Belgarath is the First disciple of the god Aldur. He is a seven thousand year old sorcerer. His daughter, Polgara the Sorceress, is the care-taker of the Rivan line. Belgarath's purpose in the world is to make sure the Evil god Torak does not become King of Everything. Belgarath uses the WILL AND THE WORD to cast spells. The WILL AND THE WORD means you must have the will to cast the spell and a word to start it.

Belgarath seems a bit shallow throughout the books, yet when you read the book Belgarath the Sorcerer, you realize that he has led an extremely hard life. You also come to greatly respect the amount of loss this man has overcome. He is truly a great character.