Good against Evil or Dark versus Light

This is a classic theme that almost always appears in the fantasy genre. Belgarath and his supporters all serve the Purpose of Light, which is diametrically opposed to the Purpose of Dark. The entire novel revolves around this battle, which is constant and requires incredible sacrifice on both sides. Belgarath, for example, suffers through the loss of his wife Poledra, his daughter Beldaran, and numerous descendants of his throughout the millenia. Polgara suffers these losses just the same, though she never seems as capable of dealing with them as her father eventually becomes. The servants of the Purpose of Dark suffer as well, and their suffering tends to take on the form of permanent injury. For example, Torak's handsome visage is burned severely when he is punished by The Orb for its misuse. He is again gravely wounded during his attack on...