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Isildur, King of Arnor and Gondor
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Home(s)
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Language(s)
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People
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Men (Númenóreans, Dúnedain)
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Time Period
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S.A. 3219 - T.A.2
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Gender
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Male
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Parents
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Siblings
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Spouse
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Children
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Notes
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(N) = non-canon
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The elder son of Elendil, Isildur (Q."Servant of the Moon") was one of the Faithful who
survived the Akallabeth of Númenor. Prior to his departure, he
made his way into the palace courtyard at Armenelos and stole a
fruit of Nimloth the White Tree. He suffered grievous injury but
slipped away to recover, and thus assured the survival of the tree's
line. He escaped from the Downfall, and in the cataclysm his ship
— and that of his brother Anárion — were both driven southwards
towards the Bay of Belfalas. The vessels bearing their father
Elendil and his retainers went North, towards Eriador and Lindon.
Isildur and Anarion founded the Kingdom of Gondor and ruled
jointly from Pelargir, and then Osgiliath. Isildur later built the
fortified hill-city of Minas Ithil and was Lord of Ithilien until S.A.
3429, when Sauron's forces invaded Gondor and seized his home
town. He fled to Arnor to gather an army, and soon returned to aid
his beleaguered brother.
Isildur stood with his father and the Elven High-king Gil-galad
as they faced Sauron on the slopes of Orodruin in S.A. 3441. Both
Elendil and Gil-galad fell before the might of the Dark Lord, but
their deaths were not in vain. As the Evil One broke Narsil and
struck down Elendil the Tall, Isildur grasped the hilt-shard of the
sword and cut the Ruling Ring from Sauron's burning hand. His
focus of power stripped away, the Dark Lord could not retain his
form. He passed into the Shadows.
As the sole surviving Dúnadan King after the War of the Last Alliance (Anarion was killed outside Barad-dur in S.A. 3440),
Isildur returned with the Ring of the Dark Lord to Minas Anor. He
ruled Gondor for two years and then set off for his father's capital
at Annúminas in Arnor. It was on his journey north to take the
throne of Arnor that he was ambushed by Orcs. In the ensuing
Battle of Gladden Fields (T.A. 2), Isildur lost the One Ring, as well
as his life.
Appearance[]
- tall
- black hair
Isildur's Principal Items[]
As heir of Elendil, Isildur was the High-king of the Dúnedain after SA. 3441 and owned the hereditary items associated with that office.
- Helm of Isildur — silver- and ivory-inlaid white (mithril alloy) helmet of the Númenórean High Helmet design, shaped like a stylized dome with two applied sea-bird wings of pearl. It was lost with Isildur's death.
- Helm of House Andúnië — A Númenórean war-helm of the High Helmet design, a stylized high dome with two applied wings of Sea-birds. This was the original Crown of Gondor, until the second crown was introduced by Atanatar I of Gondor
- Elhach — ("Star-flame"): mithril sword, glowed with a bright white light.
- The One Ring — Although Isildur possessed the One Ring for nearly two years, he almost never wore it and certainly did not test its powers. It was perhaps more merciful that he died, betrayed by the Ring, rather than lived to endure what would surely have befallen him eventually had he lived. The Ring would have tempted him to use it and, in the end, he would have been overcome by its evil seduction, and become a Ringwraith.
- Númenórean Battle-Axe
Names[]
- Árundil
- Eadwine
- Herendil
- Isildor
- Ithildor
Árundil, Eadwine, Isildor and Ithildor are names from abandoned early versions.Herendil was originally the name of Elendil's son in the 1930ies The Lost road story before Elendil was renamed Amandil and Herendil and Elendil essentially switched.