The Belgariad Villains / Characters

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The Belgariad

Asharak/Chamdar

A Grolim priest whose history with Garion's family is as long as it is ugly. Having murdered Garion's parents, he has been spying on the boy since he was a child, in order that he might one day derail Belgarath and Polgara's efforts to raise Garion as a weapon against Torak.

The Ageless: He's centuries old and doesn't look it.
Alas, Poor Villain: Even though he's a bastard, the horrible nature of his death elicits some sympathy from Garion and some readers alike.
Compelling Voice: Able to control Garion with vocal commands, he also has a hypnotic effect on others.
Evil Sorcerer: Like the majority of Torak's Grolims, he has some sorcerous ability — and in his case, a great deal more than most.
I Have Your Wife: A variant — Chamdar tries to force Polgara to do what he wants by threatening to kill Garion.
Karmic Death: He killed Garion's parents by burning their house. He dies burned alive when Garion activates his magical abilities.
Manipulative Bastard: His forte. He's an expert at manipulating pawns into starting wars on his behalf.
Man on Fire: How he makes his exit, burned alive when Garion activates his magical abilities.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: While he's no match for Belgarath, Polgara, or even a young Garion in a stand-up fight, he's an intelligent and extremely dangerous schemer, one who is later observed to have been arguably more dangerous than Ctuchik. He has Garion secretly on a mental leash for the first two books of the series, nearly kills him at least three times, and both Belgarath and Polgara's underestimation of him allowed him to get his claws into one Rivan heir (temporarily) and kill two others (Garion's father and grandfather, as well as his mother and paternal grandmother).
Sinister Minister: The first of the Grolim priests encountered in the series.
Small Name, Big Ego: He's undoubtedly dangerous (as Polgara notes, in some ways more so than Ctuchik himself), but he can't hope to threaten Belgarath in person, despite his protestations to the contrary — and the one time he faces an enraged Belgarath, the only thing that saves his life is the fact that he threw baby Garion at him, then ran for his life.
Smug Snake: Incredibly full of himself, and not quite as deadly as he thinks he is.
Starter Villain: The main villain of the first two books, he's no threat to Belgarath, but proves a challenge for Garion.
You Killed My Father: Killed Garion's parents (and, as it turns out, grandparents). Ends up very dead when Garion finds out.

Brill/Kordoch

A Dagashi assassin from Cthol Murgos, Brill entered the Kingdoms of the West disguised as a common criminal. Employed by Chamdar the Grolim, Brill outlives his former master, and dogs the party for much of Magician's Gambit, prior to his final confrontation with Silk.

Beard of Evil: A matted, patchy black one.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He appears to be a common footpad. He's actually a ninja.
Disney Villain Death: He gets thrown off a cliff by Silk.
Dragon Their Feet: He was absent from Chamdar's final, fatal confrontation with Polgara and Garion in Queen of Sorcery and pursues the party for another book.

Half-Breed Discrimination: Subverted. Like most Dagashi he's probably only about 1/4 Murgo so he'll blend in. Since Murgo culture values racial purity he would face this from his soldiers, if they weren't all scared to death of him — but they are, and with good reason.
Handicapped Badass: Blind in one eye. Can fight Silk on an equal footing.
Jerkass: He presents like a bitter jerk with a sour disposition. He's actually a merciless professional killer. Either way, he's a total bastard.
Lack of Empathy: A pitiless killer who rides horses to death just to get ahead.
The Mole: Initially appears to be Asharak's spy on Faldor's farm. He's actually much worse than that.

Professional Killer: The Dagashi are a society of killers hired out by Ctuchik.
Underestimating Badassery: After Brill is outed as a Dagashi, Silk and Belgarath both curse themselves for having underestimated him. As Silk notes "Brill's been a little too good all along to be an ordinary Sendarian footpad."

Grul

"Come, Grat! Fight!"

An Eldrak (think Troll but bigger) who Belgarath once fought on a journey through the mountains of Ulgo. He ambushes the company years later, searching for revenge.

All Trolls Are Different: Eldrakyn are distantly related to Trolls and Algroths, but larger and smarter. Grul bulks out at eight feet tall, talks, and wears armour and a helmet that he has modified to fit his gargantuan body.
The Berserker: Not unlike Taur Urgas, Grul totally loses his mind in combat, foaming at the mouth and abandoning what reason he has.
Carry a Big Stick: Carries an immense club, wrapped in steel, and studded with spikes.
Gutted Like a Fish: Belgarath cut open his stomach the first time they fought. Eldrakyn can survive this, and between encounters Grul makes a suit of armor so it can't happen again.
Hero Killer: He and Belgarath have met before, and the Gorim of Ulgo knows his name and reputation. He proves to be perhaps the greatest single physical threat that the group encounters, overpowering Mandorallen (and his horse!), Barak, Hettar, Silk, and the shapeshifted Belgarath before Poledra's arrival saves them. As Silk notes "our oversized playmate there was almost more than we could handle".
I'm a Humanitarian: Intends to eat Belgarath and his companions after killing them.
It Can Think: Barak's reaction when Grul starts talking to them.
It's Personal: He's had a grudge against Belgarath for decades.
Lightning Bruiser: Grul is staggeringly fast for his size, taking everyone in the party by surprise.
Lone Wolf Boss: Grul has no connection to Torak, Ctuchik, Zedar or any of the series' major villains. He's just a huge, bad-tempered monster with his own grudge against Belgarath.
Near-Villain Victory: Grul is in the process of beating the entire party into the ground when Polgara and Garion summon Poledra's ghost to aid them, tilting the odds back in their favour. Even then it's a very near run thing.
Sympathy for the Devil: While the Gorim understands why Belgarath and the others had to kill him, he expresses some sympathy for the dead Eldrak nonetheless.
Took a Level in Badass: The first time that Belgarath encountered him, Grul, while enormous, was unarmed and unarmoured. In between their confrontations he's made himself a suit of armour and armed himself with a gigantic club, making him altogether more deadly than he was before.
You No Take Candle: He can speak, but not very well. For one, he simply cannot pronounce "Belgarath", consistently calling him "Grat" instead.

Ctuchik

"Justice? There's no such thing, Polgara. The strong do what they like; the weak submit. My Master taught me that."

Torak's eldest disciple and Belgarath's opposite number, Ctuchik is first and worst among the company's enemies in the original series. Aiming to prevent the fulfillment of the Prophecy of Light and gain control over the Orb of Aldur, Ctuchik desires not to awaken Torak, but to gain personal mastery over the world.

The Ageless: Ctuchik's been frozen at seventy odd for millennia.
Ambition Is Evil: Ctuchik is driven by his need for power and control.
Archenemy: To Belgarath. They both admit their confrontation in Magician's Gambit has been a long time coming.
Bad Boss: If the utter fear that all Murgos have of him is any indicator.
Beard of Evil: His Wizard Beard is yellowed, greying and filthy.
Black Cloak: Like most of the Grolims, he's in a black cloak and hood.
Cessation of Existence: Tries to unmake the Orb, commanding it to "be not." The universe unmakes him instead.
Co-Dragons: Alongside Zedar and Urvon, though it's fairly obvious that he has primacy amongst the three.
Cold-Blooded Torture: Has a room in his tower filled with torture equipment, that he uses for his personal entertainment.
Deceptive Disciple: He's only loyal to Torak out of fear, and has no intentions of waking him.
Defeat Equals Explosion: His defeat was absolute, and so was his explosion.
Despotism Justifies the Means: Ctuchik wants to rule the world, and is willing to do anything to get it, including offer up sacrifices to a mad god.
The Dragon: There are other contenders for the title of Torak's right-hand man, but Ctuchik is the most archetypal, running the Grolim priesthood and Cthol Murgos in his master's absence.
Dragon with an Agenda: Has no loyalty to Torak and plans to rule the world himself.
Elderly Immortal: Like Belgarath, he chooses to appear as an old man.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Ctuchik simply cannot grasp Belgarath's motivations for doing what he does, and genuinely cannot understand why he never conquered the West for himself.
Evil Counterpart: One of two to Belgarath, as his equal and opposite number in the Angarak priesthood.
Evil Old Folks: Ctuchik has centuries of depravity and excess behind him, and they show on his face, but undoubtedly he's a badass, able to go toe to toe with Belgarath himself.
Evil Sorcerer: Possibly the evilest sorcerer in the entire series, in fact, and one of the most powerful.
Evil Tower of Ominousness: His spire at Rak Cthol, a city atop a mile-high column of basalt. Actually an inverted example, as his personal quarters are in a smaller tower hanging from the city of Rak Cthol proper.
Faux Affably Evil: He can put up quite the facade, and has pleasant seeming chats with Belgarath, but it's obvious that both of them despise each other, and with good reason: at the end of the day, Ctuchik's one of the most evil people on the continent.
Greed: He has an entire room in his tower dedicated to wealth.
High Priest: He's the head of the Grolim Priesthood.
In the Hood: Usually keeps his hood up over his face.

Lean and Mean: He's described as tall and cadaverous.
Load-Bearing Boss: Justified because his battle with Belgarah broke the top of his hanging Evil Tower of Ominousness.
Orcus on His Throne: He never leaves Rak Cthol.

Red Baron: "The Magician of Rak Cthol". Doubles as an insult since Ctuchik is actually a sorcerer and magicians, who work with demons rather than the Will & the Word, are regarded with contempt and disgust.
Shadow Dictator: The real ruler of Cthol Murgos to hear Belgarath tell it, and yet many people (particularly in the West) aren't sure he even exists.
Sinister Minister: Hard to get more sinister than running a cult based around cutting out people's hearts and sacrificing them to a mad god.
Smug Snake: He's smart, cunning, and extremely formidable in combat (he's the only character we see match Belgarath in combat), yet beyond overconfident and makes several very crucial amateur mistakes in his arrogance.
Social Darwinist: He's a firm believer in Might Makes Right and uses it to justify his actions.
Soft-Spoken Sadist: Ctuchik's voice is soft and dusty, only rising when he loses control of the situation.
Sorcerous Overlord: "Cthol Murgos is still ruled from Rak Cthol." He's not officially the king, but he might as well be.
The Starscream: He actively tried to sabotage Zedar's efforts to wake Torak up, because he wanted be the ruler of the Angarak nations himself.
Take Over the World: Seeks to do it in his own name, rather than Torak's.
Villainous Breakdown: When he's about to lose, Ctuchik snaps and forgets the one inviolable rule of magic - you can't try to unmake something. In a blind panic, he turns to the Orb of Aldur and screams "Be not!" He promptly ceases to exist.
Villainous Valor: Cornered and watching his plans disintegrate, Ctuchik doesn't flee or beg. Instead, he goes toe-to-toe with his religion's Satan-analogue, and manages to hold his own.
We Can Rule Together: Tries this on Belgarath.
Wizard Beard: A long yellow one to match Belgarath's.
Wizard Duel: With Belgarath. Remarkably, he does pretty well... until he tries to destroy the orb.

Taur Urgas

"Make way for the King of Algaria. He's mine!"

The mad king of Cthol Murgos, Taur Urgas could charitably be described as completely out of his mind. Prone to berserk rages during which he foams at the mouth and loses all touch with reality, the Murgo king is feared by his allies, subordinates, and enemies alike.

Abusive Dad: Towards all of his sons, beating them and occasionally killing them.
Alas, Poor Villain: Taur Urgas' death is rather pitiable, as he rants at Cho-Hag to come back and fight. Retroactively made worse in The Malloreon when Eriond confirms that the Murgo king really was insane and could not help himself.

Authority Equals Asskicking: Probably the most dangerous Murgo swordsman we meet, despite his madness (or perhaps because of it).
Axe-Crazy: He actually foams at the mouth in combat.
The Berserker: Goes utterly mad(der) while fighting. He terrifies his troops, but at the same time, galvanises them. It's as though by giving into his madness they feel that they too may become as invincible as he.
Bling of War: Taur Urgas' chainmail is dipped in red Angarak gold. Rather than making it look overly pretty, it instead makes him look as though he has bathed in blood.
Blood Knight: He's always at war, sleeps in his armour, and orders his Praetorian Guard to clear the way for Cho-Hag so that he can fight him personally.
The Brute: He may be the King of Cthol Murgos, but one could definitely make the case of Taur Urgas being The Brute. He's got all the hallmarks of the personality: no empathy, totally Axe-Crazy, a Berserker in combat, and he also seems to fit in terms of his position and role in the villainous hierarchy: he's the ruler of one of the largest countries subject to Torak, and provides manpower and muscle for the Angarak armies, while still being subject to Ctuchik, Torak's Dragon.
The Caligula: All the Urgas are Royally Screwed Up, but Taur Urgas is crazy even by their standards.
Charles Atlas Superpower: He was strong enough to crush a metal goblet in one hand.
Domestic Abuse: He beats his wives, keeps them under lock and key, tosses them down flights of stairs, and occasionally kills them.
I Control My Minions Through...: Fear, and a degree of Respect. See The Berserker for how.
It's Personal: With Silk (who killed his eldest son in a previous encounter) and Cho-Hag.
Lack of Empathy: Taur Urgas is too insane to see anything outside of himself as real.
The Mentally Ill: In addition to his bloodthirstyness, Taur Urgas is prone to fits wherein he chews on the furniture. Garion has a sobering moment in The Malloreon when he realizes, courtesy of Eriond, that Taur Urgas wasn't just Ax-Crazy or Royally Screwed Up, but a deeply ill man who probably couldn't be held responsible for his own actions.
Royally Screwed Up: Sadism, brutality, and outright madness are hereditary in the Urga bloodline.

Sympathy for the Devil: Expressed by Eriond in The Malloreon when he reminds Garion that Taur Urgas was insane and that nothing he did was really his fault.

Zedar the Apostate

Once a disciple of Aldur, Zedar betrayed his brothers and joined up with Torak several thousand years before the series began. He later steals the Orb of Aldur from the Rivan King's throne room, kicking off the entire story. Depressed and self-loathing, Zedar is completely under the control of Torak, whom he hates, but continues to serve loyally.

Affably Evil: When he appears in the main series, all the ego has been drained out of him by his horrifying experience at the hands of Torak, leaving a generally sad and polite man behind. However, this does not stop him killing Durnik, even if he immediately regrets it.
A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Belgarath's, though he had long ceased to be Belgarath's student by the time he pulled a Face–Heel Turn.
The Ageless: He's frozen at seventy odd.
Break the Haughty: In the backstory. It's why he's a Fallen Hero.
Butt-Monkey: To the universe. He speculates at one point that his betrayal (in an attempt to trick Torak and steal the orb back) resulting in his Mind Rape at Torak's hands into a loyal if miserable disciple was foreordained and he didn't have any say in it, or that much responsibility for what came next. It's possible that there's some truth to this, but either way, it's undeniable that pretty much every time we see him, in the main series or the prequel, something's going wrong for him.
Co-Dragons: Unwillingly to Torak, alongside Ctuchik and Urvon, and is generally considered to be second in line after Ctuchik.
Elderly Immortal: Looks of an age with Belgarath, though he's actually a few centuries younger.
Evil Counterpart: Could be Belgarath's clone.
Evil Former Friend: To Belgarath, his former teacher, and the rest of the Disciples of Aldur.
Evil Genius: Likely the smartest of Torak's disciples, with Belgarath grudgingly noting his intelligence and subtlety on several occasions.
Evil Old Folks: Zedar's been trapped in Torak's service for millennia and looks it.
Evil Sorcerer: Like most of the Grolim priesthood, though he's more powerful than most thanks to his training from Aldur and Torak.
Evil Twin: He and Belgarath are virtually identical, something indicated to apply to all the disciples of Aldur, who end up imprinted with something of Aldur's appearance (except Beldin, with it being noted that he's so deformed that no one could tell).
Face–Heel Turn: In the backstory. It was meant to be a case of Fake Defector, but it failed miserably.
Fake Defector: Tried to pull this on Torak. It didn't work.
Fallen Hero: He was once Aldur's second disciple and Belgarath's pupil and friend, with Belgarath at one point lamenting in his prequel "What soul that man had!" He's now enslaved to the will of Torak.
Fatal Flaw: His ego, which led him to think that he could fool Torak.
Fate Worse than Death: Belgarath locks him in a rock deep underground, a prison he's unable to escape, even by dying. Even Belgarath himself thinks it's a little excessive, even considering all that Zedar has done (though he notes that if his suspicions about Belmakor's depression and suicide are ever confirmed, he's going to take Zedar and stick him somewhere "much less comfortable").
Kick the Dog: He gets a number of instances of this in Belgarath's self-narrated prequel, being behind the manipulation of Ilessa (the contemporary Salmissra) and as a result, the slaughter of the Rivan royal family.
Loophole Abuse: How he got hold of the Orb, using Errand to claim it. It's ambiguous whether it's actually his idea, or either one of the Prophecy's.
Pride: His belief that he could fool Torak is what brought about his downfall.
Red Baron: "The Apostate".

Smug Snake: In the backstory. By the time we meet him that aspect of his personality has been more or less bled out of him.
The Tramp: Like Belgarath, and in sharp contrast to Sorcerous Overlord Ctuchik.
Undying Loyalty: Despite being the least willing of Torak's disciples, he is also the only one not to plot against him, the only one who served him instead of his own agenda while Torak was unconscious, and is the one Torak kept closest at hand while he was awake, due to the Mind Rape and brainwashing Torak put him through. If he still had his free will though, he'd probably betray Torak in a heartbeat.
We Used to Be Friends: To Belgarath, Beldin, and the other disciples — but mainly to Belgarath, who was also once his teacher.

The Dragon

The great wings flapped again, and there was a long, despairing cry from the darkness, a cry filled with such aching loneliness that Garion felt a great surge of pity welling up in him.

The last dragon and a symbol of Torak, The Dragon is an immortal and miserable abomination, forever searching for a mate that she's never going to find.

Demonic Possession: Is possessed by a demon lord at one point.
Feathered Fiend: She's described as a massive, bird-like creature with only some vague reptilian features, rather than a traditional dragon.
Last of His Kind: The Gods only created three dragons during the making of the world, and the two males killed eachother during the first mating season, leaving the only female alone for eternity.
Tragic Villain: She's an animal with no real sentience, forced to do the bidding of Torak and his followers.
Who Wants to Live Forever?: She's an immortal and invincible animal that is cursed to live forever, unable to ever find a mate or have offspring.

Torak

The God of Angarak, Torak was left maimed and maddened after trying to steal the Orb of Aldur from his brother. Determined to be god over the whole world, Torak is the primary tool of the Dark Prophecy, and Garion's ultimate adversary in the original series.

Abhorrent Admirer: To Polgara. He wants to mind-rape her into loving him.
Alas, Poor Villain: Everyone in-universe and out feels pretty bad about the way Torak dies. It probably has something to do with the fact that his last action is to desperately call for his mother or that the key to defeating him involved throwing him into a Villainous BSoD by reminding him that absolutely no-one loves him.
- Made worse in The Mallorean when it's revealed that not only was Torak explicitly a mistake who never should have existed, not even the intended ultimate Child of Dark, and because of his prophetic phase, he knew he was a mistake. Evil as he was, it's easy to pity him for knowing that the literal Universe views him as an error even his own side is trying to correct.
Antagonistic Offspring: To his father, UL, to the point where he flat-out refuses to admit there is a relationship.

Beard of Evil: Averted. When a noble in The Malloreon exclaims "By Torak's beard", Garion corrects him: "Torak didn't have a beard. At least not when I met him." This leaves the noble, who just wanted to be seen with a celebrity, stunned and horrified that Garion really did kill a god.
Beauty Is Bad: The most beautiful god (prior to the Orb frying his face), and the most flat out evil, complete with being obsessed with his own appearance.
Big Bad: He's the ultimate villain of the first series.

Cain and Abel: He tried to depose all his brothers, but has a particular rivalry with Aldur. His attack on Aldur and theft of the Orb began the Divine Conflict that shaped the rest of the world's history.

The Chosen One: By the Dark Prophecy, making him the longest-serving Child of Dark.
Compelling Voice: Torak is a God, unless you're inhumanly strong willed and have something (intense pain or love) to act as a shield, it is literally impossible to disobey him. It's his favorite tactic: Zedar doesn't want to work for me? Too bad, he has to. My humans don't like each other? I'll make them co-operate. Belgarion wants to fight? I'll brainwash him into thinking he's my son. Polgara doesn't love me? We'll see about that...
Cool Mask: Wears a steel mask to hide his maiming. All of his followers wear one too.
Cool Sword: Cthrek Goru, his infamous cursed black sword. It instils fear in those who see it.
Dark Is Evil: His main motif is darkness, one way or another. Unnatural clouds form over anywhere he rests because the sun itself refuses to shine on him.
Dead Man Writing: His message to Garion in his own Ashabine Oracles, should he (Garion) have killed him (Torak) in their fated duel. See details in other tropes of the entry.
The Devil Is a Loser: He's maimed, unloved, crazy (but for a single time) and incapable of change, and hammering this home is a large part of how Garion beats him. It's eventually revealed that he was never even supposed to exist in the first place.
Disabled Deity: After he gets burned. Gods aren't meant to get hurt so he has no ability to heal himself.
Dystopia Justifies the Means: Wants an entire world bowing down in worship and offering him sacrifices.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: His last word is an anguished "Mother!"
Even Evil Can Be Loved: Even after everything he's done the Universe still loves Torak. So do his father UL and his brothers, Aldur and the other gods, for that matter. When Torak dies, all lights in the universe briefly go out, and then UL and the other gods sadly gather around him to mourn his death and bring his body to a proper place to bury him.
Even Evil Has Standards: In a moment of sanity he saw the kind of future that Zandramas would create, and left a note for Garion, urging him to take her down. It's noted that it was likely his only moment of sanity, ever. He also banned demon worship among the Karands and forbade his disciples from ever summoning them.

Evil Cripple: Justified. When Torak misused the Orb it burned off one of his hands and boiled one of his eyes. He was evil long before he was a cripple.

Evil Versus Evil: If he had beaten Garion at Cthol Mishrak, he would have gone after Zandramas himself, because Even Evil Has Standards.
Green-Eyed Monster: He covets his brother's orb. He covets it oh so much. Oddly enough, actually correlated with green eyes.
God of Evil: Seeks to rule the world through a religion that practices human sacrifice, and is opposed by all the other gods.
Handicapped Badass: Still a brutally dangerous swordsman despite missing a hand and having no depth perception. Being a god probably helps.
Immortal Ruler: He founded the Empire of Mallorea, soon left its rule to the humans for millennia, and later declared himself its God-Emperor to lead it on an invasion of the West. Since His primary interests were his own Religion of Evil, world domination, and claiming the Orb of Aldur, his rule was unkind to the Malloreons, who formed a much more functional bureaucratic empire in his absence.
I Just Want to Be Loved: Torak has a warped view of love, seeing it as a form of domination. Since he also thinks of himself as the strongest being in existence, his worldview means nobody loves him, and this eats at him constantly. His cry of "Mother!" as he dies is a plea to the one being in the universe he thinks actually does love him. And when he dies, everything stops for just a second - the universe mourning her lost child.
Love Hungry: He's desperate for someone to love him.
Made of Evil: Torak's entire existence is a result of the Accident and he came into existence solely to be a tool of the Dark Prophecy.
Masking the Deformity: When he misused the Orb of Aldur, it burned the left side of his body, destroying his eye and hand. He wears a steel Expressive Mask to hide his maimed face; his priests wear replicas as a uniform.
My God, What Have I Done?: After coming out of a prophetic trance and reading what would happen if the Dark Prophecy were to triumph, Torak is so shocked that in his only moment of sanity he decides to fight against that destiny and even writes a note for his Arch-Enemy Garion to urge him to do that in his stead, should Garion have killed him in their duel. Instantly subverted as the moment of sanity ends, his egotism prevails, and he excises the message from all copies of the Oracles, choosing not to believe the horrible truth.
Named After the Injury: Lost half his face in the ancient Divine Conflict he instigated, and is hence sometimes called "One-Eye" or "old burnt-face" by his more irreverent enemies.
Narcissist: Torak cannot conceive of a world that doesn't revolve around him. In the Book of Torak he claims to have created the Universe (his own mother). He's also one in the classic sense, being utterly obsessed with his own appearance. He briefly — very briefly — snaps out of this when writing a message to Garion in the Ashabine Chronicles, warning him of the danger of Zandramas.

Orcus on His Throne: Spends all but the climax of the story in a coma. The prequel novels reveal that he had a habit of this before, lurking in his tower in Cthol Mishrak with the Orb and later in his house at Ashaba.
Physical God: He stands out as the only one of the gods to remain in physical form for his entire existence, since the others chose to leave the world rather than provoke another Divine Conflict with him.
Pretty Boy: Belgarath describes him as the most beautiful being he had ever seen, and he's very conscious of his own image. The Orb's maiming undid the former, if not the latter.
Red Right Hand: His maimed hand and face are his most infamous physical characteristics in myth.
Sympathy for the Devil: Despite all he's done Garion, Ce'Nedra, Belgarath and the other gods all express sympathy for Torak at some point.
Take Over the World: He wants to depose the other gods and rule the entire world unopposed.
Two-Faced: Beneath his mask, one side of his his face is horribly burned by the Orb, and the other side is untouched.

Unholy Matrimony: One of his goals is to Invoke this on Polgara, forcing her to love him as a husband.
Villainous Crush: He believes Polgara to be the only woman suitable to be his queen.
Wound That Will Not Heal: Gods aren't designed to be injured, and because of that his burnt face, boiled eye, and missing hand continue to pain him, leaving him in perpetual agony.

The Malloreon

Zandramas

The new Child of Dark following Torak's death, Zandramas is a former Grolim priestess with a streak for sadism and a penchant for treachery. Probably the worst human being in either series, Zandramas is feared and hated by everyone who crosses her path.

Animal Motifs: She wears the form of a dragon. It's frequently noted that this ostentatious choice is directly reflective of Zandramas' own melodramatic personality.
Antagonist Title: She's the titular Sorceress of Darshiva.
Archenemy: She and Poledra despise one another to the point where it overrides the usual arch-enmity between the Child of Light (Garion) and the Child of Dark (Zandramas). Zandramas is very, very afraid of Poledra, and she hates what she fears.
Beauty Is Bad: Described as being almost impossibly beautiful and totally evil.
Behemoth Battle: She takes the form of a dragon to battle Poledra, who transforms into a fifty foot wolf to match her.
The Big Bad: Of The Malloreon.
Big Bad Ensemble: She's challenged for her position as the series' driving antagonist by a number of others, most notably the Demon Lord Nahaz, but ultimately wins out over the competition.
Blood Bath: Bathes in human blood while performing sacrifices.
Celestial Body: Her flesh becomes more and more starry as the series continues, much to her dismay. When Cyradis chooses the other side, her body tears apart and the stars within it fly off to repair the Accident. It's not clear if she's still sentient at this point.

The Chosen One: After Torak's demise, she becomes the new Child of Dark. She's also The Chooser of the One, as Geran is destined to become the embodiment of the Dark Prophecy if things go her way.
Dark Messiah: How the Grolims and most Darshivans view her. Given that she's the new Child of Dark they're not wrong either.
Deal with the Devil: Made one when she called up Mordja, the details of which are not explicit. She obviously did a better job of constraining him than Harakan and Urvon did Nahaz, though in the end she still comes to regret her choices.
Dragged Off to Hell: Mordja reveals he is only serving her so that he can claim her soul in Hell after her death. Zandramas is terrified by this and begs Eriond to save her from the Demon Lord and his master, the King of Hell. Whether or not Mordja ultimately claimed her soul is left ambiguous, with even the Prophecy unsure.
Dystopia Justifies the Means: Seeks to create the same kind of world as Torak did.
Evil Counterpart: She could be considered one to Polgara- they're both the only significant female magic users on each side, they're both dark haired and very beautiful, and her abduction of Geran could easily be seen as a twisted version of Polgara's maternal role to Garion and Riva's descendants in general. They're both also supposed to be the brides of the God of Angarak, but they're total mirror images in that respect: Torak wanted Polgara and she rejected him, whereas Zandramas wants to be the bride of the New God (Geran), who hates her.
Eviler than Thou: With Torak's Disciple Urvon (and his puppeteers Harakan and Nahaz) and Grolim Hierarch Agachak of Rak Urga. She outlasts the former and kills the latter, only to discover that her own servile Demon Lord, Mordja, is also plotting against her.
Evil Is Not a Toy: Learns this when she discovers the extent of Mordja's plans and his complete lack of loyalty to her.
Evil Sorcerer: As per usual for a Grolim.
Fate Worse than Death: Zandramas' body is destroyed so that she can replace the hole in the universe created by the Accident. Her soul may have been claimed by Mordja, and subjected to eternal suffering in Hell.
For the Evulz: One character notes that when she served as an ordinary Grolim at the sacrificial altar, she would do so naked and often incorporate acts of a sexual nature, simply because there were no prohibitions against it in the codices of the priesthood and because she was just that depraved.
The Heavy: Most of The Malloreon consists of Garion and his allies pursuing Zandramas while she throws obstacles in their path. Even when other villains take center stage for a time, she is always the one driving the overarching story.
Hemo Erotic: When she was a Grolim priestess, she took to performing her human sacrifices in the nude, with Blood Baths and extra Sex Magic elements, purely for her personal enjoyment. Even the other Grolims were creeped out.
I Have Your Wife: She kidnaps Garion's son out of his nursery and regularly taunts him about it.
I'm a Humanitarian: Drinks blood and eats flesh while performing sacrifices, and in her dragon form.
Lack of Empathy: Cares absolutely nothing for anyone in her employ, sacrificing or outright killing any person who has exceeded the limits of their usefulness.
Manipulative Bastard: Always has a list of unwitting dupes ready to take the fall for her.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Her name is the foulest profanity in the Ulgo language.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: When Cyradis has a pressure-induced breakdown and can't choose a side, Zandramas taunts her by declaring that this lets the Dark Prophecy win by default. This is just the kick Cyradis needs to pull herself together. Needless to say, she does not choose the Dark Prophecy.
The Revolution Will Not Be Civilised: Leads a revolt against 'Zakath and the Grolim priesthood represented by Urvon (in Mallorea) and Agachak (in Cthol Murgos).
Samus Is a Girl: Garion is surprised to discover that the Big Bad is female. It's around this time he decides that he can, in fact, hit a girl.
Scaled Up: She can turn into a dragon.

Uncertain Doom: A variation. Zandramas is definitely dead but it's not clear at all what happened to her soul. It may have been obliterated, it may have passed onto the after life as usual, or she may have been taken by Mordja. Not even the Prophecy knows for sure.

Vain Sorceress: She's extremely arrogant about her appearance.
The Vamp: She uses her sexuality to manipulate Naradas and tries to use it on Garion (who is having none of it).
Villains Want Mercy: She begs Eriond to save her from Mordja and the King of Hell.
We Can Rule Together: She offers Garion the chance to join her, give her the Sardion and they could both rule as Gods over the world, Garion recognises this as a last desperate move to avoid The Choice and laughs in her face.
We Have Reserves: Callously throws away the lives of her Darshivan soldiers.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Once a minion's worth is depleted, if she doesn't kill them, she won't spare any effort to keep them alive.

Naradas

A Grolim priest and former lover of Zandramas, Naradas is distinguished by his milk-white eyes.

Alas, Poor Villain: After Sadi poisons him, he's presented as a pitiable figure, strung along by Zandramas only to be left in the lurch once she no longer needed him.
"Zandramas! You said I would not die! You promised, Zandramas..."
Demoted to Dragon: He starts out as the Archpriest of the temple where Zandramas came up, and when she becomes the Child of Dark after Torak's death he willingly becomes her subordinate.
The Dragon: Zandramas's right-hand man, and the one who is responsible for most of the problems Garion's party encounters, while Zandramas works on setting up for the final decision.
Even Evil Has Standards: Naradas is genuinely horrified when he finds out Zandramas has summoned up the Demon Lord Mordja.
Evil Sorcerer: Most Grolims are capable of wielding the Will and the Word, and Naradas is no exception, though he rarely uses his magic.
Prophet Eyes: This is noted in-universe to be odd, since he can still see.
Sinister Minister: He was once a Grolim, and Zandramas' superior.

Urvon

The last surviving Disciple of Torak, Urvon is a gibbering madman who suffers from a skin disease that leaves him piebald. Losing his mind after the death of Torak, Urvon becomes convinced that he himself is the new God of Angarak.

A God Am I: With Torak having died, Urvon has gotten it into his cracked psyche that he is Torak's replacement.
Archenemy: Beldin's greatest desire in life is to drive a glowing-hot hook into Urvon's stomach. Beldin is slightly disappointed he doesn't get the chance, but concedes being dragged living into Hell is an equally fitting fate for Urvon.

Big Bad Wannabe: His madness leaves him no match for Zandramas and totally under Nahaz's thumb.

Dragon Their Feet: He's completely absent from the first series — justifiably, since most of the action is on the Western continent, where only Ctuchik is regularly present, and when the heroes do go to Mallorea, it's only to confront Torak, who's in Zedar's care.
Dragged Off to Hell: As Nahaz is banished back to Hell, he grabs Urvon on the way.
Elderly Immortal: It's hard to tell because of how he looks, but Urvon is still described as an old man, with thinning white hair.
Eviler than Thou: With Zandramas. He winds up on the losing end, mostly due to his madness and dependency on Nahaz.
Evil Counterpart: The Torak-side equivalent to Beldin, as far as being a hideous-looking sorcerer. He's not nearly as clever, though.
Evil Is Not a Toy: Fools himself into thinking he's the one in power in his relationship with Nahaz. He's only relieved of this delusion as Nahaz bodily pulls him into Hell.
Evil Old Folks: He looks elderly, is at least four thousand years old, and is very, very evil.
Evil Sorcerer: All three of Torak's disciples were powerful sorcerers, though we see very little of Urvon's abilities, thanks to the fact that his insanity has drained his power to do anything other than parlour tricks.
Fate Worse than Death: He's dragged into Hell by Nahaz.
Light Is Not Good: During his "New God Of Angarak" phase, he surrounded himself in a nimbus of golden light, in stark contrast to the dark imagery used by Torak and Zandramas.

Red Right Hand: Urvon's piebald; his skin alternates between living and dead patches.

Harakan/Mengha

A former Mallorean Grolim, Harakan is an agent of Urvon with plans of his own where the rulership of the world is concerned.

Bad Habits: He pretends to be a Bear-Cultist and later a Karandese magician.
Beard of Evil: He grows one when impersonating a Bear-Cultist.
Big Bad Wannabe: Desperately wants to be the one running Urvon's faction and the instrument of the Prophecies' demise, but is upstaged by Nahaz.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Trusting Harakan is a remarkably bad idea. He betrays the Bear-cult, Urvon, and the Dark Prophecy itself.
Co-Dragons: Alongside Nahaz, who isn't under his dominion for long.
Dark Messiah: He sets himself up as a messianic figure to the Karands, even summoning their "god", Nahaz, to do his bidding.
Deal with the Devil: He made one with the Demon Lord Nahaz, whereby Nahaz would become God and Harakan would become ruler of the world. Belgarath notes that he hopes Harakan checked the fine print as Demon Lords aren't known for living up to their end of a deal.

Dragon with an Agenda: Intends to use Urvon as a Puppet King while he really rules Karanda. He'd like to be Dragon-in-Chief but Nahaz quickly usurps that role.

The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: Leads a Karandese revolution against 'Zakath and, ostensibly, the Grolim priesthood. In reality, of course, Harakan is himself a Grolim which means the "revolutionary" nature of his actions may be in dispute. The "uncivilized" part, of course, is not.

Small Name, Big Ego: He's a powerful Grolim, but his plan is entirely dependent upon Nahaz, who has his own agenda.
Smug Snake: Absurdly overconfident and never as in control of the situation as he believes himself to be. This ultimately gets him killed when he allows Velvet to grovel in front of him, as she can't be any danger - she's just a woman. She promptly throws Sadi's pet snake, Zith, into Harakan's face. Fun fact: Zith's species is one of the most venomous snakes in the world.
Take a Third Option: Unleashes Nahaz with the intention of eliminating both prophecies, raising Nahaz to the status of a god, and becoming master of the world.
Would Hit a Girl: He repeatedly tries to have Ce'Nedra assassinated.
Would Hurt a Child: He tries to force Ce'Nedra to murder her own son.

Nahaz

"I need this thing..."

The ancestral Demon Lord of the people of Karanda, Nahaz is one of the King of Hell's most trusted servitors. Summoned by Harakan, Nahaz comes to dominate Urvon's mind, unraveling his sanity farther as he plots to gain control of the Sardion for his true master.

A God Am I: He's worshipped as a god by the people of Karanda.
Antagonist Title: He's the titular Demon Lord of Karanda.

Big Bad Ensemble: From his arrival in Demon Lord of Karanda to his defeat in Sorceress of Darshiva, Nahaz challenges Zandramas for the position of the series' Big Bad, commandeering the Chandim, Temple Guardsman, and Karands from Urvon, and using them against her. He gives her a better fight than any of the other wannabes, and it's Durnik, rather than Zandramas, who finally puts him out of commission.
Casting a Shadow: His face is concealed within inky shadows during his first appearance. They go where he does.

Curb-Stomp Battle: While he's powerful enough to best any sorcerer or group of sorcerers, his confrontation with the recently ascended and Aldur-empowered Durnik is decidedly one-sided, resulting in his defeat and banishment. Given that Durnik was both carrying and infused with Nahaz' Kryptonite Factor, and has Aldur in his corner, this isn't surprising.
Demon Lords and Archdevils: The first Demon Lord we meet and one of the highest ranked in Hell, standing just below the King himself.

Dragon-in-Chief: Urvon is both insane and completely under Nahaz's domination, leaving the Demon Lord as the one who's really running the show. It's also clear that while Harakan thinks Nahaz is driving Urvon mad on his behalf, the Demon Lord has his own goals that have nothing to do with Harakan.
Dragon with an Agenda: To Urvon. He'll take his soul, the Orb, the Sardion, and dominion over the world in the name of his master.

Eye Beams: He emits beams of green light from his eyes when defending Urvon from Beldin.

Fetus Terrible: He impregnates women and then watches the fetus tear its way out and devour the mother alive.
Godhood Seeker: Plans to become god over the whole world by capturing the Sardion for the King of Hell.
The Good, the Bad, and the Evil: Unbeknownst to Urvon, Nahaz (and Mordja) are the evil in this equation, threatening to extinguish both the Light and Dark Prophecies and bring about the end of existence.
Green and Mean: His eyes and Magic Wand both glow a sickly green, and his skin is a darker shade of green.
Hero Killer: A lone demon, unshackled, requires either the presence of a god or the Orb of Aldur for any single foe to defeat. Nahaz is a Demon Lord and is a near match for the combined might of Aldur's disciples, requiring Aldur to mystically empower Durnik before he can be banished.
Hidden Agenda Villain: Nahaz's reasons for assisting Urvon and Harakan don't become clear until the very end of Demon Lord of Karanda.
Insane Admiral: The cruelty of Nahaz's military strategy is remarked upon at some length.
Know When to Fold 'Em: Nahaz is prepared to confront Beldin, Belgarath, Durnik and Polgara at the conclusion of Demon Lord of Karanda, but when Garion joins the fray and draws the Sword of the Rivan King he decides discretion is the better part of valour and flees with Urvon.
Kryptonite Factor: Like all demons, Nahaz is inherently vulnerable to the Orb of Aldur or the presence of a god. These two factors come together to defeat him at the end of Sorceress of Darshiva, when Durnik, empowered by Aldur, and armed with a hammer that draws its mystic properties from much the same place as the Orb, confronts him.
Lack of Empathy: He's a demon lord. This is to be expected. As evidenced by his page quote, to Nahaz, people are things.
Legions of Hell: He can summon up armies of lesser demons to do his bidding, most notably at the sacks of Calida and Akkad.
Magic Wand: He carries a green, glowing wand beneath his cloak, and draws it during his confrontation with Garion and the other sorcerers, though it's never used.
Manipulative Bastard: He uses both Urvon and Harakan to further his own ends.
Multiarmed And Dangerous: Takes on a giant, multiarmed form when confronting Morjda in Sorceress of Darshiva.
Power Glows: A sickly green. It radiates from his eyes and from his magic wand.
Psycho for Hire: Nahaz is a hired agent, not a slave or servant (Demon Lords cannot, in fact, be enslaved by magicians), and he's very much in it for the chance to devour as many souls as possible.
Really Gets Around: He enjoys impregnating women with Fetus Terribles.
Shadow Dictator: He controls Urvon while pretending to be his loyal servant.
Shapeshifter: During his initial appearance he's human sized, has the usual number of arms, and cloaks himself in shadows. During his confrontation with Mordja a book later he transforms into multiarmed giant akin to Mordja's own form.
Sickly Green Glow: The exact words used to describe his eyes and Magic Wand.
Soft-Spoken Sadist: Barely speaks above a whisper during Demon Lord of Karanda.
The Strategist: He's the mind behind Urvon's army, and his outflanking of Zandramas' elephant cavalry is regarded as a stroke of tactical genius by General Atesca and 'Zakath.
Taking You with Me: A variant — when Durnik drives him back into Hell he drags his ostensible master, Urvon, with him.
The Unfought: A variant. While Durnik, with an assist from Aldur, battles Nahaz's second form at the end of Sorceress of Darshiva, the form he wore in Demon Lord of Karanda is never fought, despite his initial willingness to take on not only Beldin, but the rest of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers as well. This means we never get to discover what powers his Magic Wand holds either.
Villainous Valor: Durnik is empowered and partially possessed by Aldur, and infused with the powers of the Orb during his and Nahaz's final confrontation in Sorceress of Darshiva. Nahaz, knowing all this, still attempts to do battle with him, despite having to face both of his Kryptonite Factors.
We Have Reserves: As the heroes inform 'Zakath and General Atesca, Demon Lords pay very little attention to casualties.
Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe: When talking to Mordja, who affects this manner of speech.
Your Soul Is Mine!: He feeds on souls, and claims Urvon's.

Mordja

Ancestral Demon Lord of the people of Mordinland, Mordja was summoned by Zandramas to counteract Nahaz's enlistment by Urvon. Like Nahaz, he aims to take the Sardion not for Zandramas, but for his true master, the King of Hell.

A God Am I: He's worshipped as a god by the Morindim.

Cool Sword: Steals Cthrek Goru from the deceased Torak. See Torak's entry for the rest of the details.
Demon Lords and Archdevils: Of equal rank to Nahaz. They both sit at the King of Hell's right hand.
Demonic Possession: Of the last dragon in Seeress of Kell.
The Dragon: To Zandramas. Unusually literally after he possesses the last dragon in Seeress of Kell.
- Co-Dragons: Appears to share this role with Naradas. In reality he and Nahaz are Co-Dragons to the King of Hell.
- Dragon with an Agenda: He wants Zandramas' soul, the Sardion, and the Orb for the King of Hell.
11th-Hour Superpower: A villainous example. Mordja was always powerful, but he needed to both possess the dragon and steal Cthrek Goru in order to match the combined might of Aldur's disciples, Garion's companions, Durnik's hammer and the Sword of the Rivan King. He also received a power boost from the King of Hell right before the final battle, though Poledra was able to strip him of this.
Eviler than Thou: With Nahaz (and Zandramas, though she doesn't know it).
Extra Eyes: He has three eyes in his hideous face.
Fangs Are Evil: His fangs and how ugly they are receive a fair amount of description in Sorceress of Darshiva.
Final Boss: Provides the last physical confrontation of the series.
The Good, the Bad, and the Evil: Unbeknownst to Zandramas, Mordja (and Nahaz) are the evil in this equation, threatening to extinguish both the Light and Dark Prophecies and bring about the end of existence.
Hero Killer: Has an infamous reputation, takes on the entire cast at the end of the series, and winds up killing Toth.
Hidden Agenda Villain: That Mordja even has an agenda beyond "complicating Nahaz's life" is not made clear until the very end of Seeress of Kell when Poledra forces it out of him.
Kryptonite Factor: Like all demons, Mordja is inherently vulnerable to the Orb of Aldur or the presence of a god.
Kryptonite-Proof Suit: Essentially wears the last dragon as one during his battle with Garion's allies. The dragon shields him from both the sorcery of Aldur's Disciples, and the mystic effects of the Orb of Aldur and Durnik's hammer—though it's noted that he still flinches whenever either passes by him.
Know When to Fold 'Em: Unlike Nahaz, he realizes that Durnik is being empowered by Aldur at the conclusion of Sorceress of Darshiva and flees.
Lack of Empathy: If demons are even capable of caring about others neither he nor Nahaz shows it.
Legions of Hell: As a Demon Lord he can summon up armies of lesser demons to bolster Zandramas' ranks and counter those in service to Nahaz.
Multiarmed And Dangerous: Has a profusion of arms growing from his shoulders.
Psycho for Hire: Demon Lords cannot be summoned into a magician's service, only persuaded. Mordja agrees to work for Zandramas for the chance to frustrate Nahaz and feed on as many mortals as possible.
Scaled Up: A variant. He possesses the dragon in the finale of Seeress of Kell.
The Starscream: Is awaiting the proper moment to stab Zandramas in the back, destroying the Dark Prophecy and delivering the Sardion to the King of Hell.
Uncertain Doom: Mordja vanishes when Garion drives the Sword of the Rivan King through the dragon and into Mordja himself. Whether Mordja was killed or simply banished back to Hell is not made clear.

Your Soul Is Mine!: He aims to claim Zandramas' soul.

The Sardion (Cthrag Sardius)

The Evil Counterpart of the Orb of Aldur, the Sardion lies waiting in the place of meeting for the Child of Dark to touch it and end the world.

Color-Coded for Your Convenience: An ugly red, shot through with milky-white. Contrast that to the Orb's pure blue.
Evil Counterpart: To the Orb of Aldur. They absolutely despise each other, to the point where the Orb for once acts on its own, leaping out of Garion's hand to destroy a case it used to be in, and both gear up for a fight as soon as they get close to each other.
Eviler than Thou: Than Torak, so much so that it didn't even let him know that it even existed.
Mind Rape: What it did to the Melcene scholar who was studying it, drawing him in, then forcing him to take it to Korim, and then adore it until he died of thirst and/or starvation — his skeleton is still in the chamber when the heroes turn up.
Mineral MacGuffin: Like the Orb of Aldur, and an ugly red stone.
Only the Chosen May Wield: Chosen by the Dark Prophecy, and a very specific chosen at that — Torak didn't qualify.
Power Glows: Red, in this case.

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