Brom

Brom makes his living telling stories about the old Dragon Riders. When the Ra'zac kill Eragon's uncle Garrow, he understands what's going on and decides to get the boy out. The destination is the Varden, the rebels holding out against Galbatorix.

Brom knows the story he tells up close. The Dragon Riders protected Alagaësia until one of them, Galbatorix, turned on the order and destroyed it. Since then the traitor has ruled with an iron fist, served by the Shade Durza and the Ra'zac.

To Brom, a new dragon in the hands of a farm boy is both the best and the worst news in years. If Eragon learns fast, the Varden gain a weapon the king can't buy. If he doesn't, the king will come for him. So Brom pushes hard, grumbles a lot and never wastes a day.

On the road, Brom explains to Eragon who the Riders were, how Galbatorix destroyed them, who the Shade Durza is and what the Ra'zac are. He teaches the boy to fight with a sword. After Eragon accidentally unleashes a blast of blue fire on a band of Urgals, Brom starts training him to control his magic and bond with Saphira.

The two of them, with Saphira, kill the Ra'zac. Then Brom reveals his past: he was a Rider too, and his dragon was killed by Morzan, a traitor Rider allied with Galbatorix.

Durza captures the elf Arya and uses her as bait. Eragon rushes to save her and is outmatched. Brom gets there in time to fight at his side but is mortally wounded. Saphira carries him away, and Brom dies in midair, having passed on to the boy everything he had time to teach.

Eragon keeps Brom's sword, Zar'roc. The blade has a past: before it was Brom's, it belonged to Morzan, the man who killed his dragon. Eragon carries Zar'roc on to the Varden.

The sword's past catches up fast. The archer Murtagh, who guides Eragon to the rebels, is Morzan's son. Brom's blade and Eragon's new friend share the same legacy, and the Varden lock Murtagh up because of it.

Jeremy Irons took the role despite the flop of another dragon fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons (2000). Paolini, who didn't think much of the movie as an adaptation, praised Irons's performance. In the books, Brom has a much bigger backstory, revealed bit by bit across the cycle, and Paolini has talked about writing a book centered on him.