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The Kingdoms of the West
King Anheg of Cherek
King of the Chereks, a pirate to the bone, and much, much smarter than he either appears or pretends to be, being the very first person who isn't in the loop or possessed of supernatural powers to explicitly figure out that Garion is The Chosen One.
- Beard of Barbarism: Played With. Anheg is a brilliant scholar and surprisingly sensitive, but like all Chereks, he's still a pirate at heart.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Anheg pretends to be far dumber than he really is.
- Genius Bruiser: Anheg is a brutal Viking-style war chieftain. He's also one of the most widely read people on the continent, can read The Book of Torak without endangering his mental health, and figures out who Garion really is within a few days of meeting him.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Runs his nation, leads his army, and commands his fleet. He's also very intelligent and does his best to keep abreast of world events and assist Belgarath.
- Stay in the Kitchen: Subverted. When Ce'Nedra demands the Alorn kings follow her, Anheg sides with the conservative Brand and does all the talking... in order to preemptively sabotage any arguments Brand might raise against her. This is itself subverted when it turns out not to have been necessary, as Brand's opposition to Ce'Nedra had also been an act.
Queen Islena of Cherek
Queen of Cherek, implicitly a trophy wife, and not all that bright, she's obsessed with magic — or at least, the idea of magic. However, it turns out that she does actually have a spine, somewhere deep down inside.
- Achievements in Ignorance: It's illegal to throw a priest into the dungeon without evidence. Islena doesn't know that, and Grodeg knows she doesn't know that — so he's forced to do everything Islena demands of him because he really doesn't want to be thrown into the dungeon. Anheg finds the entire situation hilarious.
- Brainless Beauty: When Anheg is asked why he married her, his response is that "It certainly wasn't for her brains!"
- Break the Haughty: Seeing what Polgara does to the Blind Seer begins this process - if nothing else, by demonstrating what real magic looks like.
- Grew a Spine: During her confrontation with Grodeg, if only because Merel was on the verge of having a boar spear run through his spine.
- Hot Consort: This is implicitly why Anheg married her, when he says that it certainly wasn't for her brains.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: The mostly-canonical Riven Codex notes that she takes a lot of herbal preparations to avoid pregnancy, as it terrifies her. Naturally, they fail her, resulting in Prince Anheg II between series.
- Took a Level in Badass: Initially Islena is a pompous wuss who caves in every time Grodeg shouts at her. She finally has enough (partly because Merel had made preparations to have him skewered if she looked like caving), threatens to have him muzzled and thrown in jail, and ships him and the rest of the Bear-Cult off to join the army. Anheg is impressed.
- Weak-Willed: She's initially totally under the thumb of Grodeg, Chief Priest of Belar. With some help from Merel and Porenn, she eventually overcomes this.
Merel of Trellheim
Barak's wife. For a number of reasons, the two have an initially very dysfunctional relationship, but one that improves as time goes on, whereupon she reveals significant Hidden Depths.
- Alternate Character Interpretation: The characters in-universe believe that she's a spiteful, petty bitch who is choosing to make Barak's life hell — though it is also suggested that her behaviour isn't without cause, as it's explicitly stated that she didn't want the marriage (and, to be fair, it's implied that Barak didn't know that). Many fans believe that she's a woman who's trapped in a marriage she doesn't want and is doing her best to get revenge on the man who, while drunk, later rapes her.
- Arranged Marriage: With Barak, and she was very opposed to it — and in fairness, it's implied that Barak didn't know that.
- Character Development: From petty bitch to The Good Chancellor, who also provides Garion with some good relationship advice.
- The Good Chancellor: To Islena, post-Character Development, being both the steel and (frankly) the brains during Islena's regency.
- Happily Married: By the end, and after an intervention from the Purpose of the Universe itself.
- Hidden Depths: Merel appears to be a shallow, petty bitch. The "petty" and the "bitch" are right on the money, but there's more to her than meets the eye, and we see it as early as Pawn of Prophecy when she stands up to Anheg on Barak and Garion's behalf.
- Rape as Drama: ... Sort of. The fact that it's rape is fairly clear, even if it isn't explicitly stated. She even locked the door and he knocked it down. It's not certain whether this is the first and only time it happened (arguments can be made either way), but at the very least, it's not in the least bit surprising that she's incredibly spiteful to him at first.
- This is, unusually, acknowledged by Barak immediately afterwards, who seems to be genuinely contrite.
- The Drama, part, though, is another matter, since the story seems to ignore that part later on, as a sort of implicit Retcon.
King Rhodar of Drasnia
The King of Drasnia, who's fat, genial, and possessed of a razor-sharp intellect.
- Adipose Rex: Physically, yes, being as large as three men and a monarch. Character wise, no.
- Big Fun: He's huge and pretty cheerful, as a rule.
- Fat Idiot: Subverted. He is hugely obese, but this is because he prefers academic study (and eating) to more physical pursuits.
- Happily Married: To Porenn, to general surprise - not because either is particularly spiky, just that no one expected the young and pretty Porenn to love him as much as he did her.
- Hidden Depths: As Zakath observes during the campaign at the end of The Belgariad, it had been generally assumed that he was just a foolish older man besotted with his young wife. Instead, he turned out to be a brilliant strategist and the de facto Commander-In-Chief of the Kingdoms of the West.
- Life Will Kill You: Dies of organ failure in The Mallorean as a consequence of years of bad habits. Polgara notes that even magic can't save him - his body is just shutting down in general, so there's nothing she can actually cure.
- May–December Romance: He and his second wife, Porenn. Despite the age gap they are deliriously happy together.
- The Smart Guy: Among the Kings of the West.
- The Spymaster: Thanks to the work of his right-hand man, Javelin, Rhodar is privy to almost every secret in the world.
- The Strategist: There are more... martially inclined kings than Rhodar, but none of them have his solid theoretical grasp of strategy and tactics.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: In The Belgariad, his weight and poor physical conditioning is played for laughs. In The Malloreon, it shortens his life.
Queen Porenn of Drasnia
The petite and beautiful young Queen of Drasnia, she initially appears as the wife of Rhodar and the focus of Silk's unrequited affections. However, she's quickly demonstrated to have an extremely sharp mind and an aptitude for politics.
- Ascended Extra: Gets a larger role in The Malloreon, as she takes on Rhodar's role as the West's spymaster.
- Gracefully Demoted: Sets about ensuring her demotion from Regent during The Malloreon by easing her son, Kheva, into power.
- Happily Married: To Rhodar, and she's implied to mourn him for the rest of her life - not that it gets in the way of her living her life.
- The High Queen: In The Malloreon, especially as Regent of Drasnia after Rhodar's death, with Belgarath outright stating in his prequel that she's one of the most gifted rulers in the history of the world.
- Hot Consort: To Rhodar, though that's far from all she is.
- Manipulative Bastard: She's an exceptionally skilled political manipulator.
- May–December Romance: And a very happy one, until Rhodar dies.
- The Mourning After: She continues to wear mourning black close to a decade after Rhodar's death.
- The Smart Guy: Among the Queens of the West (and frankly, monarchs full stop).
- The Spymaster: Shares this role with her husband, and takes it over after he passes away.
Cho-Hag, Clan Chief of Clan Chiefs of Algaria
- Handicapped Badass: Cho-Hag can barely stand, but that doesn't stop him from kicking ass. Justified as he, like most Algars, is a cavalryman, and lets his horse do the walking for him.
- It's Personal: His hatred of Taur Urgas is stated to go far beyond mere politics, to the point where Taur Urgas demands his soldiers make way for Cho-Hag when the latter challenges him to a duel, though it's never entirely explained why.
- The Quiet One: Among the Alorn rulers, he and Brand share this role, with neither being especially talkative.
- Sword Fight: He has an epic one with Taur Urgas, which ends with the Murgo King spitted on his sabre.
Brand, the Rivan Warder
The latest in a long line of Rivan Warders (all of whom take up the name Brand to symbolically demonstrate their dedication to the position), and the epitome of Undying Loyalty
- The Good Chancellor: Garion relies heavily on him during the first years of his reign, and is initially lost without him when he dies.
- Hidden Depths: He is, among other things, an extremely talented actor, fooling more or less everyone into believing that he's sufficiently conservative to sympathise with the Bear-Cult. As it is, he doesn't, at least not that far, and just acts the part to keep such elements in check. He's also a very talented musician.
- The Quiet One: Rarely speaks, but when he does, it's worth hearing.
- Parental Substitute: He becomes a father-like figure for Garion (and to a lesser extent, Ce'Nedra) in Guardians of the West, before his death.
- Regent for Life: Brand is part of a long line of Rivan Warders, who vowed to rule the island and protect the Orb until the Rivan King returned. Unlike his predecessors, Brand is actually able to give up this position. This leaves Garion rather uncomfortable at first, until he finally screws up his courage to speak to Brand about it and Brand assures him that he's happy about it.
- Stay in the Kitchen: Brand has very conservative values, particularly as regards women, though he goes along with what the Rivan King commands out of Undying Loyalty. It's later revealed that a lot of this was just acting — and good enough to fool even Polgara and Belgarath. When Garion was made king (first one in millennia) and made Ce'Nedra co-ruler of Riva (completely unheard of), Brand set himself up as the leader of the traditionalists, fully intending to "cave in" at some point. By drawing the conservatives to him, he could keep more disruptive elements in check, and in the end discredit them by fully supporting the Royal family.
- Undying Loyalty: To Garion and his family. This eventually gets him killed by Bear-Cultists working for Harakan, as he dies protecting Ce'Nedra.
Olban
The fourth and youngest son of Brand, the Rivan Warder.
- The Atoner: Becomes this after attempting to assassinate Garion, only to be forgiven. Takes the form of protecting Ce'Nedra at any cost.
- Death Seeker: Shades of this, when protecting Ce'nedra. She points out to him how dangerous rushing alone into the woods after an unknown assassin is, and he insists he'd hunt down the entire Murgo army if necessary.
- I Have No Son!: While he is dying at Thull Mardu, he confesses his attack on Garion to his father. Brand is horrified and ashamed, and turns his back on him and orders his other sons to leave as well, letting him die with only Ariana to comfort him. It's possibly an act, however, as Ariana spots the lie when Brand says he has no tears for Olban, and sees that his "eyes were full". Internally, he weeps for his dying son and his foolishness, but outwardly can't express that for the shame it would bring upon the family.
Emperor Ran Borune XXIII
The 23rd Emperor of the Second Borune Dynasty, ruler of Tolnedra, and father of Ce'Nedra. An adept politician, it's clear to see where Ce'Nedra got some of her talents from.
- The Emperor: Tolnedra is actually a medium-sized country leaning towards the smallish, but he still has a very long arm as it's the economic powerhouse of most of the world and has an international highway system controlled by its legions who are, pound for pound, probably the best army in the world (though the Alorn kingdoms could overwhelm them if they combined forces). As a result, Ran Borune is not afraid to throw his weight around when it comes to politics, though he only gets his way some of the time.
- King on His Deathbed: In The Malloreon. He was already very old to start with, as the intrigue in Tolnedra in The Belgariad all centres around who his successor will be, so this is a Foregone Conclusion. Ultimately, he settles the matter by formally adopting his best general and making him the official heir to the throne; Garion then ends up having to keep said general's son from getting killed by a number of extremely angry would-be emperors.
- Papa Wolf: To Ce'Nedra. Despite it being a binding treaty his nation signed, does everything he can to get Ce'Nedra out of the ceremony at Riva, where he fears she'll be humiliated. Despite constantly bickering with her, it's evident he loves her dearly.
- The Profiler: He's perhaps the only one who immediately spots that Garion is Rivan - both Silk and Barak suspect that there's some Rivan in there, but they're not sure what the rest is.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Cherries. He wants some as his last meal, but they're out of season. Garion "encourages" his cherry trees to grow some as a favor for his dying father-in-law (avoiding just creating them out of thin air, as another favor for the magic-averse Ran Borune).
Queen Salmissra of Nyssa
The latest in a long, long line of Salmissras, she's the Queen of Nyissa, and like many of the others she desires immortality, which she tries to get through enslaving Garion. In an odd way, she did — by which we mean that Polgara turned her into a giant snake. Funnily enough, she's both smarter and happier that way.
- Affably Evil: For a given value of evil, again, following her shapeshifting. Snakes don't generally see much point in being rude. You piss them off, they bite you. Then it's done.
- Astral Projection: As a snake, she implies that she can do this in The Malloreon, remarking that when she dreams her spirit sometimes wanders the world, picking up secrets.
- Bad Boss: She's known for killing off incompetent or insubordinate underlings, though they usually manage to kill each other first.
- Character Development: Actually rather improves after being turned into a snake and, while being coldly logical, is generally quite polite — though somewhat prone to winding up Polgara.
- Deadpan Snarker: Quite prone to this after becoming a snake. One gem comes when referring to her stunned eunuchs after restoring Sadi to his position as Chief Eunuch and telling them to leave the room at the end of The Malloreon.Salmissra: How tiresome. They're all too delighted to move. Encourage them, would you, Issus?
Issus: Of course, my Queen. Do you want any of them to live?
Salmissra: Only the more nimble ones. - Emotionless Reptile: Her transformation into a snake leaves her coldly dispassionate, and she says outright that "I no longer have desires". This actually makes her a much more reliable ruler, aside from occasionally killing underlings; most people, herself included, consider it an improvement.
- Forced Transformation: For her shenanigans, Polgara transforms her into a giant snake, permanently. Actually ends up being a better monarch and, peculiarly, a much nicer person (relatively speaking), this way.
- The Gadfly: As a snake, she enjoys annoying Polgara.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: Has a nasty habit of killing off her eunuchs on a whim, and is described as having the most absolute, iron-fisted rule over her people out of all the monarchs in the West.
- Legacy Character: Picked at age 12 for her physical resemblance to the original Salmissra, and named as such.
- Really Gets Around: Prior to her shapeshifting. The potions that keep her looking young have the side effect of making her really, really horny. This holds true for all previous Salmissras and is the reason for all the palace servants being eunuchs.
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: A curious variant. Personally, as a snake, she's somewhat disturbing to most people. Personality wise, however, she isn't that unpleasant.
- Smug Snake: Ironically, she loses this quality after she transforms into a snake. Before, it was very much present.
- The Spock: After she becomes a snake, she doesn't really have any desires, beyond irritation, mild amusement, and an abstracted fondness for Sadi.
