Murtagh

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Murtagh Morzansson
Biographical information
Born	18 -19 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 and the only one of whom who was born legitimately. Murtagh was also Eragon Shadeslayer's half-brother and Roran Stronghammer's cousin. He was a fiercely loyal companion, an accomplished swordsman, and the possible love interest of Nasuada. 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, after his old swordsmanship tutor. During Eldest one of King Galbatorix's Dragon eggs hatched for Murtagh and he named it Thorn.

In addition to being a Dragon Rider, the Empire's best magician, the Empire's general and champion, the only known son of a member of the Forsworn, the second most powerful person in Alagaësia, 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 Speculations 4.1 Inheritance 4.2 Freedom 4.3 Possible romance 4.4 Sorcery 4.5 More or less powerful than Eragon? 4.6 Why is Thorn so big? 5 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 received a large scar on his back 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 greviously 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 eagerly 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 the 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 became a loner, unwilling to side either with the Empire or the Varden. Hearing tidings of a new Dragon Rider, however, he was determined 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. By a stroke of fortune, he was able to rescue Eragon and Saphira from the Ra'zac's clutches, although Brom recieved a mortal wound in the process (the plot changed in the movie).

Murtagh followed Eragon and Saphira to Gil'ead. Murtagh and Saphira successfully rescued Eragon and the elfprincess 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 prison, and the Varden and the elves in Du Weldenvarden alone had the antidote. The unlikely company crossed the Hadarac without ado, but an encounter with slavers on the desert's edge, and Murtagh's cold-blooded killing of the bandits' leader, Torkenbrand, sparked a clash of wills between Eragon and himself.

They reached the Varden, pursued by a band of deadly Kull, an elite kind of Urgal. Faced with accepting the Varden's hospitality or confronting the Kull on his own, Murtagh stuck by Eragon's side.

[edit] Varden's prisoner

Once inside, Murtagh refused to allow the Twins to probe his mind, and, after being recognized as the son of Morzan by Ajihad, 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 an enemy of the Empire 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

Targeted by the Twins and a group of Kull while exiting one of the tunnels, Murtagh was ensorcelled and taken back to Urû'baen, where he was tortured by Galbatorix for his rebellion. Then, when the red dragon, Thorn, hatched for him, they were forced to swear their allegiance to the Empire in the Ancient Language, as Murtagh's true name and Thorn's true name were found by Galbatorix, allowing the king to control them regardless of their intent.

[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. Murtagh used powerful dark magic to hide the army from the rebel spies in Gil'ead, but the Varden had a man in the capital who saw the great army marching south and alerted the rebel leaders.

The elves were also alerted to the advance of the Imperial army when an elvish lord pierced through Galbatorix's spell 3 days before the army appeared on the Burning Plains. However, they withheld the information from Eragon so his training could proceed without interruption.

During the battle Murtagh used his power to strike down the dwarf king Hrothgar, earning him the title of Kingslayer. His new skills also allowed him to best the weary Eragon towards the end of this 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 so that his words were unarguably believed to be true by him, that Morzan was Eragon's father, as well; he and Eragon were thus brothers. He decided at the last to spare Eragon, at risk of severe punishment for not obeying the orders given to him by Galbatorix.

[edit] Raid on the Varden

Galbatorix was furious with Murtagh for allowing Eragon 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 oath that would ensure that he did not again disobey his will, Murtagh returned to attack the Varden with a troop of painless soldiers. He and Eragon battled once more, Eragon now drawing 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 previously. 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 attacked him afterwards, insisting that he and Thorn could not change themselves in an instant. Eragon managed to outlast Murtagh in a brutal contest, but he and several of the elves fainted during the battle, allowing 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. Galbatorix is likely to equip them with several more Eldunari so he can defeat Eragon, something that Eragon himself guesses and seems to be worried about.

[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 held off Murtagh while Glaedr battled Thorn. Thorn proved faster and stronger than Glaedr anticipated, but the battle seemed evenly matched. 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) before battling them using his own power. 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 finished off Glaedr following Oromis's death. The audience sees 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. However, this is uncertain, as Galbatorix, then assumed full control over Murtagh, first speaking to Oromis and Glaedr through Murtagh, then killing Oromis, still using Murtagh. It is uncertain whether Murtagh or Oromis would have won normally, but with Galbatorix controlling Murtagh completely, Oromis had much less of a 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, retrieved Naegling for Galbatorix's collection, or simply returned to the capital afterwards.

[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 shoulder to his hip. Oddly, when Murtagh reappeared in Brisingr, he had black hair instead of brown.

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 duelist matched only by Eragon, and 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 that even the strongest magicians had difficulty breaking through. 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 one of the most powerful of all magicians, probably surpassed only by Galbatorix himself. He developed extremely powerful mental powers stronger even than those of Oromis, powerful enough to break most opponents with a single thrust of his mind. Murtagh's mind was able to hold its own against the combined mental powers of Eragon Shadeslayer, Arya, and twelve other elves. Even when Eragon found a weak point in Murtagh's defenses,(caused by a lapse in concentration when Thorn squirmed underneath him) he could not break into his mind. After the Battle of the Burning Plains, Murtagh also gained increased speed and strength, equal to or greater than most elves. Combined with his impressive sword skills, these powers made Murtagh into a lethal killing machine on the battlefield- his increased magical powers were due to the fact a) Morzan was his father so he obviously at least had eragon's talent and b) the Eldunari and all the expierience it gave him. This also increased his mental powers as Oromis states that the Eldunari increases not only magical strength but mental as well. .

Perhaps the greatest strength of Murtagh's was his prowess in magic. 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 strain of hard work whenever he invoked 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 or even injure 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 possible that they would have defeated Murtagh if the king hadn't aided him, as Oromis tells Glaedr that soon their concentration will break and he will be able to control their thoughts, that or kill them.

[edit] Personality

Murtagh was the mirror image of his half-brother Eragon—similar, yet backwards and opposite, an antithesis to Eragon.

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. He would remain cool and logical even in the face of the most dangerous or hopeless circumstances. As an extension of this, he remained solemn in ordinary circumstances as well. However, underneath this stoic exterior, Murtagh was very emotional, and concealed strong passions such as rage and ambition. His passions and desires were very strong, though he kept them contained and under control. Though he was usually untroubled and agreeable, he quickly became irritable if he felt he was being mistreated, slighted, or unappreciated. He also had a short span of tolerance for immaturity or ideas of compassion that he viewed as illogical. Murtagh could be, however, very loyal; and when pressured and threatened by the twins in Tronjheim in order induce him to allow them to examine his thoughts, cited that the only thing they could possibly do to make him open his mind to them would be to threaten Eragon's 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 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, where his intelligence could get a real workout.

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. However, since he and Thorn spoke briefly before Murtagh agreed to listen, it is possible that he only listened to Eragon because Thorn wanted him to.

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. The fact that Murtagh changes his creed from “No stranger's life is more important than my own,” to “No stranger's life is more important than Thorn's or my own,” shows that he and his dragon care quite a lot for each other.

[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. However, he hates Galbatorix and he may betray him in the final inheritance cycle book. Perhaps he will because he has spent his time changing his true name.

[edit] Inner Struggle

When faced with the possibilities 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 would be punished somehow for being Morzan's son.

At the battle of the burning plains, Eragon appealed to Murtagh's sympathies despite his orders from Galbatorix. Murtagh was only instructed to attempt to capture Eragon and Saphira. He was able to find a way around his oath to Galbatorix.

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 is forced to serve Galbatorix, Murtagh does not seem happy about it. It is 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 are.

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 has said that Thorn and him are forever slaves to Galbatorix, he still clings to 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)
• Garrow (Uncle)
• Marian (Aunt)
• Cadoc (Maternal Grandfather)
• Katrina (Cousin-by-law)
• Roran and Katrina's child (1st cousin once removed)

[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 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 assistence 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] Speculations

[edit] Inheritance

It was presumed that, on coming of age at 16, Murtagh inherited his father's castle and lands north of Urû'baen. However, in Brisingr it is stated that Galbatorix uses Morzan's castle for his own use. (Murtagh himself stated that his only 'expected' inheritance was Zar'roc). It is possible that, now that he serves the Empire, Galbatorix has given him his father's castle for his own use.

[edit] Freedom

While many expected some form of redemption in Brisingr, Murtagh remained very much under the command of Galbatorix throughout it.

In was clearly stated that Murtagh and Thorn hated serving Galbatorix. During the conversation between Eragon and Murtagh, he learned that their true names can be changed. Murtagh told Eragon that he and Thorn would keep the idea in mind and carefully study it before trying anything, so that Galbatorix will not be alerted in the process. If this happens, then Thorn and Murtagh will break free of Galbatorix's control, probably taking many Eldunari with him in the process. However, even if Murtagh frees himself, it is unlikely that he will join the Varden, because he disagrees strongly with their goal to destroy the Empire, and he hates giving loyalty to anyone but himself. However, it is possible that he will assist them in destroying Galbatorix for his own purposes, without being under the Varden's command.

If this happens, then maybe, Thorn and Saphira may grow close to each other and then they fall in love, just as Murtagh's relationship with Nasuada could flourish again. However, once Galbatorix is dead, Murtagh will likely turn on the Varden or take the throne and the Eldunari for himself, in order to satisfy his desire for power and to protect the Empire. It is important to note that Christopher Paolini said that one of the reasons he expanded the series to four books was because he needed to be true to all of his characters. Murtagh trying to take the throne in order to protect the Empire would both be in character and also expand the story of the final book.

[edit] Possible romance

There is no real romance for Murtagh in the three books. Nasuada is a possibility, as they enjoy each other's company, plus she was upset when he was 'killed'. It is possible that if Murtagh fell in love this would change him enough to release him from the oaths he has sworn.

The evidence is on page 405 of Eragon: Murtagh said "Doesn't she look like a princess? And the way she carries herself! When she entered through that doorway, I thought she was one of the great ladies of Galbatorix's court. I've seen earls and counts with wives that, compared to her, were more fitted for life as a hog then nobility."

[edit] Sorcery

It was believed by some fans that Murtagh is a sorcerer rather then a classic magician, because when Eragon connected to Murtagh's mind, it felt as if there were several other minds connected to Murtagh's. Others believed this may have been because of Galbatorix's control over Murtagh. However, these are almost certainly wrong because Murtagh is a Rider and gets his powers from Eldunari - dragon's heart of hearts.

[edit] More or less powerful than Eragon?

Before Brisingr was released, it was widely believed that a fully replenished Eragon could have defeated Murtagh in the fair duel. The evidence for this was that Eragon had been fighting for hours and hours before Murtagh even took the field, and managed to go blade to blade with him until he literally collapsed with exhaustion. No further development of Murtagh's physical strength was shown, while Eragon had been given the physical abilities of an elf. On these grounds, it seemed probable that Murtagh wouldn't have lasted long against Eragon at full strength.

It is also suggested that Murtagh had a natural advantage over Eragon at that time, made apparent by the fact that Murtagh was able to hold up Saphira even as he was flying away. As distance affects the amount of magic used, it is notable that Murtagh could perform this task with less effort than it may have taken Eragon at that stage. Moreover, Galbatorix, who trained Murtagh, was a lot stronger than the elves, who trained Eragon.

InBrisingr, Murtagh gained elvish speed and strength equal to or exceeding Eragon's, which, coupled with his greater combat experience, made it clear that Eragon could not defeat Murtagh in combat. This added strength, combined with Murtagh's superior mental powers, healing abilities, spellcasting reserves, arsenal of dark spells, and the advantage of knowing his true name make it obvious that Murtagh was several times more powerful than Eragon, so long as he leeched off of the dragon's Hearts. With the power in Aren and/or the help of a dozen elf spellweavers, Eragon seems to be able to hold Murtagh off at his current power, but without them, he would be little threat to Murtagh and Thorn, even with Saphira's help. Murtagh likewise requires the power of the dragons' Eldunari to sustain his titanic power, and without them, he would not be as powerful as Eragon.

[edit] Why is Thorn so big?

Thorn, Murtagh's dragon, has grown much faster than Saphira. Saphira grew at a natural pace, but Thorn matured very quickly considering his hatching was thought to be after the Battle in Tronjheim.

When Murtagh and Thorn entered into battle with Eragon and Saphira for the second time, Thorn was much bigger than he should have been for a dragon of his age (it is not precise on his age). As such, many fans suspected that Thorn may have hatched earlier and Murtagh may have been a rider when he met Eragon at first.

Later, Eragon asks Arya if male dragons grow faster than female ones, but she said they do not. Later during their second battle, Saphira comments that Thorn has grown another four feet in a short space of time from their last battle.

It was not stated how big Thorn was in his battle with Oromis and Glaedr but if he continues to grow at his pace then he might grow much much bigger than Saphira.

It has been confirmed that Thorn is as large as he is, because of Galbatorix's magical influence. That is, Galbatorix has altered Thorn with his power to grow faster. A problem inherent in this seems to be that Thorn is unable to control his body as well as he would if his growth were natural. However, this doesn't seem to be a major effect, as Thorn is able to fight Saphira very skillfully, without appearing clumsy or uncomfortable with his body.

[edit] See Also

• Murtagh's scar
• Gedwëy ignasia
• Dragon Rider
• Morzan family

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