Eragon (character) - Appearance and Characteristics

Appearance and Characteristics

Eragon was a human of average height, originally with intense brown eyes, dark thick eyebrows and brown hair. After being influenced by magic at the Blood-Oath Celebration he attended in Ellesméra, he resembled an elf:

It was as if the numerous physical changes that, over time, alter the appearance of a human Rider—and which Eragon had already begun to experience since bonding with Saphira—had been completed while he was unconscious. His face was now as smooth and angled as an elf’s, with ears tapered like theirs and eyes slanted like theirs, and his skin was as pale as alabaster and seemed to emit a faint glow, as if with the sheen of magic.

.......Yet he was not entirely an elf. His jaw was stronger, his brow thicker, his face broader. He was fairer than any human and more rugged than any elf.

......Tears sprang to Eragon’s eyes as he slid his hand over the place where Durza had maimed him. He knew that his back would never trouble him again. Not only was the savage blight he had elected to keep gone, but every other scar and blemish had vanished from his body, leaving him as unmarked as a newborn baby.

After this transformation, Eragon is freed from the pain of Durza's scar, and gains the heightened agility and strength possessed by Elves. He defeats Vanir, an Elf, in a training session, proving his super-human swordsmanship skills. From then on, Eragon was faster and stronger than any human. Brom remarked that Eragon was a rare and talented swordsman' as well as a skilled and deadly archer.

It is often implied that Eragon is a prodigy among Riders, though not explicitly stated, as Eragon discovered his magical abilities intuitively and was able to shape the results relatively well, later learning to use magic without the Ancient Language in a similar manner. He has also managed to complete training that required most young Riders many years in little more than a single year, and has learned to read perfectly in both the common language of Alagaesia and the Ancient Language.

Eragon was emotional, and was always worried about the morality of his actions. He disliked killing, though he was forced to do so in battles. Queen Islanzadí mentions his skill in unknowingly getting caught in troublesome situations:

“Oromis may have been your proper teacher, but you have proved yourself Brom’s heir, not Oromis’s. Brom is the only other person who managed to entangle himself in as many predicaments as you. Like him, you seem compelled to find the deepest patch of quicksand and then dive into it.”.

This is probably because Brom was, late in Brisingr, revealed to be Eragon's father.

Brom too mentioned this to Jeod while in Teirm:

...."We'd better go out and join Eragon. I get worried whenever he's alone. That boy has an unnatural propensity for being where there's trouble...."

Eragon was always eager for knowledge of any kind. His curiosity is mentioned more than once in the novels. An elf, Lifaen remarks in Eldest:

..... “You have as many questions as leaves on a tree, Argetlam.”

Whereupon Eragon replies:

"Brom was of the same opinion."

Roran, on seeing Eragon for the first time after becoming a Rider, thinks:

....It seemed inconceivable that the slight, moody, overeager boy he grew up with had turned into this fearsome warrior.

Roran and Eragon love each other and were "brothers in all but blood".

Initially, Eragon often relied on others for guidance, from Brom to Oromis to Saphira. But he soon matures, and is able to take decisions by himself, as shown in Brisingr when he stays behind in Helgrind to decide Sloan's fate. He slowly grows, showing a new depth in his thoughts and actions. He has no intention of replacing Galbatorix, and only wishes to overthrow him. Eragon desires neither power nor fame, and hopes only for peace and happiness in Alagaesia.

Eragon was rash in his actions, and did not think enough about what he was doing. He allowed his heart and instinct to guide him rather than reason. Yet, his intentions were always noble, and wished no pain to any living creature. After his training in Ellesméra, he gives up eating meat, except only in dire circumstances. He learns to respect the sanctity of life — ranging from an ant's to that of a dragon's. It is mentioned several times in the novels that Eragon detested battle, and though he fought well, he always regretted the loss of life. Eragon had immense will-power and determination. In Eldest, he says of himself to Oromis:

“I would say, rather, that once I dedicate myself to a certain project or path, I see it through, no matter the cost... especially if someone I love is in danger.”

“I like to face challenges.”

...“I enjoy overcoming challenges, but I’ve faced enough hardship to know that it’s foolish to make things more difficult than they are. It’s all I can do to survive as it is.”

He wielded Zar'roc, a crimson sword once belonging to Morzan, though this was taken from him by Murtagh during the battle on the Burning Plains. He also has a longbow, sung from a yew tree by Islanzadi, with a quiver of magic swan-fletched arrows that never misses its target. After Zar'roc was taken by Murtagh, he is given a dwarven falchion by Fredric. Later, the Elven blacksmith Rhunön forged him his own sword, which he named Brisingr. A characteristic of his new sword is that, whenever he utters "Brisingr", it bursts into blue flames.