Durza

Durza (born as the human Carsaib) was a Shade in the service of Galbatorix. He was one of Eragon's primary adversaries. He was one of two Shades in Alagaësia during Eragon's time; the other was Varaug.

The child who would become Durza was born into a nomadic tribe and was given the name "Carsaib". His family was banished and abandoned by the tribe after his father was accused of oath-breaking. Later, both of his parents were murdered by bandits, and Carsaib wandered blindly into the desert, wishing that he could be dead as well. He was found by a sorcerer named Haeg, who took him in and began to teach him the art of controlling spirits. After a few years, Haeg was murdered by a group of bandits, and, in a rage, Carsaib summoned up avenging spirits that were too powerful to control. They turned on him and possessed his mind and body, and therefore transformed him into the Shade Durza. He, later, taught Galbatorix dark magic that helped him to overthrow the Riders. Durza grew more and more powerful, and was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocents (both on Galbatorix's orders and for his own twisted, cruel pleasure). At one point, he even dueled with Ajihad, leader of the Varden. Ajihad was able to mar the Shade's sword, leaving a wire-thin scratch upon the blade, but failed to kill the Shade. Durza commanded the Urgal tribes in the Battle Under Farthen Dûr through a combination of force, deception and the use of sorcery to bend the will of the Urgals. Although a powerfully magical being, he did serve Galbatorix, which we can assume means that he was not as powerful as Galbatorix.

Durza was sent to ambush the dragon egg courier, Arya. He was successful in capturing the elf, but the primary objective - to recapture the egg - was unsuccessful. Through his magical cunning, he was able to kill Arya's companions. The dragon egg was teleported into the Spine, where it was found by Eragon. Galbatorix then charged the Shade with recovering the information of the egg's location from the elf: Durza promptly set to work, and tortured Arya to the brink of madness and death, both for information and his own pleasure.

Durza encountered Eragon in Gil'ead, when Urgals captured Eragon and imprisoned him at the same prison as Arya. As Galbatorix desired both the Rider and his dragon, Durza tried to inquire about his true name. However, Eragon didn't know, bluffing that it was "Du Súndavar Freohr" (Death of the Shadows). With the help of Murtagh and Saphira, Eragon escaped, rescuing Arya in the process. Murtagh incapacitated Durza by shooting him first in the shoulder, then between the eyes. It was revealed later, however, that a Shade can only be killed by piercing him through the heart (any other seemingly fatal wound simply causes a Shade to regenerate itself).

Durza led an army of Urgals at the Battle under Farthen Dûr. Durza and Eragon eventually fought at the end of the battle, as Urgal forces from Ithrö Zhâda penetrated the Varden's refuge. At first, the Shade demonstrated his superior strength and maintained the upper hand, giving Eragon a serious wound. However, Durza eventually became distracted by the breaking of the Isidar Mithrim; as he turned away to deal with the attacking Arya and Saphira, Durza left himself open to Eragon's final, desperate blow, and Zar'roc plunged into his heart. He was finally destroyed but Eragon was almost killed by the explosion that resulted of killing a shade, being saved by the intervention of Oromis. Eragon was given the honorary title "Shadeslayer".

After Durza's death, the magic controlling the Urgals was broken. The Urgals fell into disarray and confusion, and turned on one another, heedlessly slaughtering their own forces. This fighting and confusion led to victory for the Varden.