In Christopher Paolini’s Eragon, Eragon’s dragon is named Saphira.
Eragon discovers a mysterious blue stone in the Spine while hunting. The object hatches into a dragon, and he names her Saphira. Their bond makes Eragon a Dragon Rider, a role that had nearly disappeared after the fall of the Riders’ order.
Saphira is intelligent, powerful and able to communicate telepathically with Eragon. She grows rapidly and becomes his companion during his training with Brom and his later struggle against King Galbatorix’s Empire.
Saphira is sometimes confused with Arya, an elf who becomes an important ally, or Nasuada, a human political leader. The name “Saphira” is also distinct from the title of the novel’s sequel, Eldest. Eragon was first published in 2002 and began Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle.