Saphira
Saphira is the sapphire-blue dragon of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, which begins with Eragon (2002); she hatches for the farm boy Eragon and becomes his telepathic partner as a Dragon Rider.
| Also known as | Saphira Bjartskular, Brightscales |
|---|---|
| Type | dragon |
| Tradition | Christopher Paolini (Inheritance Cycle) |
| Category | Literature |
| Earliest source | Eragon, by Christopher Paolini, 2002 (family-published edition; Knopf edition 2003) |
| Wings | Yes |
| Breathes fire | Yes |
| Guards treasure | No |
| Nature | Benevolent |
The Story
In Eragon, a fifteen-year-old farm boy finds a polished blue stone in the mountains called the Spine. The stone is a dragon egg, and it hatches for him. Long ago, Dragon Riders kept the peace in the land of Alagaësia, until a rogue Rider, Galbatorix, destroyed the order and made himself king. Eragon's hatchling is one of the last free dragons, and she makes him a new Rider.
The dragon chooses the name Saphira, which Eragon first heard from the village storyteller Brom. When the king's servants kill Eragon's uncle, Eragon and Saphira flee with Brom, who turns out to be a former Rider. Their journey takes them across the Empire to the rebel Varden, hidden in a hollow mountain. The series continues in Eldest (2005), Brisingr (2008), and Inheritance (2011).
Appearance and Powers
Saphira has bright blue scales, four legs, and large wings. She grows very quickly, from a hatchling small enough to hold to a dragon big enough to carry Eragon within months. She cannot speak aloud but talks with Eragon mind to mind, and their bond lets them share senses and strength. She is proud, loyal, quick-tempered, and often wiser than her rider.
Origins and Sources
Paolini began writing Eragon at fifteen. His family's small press published it in 2002, and after the novelist Carl Hiaasen brought it to Alfred A. Knopf's attention, Knopf republished it in August 2003, when it became a bestseller. Paolini has named Tolkien among his influences, and critics have often compared the books to Star Wars and to Anne McCaffrey's Pern series, whose telepathic dragon-and-rider bond came first.
Legacy
Saphira is one of the most recognized dragons of 2000s fantasy. The 2006 film Eragon, with Rachel Weisz as Saphira's voice, was poorly received and gave her feathered wings, which fans disliked. In 2022 Disney announced a live-action television series based on the books. See the best dragon books for more dragon-rider fiction.
Related
- Ramoth: Ramoth is the golden queen dragon of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern, first appearing in "Weyr Search" (1967), who bonds with Lessa and becomes the senior queen of Benden Weyr.
- Temeraire: Temeraire is the black Chinese Celestial dragon at the heart of Naomi Novik's alternate-history series beginning with His Majesty's Dragon (2006), who serves in Britain's Aerial Corps during the Napoleonic Wars.
- Tairn: Tairn is the huge black dragon of Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing (2023), one of the most powerful dragons of Navarre, who unexpectedly chooses the fragile cadet Violet Sorrengail as his rider.
- Toothless: Toothless is the dragon partner of the Viking boy Hiccup in Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon books (from 2003), a tiny, talkative dragon who became the sleek black Night Fury of DreamWorks' 2010 film.
- Dragon Books
Sources and Further Reading
- Christopher Paolini, Eragon (Paolini International, 2002; Alfred A. Knopf, 2003)
- Christopher Paolini, Eldest (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005)
- Christopher Paolini, Inheritance (Alfred A. Knopf, 2011)
Cite this entry: “Saphira,” Draconika Encyclopedia of Dragons, https://www.draconika.com/dragons/saphira.