Arya, elf princess of Ellesméra, flees with a strange stone, pursued by Durza, a dark sorcerer under king Galbatorix. When Durza corners Arya, she uses magic to teleport the stone away.
Eragon, a farm boy living in the country of Alagaësia with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran, is hunting for deer when he witnesses the stone appearing. Hoping to trade it for food, Eragon brings the stone home but realises it is actually an egg when a blue dragon hatches from it. As he touches the dragon, a magical mark appears on his palm. Several people are shown reacting to this incident, including Arya, Brom, and Galbatorix himself.
Eragon shelters and feeds the dragon and teaches her to fly as she gradually grows to full size. She speaks to him through their thoughts and calls herself Saphira. When they are out, Durza’s monstrous minions, the Ra’zac, arrive at the village to look for the dragon and the rider, killing Eragon’s uncle in the process. Blaming Saphira for his uncle’s death, Eragon sends her away. Brom shows up, takes Eragon away from the village, warns him of Saphira’s importance, and urges him to call her back. Eragon calls Saphira with his thoughts, and she comes back, forgiving him for what he previously said.
Brom is leading the group to the Varden, rebel freedom fighters opposing Galbatorix. On the way, Brom fills Eragon in on the knowledge of dragon riders, Galbatorix, Durza, and the Ra’zac. He also trains Eragon’s sword-fighting. In a small village, Eragon meets a fortune-teller named Angela who tells him of a girl awaiting his help and of his dangerous path ahead. When Brom and Eragon are attacked by Galbatorix’s servants, the Urgals, Eragon attempts to mimic Brom and wipes out the whole group with a magic attack of blue fire, then Eragon falls unconscious from the strain. Saphira saves him. Brom teaches Eragon to control his magic and bond his powers with Saphira. After flying for the first time, Eragon and Saphira help Brom kill the Ra’zac, and Brom reveals he was once a rider, his dragon killed by Morzan, a rogue rider allied with Galbatorix.