‘The Return of the King‘ is the last book in author J.R.R Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ Sauron’s army masses as the Dark Lord prepares to invade Gondor and strike at its heart in Minas Tirith, but the timely arrival of Gandalf the White warns the Steward of Gondor of impending doom. In Rohan, King Theoden rallies his armies to raid to the aid of their ancient ally. Meanwhile, in the East, Sam rescues Frodo from the tower of Cirith Ungol, and they continue their journey to Mount Doom.
At Sammath Naur, Frodo finally falls to the temptation of the Ring and claims it as his own, but it is bitten off his finger by Gollum, who attacks him from behind. In Gollum’s wild jubilation for finally recovering his long-lost Ring, he slips off the edge of the ledge and falls into the lava, destroying himself and the One Ring. m, and there destroy it. The story of ‘The Return of the King‘ introduces us to a wide array of characters on whose actions the fate of the world ultimately lay.
Frodo Baggins
Frodo is the Ringbearer on a journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring and bring an end to Sauron’s reign of terror in Middle-earth. Like all Hobbits, Frodo has a quiet determination and a strength of character, which establishes him as one of the undisputed heroes of Middle-earth. As he and his faithful servant get closer to the Dark Lord’s seat of power in Mordor, he is increasingly affected by the Ring’s power as it struggles to exert more control over him and make him put it on and expose himself.
As Frodo got wearier under the Ring’s assault in ‘The Return of the King,’ he took a more passive than in the first two volumes of ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ allowing Sam to take a more active role, including caring for him. Nonetheless, Frodo’s ultimate struggle to overcome the temptation and burden of the Ring reminds us that Frodo lasted as long as he did because of his determination and the goodness in his heart.
Aragorn
Aragorn II Elessar was the 16th and last Chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North. His identity was kept secret, and he was raised in Rivendell and given the name Estel (meaning Hope in Sindarin) till Elrond revealed his lineage to him, and he was given the shards of Narsil and the Ring of Barahir. At this same time, Aragorn met Arwen in the woods of Imladris and fell deeply in love with her. Thirty years later, Aragorn visited Lórien and gave Arwen the Ring of Barahir. Aragorn healed Frodo after he was stabbed by the Witch King of Angmar, chief of the Nazgul.
Gandalf the White
The great wizard, also known to the Elves as Mithrandir, leads the White Council and the forces of Westernesse. Gandalf was resurrected from his seeming death from the wound he received while fighting a Balrog of Morgoth in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring.’ He functions as a fierce soldier and a mystic but more often as an advisor to the political rulers of the world of Men. While Gandalf possesses supernatural abilities beyond what he used to possess as the Grey Pilgrim, his powers of speech remain his greatest tool for admonishing his counterparts and rebuking his foes.
Samwise Gamgee
Frodo’s loving friend and servant and dutiful support throughout the quest, especially in its final stages. Over the course of the journey, Sam grows from an insecure sidekick to the determined and shrewd guardian of his master. Sam emerges as the true hero of ‘The Return of the King,‘ performing the physical and sacrificial deeds expected of a great hero while maintaining his humble and lighthearted nature.
Meriadoc Brandybuck
The fourth Hobbit in the Fellowship. Merry, also stranded from his counterparts, desperately seeks the approval of King Théoden, to whom he offers his service. He hides in King Theoden’s army as they head to the aid of the besieged city of Minas Tirith. He sacrifices his safety in the Battle of Pelennor Fields in an attempt to save King Théoden, aiding the Lady Eowyn in slaying the Witch King of Angmar, Sauron’s Black Captain.
Peregrin Took
A young Hobbit member of the Fellowship. While separated from his Hobbit friends, the often curious and carefree Hobbit abandons his troublesome ways and acts as the intermediary between Gandalf and the Steward Denethor. Pippin is the primary focus of the narrative in the scenes in Minas Tirith.
Legolas
Legolas is the lone Elf member of the Fellowship. Legolas, like his friend Gimli, plays a smaller role in ‘The Return of the King‘ than he does in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring‘ or ‘The Two Towers.‘ Nevertheless, he valiantly portrays the strength and bravery of the Elven race in the Battle of Pelennor Fields.
Gimli
The fierce dwarf of Durin’s folk once again shows the worth of friendship as he accompanies his friend Aragorn through the Gates of the Dead, even though he is paralyzed with fear. He shows his mettle as an untiring warrior in the Battle of Pelennor Fields.
Faramir
The son of Denethor, brother of the deceased Boromir. Faramir appears confident and assured when Frodo and Sam encounter him at Ithilien, outside Mordor in ‘The Two Towers,’ but he now seems to be under the thumb of his father, the Lord Steward. Denethor’s attempts to burn Faramir alive are the extreme manifestations of the Steward’s suppression of his dutiful son. In contrast to his father, Faramir displays the depth of his nobility by immediately recognizing Aragorn’s long-awaited claim to the throne of Gondor. In the end, he marries Lady Eowyn of Rohan.
The Witch King
The leader and most powerful of the nine Ringwraiths, or Black Riders, who serve Sauron in search of the Ring. He led Sauron’s forces to the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the assault on Minas Tirith after the city’s gate was broken down and briefly traded hard words with Gandalf in a standoff. Though the Witch King embodies undefeatable evil, he is ironically struck down by a small Hobbit, Merry.
Elrond Halfelven
Elrond was an Elf-lord and master of Rivendell. He was the son of the great mariner Earendil and the Elf maiden Elwing. He and his brother Elros were given a choice by the Valar to choose which race they wanted to belong to. He chose the Elves, while his brother chose Men.
He was given the greatest of the Three Elven Rings by the High King Gil-galad and sent to help the Elves of Eregion in their fight against the forces of Sauron. After Eregion was destroyed, he founded Rivendell as a hidden refuge. He presided over the Council of Elrond, where it was decided to form a company to travel to Mordor to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.
Sauron
The antagonist and title character of ‘The Lord of the Rings.‘ Originally a servant of the dreaded Valar Morgoth, the Dark Lord Sauron took his master’s place after he was captured by the rest of the Valar in the last War of Wrath. The enormously powerful Sauron is never seen at any point in the novel; he is represented only by images of his Great Eye or the Dark Tower where he resides. He fervently desires the One Ring, which he created long ago and which holds a great portion of his power.
Saruman
The deposed and disgraced former leader of the White Council and the Council of Wizards. He moved to the Shire, where he created a police state and ruled briefly before his death. Always prideful, Saruman refused forgiveness at the hands of Gandalf or Galadriel. With Saruman’s power severely diminished, the Hobbits easily overthrew his regime with the help of the newly returned Hobbit companions of the Fellowship. He was killed soon after by his dejected and much-abused slave, Wormtongue.
Arwen Undomiel
Arwen Undómiel was the daughter of Elrond and Celebrían. She married Aragorn Elessar after the War of the Ring and became the Queen of Gondor, helping to restore the failing line of Numenor. She stayed behind when the other Elves left for the Undying Lands of Valinor.
The Nine Ringwraiths
The Nazgûl were known by many names, including Ringwraiths, the Black Riders, or the Nine Riders. They began as mortal kings to whom Sauron gave rings of power during the Second Age. The rings enslaved them to the service of the Dark Lord, and their bodies faded away, reducing them to wraiths. Sauron ordered them to recover the One Ring, which was in The Shire under the care of Bilbo Baggins. During their pursuit of Frodo Baggins, the black horses they rode were swept away by the river Bruinen.
Gollum
A hunched, miserable creature who was once in possession of the One Ring, which corrupted and twisted him. The shriveled creature represents what Frodo might become under the Ring’s influence. It originally acted as Frodo and Sam’s guide to Mordor but soon betrayed them in ‘The Two Towers’ by leading them into the lair of the giant spider Shelob.
As Gandalf predicts, Gollum’s evil ultimately serves a good purpose. As Frodo finally fell to the temptation of the Ring and put it on, Gollum attacked him, biting the Ring off his finger and then falling into the Cracks of Doom. Thus, Gollum completed the Quest of the Ring, where Frodo failed.
Denethor
The Steward of Gondor and the father of Boromir and Faramir. Denethor undergoes a painful descent into madness that Tolkien uses to explore the complexity of human evil. Proud and wise, Denethor fails not because he is inherently evil but because he allows the evil lies of the palantír to convince him that he is incapable of saving Minas Tirith from Mordor’s power. He also tries to burn his son Faramir, who was mortally wounded in the battle of Osgiliath, with him in a funerary fire, but the plan is thwarted by the timely arrival of Gandalf. Denethor died in the pyre.
Galadriel
The King of the Mark and the leader of the Riders of Rohan. Theoden functions as a foil, or counterpoint, to Denethor. Whereas Denethor neglects the fate of Minas Tirith by committing suicide, Théoden bravely sacrifices his own life on the battlefield for the sake of the West.
Eowyn
The Lady of Rohan and niece to King Theoden. Eowyn, driven by a desire for combat and for Aragorn’s affection, disguises herself in men’s clothing and enters battle with the rest of the Rohirrim. As King Theoden fell and was endangered by the Witch King, she bravely set herself between them, challenging the Lord of the Nazgûl. She was able to kill him after Meriadoc stabbed him in the leg with a magical Elven knife, which undid his magic. With the passing of the Shadow of Mordor, Éowyn is freed from her desire for war, and she turns her affections to Faramir.
Eomer
The nephew and heir of Theoden and the brother of Eowyn. Eomer, who initially urges his father not to go east to battle Mordor, joins the battle himself and bravely leads the Rohirrim after his father’s death.
FAQs
What was the consequence of Arwen’s marriage to Aragorn?
Arwen gave up her Elven immortality so she would be able to marry Aragorn and live with him in Middle-Earth. at the time when the War of the Ring began, large numbers of Elves were already leaving Middle-earth for Valinor. Arwen’s choice meant that she was barred from entering Valinor, and she would be forever separated from the rest of her family.
Who were the original members of the Istari?
The Istari were a group of powerful Maiar spirits sent by the Valar to Middle-earth in the guise of old men to help the free peoples in their fight against Sauron. They were Sauron the White, Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown, and the two Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando.
What caused Denethor to lose his mind?
Denethor, the great Steward of Gondor, was already slipping into madness due to Sauron’s lies and influence on the things Denethor saw through the Stone of Minas Tirith. This was exacerbated by the death of his heir, Boromir. After the grievously wounded Faramir was carried back to the city after the battle of Osgiliath, the embattled Steward lost his already tenuous hold on reality and sought to cremate both him and his dying son on a pyre.
Who was the Mouth of Sauron?
The Mouth of Sauron was one of Sauron’s most devoted servants, serving as his herald and messenger and as the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dûr during the War of the Ring. possibly of Black Numenorean descent, his true name was forgotten, even by himself.
