10 Missing Eragon Movie Characters I Want To See In The Disney+ Show

Warning: This article contains spoilers from The Inheritance Cycle.In order to do the books justice, I hope the upcoming Eragon Disney+ series includes important characters missing from the 2006 film. Despite featuring a talented cast that included Jeremy Irons, Djimon Hounsou, and Robert Carlyle, the Eragon film was a box office disaster and a poor adaptation of the beloved source material by Christopher Paolini. It failed to capture the magic of Paolini’s The Inheritance Cycle series as it raced through and undermined critical plot points and failed to properly develop the characters and the land of Alagaësia.

One of the elements that left me most disappointed after watching the film was the omission of characters vital to the events of Eragon and to the future installments of The Inheritance Cycle. The Eragon Disney+ show can do better by including these characters in season 1. This will not only make for a greatly improved adaptation of Eragon, but can also successfully set up future seasons adapting Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance, and potentially even the spinoff book Murtagh as well.

10 Solembum

Werecat

Even though Angela was included in the movie, her werecat companion Solembum did not appear. In the book, Solembum gives Eragon advice that ultimately proves to be essential to the dragon rider’s arc throughout the rest of the series. Angela tells Eragon that he is one of the few individuals Solembum has spoken to, immediately making this encounter feel important, and bringing more weight to the words that Solembum chose to share.

Solembum adds to the fantastical world-building of Alagaësia and provides an amusing dynamic between himself and Angela whenever they appear. While Angela was in the film, I was disappointed by how serious she was, and that she was nothing like the source material’s quirky and wise herbalist with an irreverent sense of humor. Including Solembum will be important for Eragon’s development, the overall plot, and making sure Angela is better adapted this time.

9 Katrina

Human

Katrina is the daughter of Carvahall’s butcher, Sloan, and more importantly, is the love of Roran’s life. Eragon’s cousin, Roran, has a small role in the first book and film, but in the second novel, Eldest, he becomes a point of view character integral to the entire series, and is a character the Eragon show cannot afford to fail. Roran’s love for Katrina is what drives much of his character’s journey when they are in Carvahall, when she is captured by the Ra’zac, and later when they join the Varden and are married.

Tamsin Edgerton was cast to play Katrina in the film, but all her scenes were cut from the final version. Without Katrina, much of Roran’s story will not work, especially when adapting the events of Eldest and Brisingr. I would also like to see Katrina further developed in the Disney+ series, as most of her story and identity in the books is intertwined with Roran, but the episodes could flesh her out more as an individual while still driving Roran’s journey forward.

8 Jeod

Human

Jeod is a merchant who is an old friend of Brom’s and a member of the Varden who helps Eragon and Brom in their pursuit of the Ra’zac. Jeod uses his merchant business to secretly help the Varden and Surda, a nation that seceded from King Galbatorix’s Empire. Not only is Jeod important to the survival of the Varden and Surda, but the time Eragon spends with him provides valuable insight into Brom’s mysterious past, along with how the dragon egg that Saphira hatched from was stolen from Galbatorix.

The film did not include Jeod as Eragon and Brom never traveled to Teirm in the adaptation. This can be redeemed in the Eragon show with an episode that takes place in Teirm, which is where Eragon also meets Angela and Solembum. Not only is Jeod part of important events that happened before Eragon, but he adds new layers to Eragon and Brom’s relationship, and his vast knowledge proves useful in the sequels as well, meaning his character needs to appear in season 1.

7 The Twins

Humans

The Twins are magicians who appear to serve the Varden, but are actually spies working for Galbatorix. They are among the most powerful magicians among the Varden, forcing the Varden’s leader, Ajihad, to rely on them, including how they probe the minds of all who enter Farthen Dûr for security purposes. Ralph Brown was cast to play both of the Twins in the film during the scene when they probe Eragon’s mind, but the scene was cut.

Without the Twins, there is no mole in the Varden, meaning there is no explanation for how Galbatorix knows so much secretive information about the movements and plans of the rebellion that opposes him. In the television series, the Twins will also be needed for Murtagh’s arc, as they are the ones to deliver him to Galbatorix, setting Murtagh on the dark path he struggles to come back from throughout the series. I want to see the unsettling Twins, their magic, and more of how they manage to deceive the Varden.

6 Elva

Human

Elva’s story begins as an orphaned baby who is blessed by Eragon and Saphira. Eragon made a mistake in the Ancient Language when he blessed her, which caused Elva to age faster than others, have the mind and articulation of a wise adult, and possess abilities to shield others from pain around her, in addition to foreseeing others’ pain so she can prevent it. In the books, she only appears as a baby in Eragon, with the rest of her story not unfolding until the sequels.

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Similar to Katrina and the Twins, Elva was in a scene that was later cut. In some ways, her character is similar to Dune‘s Alia Atreides, and while I believe it was for the best that Alia was an embryo and not yet born in Dune: Part Two, having a young child with the wisdom and abilities of a powerful adult could work better with Elva in the Eragon series. For season 1, a baby is only needed for a single scene, and then an older actor can be cast for the remaining seasons.

5 Oromis

Elf

Oromis does not physically appear until the second novel, Eldest, but Eragon hears his voice and briefly communicates with him at the end of the first novel. It is through this that Oromis also helps Eragon recover from his confrontation with the Shade known as Durza. If Brom is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of The Inheritance Cycle, Oromis is the Yoda of this story, as after Brom’s death, Oromis is the one who continues Eragon’s training as a dragon rider.

Eragon and Saphira training with Oromis and his golden dragon Glaedr, and all the time they spend in the elves’ capital city of Ellesméra are among my favorite parts of the book series that fully tap into The Inheritance Cycle being a fantasy story. Season 1 of the Disney+ series needs to set this up with Oromis briefly reaching out and helping Eragon as he does in the book. As the Yoda of this story, it cannot be done properly if Oromis is not included, and if he does not tell Eragon to travel with Arya to Ellesméra.

4 Jörmundur

Human

Jörmundur is Ajihad’s right hand and helps implement the Varden’s battle plan against Durza and the Urgals. Even after Ajihad’s death, Jörmundur is still important, as he and the Council of Elders are involved in making Nasuada, Ajihad’s daughter, the new leader of the Varden. The Inheritance Cycle is not as focused on politics as some other fantasy stories, but the storyline with Jörmundur, Nasuada, and the Council of Elders does feature compelling political drama I would like to see in the Disney+ series.

Jörmundur is not a major character, and I can understand why he was not included in the film. Nevertheless, I would still like to see him in the television adaptation, if only for the Nasuada storyline that should occur toward the beginning of season 2. Season 1 can establish him as Ajihad’s right-hand and a high-ranking, military-minded member of the Varden, thereby setting up his role for season 2, and during other Varden-related scenes.

3 Albreich

Human

Albreich’s father, Horst, technically appears in the Eragon film, but he is nothing like the book character, who is a physically imposing, courageous, and compassionate man who looks out for Eragon and Roran after Garrow’s death. The film’s Horst only briefly appears, talking about how the Empire conscripted his sons. I hope the Disney+ series gives Horst as substantial a role as the books and that it includes his sons, including Albreich.

When the Ra’zac and some of Galbatorix’s human soldiers come to Carvahall in Eldest, Albreich helps Roran hide from them. With Garrow dead and Eragon gone, Albreich becomes like a brother to Roran, an important relationship that should not be overlooked, and he is part of Roran’s larger story that follows. Albreich is needed to show what happens to Roran, to the people of Caravahall, and those of them who later join the Varden.

2 Baldor

Human

If Albreich is in the series, his brother Baldor needs to be featured as well. Instead of Horst’s sons having been conscripted, the show can depict Baldor and Albreich being friends with Eragon and Roran. This can help establish the status quo in Carvahall before the village and its people are forever changed, and will also make it more meaningful when Baldor and Albreich later become like brothers to Roran, and join him in the fight against the Empire.

Seeing more of the everyday people in Carvahall would be beneficial and help the village be more than just the ordinary world Eragon leaves behind in his hero’s journey. It will also make it less jarring when Carvahall and the characters living there become important again after being absent from the story for a while. Baldor was understandably not incorporated into the film, but the Disney+ Eragon series will have more time to feature characters like him.

1 Orik

Dwarf

The most shocking omission from the 2006 film was Orik, a dwarf who becomes a central character throughout the entire Inheritance Cycle. As the nephew of the dwarf King Hrothgar and as a prominent member of the Varden, Orik quickly becomes an invaluable friend and ally to Eragon. It is primarily through Orik that Eragon learns about the dwarves’ rich history and culture, including Farthen Dûr and the dwarf city Tronjheim, where the Varden has resided for years.

Hrothgar appeared briefly in the film, played by Gary Lewis, but the Disney+ series must include both Orik and Hrothgar. Part of the issue in the film was that Eragon barely got to spend any time with the Varden before the battle against Durza and the Urgals commenced. The Eragon show can build in more time after Eragon arrives, including getting to know and bonding with Orik, giving Orik opportunities to showcase his loyal, courageous, and humorous personality.

Eragon

Eragon is based on the book series of the same name, part of a more extensive book series known as the Inheritance Cycle. In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy named Eragon (Ed Speelers) happens upon a dragon’s egg. This egg leads him on a journey to protect his home from tyrannical monarch Galbatorix (John Malkovitch) and a dark sorcerer named Durza (Robert Carlyle). However, Eragon discovers that the egg contains a mighty dragon named Saphira (Rachel Weisz) that he bonds with, and with the help of friends and family, Eragon will challenge the empire and do what he can to keep the dragon safe. 

Director

Stefen Fangmeier

Release Date

December 15, 2006

Writers

Christopher Paolini , Peter Buchman

Runtime

103 minutes