Twins into his mind. The only one who seemed to be able to sway Murtagh's decision one way or another was Thorn whom he claims to love like Eragon loves Saphira, who would always speak to him with his mind before either of them made an important decision. This level of cooperation and consideration for each other indicates that while Murtagh is stubborn and sometimes uncooperative, he and Thorn work very well together.
When Murtagh became an unwilling servant of Galbatorix, he abhorred the atrocities he had to perform and disliked carrying them out. However, he loved his new powers and reveled in the destruction he could wreak with them. Because of his cruel lot in life and a past filled with agony, Murtagh delighted in striking back at the world that had shown him little kindness, the result of a suppressed desire for revenge all his life.
Though Murtagh relished his power, he also wanted to be away from Galbatorix, proven when a look of desperate longing appeared in his eyes when Eragon proposed a way to escape, and his willingness to listen to Eragon's suggestion. Also, Murtagh said something in the company of soldiers of the Empire that made them wonder if they were hunting down Murtagh himself.
Murtagh was also introverted. He stated repeatedly that he values his own life, and Thorn's, more than any number of others' lives, and refused to sacrifice himself no matter how many innocents it would save, citing his enjoyment of life even as a slave to Galbatorix. In his hard life, he has had few friends, except for Eragon, Saphira, Tornac, Nasuada, and Thorn.
Morals Edit "I am not evil! I've done the best I could under the circumstances. I doubt you would have survived as well as I did …" — Murtagh Because Murtagh considered his life to be more important than others, he often disregarded the feelings and suffering of others for his own sake. For example, when Torkenbrand tried to capture him, Murtagh beheaded the slaver without hesitation, remorse, or emotion.
However, despite his ruthlessness, and his love of power, Murtagh was not sadistic or parasitic at all. He shied away from acts of excessive bloodshed and cruelty, such as the destruction of Cantos, and was willing to help others, such as Eragon, at certain times. He was also empathetic as he often empathized with the subjects of the Empire and Nasauda during her capture and did not judge others, unlike Eragon.
Though Murtagh did not love the Empire or the king, he also held the Varden in distaste. He believed that while Galbatorix was corrupt, the system of the Empire was sound, and the Varden's desire to destroy it utterly was fanatical and destructive. Though he supported Galbatorix as the ruler of Alagaësia, he harbored strong resentment against him and actually betrayed him in Inheritance. Murtagh studied the possibility of changing his true name, which allowed him to disobey and even betray Galbatorix. Paolini himself has said that Murtagh and Galbatorix have had many "difficulties".
However, his tenure with Galbatorix and role as Nasuada's imprisoner left a drastic change. He began to value other lives more, as well as gaining increased empathy, telling Eragon to comfort Arya as killing Shruikan might have left her deeply disturbed and later apologized to Glaedr for his part in his Rider's death.
Inner struggle Edit When faced with the choice of helping Eragon and Saphira escape the Empire by accompanying them to the Varden or fleeing the whole situation on his own, he decided to help Eragon even though he knew he could be punished somehow for being Morzan's son.
At the Battle of the Burning Plains, Eragon appealed to Murtagh's sympathies. Murtagh was only instructed to attempt to capture Eragon and Saphira. Therefore, he was able to find a way around his oath to Galbatorix, and save Eragon and Saphira.
When Eragon was traveling back to the Varden from Helgrind in Brisingr, he overheard a conversation from the soldiers. They said they wouldn't be surprised if the mysterious fugitive that they were hunting on the King's orders was Murtagh himself, because of what they heard him say. Although he was forced to serve Galbatorix, Murtagh did not seem happy about it. Its speculated that he may have said something about either a way to break free, or the destruction of Galbatorix's forces.
In their next encounter, Murtagh delayed his attack on Eragon until he heard what Eragon had to say concerning their true names. Even though he had said that Thorn and him were forever slaves to Galbatorix, he still clung to the hope that they could be freed.
Like Shruikan, Galbatorix attempted to turn Murtagh and to Thorn into remorseless killers, often treating them like a tool or weapon.
Romance Edit It is speculated that he may have had feelings for Nasuada, though nothing came of it. After Eragon killed Galbatorix, Murtagh and Thorn flew away to the north, as they knew they would never be accepted due to all they had done in Galbatorix's name but were acknowledged by Umaroth and the other Eldunari, and Murtagh still felt guilty for the harm he had caused Nasuada in his being forced to torture her by Galbatorix. As Paolini stated, all aforementioned actions "invalidated any feelings that Nasuada may have had for Murtagh", thus made her to say "I cannot forgive, but I understand"
Thorn was a red male dragon, bonded to Murtagh. He was trained to fight by Shruikan, and by the time of the Battle of The Burning Plains he could breathe fire. Thorn was skilled at aerial combat, being able to compete with Saphira, even when he was severely injured.
Contents [show] History Edit As an egg Edit Thorn was one of the three dragon eggs in Galbatorix's treasury, along with Saphira and Fírnen, the final dragon egg to be captured. He most likely came into Galbatorix's possession when the king salvaged the last dragon eggs from (or during) the Fall.
For decades, Galbatorix laboured to find Thorn's rider and have him hatch, but to no avail.
Early life Edit Finally, after a hundred years in Galbatorix's treasury, Thorn came into contact with Murtagh and hatched for him. Murtagh became a Dragon Rider in the service of the tyrant king, just like his father, Morzan. Galbatorix forced the two into his service, using their true names. It was revealed that Galbatorix tortured, or manipulated, Thorn to get Murtagh to swear fealty to him. Galbatorix and Shruikan trained them to become a formidable match to Saphira and Eragon. The dark king used his magic to speed Thorn's growth and augment his speed, in order for him to hold his own against Saphira in battle.
Training for the Rider War Edit To prepare him to take to the sky against the Varden, Galbatorix gave Murtagh and Thorn several Eldunarí, or dragons' Heart of Hearts. This caused their reserve of power to greatly increase. However, its still unclear as to the negative effects of this. Shruikan instructed Thorn in aerial combat. Thorn subsequently became a formidable dragon, though it is likely he was confused and disoriented with his new body for a time.
Battle of the Burning Plains Edit Once the first stage of their training was complete, Galbatorix sent them to confront the Varden and to capture Saphira in the process. Thorn flew to the Burning Plains and battled with Eragon and Saphira. Thorn matched Saphira blow for blow, even though he was younger and unarmored. Even after taking a crippling injury from Eragon's berserker attack, Thorn fought on, and managed to harry Saphira towards the ground. After a spectacular battle, Eragon and Saphira were soundly defeated. Murtagh then decided to show mercy to Eragon and Saphira, possibly by Thorn's urging.
Return to Urû'baen Edit Thorn and Murtagh returned to Galbatorix empty-handed. Galbatorix was furious with Thorn and Murtagh for letting Eragon and Saphira escape. He punished them severely. Afterward, they were forced to swear more oaths in the Ancient Language that would ensure their absolute obedience in the future.
After hearing of their account and prying the information from their minds, Galbatorix learned that Eragon now had the physical appearance and abilities of an elf. Fearing Eragon had gained elvish strength, and rightly so, Galbatorix bestowed additional powers on Thorn and Murtagh, making Thorn longer and deeper in the chest, and Murtagh faster than any human.
Hunt for Eragon Edit Murtagh and Thorn were ordered to capture Eragon, who had stayed behind at Helgrind to finish off the Ra'zac. Thorn flew over the southern Empire, searching for Eragon. Without his dragon, Eragon was no match for Thorn and Murtagh's combined power, but he managed to hide from them until they passed onwards, searching elsewhere. The hunt for Eragon proved fruitless for the Empire.
Thorn flew Murtagh to Surda, leading a company of painless soldiers to attack the Varden. Eragon and Saphira, in the hopes of avoiding a battle with the heretofore superior pair, offered to reveal a means of escaping Galbatorix's bondage. Murtagh and Thorn discussed the possibility, and decided to listen (possibly because Thorn wanted him to), though Murtagh was extremely annoyed at being tempted with what he viewed as a futile hope. After hearing of the possibility of changing their true names, they took note of the possibility, but still attacked Eragon and Saphira, as Murtagh asserted that he and Thorn could not change themselves in an instant, and that Galbatorix had probably planned for this eventually.
While the forces of the Empire and the Varden clashed, Thorn and Murtagh battled Eragon and Saphira once more. Thorn was beaten on every turn by Saphira during this specific conflict. Both sustained injuries, yet with the help of the Elves, Eragon and Saphira beat Thorn and Murtagh. Upon leaving, Murtagh called out to his enemy that he and Thorn would return, more powerful then ever, to defeat Eragon and Saphira once and for all.
Heading north to fight ancient foes Edit Murtagh and Thorn flew back to the capital to be chastised in person. After Galbatorix was done with them, he sent them north, to hold off the forces of the elven army. Thorn was briefly seen by Saphira while flying across the land, but made no attempt to fight her. His sighting sent the Varden into temporary alarm.
At Gil'ead, they found the city under attack by the elves. Thorn roared his challenge for all to hear, and was confronted by Glaedr and Oromis. The two dragons and their Riders dueled in the sky, both of them receiving numerous wounds. During the battle, Thorn used the very tactic Saphira had used against him in their last fight; he hid using the cover of the clouds, then darted out and struck his opponent. Even with this tactic, Glaedr was a formidable opponent, and the fight continued.
Finally, Galbatorix took total control of Murtagh and fought Oromis, knocking the sword Naegling from his hand and cutting him open from shoulder to hip. Glaedr used a blast of magic to push Thorn away, but the red dragon returned moments later, though he was injured (the last three feet of his tail was bitten off by Glaedr, it is unclear how this affected his flying abilities). Thorn outmaneuvered his foe and bit the base of his skull, and watched as Glaedr plummeted to the earth. With this act, the Dragon Riders of old were destroyed, again by the hands of Galbatorix.
Fight over Dras-LeonaEdit When the city Dras-Leona was attacked, Thorn and Murtagh appeared to defend the city. They did not attack the Varden, but watched them instead. When Jeod found the secret entrance, Saphira distracted Thorn and Murtagh by burning walls and buildings. Soon after, Thorn fought Saphira on the city cathedral, thus destroying it. Before it's destruction, Thorn was crushed with debris from one of Saphira's attacks, but managed to dig free and continue the battle. It is said that Thorn is bigger than two houses as opposed to Saphira merely being as big as one house, which suggests that Thorn has continued his incredible growth and is now significantly larger than Saphira. Later, during their abduction of Nasuada, Thorn finally bested Saphira in a battle and through aerial acrobatics and the use of his tail defeated Arya, who wounded him with Nieren.
Final ShowdownEdit Back in Urû'baen, Thorn must have borne witness to Murtagh slowly falling in love with Nasuada who was Galbatorix's prisoner. This largely contributed to Murtagh and Thorn being able to escape most of the oaths that they had sworn to Galbatorix. Also, Galbatorix made the mistake of teaching Murtagh the Name of Names, the name of the ancient language, which allowed one to completely control any magic done with use of the ancient language.
When the Varden arrived at the city, Thorn and Murtagh attacked Saphira and Eragon but they had been fooled by an illusion and, by the time they realized the deception, the true Eragon and Saphira had entered the castle. Along with Arya and Elva, they confronted Galbatorix and Murtagh later joined them. There, Galbatorix forced Murtagh and Eragon to fight, believing that it would be fitting to have both of Morzan's sons fight each other. Thorn and Saphira remained on the sidelines, snarling at each other as their Riders fought in an even battle. However, Eragon was able to trick Murtagh and therefore won the fight.
However, instead of returning to Galbatorix, Murtagh used the Name of Names to break off his wards and the oaths that they had sworn. Free from Galbatorix, Thorn attacked Shruikan although the black dragon was a lot bigger and a lot more powerful than him. Although they were all immobilized by Galbatorix once again, Eragon, Saphira and the Eldunarí pulled off one of the most powerful pieces of magic in history: they forced Galbatorix to feel all the feelings, good and bad, of all those who suffered because of him since the day he was born. Unable to hold on anymore, Galbatorix released them from the bondages. Thorn was thrown off Shruikan's back and broke his wing. He then joined forces with Saphira and they managed to bring the massive dragon down although they weren't strong enough to cause lethal damage to him. This allowed Arya however, to stab Shruikan in the eye with the Dauthdaert, killing him.
Galbatorix was bested by Eragon in their duel and then committed suicide in a nuclear explosion which brought his entire palace crumbling down.
With their bond to Galbatorix broken, Murtagh and Thorn went into self-imposed exile in the north of Alagaesia so that they could find time to heal from what Galbatorix did to them. Before they left however, they made peace with Eragon and Saphira, the two Riders acknowledging each other as brothers. Thorn also finally spoke to Eragon and Saphira for the first time, wishing them well. The most recently recorded sighting of Murtagh and Thorn was near Du Weldenvarden.
Personal information Edit Physical description Edit Thorn is a stocky, compact dragon with very strong muscles and limbs for his size. He was smaller than Saphira, most likely because he was younger, but sturdier in build, with thicker legs. He has since grown larger than Saphira and is described as bigger than two houses, whereas Saphira is merely as big as one. Thorn's eyes and hide are a sparkling ruby color, while his talons, teeth and neck spikes are all snow white. He has two cheek spikes, fewer than either Saphira or Glaedr, and wide, crescent shaped horns. His red eyes are split by black, vertical pupils. Thorn was missing three feet of his tail, as it was bitten off by Glaedr during Oromis' and Glaedr's final battle but it was confirmed to have been reattached with magic considering his use of it in Inheritance "quotes of its tip and his use of it against Arya. While Saphira was built for flying, Thorn's bulky shape seems to favor physical combat over speed. Thorn's size is due to Galbatorix's magic. The adverse effects of this magic is unknown. In Inheritance it is also said that his voice was quite musical.
Personality Edit Both Thorn and Murtagh were unwilling servants of Galbatorix, and as such were forced to act against their better judgment as directed by the king. As a result, little of Thorn's true personality was revealed until he was released from Galbatorix's enslavement. His mental voice was described as "surprisingly musical" by Eragon. Like many dragons he shares the feelings of his rider suggesting he may have resented Saphira similarly to how Murtagh resented Eragon. While Murtagh was controlled by Galbatorix when he killed Oromis, it appears Thorn was in control when he killed Glaedr. In Inheritance Murtagh reveals that Thorn was more determined than him and wanted to keep resisting Galbatorix during his early life in Urû'baen but Murtagh couldn't stand watching him suffer. In battle Thorn could be ruthless, shown when he attacked Glaedr seconds after his Rider's death and the tactics used during the Abduction of Nasuada; setting tents on fire and striking Arya with his tail. He only ever seemed angry at Saphira once when she tried to bury him and Murtagh alive.
Thorn was also brave as he battled much larger and wisers dragons such as Glaedr and Shruikan without hesitation, though he lost many battles to Saphira because, like his Rider, he was forbidden from using lethal force.
After Murtagh's fight with Eragon to discover the better warrior, Murtagh announced that he understood, and that he was not who he once was, meaning his and Thorn's true name changed, allowing them to attack Galbatorix and Shruikan, thus freeing Eragon to use a spell to show Galbatorix his wrongs, which the Eldunarí then contributed to, torturing Galbatorix and made him destroy his body with a spell.
Thorn's thoughts were suggested to be darker and more contorted than Saphira's, but still possessed a strength and nobility. When Thorn apologized to Glaedr for his part in Oromis's death, Thorn spoke in a respectful manner, suggesting Thorn was either simply knowledgeable of proper decorum or truly was an honorable and humble dragon.
Contents [show] History Edit As an egg Edit Thorn was one of the three dragon eggs in Galbatorix's treasury, along with Saphira and Fírnen, the final dragon egg to be captured. He most likely came into Galbatorix's possession when the king salvaged the last dragon eggs from (or during) the Fall.
For decades, Galbatorix laboured to find Thorn's rider and have him hatch, but to no avail.
Early life Edit Finally, after a hundred years in Galbatorix's treasury, Thorn came into contact with Murtagh and hatched for him. Murtagh became a Dragon Rider in the service of the tyrant king, just like his father, Morzan. Galbatorix forced the two into his service, using their true names. It was revealed that Galbatorix tortured, or manipulated, Thorn to get Murtagh to swear fealty to him. Galbatorix and Shruikan trained them to become a formidable match to Saphira and Eragon. The dark king used his magic to speed Thorn's growth and augment his speed, in order for him to hold his own against Saphira in battle.
Training for the Rider War Edit To prepare him to take to the sky against the Varden, Galbatorix gave Murtagh and Thorn several Eldunarí, or dragons' Heart of Hearts. This caused their reserve of power to greatly increase. However, its still unclear as to the negative effects of this. Shruikan instructed Thorn in aerial combat. Thorn subsequently became a formidable dragon, though it is likely he was confused and disoriented with his new body for a time.
Battle of the Burning Plains Edit Once the first stage of their training was complete, Galbatorix sent them to confront the Varden and to capture Saphira in the process. Thorn flew to the Burning Plains and battled with Eragon and Saphira. Thorn matched Saphira blow for blow, even though he was younger and unarmored. Even after taking a crippling injury from Eragon's berserker attack, Thorn fought on, and managed to harry Saphira towards the ground. After a spectacular battle, Eragon and Saphira were soundly defeated. Murtagh then decided to show mercy to Eragon and Saphira, possibly by Thorn's urging.
Return to Urû'baen Edit Thorn and Murtagh returned to Galbatorix empty-handed. Galbatorix was furious with Thorn and Murtagh for letting Eragon and Saphira escape. He punished them severely. Afterward, they were forced to swear more oaths in the Ancient Language that would ensure their absolute obedience in the future.
After hearing of their account and prying the information from their minds, Galbatorix learned that Eragon now had the physical appearance and abilities of an elf. Fearing Eragon had gained elvish strength, and rightly so, Galbatorix bestowed additional powers on Thorn and Murtagh, making Thorn longer and deeper in the chest, and Murtagh faster than any human.
Hunt for Eragon Edit Murtagh and Thorn were ordered to capture Eragon, who had stayed behind at Helgrind to finish off the Ra'zac. Thorn flew over the southern Empire, searching for Eragon. Without his dragon, Eragon was no match for Thorn and Murtagh's combined power, but he managed to hide from them until they passed onwards, searching elsewhere. The hunt for Eragon proved fruitless for the Empire.
Thorn flew Murtagh to Surda, leading a company of painless soldiers to attack the Varden. Eragon and Saphira, in the hopes of avoiding a battle with the heretofore superior pair, offered to reveal a means of escaping Galbatorix's bondage. Murtagh and Thorn discussed the possibility, and decided to listen (possibly because Thorn wanted him to), though Murtagh was extremely annoyed at being tempted with what he viewed as a futile hope. After hearing of the possibility of changing their true names, they took note of the possibility, but still attacked Eragon and Saphira, as Murtagh asserted that he and Thorn could not change themselves in an instant, and that Galbatorix had probably planned for this eventually.
While the forces of the Empire and the Varden clashed, Thorn and Murtagh battled Eragon and Saphira once more. Thorn was beaten on every turn by Saphira during this specific conflict. Both sustained injuries, yet with the help of the Elves, Eragon and Saphira beat Thorn and Murtagh. Upon leaving, Murtagh called out to his enemy that he and Thorn would return, more powerful then ever, to defeat Eragon and Saphira once and for all.
Heading north to fight ancient foes Edit Murtagh and Thorn flew back to the capital to be chastised in person. After Galbatorix was done with them, he sent them north, to hold off the forces of the elven army. Thorn was briefly seen by Saphira while flying across the land, but made no attempt to fight her. His sighting sent the Varden into temporary alarm.
At Gil'ead, they found the city under attack by the elves. Thorn roared his challenge for all to hear, and was confronted by Glaedr and Oromis. The two dragons and their Riders dueled in the sky, both of them receiving numerous wounds. During the battle, Thorn used the very tactic Saphira had used against him in their last fight; he hid using the cover of the clouds, then darted out and struck his opponent. Even with this tactic, Glaedr was a formidable opponent, and the fight continued.
Finally, Galbatorix took total control of Murtagh and fought Oromis, knocking the sword Naegling from his hand and cutting him open from shoulder to hip. Glaedr used a blast of magic to push Thorn away, but the red dragon returned moments later, though he was injured (the last three feet of his tail was bitten off by Glaedr, it is unclear how this affected his flying abilities). Thorn outmaneuvered his foe and bit the base of his skull, and watched as Glaedr plummeted to the earth. With this act, the Dragon Riders of old were destroyed, again by the hands of Galbatorix.
Fight over Dras-LeonaEdit When the city Dras-Leona was attacked, Thorn and Murtagh appeared to defend the city. They did not attack the Varden, but watched them instead. When Jeod found the secret entrance, Saphira distracted Thorn and Murtagh by burning walls and buildings. Soon after, Thorn fought Saphira on the city cathedral, thus destroying it. Before it's destruction, Thorn was crushed with debris from one of Saphira's attacks, but managed to dig free and continue the battle. It is said that Thorn is bigger than two houses as opposed to Saphira merely being as big as one house, which suggests that Thorn has continued his incredible growth and is now significantly larger than Saphira. Later, during their abduction of Nasuada, Thorn finally bested Saphira in a battle and through aerial acrobatics and the use of his tail defeated Arya, who wounded him with Nieren.
Final ShowdownEdit Back in Urû'baen, Thorn must have borne witness to Murtagh slowly falling in love with Nasuada who was Galbatorix's prisoner. This largely contributed to Murtagh and Thorn being able to escape most of the oaths that they had sworn to Galbatorix. Also, Galbatorix made the mistake of teaching Murtagh the Name of Names, the name of the ancient language, which allowed one to completely control any magic done with use of the ancient language.
When the Varden arrived at the city, Thorn and Murtagh attacked Saphira and Eragon but they had been fooled by an illusion and, by the time they realized the deception, the true Eragon and Saphira had entered the castle. Along with Arya and Elva, they confronted Galbatorix and Murtagh later joined them. There, Galbatorix forced Murtagh and Eragon to fight, believing that it would be fitting to have both of Morzan's sons fight each other. Thorn and Saphira remained on the sidelines, snarling at each other as their Riders fought in an even battle. However, Eragon was able to trick Murtagh and therefore won the fight.
However, instead of returning to Galbatorix, Murtagh used the Name of Names to break off his wards and the oaths that they had sworn. Free from Galbatorix, Thorn attacked Shruikan although the black dragon was a lot bigger and a lot more powerful than him. Although they were all immobilized by Galbatorix once again, Eragon, Saphira and the Eldunarí pulled off one of the most powerful pieces of magic in history: they forced Galbatorix to feel all the feelings, good and bad, of all those who suffered because of him since the day he was born. Unable to hold on anymore, Galbatorix released them from the bondages. Thorn was thrown off Shruikan's back and broke his wing. He then joined forces with Saphira and they managed to bring the massive dragon down although they weren't strong enough to cause lethal damage to him. This allowed Arya however, to stab Shruikan in the eye with the Dauthdaert, killing him.
Galbatorix was bested by Eragon in their duel and then committed suicide in a nuclear explosion which brought his entire palace crumbling down.
With their bond to Galbatorix broken, Murtagh and Thorn went into self-imposed exile in the north of Alagaesia so that they could find time to heal from what Galbatorix did to them. Before they left however, they made peace with Eragon and Saphira, the two Riders acknowledging each other as brothers. Thorn also finally spoke to Eragon and Saphira for the first time, wishing them well. The most recently recorded sighting of Murtagh and Thorn was near Du Weldenvarden.
Personal information Edit Physical description Edit Thorn is a stocky, compact dragon with very strong muscles and limbs for his size. He was smaller than Saphira, most likely because he was younger, but sturdier in build, with thicker legs. He has since grown larger than Saphira and is described as bigger than two houses, whereas Saphira is merely as big as one. Thorn's eyes and hide are a sparkling ruby color, while his talons, teeth and neck spikes are all snow white. He has two cheek spikes, fewer than either Saphira or Glaedr, and wide, crescent shaped horns. His red eyes are split by black, vertical pupils. Thorn was missing three feet of his tail, as it was bitten off by Glaedr during Oromis' and Glaedr's final battle but it was confirmed to have been reattached with magic considering his use of it in Inheritance "quotes of its tip and his use of it against Arya. While Saphira was built for flying, Thorn's bulky shape seems to favor physical combat over speed. Thorn's size is due to Galbatorix's magic. The adverse effects of this magic is unknown. In Inheritance it is also said that his voice was quite musical.
Personality Edit Both Thorn and Murtagh were unwilling servants of Galbatorix, and as such were forced to act against their better judgment as directed by the king. As a result, little of Thorn's true personality was revealed until he was released from Galbatorix's enslavement. His mental voice was described as "surprisingly musical" by Eragon. Like many dragons he shares the feelings of his rider suggesting he may have resented Saphira similarly to how Murtagh resented Eragon. While Murtagh was controlled by Galbatorix when he killed Oromis, it appears Thorn was in control when he killed Glaedr. In Inheritance Murtagh reveals that Thorn was more determined than him and wanted to keep resisting Galbatorix during his early life in Urû'baen but Murtagh couldn't stand watching him suffer. In battle Thorn could be ruthless, shown when he attacked Glaedr seconds after his Rider's death and the tactics used during the Abduction of Nasuada; setting tents on fire and striking Arya with his tail. He only ever seemed angry at Saphira once when she tried to bury him and Murtagh alive.
Thorn was also brave as he battled much larger and wisers dragons such as Glaedr and Shruikan without hesitation, though he lost many battles to Saphira because, like his Rider, he was forbidden from using lethal force.
After Murtagh's fight with Eragon to discover the better warrior, Murtagh announced that he understood, and that he was not who he once was, meaning his and Thorn's true name changed, allowing them to attack Galbatorix and Shruikan, thus freeing Eragon to use a spell to show Galbatorix his wrongs, which the Eldunarí then contributed to, torturing Galbatorix and made him destroy his body with a spell.
Thorn's thoughts were suggested to be darker and more contorted than Saphira's, but still possessed a strength and nobility. When Thorn apologized to Glaedr for his part in Oromis's death, Thorn spoke in a respectful manner, suggesting Thorn was either simply knowledgeable of proper decorum or truly was an honorable and humble dragon.
- Galbatorix Biographical information Born ca. 7867 AC Physical description Species Human Gender Male Hair Color Black Eye Color Black Description broad shoulders, tanned skin, long and lean face with deep brow and bladelike nose, wide and thin mouth, close-cropped beard and mustache, appears to be 30–40 years old ("fourth decade")[1] Chronological and political information Dragon Jarnunvösk (killed by Urgals), Shruikan (stolen) (killed by Arya) Affiliation Dragon Riders (formerly), Forsworn, The Empire Family Unknown Known teachers Initially, Elder Riders. Later, Durza Other Film Portrayer John Malkovich Galbatorix was the king of Alagaësia by force. He was chosen by a dragon and became a Rider in his early years. His dragon Jarnunvösk was killed by Urgals some years later. Galbatorix, mad with grief and hatred, asked the Dragon Rider council to grant him another dragon, but they refused, sensing his mental instability. With his request denied, Galbatorix took it upon himself to steal another dragon egg. He convinced a Dragon Rider named Morzan to leave the gates open to the place where the eggs were stored. Galbatorix stole a dragon. Then, he forced this dragon, Shruikan, to serve him by dark magic. He formed the Forsworn, a group of thirteen dragon riders and their dragons loyal only to him, and killed all the other dragons and riders in existence, or so he thought. He proceeded to create an Empire through which he ruled most of Alagaësia. He is the main antagonist of the book series.
History Born in the ancient province of Inzilbêth, and one of several siblings (all of whom were dead throughout the books), Galbatorix was accepted into the ranks of the Dragon Riders at the age of ten, after being traditionally tested for great potential. He quickly excelled in all areas of combat and spellcasting, which filled him with pride, arrogance, and vanity. Although some of his fellow Riders were wary of his swift rise to power, the majority of the order neglected caution, ultimately leading to their downfall.
Descent into Madness Edit Soon after his training had been finished, Galbatorix, along with his dragon, two companions, and their dragons, entered the Spine, believing in their arrogance their powers would protect them. During this reckless trip, they ventured far north into Urgal territory, and they were eventually ambushed in the dead of night as they made camp. All were slain, except for Galbatorix who, despite suffering great wounds himself, managed to defeat his attackers. But in the confusion, a stray arrow pierced the heart of his dragon, Jarnunvösk, and without the knowledge to save her, she perished. Driven mad by the loss of his dragon, Galbatorix wandered aimlessly in the wild for weeks, utterly delirious. He began to long for death, and so he blindly attacked any creature or Urgal he happened upon; however, he was too skilled to defeat, and was denied the release he craved. Eventually, he became so terrifying in appearance that the Urgals avoided him altogether. After a while, he began to hope that the Riders might grant him another dragon. Encouraged by this, he decided to journey back to the order. Starvation plagued him during this journey, and when he finally reached the outer edge of the Spine, he was found unconscious and close to death by a farmer, who promptly summoned the Riders. Once he had recovered sufficiently, he stood before the Elder Riders and demanded that they grant him a new dragon, but Oromis saw the madness in him and persuaded the other Elders to deny his request.
This effectively drove Galbatorix further into insanity and hatred. His mind became twisted by the previous events until he came, in his grief and rage, to believe that it was the Riders' fault that his dragon had died. Having firmly convinced himself of this, he plotted his eventual revenge.
The Fall of the Riders Edit In secret, he began training himself in the dark arts under the tutelage of a Shade. With this new found power, he persuaded a sympathetic Rider to lure and assassinate an Elder. When the deed was done, he then turned on his ally and killed him and his dragon in cold blood, taking his Eldunarí before letting out a demented scream of insanity. The other Riders quickly discovered him in the act, but he fled into the wild, biding his time. He hid in the wastelands in agony with only the Eldunarí for company, always alert for his pursuers, who eventually gave up on their search. Years later, after finally subduing the Eldunarí and bending it to his will, he found another young Rider, a strong, but weak-willed man named Morzan and persuaded him to join his cause. Morzan then aided him by leaving a gate unlocked in the elf city Ilirea, which later became known as Urû'baen. This allowed Galbatorix to enter and steal the dragon hatchling Shruikan after killing his Rider. Through the use of certain types of black magic, Shruikan was bonded to Galbatorix and forced into servitude.
Besides Morzan, twelve other corrupt Riders came to serve Galbatorix out of greed, fear, arrogance, or desire for vengeance for perceived wrongs. These thirteen Riders were known as the Forsworn, or Wyrdfell to the elves. With the Forsworn behind him, and augmented by the Eldunarí he captured and forced into loyalty, Galbatorix returned to the world to challenge the Riders. His desire was not only for vengeance, but to acquire as many Eldunarí as he could. He slaughtered every Rider he came across and took their Dragons' heart of hearts, before taking the whole Eldunarí collection the Riders carelessly guarded - or so he thought. At the behest of Vrael, Oromis and their dragons Umaroth and Glaedr, 135 Eldunarí and 243 dragon eggs, 26 of which had been set aside for the Dragon Riders, were hidden in the Vault of Souls along with the Eldunarí of Umaroth himself, deep underground beneath the roots of Mount Erolas, deep enough to escape magical detection, and the memory was magically removed from the minds of all who knew, including the mothers of every egg, using magic similar to that the Dragons had used in the Banishing of the Names. Galbatorix would never learn of the existence of this cache, and believed his victory to be absolute. During this time, he ruthlessly hunted down and killed his teachers. Eventually, he came to battle Vrael, the leader of the Riders, at the gates of Doru Araeba. Vrael would've emerged victorious during this duel, but just as he was about to deal the final blow, he hesitated, allowing Galbatorix a chance to viciously wound him. Forced into retreat, Vrael hoped to recover at a hidden fortress on top of the mountain, Edoc'sil. He did not get a chance, as Galbatorix hunted him there, and in the duel that followed, Galbatorix decapitated Vrael after kicking him in the fork between his legs. With the leader of the Riders dead, and most of the others massacred, Galbatorix became one of the most powerful beings in Alagaësia, only achieving so because of the Eldunarí's power he used. Galbatorix also stole Islingr, Vrael's sword, from the dead Rider's corpse, claiming it for his own and renaming it "Vrangr". However he failed to obtain the Eldunarí of Umaroth, Vrael's Dragon, as it had been hidden from him in the Vault of Souls.
The Empire Edit Shruikan, Galbatorix's (stolen) dragon as depicted in the movieAdded by GHe Galbatorix and his followers defeated both the elves and the dwarves, both of whom afterward went into hiding. Galbatorix then captured Ilirea with the Forsworn, where he deposed and murdered King Angrenost, the rightful ruler of the Broddring Kingdom. With this act, he proclaimed himself the new king of Alagaësia. From then on, his domain became known as simply the Empire. It should be noted that despite this, the Broddring Kingdom still officially existed, though by the time of the Rider War it was little more than a name upon royal decrees and became obsolete. Most of those under Galbatorix's rule never even knew it existed. His rule, though, was ruthless and cruel, and although much of the Empire stayed loyal to Galbatorix, there was a small rebel group called the Varden.
The Varden and the Death of the Forsworn Edit After naming himself king of Alagaësia, he took an active role among the Empire. Even so, he spent most of his time in his black castle in Urû'baen, formerly Ilirea. He spent forty years there, gaining power, enslaving his horde of Eldunarí, and never venturing beyond the walls of the capital. During this time, his Empire fell into chaos. After finally subjugating the spirits of the dragons confined in the Eldunarí he had captured, Galbatorix then embarked on a vicious and brutal military campaign to restore order in the Empire.
His ruthlessness and cruelty earned him the enmity of many places, such as Palancar Valley and its village of Carvahall, Eragon's place of childhood, although most of the Empire remained loyal to him, if only through fear. In particular, the country of Surda sought to remain independent of his rule, but did not feel it was wise to take up arms against him. Brom, a surviving Dragon Rider whose dragon, Saphira, had been killed in the Battle of Doru Araeba, sought revenge against Morzan and Galbatorix. He gathered together many people that had been exiled, imprisoned, or abused by the Empire, thus forming a rebel organization known as the Varden. With an elaborate network of spies and agents located throughout Alagaësia, it quickly became one of the most well-known organizations that opposed the Empire. During this time, the Varden assassinated many members of the Forsworn, Brom being a major contributor in many of the killings, leaving only one alive: Morzan.
After the fall of the Dragon Riders, Galbatorix had in his possession the last three known dragon eggs in Alagaësia. Try as he might, he could not get any of the eggs to hatch for his servants. A thief, hired by the Varden, named Hefring, later attempted to steal the eggs, but during his escape, he was only able to obtain one out of the three eggs. Morzan pursued this thief to Gil'ead, but Brom, still seeking revenge against Morzan, tracked him to there and slew him before he could , ending the Forsworn. He proceeded to transport the egg to the Varden, before going into hiding for about twenty years.
The Rider War Edit Prior to the War Edit After this incident, Galbatorix extended his friendship to Murtagh, son of Morzan, who had been living in Galbatorix's castle since the death of his parents. Murtagh, though knowing it would be unwise not to accept the offer, was seduced by Galbatorix's vision of turning the Empire into a Utopian society to benefit all Alagaësia, guarded and protected by a new order of Riders. Soon after, however, Galbatorix fell into a rage upon learning that rebels had intercepted and destroyed three brigades of Imperial troops, and commanded Murtagh to take a company of soldiers and decimate the village of Cantos, which was known to harbor the rebels. Murtagh refused the order when Galbatorix commanded him to slaughter the town's entire populace, and fled Urû'baen with his faithful teacher, Tornac. However, Galbatorix had anticipated this, and put soldiers to guard the gates to and from Urû'baen. While Murtagh was able to fight his way free, Tornac was killed in the struggle. Hoping to recapture Murtagh, Galbatorix sent the Ra'zac to pursue him.
Using his powers of dark magic, Galbatorix then took control of all the Urgal clans and placed his Shade, Durza, in command. He planned on using the ones who killed Jarnunvösk to eliminate his enemies before he chose to exterminate them at his leisure. One night, Durza and the Urgals ambushed the elven dragon egg courier, Arya while she was transporting the egg back to the Varden. Although Durza and the Urgals managed to capture Arya, their mission ultimately failed when Arya teleported the egg to the Spine, where it would be discovered by a young farm-boy named Eragon.
Galbatorix, now desperate to obtain the egg, told the Ra'zac to cease their pursuit of Murtagh and hunt down the egg instead. Their search led them to the village of Carvahall, deep in the Palancar Valley. Eragon, however, eluded capture, and Galbatorix would later learn that the egg had indeed hatched for Eragon, becoming Saphira.
Around the time that Eragon first became a Dragon Rider, Galbatorix, fearing an uprising in the north by local farmers, began the Northern Massacres, where he ordered mass raids by the Urgals on towns he suspected of supporting the Varden. His intentions were to scare them out of supporting the Varden and supporting him instead. Whole towns were decimated and their civilians slaughtered. At Yazuac, the entire population was murdered by the Urgals and piled together high at the center of the city. Some cities, such as Daret, were more fortunate, being able to fend off the Urgal attacks. Others, such as Carvahall, escaped the notice of the Urgals, being hidden by the mountains of the Spine. In order to cover-up these attacks from the general populace, Galbatorix had his agents spread rumors that the Urgals had allied themselves with the Varden, and that they were the actual instigators behind the attacks.
The Ra'zac would later encounter Eragon and Brom in Dras-Leona. They succeeded in murdering Brom later that night some distance south of the city, but were driven away by Murtagh, who had apparently been tracking them and Eragon. Murtagh, Eragon, and Saphira then made their way to Gil'ead, but were intercepted in their camp the night before they entered the city. Eragon was briefly imprisoned by Durza, but Murtagh and Saphira successfully rescued him, along with Arya.
Sometime in the same week, Galbatorix also planned to leave Urû'baen for the first in over a decade to deal with the ruler of Dras-Leona, Marcus Tábor, who had been disobeying orders and was becoming increasingly independent.
The Urgals pursued Eragon and his companions south towards the Beor Mountains, where the Varden was secretly located. By then, Galbatorix was aware of the location of the Varden.
The Battle under Farthen Dûr Edit Eventually, Galbatorix hatched a plan to completely destroy the rebellion, the Urgals, and the dwarves altogether. He decided to make an all-out attack on the Varden and the dwarves in their capital of Tronjheim, a city that lay below the mountain of Farthen Dûr, with the Urgals. The Urgals, lead by Durza, would stage a surprise attack on Tronjheim via underground tunnels that connected his hidden fortress in Ithrö Zhâda, a captured ancient dwarven city formerly known as Orthíad. After they crushed the Varden, they would proceed to kill the dwarf king and all his clan chiefs, eventually wreaking enough havoc upon the Beor Mountains to bring the dwarves to their heels. The Urgals would then be weak enough from the attacks that they would easily be wiped out by Galbatorix's armies. At the same time, he planned to capture Eragon and Saphira, so as to reestablish a new order of Dragon Riders under his control and recapture Murtagh.
In the Battle under Farthen Dûr, however, his plans ultimately failed when the Varden and the dwarves successfully fended off the Urgals by re-routing them and Eragon killed Durza. The Urgal clans turned on themselves, as Galbatorix forced them to unite against their rules.
Nevertheless, the battle wasn't entirely fruitless for Galbatorix. The Twins, two sorcerers that had served as Imperial spies the entire time they had been in the Varden, betrayed Murtagh and Ajihad by commanding a group of Urgals to ambush them. In the aftermath, Ajihad was killed while Murtagh was captured and brought before Galbatorix. Although Galbatorix was furious with Murtagh for defying his will, one of the dragon eggs hatched for Murtagh, and was subsequently named Thorn. Galbatorix then figured out Murtagh and Thorn's true names, and forced them to swear allegiance to him in the Ancient Language. With this act, Galbatorix made Murtagh his greatest general and taught him the secrets of magic and the dark arts. Galbatorix supplied Murtagh with multiple Eldunarí, enhancing Murtagh's power so that it was greater than Eragon's and that of the elves. Murtagh was also more powerful than any of the Forsworn had ever been, however Galbatorix kept the bulk of his Eldunarí for himself.
The Twins also provided Galbatorix with a very important detail: the name of Eragon's mother, Selena. They had figured out the connection between Eragon and Murtagh while scanning the former's mind. Therefore, both parties presumed that Morzan was Eragon's father, which would be demoralizing to the Varden if they knew that their enemy's own son is fighting for them. However, the Twins information was later discovered to be incorrect, as Eragon's true father was Brom.
Galbatorix desired to bring Eragon and Saphira into his service. Saphira was named after Brom's deceased dragon and is the last female dragon in existence and when she breeds with one of his dragons, the entire species would be reborn once more. He gave Murtagh and Thorn specific instructions not to kill them.
The Battle of the Burning Plains Edit In the months that followed, Galbatorix decided that he was no longer willing to tolerate the existence of Surda, a country on the southern coast of Alagaësia independent of the Empire, which had long supported his enemies. After the Battle under Farthen Dûr and Durza's death, the spell binding the Urgals to Galbatorix's will was broken. With this, the Urgals chose to ally with the Varden, despising the treachery Galbatorix had lead them through. Consequently, the king now had no choice but to rely on his standard troops. He ordered Murtagh and Thorn to lead troops from Gil'ead down to Surda to conquer the nation once and for all. Meanwhile, the Varden had also relocated from Tronjheim to Surda. Despite Murtagh's attempts, the Surdans and the Varden discovered the approaching Imperial army, and they subsequently marched north to engage them in combat at the Burning Plains. Eragon and Saphira, having learned of the upcoming battle, rushed to aid the Varden, leaving their training in Du Weldenvarden behind. With orders to capture both Eragon and Saphira, Murtagh and Thorn fought against them in the following battle, and although they may have been victorious, Murtagh's compassion for his younger half-brother allowed him to escape.
Continuation Edit Galbatorix was furious with Murtagh for allowing Eragon and Saphira to escape. Upon learning that Eragon and Saphira killed the Ra'zac, a disaster that could easily have been avoided had Murtagh and Thorn followed their orders, Galbatorix slew five nearby servants in a rage and then turned his wrath on Murtagh and Thorn. Then, he deployed Murtagh and a group of his painless soldiers to Surda, with stricter orders to bring Eragon and Saphira to him. However, Galbatorix's plan failed again when Eragon and Saphira drove Murtagh and Thorn away with the help of Arya and twelve other elves.
When Galbatorix heard the elves were attacking the north of his Empire, he responded quickly, rather than waiting for them to come to him. Murtagh was sent to Gil'ead to confront the elves.
While Oromis and Glaedr fought Murtagh and Thorn above Gil'ead, Galbatorix entered Murtagh's mind and asked Oromis to join him. Oromis refused, and the battle continued. Galbatorix swore to kill Oromis and take Glaedr's Eldunarí. Unpredictably, Oromis had one of his spasms and Naegling, his sword which had all of his wards was knocked from his hand. Galbatorix, through his possession of Murtagh, took advantage of the opening and rent Oromis from shoulder to hip with Zar'roc. Although Glaedr attempted to fly Oromis back to Gil'ead so Islanzadí's spellcasters could save him, he was ultimately unsuccessful, and Oromis perished. Glaedr dove back into battle with Thorn, but the red dragon was too quick for him to defeat. His physical body died as Thorn bit the back of his head and neck, killing him instantly. However, before departing for battle, Glaedr entrusted Eragon and Saphira with his Eldunarí, and consequently kept himself free from Galbatorix's bondage.
Capture of Nasuada Edit After losing both Belatona and Dras-Leona to the Varden's advance, Galbatorix sent Murtagh to capture Nasuada, the leader of the Varden. Imprisoned in Urû'baen, Nasuada was tortured by Galbatorix who wanted her to join his cause and swear an oath to him in the Ancient Language. However, unbeknowst to the king, Murtagh was helping Nasuada withstand the torments and gradually fell in love with her. Determined to get her out of Galbatorix's hands, he believed that only by delivering Eragon and Saphira to him would work.
Battle of Urû'baenEdit The Varden, along with the elves and the dwarves, arrived at Urû'baen at long last. Galbatorix gave command of the city's defenses to Lord Barst whom he trusted with one of his Eldunarí. He also rendered all his soldiers in Urû'baen immune to pain.
While the battle raged on, Eragon, Saphira, Arya and Elva confronted Galbatorix. However, Galbatorix used the Name of Names, the name of the Ancient Language, which he found on a tablet written by a race not of Alagaësia to immobilize them. He also had a boy and a girl held hostage by his side, making it impossible for his enemies to attack him for fear of their lives. Galbatorix expressed surprise to find Umaroth amongst the Eldunari in Eragon's possession. He then revealed his plan to use the Name of Names to win the battle and subjugate every magician in Alagaësia.
Tired of games, Eragon attempted to goad Galbatorix into an honest battle to decide the fate of Alagaësia. Galbatorix didn't care for "honest battles" and instead decided to pit brother against brother, declaring that Eragon and Murtagh will fight a non-lethal duel without magic or Eldunarí. However, Eragon revealed that Brom was his real father, not Morzan. Taken by surprise, Galbatorix could tell that he was telling the truth just by looking at him.
Eventually, Eragon won the duel. Then suddenly, Murtagh turned against Galbatorix, stripping him of most of his wards. Galbatorix retaliated and tried to force Eragon to swear fealty to him.
Death Edit Galbatorix was defeated by the use of an Empathy Spell cast by Eragon without the use of the Ancient Language, and aided by the Eldunarí. This spell forced him to understand and feel all the emotions he had invoked in others since he was born, which were mostly painful. As this was not a direct attack and Murtagh had already stripped him of most of his wards, Eragon made Galbatorix vulnerable at long last.
The king was unable to defeat Eragon in swordplay due to the painful effects of the Empathy Spell. He had a brief opportunity to attack Eragon whose leg collapsed from a previous injury, but failed to seize the opportunity due to the Empathy Spell's painful effects. With the king in extreme agony and stripped of most of his wards, Eragon was able to run Galbatorix through. Galbatorix was so overcome by the effects of the Empathy Spell that he pleaded with Eragon to end the spell even as he stood dying. When Eragon refused, the king, out of desperation, commanded himself to "Be not!". The ultimate effect of the suicidal, kamikaze-like spell that he cast literally caused himself to stop existing, converting every atom of his body into pure energy and creating a massive blast which would have killed all others present if Eragon had not shielded them in time. The shockwave of the blast destroyed the castle and caused great damage to the city and troops outside.
Role in the Eragon Movie Edit In the movie, Galbatorix was portrayed by John Malkovich. Throughout the movie, he is seen giving orders to Durza. In his throne room in the movie, he has a dragon-like throne and a map nearby which, at the end of the movie, he cuts down, revealing Shruikan behind it. He's depicted as calm and very intelligent in the movie and only reveals his frustration at the end of the film after Durza's failure. Most of his backstory was left out, and he aims to kill Eragon as well as Saphira, as opposed to trying to use Saphira to recreate the dragons, as is the case in the book. He did, however, refer to Saphira's egg as a "stone", that he "suffers without his stone', and that Durza was not to "prolong his suffering".
Powers and abilities Edit Galbatorix was arguably the most powerful magician in Alagaësia. Having had many thousands of the dragons' Eldunarí under his control, Galbatorix's magical and mental powers were close to unlimited. It is possible that Galbatorix's power had not yet reached its full potential during the events of Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr. Many characters have stated that Galbatorix's powers had been increasing each year. It is hinted that when he discoved the "true name" (The true name of the Ancient Language) he became more powerful still.
In addition, Galbatorix is shown to be a skilled military tactician and political maneuverer and is adept at manipulating people and events. His insanity has evidently not had an effect on his intelligence. Galbatorix is also highly charismatic. Murtagh stated that he was "the most convincing and frightening man I've ever met". His warm, calculated and incredibly attractive voice is considered by many to be one of his deadliest weapons.
In "Rider and Ra'zac," the last remaining Ra'zac tells Eragon that Galbatorix has almost discovered "the name," which in Inheritance it is discovered that he has discovered the true name of the Ancient Language, which allows him to do anything, even break an oath sworn in the Ancient Language.
WeaknessesEdit For all of Galbatorix's power, his education in magic seems to have been incomplete. He labored under the impression that, once he discovered the true name of the Ancient Language, he would be able to prevent anyone from using magic without his permission. This suggests, as noted by Eragon, that Galbatorix was not aware that it was possible to perform magic non-verbally. Whether the Riders didn't teach this to their students until a certain level, chose not to inform Galbatorix, or if he had, in his arrogance, simply forgotten, is unclear.
He also appears cocky and overconfident in the books. His decision to not attack the Varden personally when Eragon was weak and vulnerable is now seen to have been a mistake. His decision to wait out and chip away at the Varden while trying to find the Ancient Language's true name gave Eragon time to become more powerful and sure of himself.
Galbatorix's possible greatest weakness was his lack of compassion and understanding of love. His continued abuses of Murtagh and Thorn estranged them, and his inability to see the effect Nasuada had on Murtagh allowed Murtagh's true name to change. His every act of cruelty gave more power to the Empathy Spell when it was cast, eventually giving it enough power that the pain it caused Galbatorix forced him to destroy himself.
Physical appearance Edit In the film, Galbatorix is portrayed as tall, thin and bald with a beard and long, curving nails. He dresses in black armor and has a long black cape, characteristic of villains in fiction.
His physical appearance in the books differs wildly, as the film took a lot of creative liberties. Christopher Paolini illustrated a pen-and-ink portrait of Galbatorix, which appeared in the Deluxe Edition of Brisingr and also in Eragon's Guide to Alagaësia, a sketch that matches the description made of him at the end of Inheritance. In it, he is depicted as a man with long facial features, shoulder-length dark hair, with dark eyes and a worn and aged cloak (cut from one of Belgabad's wings), holding Vrangr in front of him. The book also adds that he is tall, broad-shouldered and well built, features that are not clearly visible on Paolini's drawing.
Personality and traits Edit In the early days of his life, Galbatorix was a proud and foolhardy man, a trait that was augmented by his superiority to his peers during their many training sessions. His arrogance was looked upon with caution by a few of the Dragon Riders at the time but ultimately dismissed, consequently leading to their downfall.
His recklessness was demonstrated most when he ventured into Urgal territory under the belief that he was strong enough to defend himself. When his dragon was killed in the ensuing conflict, his mind took its path into madness and insanity. Fractured by the loss of his dragon, as was a common occurrence upon losing someone of a close bond, Galbatorix eventually persuaded himself that the Elder Riders were to blame for his dragon's death.
As shown through many of his actions, Galbatorix had a talent for being very manipulative, possessing a genius level of intellect. Indeed, upon returning from his trip to the Spine, he was initially able to convince his fellow Riders that he was calm and capable of dealing with his dragon's death. It was not until he was brought upon the Council that he was unable to conceal his demented mind from the Riders.
At times, he was fully capable of hiding his madness under the guise of a kind, forgiving man fully dedicated to Alagaësia's well-being. At times, he may appear to be a calm, charismatic man, as shown when he attempted to earn Murtagh's trust. Only when his words are denied and his power rejected does he reveal his true nature and his madness, cursing his enemies and scorning them to death. He is, in reality, easily angered and has a fiery, unmerciful temper. Upon learning of the Ra'zac's death, he slaughtered five of his nearby servants in frustration. When a few Imperial brigades were destroyed nearby, he ordered Murtagh to lay waste to the town of Cantos, a suspected rebel stronghold, and have its entire population put to the stake. His cruelty is likely to have been influenced by the dementia formed when his dragon died, and he appears to hold little regard for other beings' lives.
During some of Nasuada's chapters in the latest book we learn that Galbatorix seems to have quite a controlling personality as seen when he explains his plans to Nasuada such as wanting to have complete control in the land over magic with nobody being able to use it unless he himself says so. It is also evident in the way that Murtagh has talked about him and especially in the quote "I can't so much as tie up my boots without Galbatorix saying so".
His talent for breaking into people's minds stems from the perverse pleasure he finds in the act which makes it far easier for him than most magicians.
Shruikan was a black male dragon, forcibly bonded to Galbatorix. He was the only dragon other than Glaedr to survive the Fall of the Riders (not including the Forsworn's dragons, who were killed later).
Contents [show]
History When Galbatorix's dragon, Jarnunvösk, was killed by Urgals, Galbatorix traveled back to the Rider's stronghold in Ilirea, where he was brought before the Council of Elders. He demanded another dragon, and the desperation of his request revealed that he was insane. He was denied his hope, and to exact revenge, he formulated a plan to steal a dragon hatchling.
Shruikan was the dragon stolen by Galbatorix, with the help ofMorzan, after he killed Shruikan's original Rider. Galbatorix then named the dragon Shruikan, a perversion of the usual custom, as dragons normally opted to choose their own names when they were old enough to understand this concept. He twisted the young dragon's mind with powerful dark magic, so that Shruikan would serve as Galbatorix's new dragon. Likely, Galbatorix also used magic to artificially speed up Shruikan's growth.
When Shruikan was fully grown, he was forced by Galbatorix and his servant, Morzan, to take down the Riders and kill his own brethren. Shruikan was spared in The Banishing of the Names because he was forced into servitude, unlike the Forsworn's dragons who chose to help.
Bond to Galbatorix The bond between Galbatorix and Shruikan was a mangled and corrupted version of the natural link between dragon and Rider. Therefore, it is extremely likely that Galbatorix had control of Shruikan's Eldunarí, which gave Galbatorix control over Shruikan. Shruikan went insane, and was consumed by hatred due to having been controlled and corrupted by Galbatorix his entire life. His loyalty to Galbatorix is questionable, but Shruikan seemed to take tormented pleasure in fighting for him. When he made his first appearance in Inheritance, Elva noted that he was the most unhappy creature she had ever met. All she could sense within him was madness. She goes on to say that if he could, he would destroy everything in his path and burn every plant until none were left.
Physical appearanceEditShruikan's eye.Added byIdkcody
Shruikan was a black dragon of titanic size. According to Inheritance, Shruikan had a pale blue-white iris, the color of a high mountain glacier. He was larger than Glaedr and told to have spikes as thick as tree trunks and to make the ground shake more than a mile around him with every step he took. He was eventually killed in Galbatorix's throne room because the room was too small for him to adequately move. Both Saphira and Thorn held down Shuikan's head so he couldn't move his head away when Arya went to stab him through the eye with the Dauthdaert, Niernen.PersonalityEditIn Inheritance, it was revealed that Shruikan's only desire was to burn and destroy every last being and plant until nothing remained. Elva had admitted that he was too far beyond sanity to be helped; and Galbatorix said that he was angry with everyone.
AppearancesEditShruikan's first actual appearance was when the Varden were outside the gates of Urû'baen. Galbatorix used Shruikan to demoralize the Varden by revealing his immense size and power. He came from Urû'baen, and then flew around, unleashed a jet of flames and then flew back to Urû'baen. It was impossible to tell his size but at this point Eragon guessed that he could have been the biggest dragon he had ever seen.
Shruikan next appeared when the four warriors, Eragon, Arya, Saphira and Elva confronted Galbatorix. He was mistaken for a large curtain as he lay behind the King's throne. When he awoke he made a challenging glance the group and even a challenging growl at Saphira personally as his growl was much larger than hers. However Galbatorix calmed him.
When they broke free of Galbatorix's magic, Thorn attacked Shruikan, although he only succeeded in getting injured. However, the two dragons were able to get Shruikan's neck down almost to the ground with their combined weight because the room was to small for him to lift his neck up all the way. As they did he breathed his black fire and almost succeeded in incinerating Arya, who had the Dauthdaert in her hands. Because Shruikan couldn't move his head with the weight of Saphira and Thorn pressing down, so Arya was able to stab Shruikan through the eye with the enchanted dragon-killing weapon. With that, Shruikan's life came to an end.
Shruikan's corpse was stripped of all flesh by Galbatorix's suicide by magic, which caused a nuclear explosion, and his skull was destroyed by the ceiling partially collapsing onto it. It is probable that the rest of his skeleton was destroyed when the rest of the throne room collapsed on it.
Shruikan appeared briefly at the very end of the Eragon film (seen to the right). He was seen blowing fire in the last shot of the film, after Galbatorix cuts a map in half, which reveals the dragon hiding behind. Also there was no mention that Shruikan would not be Galbatorix´s original dragon but a stolen one.
During the film, if you pay attention, you can hear Shruikan growling in the background during a scene where Galbatorix pushes Durza against the map of Alagaësia threateningly. It is very faint but noticeable.
SpeculationEditFans speculate that while Galbatorix was capturing Eldunarí from dragons during the Fall of the Riders, he spent years trying to make them bend to his will. Therefore, it is wondered if Galbatorix had Shruikan's Eldunarí. This was likely due to the enslavement of Shruikan. This action would have been easier for Galbatorix if he had possession of Shruikan's Eldunari. However, it is questionable if Galbatorix had enough hold over him to force him to disgorge his heart of hearts.
With the publishment of Inheritance, it was revealed that Shruikan was beyond any hope of being saved. Eragon asks Elva after his appearance if she was able to feel anything from the massive dragon, to which she replies that she can only feel great pain and anger, and that if he could he would burn every plant and kill every creature he met until nothing was left. Eragon then asks her if there's any way to reach him, but to his dismay Elva tells him that there is none, and the best thing they could do for him was to put him out of his misery.
It is unknown whether or not Shruikan's Eldunarí, survived the events of Inheritance, or if it was destroyed in Galbatorix's blast.
Contents [show]
History When Galbatorix's dragon, Jarnunvösk, was killed by Urgals, Galbatorix traveled back to the Rider's stronghold in Ilirea, where he was brought before the Council of Elders. He demanded another dragon, and the desperation of his request revealed that he was insane. He was denied his hope, and to exact revenge, he formulated a plan to steal a dragon hatchling.
Shruikan was the dragon stolen by Galbatorix, with the help ofMorzan, after he killed Shruikan's original Rider. Galbatorix then named the dragon Shruikan, a perversion of the usual custom, as dragons normally opted to choose their own names when they were old enough to understand this concept. He twisted the young dragon's mind with powerful dark magic, so that Shruikan would serve as Galbatorix's new dragon. Likely, Galbatorix also used magic to artificially speed up Shruikan's growth.
When Shruikan was fully grown, he was forced by Galbatorix and his servant, Morzan, to take down the Riders and kill his own brethren. Shruikan was spared in The Banishing of the Names because he was forced into servitude, unlike the Forsworn's dragons who chose to help.
Bond to Galbatorix The bond between Galbatorix and Shruikan was a mangled and corrupted version of the natural link between dragon and Rider. Therefore, it is extremely likely that Galbatorix had control of Shruikan's Eldunarí, which gave Galbatorix control over Shruikan. Shruikan went insane, and was consumed by hatred due to having been controlled and corrupted by Galbatorix his entire life. His loyalty to Galbatorix is questionable, but Shruikan seemed to take tormented pleasure in fighting for him. When he made his first appearance in Inheritance, Elva noted that he was the most unhappy creature she had ever met. All she could sense within him was madness. She goes on to say that if he could, he would destroy everything in his path and burn every plant until none were left.
Physical appearanceEditShruikan's eye.Added byIdkcody
Shruikan was a black dragon of titanic size. According to Inheritance, Shruikan had a pale blue-white iris, the color of a high mountain glacier. He was larger than Glaedr and told to have spikes as thick as tree trunks and to make the ground shake more than a mile around him with every step he took. He was eventually killed in Galbatorix's throne room because the room was too small for him to adequately move. Both Saphira and Thorn held down Shuikan's head so he couldn't move his head away when Arya went to stab him through the eye with the Dauthdaert, Niernen.PersonalityEditIn Inheritance, it was revealed that Shruikan's only desire was to burn and destroy every last being and plant until nothing remained. Elva had admitted that he was too far beyond sanity to be helped; and Galbatorix said that he was angry with everyone.
AppearancesEditShruikan's first actual appearance was when the Varden were outside the gates of Urû'baen. Galbatorix used Shruikan to demoralize the Varden by revealing his immense size and power. He came from Urû'baen, and then flew around, unleashed a jet of flames and then flew back to Urû'baen. It was impossible to tell his size but at this point Eragon guessed that he could have been the biggest dragon he had ever seen.
Shruikan next appeared when the four warriors, Eragon, Arya, Saphira and Elva confronted Galbatorix. He was mistaken for a large curtain as he lay behind the King's throne. When he awoke he made a challenging glance the group and even a challenging growl at Saphira personally as his growl was much larger than hers. However Galbatorix calmed him.
When they broke free of Galbatorix's magic, Thorn attacked Shruikan, although he only succeeded in getting injured. However, the two dragons were able to get Shruikan's neck down almost to the ground with their combined weight because the room was to small for him to lift his neck up all the way. As they did he breathed his black fire and almost succeeded in incinerating Arya, who had the Dauthdaert in her hands. Because Shruikan couldn't move his head with the weight of Saphira and Thorn pressing down, so Arya was able to stab Shruikan through the eye with the enchanted dragon-killing weapon. With that, Shruikan's life came to an end.
Shruikan's corpse was stripped of all flesh by Galbatorix's suicide by magic, which caused a nuclear explosion, and his skull was destroyed by the ceiling partially collapsing onto it. It is probable that the rest of his skeleton was destroyed when the rest of the throne room collapsed on it.
Shruikan appeared briefly at the very end of the Eragon film (seen to the right). He was seen blowing fire in the last shot of the film, after Galbatorix cuts a map in half, which reveals the dragon hiding behind. Also there was no mention that Shruikan would not be Galbatorix´s original dragon but a stolen one.
During the film, if you pay attention, you can hear Shruikan growling in the background during a scene where Galbatorix pushes Durza against the map of Alagaësia threateningly. It is very faint but noticeable.
SpeculationEditFans speculate that while Galbatorix was capturing Eldunarí from dragons during the Fall of the Riders, he spent years trying to make them bend to his will. Therefore, it is wondered if Galbatorix had Shruikan's Eldunarí. This was likely due to the enslavement of Shruikan. This action would have been easier for Galbatorix if he had possession of Shruikan's Eldunari. However, it is questionable if Galbatorix had enough hold over him to force him to disgorge his heart of hearts.
With the publishment of Inheritance, it was revealed that Shruikan was beyond any hope of being saved. Eragon asks Elva after his appearance if she was able to feel anything from the massive dragon, to which she replies that she can only feel great pain and anger, and that if he could he would burn every plant and kill every creature he met until nothing was left. Eragon then asks her if there's any way to reach him, but to his dismay Elva tells him that there is none, and the best thing they could do for him was to put him out of his misery.
It is unknown whether or not Shruikan's Eldunarí, survived the events of Inheritance, or if it was destroyed in Galbatorix's blast.