Nasuada
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| Inheritance Trilogy character | |
| {{{image}}} | |
| Nasuada | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark, almond-shaped |
| House | House of Ajihad |
| Allegiance | the Varden |
| Film portrayer | Caroline Chikezie |
| First appearance | Eragon |
Nasuada is a character from Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy. Nasuada is the daughter of Ajihad, the ruler of the Varden. The Varden are a rebel group who have opposed Galbatorix's Empire for over a century and have fought him for years from their fortified hideout in the Beor Mountains. On her father's death in Eldest, Nasuada becomes leader of the Varden at around seventeen years old, but quickly proves herself intelligent, brave and worthy of her position.
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[edit] Early life
Little is known of Nasuada's beginnings. The dwarf prince Orik tells Eragon in Eragon that no one knows who her mother is - Ajihad simply showed up one day with a baby in his arms and said that she was his daughter. Orik remarks that she is "an unusual girl" who, despite her young age, is skilled at manipulating her father's enemies and is completely devoted to him.
[edit] Role in Eragon
Eragon finds Nasuada very charming. Murtagh thinks she is elegant and beautiful, but Saphira notes that the girl has "an air of command" and a steely resolve behind her sweet smile.
Nasuada and Ajihad are from an unknown land and, with their deep ebony skin, seem to be of a different human race. Nasuada and her father live in Tronjheim (a mighty Dwarf city in the Beor Mountains that is the base of the resistance movement) until the King's Urgals invade the Dwarf tunnels and nearly destroy the city in a fierce battle. Nasuada secretly defies her father's orders to stay hidden during the battle and chose to fight alongside the archers. She is later unperturbed by Ajihad's rage.
[edit] Leader of the Varden
After the battle in Tronjheim, Ajihad is slain by Urgals. The Council of Elders then name the seventeen-year-old Nasuada Ajihad's successor, hoping that she will be a puppet in their hands in order for them to hold the real power. To their dismay, however, Nasuada proves to be master of her own mind. Eragon and Saphira swear fealty to her to show their support for her over the Council of Elders, and Nasuada takes the leadership of the Varden into her own hands. In her inaugural speech, Nasauda addresses the Dwarves and the Varden:
"As my father did before me, I give my life to you and our cause. I will never cease fighting until the Urgals are vanquished, Galbatorix is dead, and Alagaësia is free once more!"
As the battle in the Beors severely damages the Dwarves' resources, they are no longer prepared to hide the Varden and put themselves at risk again. However, the Dwarves and Elves remain allies of the Varden. Although the Varden's treasury is severely depleted at this time, Nasuada organizes the movement of all of the rebels and their families into the neighboring country of Surda, which is allied with them against King Galbatorix. At Nasuada's request, King Hrothgar of the Dwarves organizes a safe passage through the Dwarf-made tunnels in the mountains for the Varden. King Orrin of Surda - who knows Nasuada of old and is heartened by their victory at Tronjheim - agrees to shelter the Varden and build up a resistance. Meanwhile, Nasuada sends Eragon and Saphira (as previously planned) to the realm of the Elves to complete their training.
In Surda, the resources of the Varden are again strained and King Orrin is unable to give them much financial aid, as he is preparing an army to march against King Galbatorix. Nasuada ropes in the Varden's spellcasters and orders them to manufacture, by magic, cheap lace to sell throughout Surda and the southern parts of the Empire. This is a particularly ingenious plan, as Nasuada reflects that lace is difficult to procure and hence extremely expensive, and cheap lace would be greatly desired by the wives of working class men. This boosts the Varden's funds considerably, so much so that Nasuada offers a tongue-in-cheek loan to a bewildered King Orrin. King Galbatorix recognizes her as a real threat, and attempts to have her assassinated while she is in Surda, but she has the assassin killed.
After many months, the Varden and Surdan armies march together to battle Galbatorix on The Burning Plains along the Jiet River. Just hours before the battle begins, they are joined by a transformed - by training and magic - Eragon and Saphira (Eragon scryed them from the Elvish capital days ago and immediately left for the battle along with Orik on Dragonback). Mounted on a roan stallion, Nasuada leads the Varden into battle, along with the Elf princess Arya, the Surdan cavalry led by King Orrin and a renegade Urgal regiment (the disgruntled Urgals allied with the Varden against Galbatorix). Eragon and Saphira help hugely in the battle and, along with the Varden's spellcasters, protect Nasuada and her troops. The magical wards protecting her weaken as the battle progresses, and finally Nasuada is severely wounded and forced to retreat while her army surges forward to battle the Empire. Although an enemy Dragon Rider, Murtagh, emerges from Galbatorix's army, the surprise arrival of Dwarf troops enable the Varden and Surda to defeat Galbatorix in the Battle of the Burning Plains.
[edit] Personality
Nasuada is as forceful, brave, and charismatic as her father Ajihad, and her quick thinking and wise decisions (such as moving to Surda, as well as allying with the Urgals) enables the Varden to survive the many troubles they face following the Tronjheim battle and the Burning Plains battle. However, she is also mischievous and sweet-tempered, although she begins to harden slightly as her responsibilities as the Varden leader begin to weigh heavily upon her. Both are also token characters. In the course of Eldest, Nasuada matures far beyond her years and establishes complete control over the Varden, commenting dryly that the Council seems resigned to her leadership.
Nasuada is not without insecurities: although she is intelligent, she is young, and she is plagued by fears and doubts concerning her leadership abilities and her ability to make the correct decisions for her people. She is lonely without her father, and her worries over battling the Empire keep her awake at night. When the magical child Elva reads her thoughts and consoles her by saying, "You chose the correct path", and that Nasuada's name would be praised for centuries for her courageous decisions, Nasuada gives in to a very rare moment of weakness and cries with relief.
She forms a bond with Eragon and Saphira. Nasuada becomes Eragon's liegelord when he volunteers to swear allegiance to her in Eldest, and Saphira in particular respects Nasuada's foresight and intelligence. In return, Nasuada trusts them so much that she names Eragon her successor in the event of her death. She is treated as a complete equal by King Orrin, and is on good terms with Princess Arya, the ambassador of the Elves to the Varden and daughter of the reigning Elven queen. She is referred to formally as "the Lady Nasuada", although this does not imply aristocracy, for she was democratically elected to her leadership.
It is hinted in the trilogy that there is an undercurrent of romantic tension between Nasuada and Murtagh. Murtagh is the son of an infamous Dragon Rider and is also Eragon's older brother. Although Murtagh was raised by the King with all the privileges of a prince, he was essentially the King's captive, and was constantly in danger. Consequently, Murtagh became a hard, wary and dangerous young man. He is first introduced in Eragon and plays a prominent role as the Varden's ally and Eragon's friend in the first book.
He clearly admires Nasuada (as evident by rather tender comments such as, "Doesn't she look like a princess?"), and he likes the proud way she carries herself. In Eldest, when the ruby Dragon egg hatches, Murtagh becomes a Dragon Rider who is as powerful, accomplished, and formidable as Eragon. His capture and forced betrayal moves the usually strong, hardheaded Nasuada to tears, and, notably, she is the only character who feels such sympathy. It is also noteworthy that Murtagh, who is constantly on the run and never trusts anybody, feels strangely at peace when "imprisoned" by the Varden, and actually feels safe. As she later becomes the Varden leader it seems significant that he felt at peace there, especially considering he made that comment only hours after Nasuada herself visited him.
Nasuada, during the events of the first book, also seems to have visited Eragon only a short time after meeting Murtagh and notes that he seems lonely. While talking with Eragon, she delivers a brief message from her father, tells Eragon that he can visit Murtagh, gives him directions, and basically does all she can to get him to go without physically shoving him through the door. Even Eragon notes that delivering Ajihad's message cannot have been the only reason for Nasuada coming all the way up to the dragon-hold.
[edit] Portrayal in Film
Caroline Chikezie plays Nasuada in the film adaptation of Eragon.
| Preceded by Ajihad |
Ruler of the Varden | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy | |
|---|---|
| Books | Eragon | Eldest | Book 3 |
| Films | Eragon |
| Main Characters | Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more... |
| Places | Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Carvahall | Dras-Leona | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Hadarac Desert | Helgrind | Surda | Teirm | Urû'baen | more... |
| Events | Blood-Oath Celebration | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall |
