Listen……. Eragon gets so much shit for being as empathetic as he is.
Think about it. The boy is getting constantly beaten over the head that he should toughen up.
Doesn’t kill the Urgals that attack him and Brom — Brom practically skins him.
Promises Roran he will help rescue Katrina, then gets himself into trouble to avoid killing Sloan — Arya and Islanzadi are both pissed.
Exhausts himself healing Baby Hope — Nasuada despairs about it to Roran
Is sick and tired of killing and keeps having nightmares about it — Eragon berates himself for caring so much.
It’s not super on the nose, but it is persistent. It keeps coming up all throughout the cycle. I think it’s Nasuada who remarks Eragon is, at his core, not a cruel or violent person, while Roran is made of harder stuff.
And in the end, it’s because he cares so bad about others that he’s able to defeat Galbatorix. Eragon’s supposed flaw is really his biggest strength.
