is a major ,
Roran , and Murtagh.
Murtagh explained parts of his past in ''
Eragon '' and ''
Eldest '', but, thus far in the trilogy, at least, not much is known about Murtagh's early life. As the child of the violent and twisted
Dragon Rider Morzan , Murtagh experienced an unpleasant childhood. He was born to Selena, a woman who was desperately in love with Morzan, whom Morzan used as a tool against the other Forsworn. For his own safety, Murtagh was raised in Morzan's castle, never to be seen. Only King Galbatorix knew of the boy's existence. Murtagh was often physically abused by his father, when in one of his mad rages. The long scar on his back bears testament to this - at the age of three, Murtagh received the wound when Morzan threw his sword, Zar'roc, at him in a fit of anger.
When his father was killed by
Brom , Selena had disappeared (she was pregnant with another child, and escaped to find a better life for that child) and the king brought Murtagh to the royal palace at Urû'baen. There Murtagh was educated and taught swordsmanship by Tornac, the king's weapon master who was completely loyal to Murtagh. Murtagh avoided the courts as much as possible during his years at the palace, although he kept himself informed of the power struggles and politics that went on among the nobles. Then, when he was around eighteen, the king called Murtagh to have a private dinner with him. Unable to refuse, Murtagh agreed; the ensuing meal was almost silent as Murtagh's attempts to make polite conversation failed, and the king watched him intently and speculatively.
After dinner the king asked Murtagh if he would serve him and fight for him. Murtagh, knowing the terrible power of Galbatorix, answered yes although Galbatorix's reign sickened him. Months after that meeting, the king summoned Murtagh in a terrible rage, and ordered him to lead an army to crush a rebellion in a certain province. When Murtagh asked whether he should imprison the civilians, Galbatorix answered that everyone, rebels and civilians alike, should be killed, and the area destroyed. Disgusted, Murtagh and Tornac fled the palace on their horses. The king seemed to have anticipated it, and soldiers blocked their way. Although they fought bravely, Tornac was killed. Murtagh escaped on his horse, a swift grey stallion named Tornac in honor of his friend. (It is quite possible that the horse was ''already'' named Tornac, as he had been gifted to Murtagh as a foal)
Eragon first meets Murtagh when he, Brom and
Saphira are ambushed by the
Ra'zac . Murtagh had been able to drive the Ra'zac away with his arrows, but not before Brom is fatally wounded. Murtagh explains how he had been hunting for the Ra'zac in hopes of meeting the new Dragon Rider, Eragon, who had been stirring up so much trouble for the king. When the two young men meet, Murtagh has just fled the palace. Eragon wonders who he is, for Murtagh has an air of authority, is dressed and armed like a prince, and rides a noble horse. Eragon can't think what he is, speculating that Murtagh is either a thief or ''"accustomed to money - and lots of it"''. Murtagh is cagey about his past at first. Much later, when the two of them spar, they are equally excellent swordsmen. Murtagh wields a
Hand-and-a-half Sword .
Brom dies, and Eragon, Murtagh, and Saphira continue fleeing the Ra'zac. They travel to
Gil'ead together in hopes of coming in contact with the
Varden . During this time, Eragon and Murtagh become very good friends, although they continue to keep their pasts hidden from one another. When Eragon is captured at Gil'ead, Murtagh saves him from captivity. As they escape,
Durza the
Shade appears and is temporarily disembodied after being shot between the eyes by Murtagh. This secures their getaway; Murtagh, Eragon,
Saphira , and
Arya (a captive
Elf whom Eragon insisted on rescuing) safely depart the city.
Murtagh somewhat reluctantly agrees to accompany them on their quest to find the Varden; though as they approach the fortress of
Farthen Dûr , the Varden's stronghold, Murtagh becomes increasingly uneasy and makes it clear that it was against his will to come there. Eragon is curious as to why, but Murtagh will say no more. They are imprisoned for a time, though Arya is recognized as the dragon-egg courier, and Eragon demands to know why Murtagh does not wish to stay with the Varden. Grudgingly, Murtagh reveals that he is the son of Morzan, first and last of the
Forsworn . Although Murtagh has proven himself to be trustworthy and genuine, he faces distrust and scrutiny because of his heritage, and is imprisoned by
Ajihad when he, Eragon, and Saphira finally arrive at
Tronjheim . However, the "prison cell" Ajihad puts him in is in fact a very nice bedroom where sumptuous meals are frequently delivered.
In the battle of Tronjheim, Murtagh is allowed to join in the fight, and he defends the dwarf-city valiantly, charging the Urgals on his steed Tornac. The dwarves are heartened by his skill and his bravery.
In ''Eldest'', Murtagh is captured and taken to Urûbaen by the
Twins . The dragon
Thorn hatches for him, and, after being forced to swear his allegiance to Galbatorix in the
Ancient Language , Murtagh becomes a Rider for the Empire. Galbatorix knows the true names of both Murtagh and his dragon, and this allows him to control them regardless of their intent.
From Galbatorix, Murtagh learns dark secrets of magic that allow him to best the weary Eragon towards the end of the Battle of the Burning Plains. After defeating him, Murtagh takes Eragon's blade, Zar'roc (''Misery''), and claims that the sword is rightfully his. He then reveals that Morzan was Eragon's father, as well, and that he and Eragon are brothers. The truth of this statement, however, is still debated, as they may only share the same mother. A possible clue is given in the riddle mentioned by Blagden, the raven (P. 546):
''While two may share two,''
''And one of two is certainly one,''
''One might be two.''
Murtagh is perhaps the most controversial character in the Inheritance series. He has a thinly veiled distaste for the Varden, asserting that although the king is mad, the system of government is itself sound, and therefore feels that the radical politics of the Varden is flawed. When he flees the king, he joins the Varden out of loyalty towards Eragon, a hatred for Galbatorix, and perhaps a growing interest in
Nasuada , the cool and clever daughter of the Varden leader. He is later forced by Galbatorix to fight for the Empire and to capture and kill his friends; speculation is rife as to which side his loyalties really lie.
Murtagh is extremely intelligent and ambitious, a logical, sharp-minded and hard young man who can often understand and gauge a situation more clearly than the main protagonist, Eragon, can. Accustomed to being in danger from the day he was born, Murtagh is constantly on edge, wary of strangers and even friends and reluctant to trust anyone. He is cool and detached, with an air of arrogance that he was bred with, and a very high level of emotional maturity - this is shown often in the books, with Murtagh staying calm and controlled even in the most trying circumstances. However, he is also a loyal comrade and, despite his hardness, a compassionate person. When he becomes a Rider, he rises from being Eragon's sidekick to being Eragon's powerful adversary; in Eldest his virtual imprisonment by the king leads to Murtagh's cold anger and destructive power surfacing, suppressing his better qualities.
- An interesting aspect of Eragon and Murtagh's relationship is that they are near equals. Although Eragon was gifted with magic through his bond with Saphira, he and Murtagh were equally skilled swordsmen and could never defeat each other when sparring. In ''Eragon'', however, Murtagh was not as powerful as Eragon simply because he lacked magic. Later, in ''Eldest'', Eragon and Saphira were trained by the ancient Dragon Rider Oromis and his gold dragon, Glaedr . Around the same time, Murtagh and Thorn were trained by King Galbatorix and the king's black dragon, Shruikan . While Murtagh learned powerful dark magic, Eragon was endowed with ancient elf magic that made him almost superhuman in his skills. When Thorn, Murtagh, Saphira and Eragon meet in combat at The Battle of the Burning Plains, they are again almost equals - except that this time Murtagh is more powerful, effortlessly defeating Eragon with his own, more powerful magic.
- At the end of ''Eldest'', Murtagh seems to better Eragon in magical skill. It is widely believed, though, that, after being 'transformed' by the elves, a fully replenished Eragon could have defeated Murtagh in a fair duel. Certain fans disagree. Murtagh had been learning dark magic of which the elves do not even speak; in addition, he knows his true name. Both these things give him advantages over Eragon. Finally, Murtagh has also been said to be more powerful even than Morzan. Finally, Eragon himself admits that Murtagh's power outstrips him by far, even in his rested state.
- There is speculation that Garrow (Roran's father) and his sister Selena (Murtagh and Eragon's mother) are descendants of the royal House of Palancar. This would make all three young men royal.
It is hinted in ''Eragon'' that Murtagh is deeply attracted to
Nasuada (something that Eragon also guesses), who eventually becomes the leader of the Varden in ''Eldest''. When talking about her to Eragon, Murtagh says that when he first saw Nasuada, ''"I thought she was one of the great ladies of Galbatorix's court. I've seen earls and counts who had wives that, compared to her, were more fitted for life as a hog than of nobility."'' While his betrayal in ''Eldest'' seems to destroy all hope of a relationship between them, Nasuada shows regret (in the beginning of the second novel) that Murtagh seems to have died and (later in the same novel) that Murtagh has turned traitor. This has led to eager speculation that she may have feelings for him.
In the upcoming
Film Version Of Eragon , Murtagh will be portrayed by
Garrett Hedlund .
