Murtagh

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Murtagh Morzansson
Biographical information
Born	20 BBRW
Died	Still alive
Physical description
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Height	Average/Tall (An inch or so taller than Eragon)
Hair Color	Brown (black in film)
Eye Color	Gray
Chronological and political information
Affiliation	Empire, Galbatorix, Galbatorix's Dragon Riders
Dragon	Thorn
Known teachers	Tornac, Galbatorix

Murtagh Morzansson was a male human who championed the cause of the Empire. He was the son of Morzan (the man who betrayed the Dragon Riders to Galbatorix and helped destroy them all) and Selena (Morzan's Black Hand and the most feared of all the Empire's spies and assassins). He was the elder of Selena's two children. Murtagh was also Eragon Shadeslayer'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 in the series, Zar'roc, which he took from Eragon), a yew bow, a dagger, a white horn with silver fittings, and 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 dragon Thorn.

In addition to being a Dragon Rider, the Empire's best magician other than Galbatorix, the Empire's general and champion, the only known son of a member of the Forsworn, and one of the three principal characters in the Inheritance Cycle, Murtagh was also a Kingslayer.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early period 1.1.1 Origins 1.1.2 Early life 1.1.3 Escape from Urû'baen 1.2 Travels with Eragon 1.2.1 To Gil'ead 1.2.2 Flight to the Varden 1.2.3 Varden's prisoner 1.2.4 Capture 1.3 Rider War 1.3.1 Battle of the Burning Plains 1.3.2 Raid on the Varden 1.3.3 Return to Gil'ead 2 Personal Information 2.1 Physical Appearance 2.2 Powers 2.3 Personality 2.4 Morals 2.5 Inner Struggle 2.6 Titles 2.7 Family 3 Real-world connections 3.1 Literary Comparisons 3.1.1 Star Wars 3.1.2 Lord of the Rings 3.1.3 Sword of Truth 3.2 Etymology and Historical Information 3.2.1 Etymology 3.2.2 Historical Connections 4 See Also

[edit] History

[edit] Early period

[edit] Origins

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.

[edit] Early life

Murtagh explained parts of his past to Eragon and Saphira, but little is known about his early years. He was taken from his mother at birth and given to a wet nurse, only allowed to see her for brief visits every few months. As the child of the violent and twisted Dragon Rider Morzan, Murtagh experienced an unpleasant (to say the least) childhood. The long scar on his back bears testament to this: at the age of three, Murtagh's back was laid open from shoulder to hip when Morzan threw his sword, Zar'roc, at him in a drunken rampage. Even after his father died at the hands of Brom, Murtagh continued to avoid the courts as much as was possible while living in King Galbatorix's castle at Uru'baen. His mother, Selena, disappeared early in his life, presumably 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 himself.

[edit] Escape from Urû'baen

On his 18th birthday, Murtagh was summoned into Galbatorix's presence for a private meal. The king, in a rare good mood (seemly), 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 decimate the village of Cantos, which was known to harbor rebels, without even attempting to see if all of them were guilty or not. That night, Murtagh fled Urû'baen with his faithful teacher, Tornac. Tornac was killed as they escaped the city, and Murtagh continued on alone.

[edit] Travels with Eragon

[edit] To Gil'ead

Murtagh was unwilling to side either with 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 up with 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 recieved a mortal wound in the process.

Murtagh followed Eragon and Saphira to Gil'ead. Murtagh and Saphira successfully rescued Eragon and the elf princess Arya from captivity in Gil'ead, despite the appearance of Durza. Murtagh was able to temporarily disembody the Shade by shooting him between the eyes.

[edit] Flight to the Varden

Murtagh reluctantly agreed to accompany Eragon and Saphira in their search for the Varden, made more urgent because of Arya's desperate condition. She had been poisoned in Gilead, and the Varden was the closest source of the antidote. The unlikely company crossed the Hadarac without ado, but for an encounter with slavers. Murtagh killed the bandits' leader Torkenbrand by beheading him while he was a prisoner. This caused Eragon much grief, and started the conflict between them.

They eventually reached the Varden, pursued by a band of deadly Kull. Faced with confronting the Kull on his own or entering the Varden, Murtagh stuck by Eragon's side.

[edit] Varden's prisoner

Once inside, Murtagh refused to allow the Twins to probe his mind, and after 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

[edit] Capture

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. Then, when Thorn hatched for him, they were forced to swear their allegiance to Galbatorix in the Ancient Language.

[edit] Rider War

[edit] Battle of the Burning Plains

Murtagh learned dark secrets of magic from Galbatorix, and was given several of the Eldunari 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 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 spare Eragon, at risk of severe punishment for not obeying Galbatorix.

[edit] Raid on the Varden

Galbatorix was furious with Murtagh for allowing Eragon and Saphira to escape. After they had 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 several of the elf-enchanters sent by Queen Islanzadí to aid him.

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 uttered, "Letta", which bound Murtagh's legs and arm. Murtagh muttered a counter spell and with confidence, tested his strength against Eragon. 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 then.

[edit] Return to Gil'ead

Murtagh then returned once more to Uru'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, but the battle didn't seem evenly matched. Glaedr and Oromis clearly would have won because Oromis said,"Their strength is fading I can see it in their bearing . Another few minutes and Murtagh's concentration shall fail and I will be able to assume control over his thoughts. That or we shall slay them with sword and fang." Before either of them could defeat the other, Galbatorix entered Murtagh's mind and conversed with Oromis using Murtagh's body (It was Galbatorix's voice that was heard, suggesting that he had full control over Murtagh's body at the time as well). He was able to deal a fatal blow when the elf went into a seizure in the midst of the battle, killing him using the body of Murtagh. Thorn then defeated Glaedr following Oromis's death.  Eragon and Saphira saw this through Glaedr's heart of hearts.

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 Glabatorix. Oromis suffered a seizure which then made him drop Naegling, which meant that Oromis was seperated from his power source that would protect him from harm. Galbatoriz  then killed Oromis when he refused, still using Murtagh. It is certain that Oromis would have won normally, but with the seizure, he had a much smaller chance.

It is unknown what happened to Murtagh after Galbatorix used him to kill Oromis and Glaedr. He could have used his remaining power to wreak havoc among the elves,or simply returned to the capital.

[edit] Personal Information

[edit] Physical Appearance

Murtagh was a stoic, eighteen-year-old man. His fierce eyes were framed by the locks of his long brown hair. He was clean-shaven, well tanned, muscular, and slightly taller than his half-brother, Eragon. Across Murtagh's back was a long, twisting scar, reaching from his right shoulder to his left hip. Oddly, when Murtagh reappeared in Brisingr, he had black hair instead of brown. This may just be an oversight by Christopher Paolini.

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, (just like his father, Morzan). Murtagh carried a yew bow, the dagger Drac'ner, and a white horn with silver fittings. His primary weapon was a hand-and-a-half sword, which was later replaced by Zar'roc.

[edit] Powers

Before he was a Rider, Murtagh was a powerful warrior on his own. A lifetime of practice and study in swordplay made him a formidable fighter matched only by Eragon. 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 the finer points of archery and hunting for hours, as well as debate them. His mind was also so throughly shielded from even the strongest magicians. Eragon Shadeslayer, the Twins, and many others have all tried and failed to breach his mind. The only one known to have broken Murtagh's defenses was King Galbatorix.

After Thorn hatched for him, Murtagh became even more powerful, surpassed only by Galbatorix. Murtagh's mind, well-defended as it was, was augmented by the Eldunari given to him to control. When Eragon touched his mind in Eldest (book), he felt a "multitude" of consciences trying to get out. The blind man who saw lights and energies in Brisingr (book) described Murtagh as if the light shone through him as if his power came from another source. After the Battle of the Burning Plains, Murtagh gained increased speed and strength, equal to most elves. Combined with his impressive sword skills, these powers made Murtagh into an extremely dangerous and powerful Rider.

Perhaps the greatest strength of Murtagh's was his prowess in magic, which was due to both his heritage as the son of the most powerful Forsworn and his use of multiple Eldunarya. 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 Eldunari, though he was still subjected to the rules of magic whenever he used his powers.

When he faced the Varden for the second time, leading a small army of painless soldiers, he and Thorn battled Eragon, Saphira, and thirteen elves by themselves. In order to drive off Murtagh, all but six of the elves fainted before Eragon returned, and they were extremely exhausted, along with Eragon and Saphira themselves. Murtagh swore upon leaving that he would return more powerful than ever, and defeat Eragon and Saphira then. To date, no one has been powerful enough to truly defeat and kill Murtagh, though Oromis and Glaedr were able to hold off his deadly magic using a massive reserve of power in Naegling and fight him to a bloody stalemate before Galbatorix intervened. It is positive that they would have defeated Murtagh if the king hadn't aided him, (Murtagh was heavily exhausted when Galbatorix intervened, and Oromis stated that Murtagh's concentration would have broken.)

[edit] Personality

Murtagh always exuded a calm, assured air, and spoke in emotionless and controlled tones. His dialogue contained relatively few exclamation marks, even when he was upset. Murtagh was very passionate in all that he engaged himself in. He was also compassionate, which he showed when he let Eragon go after their first conflict as Riders. Murtagh decided to find a hole in his oath to Galbatorix in order to save Eragon. 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.

Murtagh's laugh and smile were rarely seen, except for an occasional grin. The smiles and laughs he has made so far have been described as grim, mirthless, crooked, bleak, sinister, or even almost mad.

Because of his unpleasant upbringing, the 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, 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. Because of his great power, his ego was also inflated, and he would frequently make boasts to Eragon before or after their fights, such as “You cannot hope to compete with me,” or “It shall be no great feat to defeat you again.”

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 egocentric and 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, Tornac, Nasuada, and Thorn.

[edit] Morals

Because Murtagh considered himself 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.

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 Alagaesia, he harbors strong resentment against him and may betray him in the final inheritance cycle book. Murtagh is currently studying the possibility of changing his true name, which will allow him to disobey and even leave Galbatorix if he wishes.

[edit] Inner Struggle

When faced with the choice of helping Eragon and Saphira escape the Empire by accompaning 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.

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. We have yet to learn what Murtagh said and what the consequences will be.

Finally, in their last 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.

[edit] Titles

Being a Dragon Rider and serving Galbatorix added many titles for Murtagh to wear, though many of them must be inferred.

• Argetlam
• Shur'tugal
• Galbatorix's Right-Hand man
• Wielder of Zar'roc
• Rider of Thorn
• Morzansson
• Shadow of Doom
• Kingkiller/Kingslayer (after he killed Hrothgar)

[edit] Family

• Morzan (Father, predecessor)
• Selena (Mother)
• Eragon Shadeslayer (Half-brother)
• Roran Stronghammer (Cousin)
• Katrina (Cousin-by-law)
• Roran and Katrina's child (First cousin once removed)
• Garrow (Uncle)
• Marian (Aunt)
• Cadoc (Maternal Grandfather)

[edit] Real-world connections

[edit] Literary Comparisons

[edit] Star Wars

Murtagh is similar in several ways to Han Solo of the original Star Wars trilogy. Like Solo, Murtagh was a loner with an ambiguous past, who was pursued by powerful forces that eventually catch him. Some of Murtagh's behavior, such as killing a person who attempts to capture him, and bragging about his ride (Murtagh boasted about his horse, while Solo boasted about his ship), are similar to Han Solo's.

During Eldest, however, Murtagh becomes more similar to Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader). He has a wavy long-haired appearance, wears armor in battle, wields a red sword, harnesses powerful supernatural forces to his will, is the primary servant of the Emperor, and is related to the main hero. Murtagh's confrontation with Eragon at the end of Eldest is also similar to the confrontation between Luke and Vader at the end of Empire Strikes Back. Murtagh also threatened to cut off Eragon's right hand during Brisingr (Vader succeeds in cutting off Luke's).

Furthermore, he doesn't want to talk about his past, he states in Eragon that he likes races (Anakin loved podracing), and he is sort of aggressive for a good guy. Then later, like Anakin becoming Vader, Murtagh becomes Galbatorix's servant. This could imply that either Murtagh will be freed in the last book, or that he may sacrifice himself to kill Galbatorix and save Eragon, and free himself in the process, similar to Anakin redeeming himself by saving Luke and killing Palpatine.

[edit] Lord of the Rings

Murtagh has several similarities to Aragorn. He is a wanderer who is of noble birth and heir to a position that he eventually takes, and is very skilled as swordsman, archer, and woodsman. Murtagh also lends Eragon his assistance and service on his quest to destroy the Dark Lord, much as Aragorn did for Frodo. However, there is another character Murtagh is much more similar to, especially after Brisingr: The Witch-king of Angmar.

Like the Witch-king, Murtagh rode a dragonish beast, was the greatest servant of the Dark Lord, wielded a sword as his primary weapon, and possessed powerful magic bestowed to him by his master. Murtagh was recruited into Galbatorix's service in a similar way to how the Witch-king was brought into Sauron's: The Witch-king was given a ring of power, which gave him incredible powers but slowly turned him into a ghostly wraith and servant to the Dark Lord; Murtagh was given a dragon egg by Galbatorix, which hatched for him, granting him a range of new powers, but coming with the price that he had to swear oaths of fealty to Galbatorix, making him his servant forever. Murtagh also battled Oromis and Glaedr at the end of Brisingr, just as the Witch-king confronted Gandalf in The Return of the King. The main difference is that Gandalf survived the encounter with the Witch-king, while Murtagh slew Oromis (with Galbatorix's help).

[edit] Sword of Truth

On closer inspection, Murtagh's history and life closely parallels that of Jennsen Rahl of the Sword of Truth series.

• They were both the offspring of a powerful, cruel, dark lord, who was in the service of an even greater dark power.(Interestingly, their respective fathers, Morzan and Darken Rahl, have many other similarities.)

• They were conceived in a similar manner; their respective fathers seduced a young, seemingly innocent girl for their own benefit.

• Their respective fathers did not care much for them.(Morzan threw Zar'roc at Murtagh when he was only three; Darken Rahl considered Jennsen an abomination of nature, and a disappointing disgrace to the House of Rahl, actually wanting her dead.)

• They both fled their home while filled with grief after the death of a person close to them(Tornac/Jennsen's mother).

• They were both pursued by the established government of their homeland, which tried to capture them.(Murtagh was pursued by the Empire; Jennsen was pursued by the House of Rahl.)

• Because of the aforementioned item, they both spent a lot of time traveling, moving through the wilderness, and staying alert for any sign of danger. They both developed very good foresting skills as a result.

• They both carried a dagger that was forged by one of their enemies.(Murtagh carried the elvish dagger Drac'ner; Jennsen carried a dagger forged by the House of Rahl.)

• They both met and teamed up with a person who resisted the government that pursued them.(Murtagh joined Eragon Bromsson, who supported the Varden and resisted the Empire; Jennsen joined Sebastion, who supported the Imperial Order and opposed the House of Rahl.)

• They both eventually betrayed that person and became a principal supporter of their enemy, the very government that had been pursuing them.

• They were both half siblings of the main hero, sharing one parent with them. They met and teamed up with this half-sibling at one point.

• At one point, they were the ally of their half-sibling; during another, they were their enemy.

There are, however, several differences between Murtagh and Jennsen, including gender(Jennsen was female), the parent they shared with the main hero(In Murtagh's case, it was his mother; in Jennsen's case, it was her father), and the time periods in which they were allied with their half-sibling.(Murtagh started out as Eragon's ally and later became his enemy; Jennsen started out as Richard's enemy and later became his ally.)

[edit] Etymology and Historical Information

[edit] Etymology

'Murtagh' is an Irish name, it is a variant of Murchadh, which means 'protector of the sea' in Gaelic.[1][2]

[edit] Historical Connections

• Murtagh was portrayed by Garrett Hedlund in the Eragon movie.

• Murtagh was the name of a High King of Ireland. Murtagh mac Erc ruled Ireland as High King from 512 to 534 A.D. [3]

[edit] See Also

• Gedwëy ignasia
• Dragon Rider

Preceded By	Position	Succeeded By
Galbatorix as Keeper of Thorn's egg	Thorn's Rider	n/a

Preceded By	Position	Succeeded By
Eragon	Holder of Zar'roc	n/a

Preceded By	Position	Succeeded By
Durza	Galbatorix's Right-Hand Man	n/a