#i headcanon that for all intents and purposes katrina becomes earl of palancar valley while roran is just a figurehead

[alagaesia-headcanons]

I don't know of you've done this or not, but I would love to hear you opinions on Roran. Most people in the Fandom see him as a Chad, a better hero than Eragon, more badass etc etc. Me? I can't stand him, it scares me how he seems to take no no for an answer

In my return to my IC hyperfixation, I've found I don't like Roran quite as much as I did a few years back. My feelings on his character are a lot more complicated and I definitely see where you're coming from in your dislike. To summarize my thoughts right off the bat, as a character, I think Roran is a good person with his heart in the right place and he gets involved with a war that brings out the absolute worst in him.

The situations Roran gets pushed into cause a lot of friction with his worst qualities like his stubbornness, his aggression, his recklessness, and his arrogance. But these qualities don't garner much critique within canon because, similarly to Nasuada's flaws, the circumstances of war actually reward these questionable behaviors.

For one, despite how he's presented, Roran is not a good leader. In fact, he's pretty fucking awful at it. He's very good at a few specific skills that a leader needs, particularly inspiring loyalty, but he's entirely incapable in other aspects. Namely, dealing with other authorities. The argument with Orrin over the envoy that I talked about before is a perfect example, really highlighting his inability discuss and collaborate with anyone else or to think through any viewpoint that contradicts his own. Also, I didn't point it out before, but Roran ends that argument by promising to kill any envoy Orrin sends. Which is insanely stupid and barbaric. He thinks he has the right to openly murder an innocent man of their army solely because he decided that would be best, even when that'd give Orrin full right to have him executed. The risk of sending an envoy is only hypothetical and unclear while the damage of Roran murdering a Surdan is absolutely certain, but he can't see past his own sense of superiority far enough to realize that.

The chapter in Brisingr where the Urgals challenge his right to lead also really shows what a terrible leader he is. He doesn't even try to talk, to establish that an army doesn't follow their cultural hierarchy, and if they don't want to obey, they can simply defect and try fighting without the Varden's allies or resources. No, he instantly accepts hand to hand combat to the death. His conviction that he can do anything is so bloated it blinds him to any possible consequences. If you strip away our outside awareness of plot armor, his choices go from admirable and badass to outrageously careless. He can't handle conflict or disagreements with other leaders with anything but brute force. His interactions with Brigman in Aroughs also comes to mind.

What Roran actually is is a very good problem solver. He is very observant and creative and that gets him through very tricky situations. And he genuinely wants the best for the people he loves, he always takes their needs into consideration and does all that he can for them. But that doesn't necessarily suit him to leadership and being put in such roles during the war buries those good qualities under the soaring peak of his arrogance. The real shame is that his flaws never had real consequences that made him grow as a person, wouldn't that have been nice?

sigh.

I just want Roran to go back to being a farmer and stop taking himself so insufferably seriously, then maybe he'll realize not every single thing in life is a matter of life or death and he'll become more yielding and humble. Honestly for his sake, I want him to learn to coexist with the world around him instead of perpetually struggling against it.

#fuckin marty mcfly energy. all you have to do is call him chicken and he'll do the dumbest shit ever #eragon #inheritance cycle #roran #roran was never meant to be anything but a farmer lmao #the authority is bad for him just let the boy go back to tending the land hes nicer that way #he be a shitty earl too #i headcanon that for all intents and purposes katrina becomes earl of palancar valley while roran is just a figurehead #he farms while she leads #peace n love in alagaesia