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Changes: Denethor II

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{{Disamb-more|father of Boromir and Faramir|[[Denethor (disambiguation)]]}}
 
{{Infobox Person Men Gondor
  
{{Infobox Person Men Gondor
 
| image = Lord Denethor.jpg
  
| image = Lord Denethor.jpg
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| caption = [[John Noble]] portrays '''Denethor''' in the ''[[Lord of the Rings film trilogy|Motion Picture]]'' Trilogy.
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| caption = [[John Noble]] portrays '''Denethor''' in the ''[[Lord of the Rings film trilogy|Motion Picture]]'' trilogy
 
| name = Denethor II
  
| name = Denethor II
−
| title = [[Stewards of Gondor|Ruling Steward of Gondor]], Lord of [[Gondor]], Lord of [[Minas Tirith]]
 +
| title = [[Stewards of Gondor|Ruling Steward of Gondor]],<br/>Lord of [[Gondor]],<br/>Lord of [[Minas Tirith]]
−
| birth = [[TA 2930]]<ref name=heirs>''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', Vol. 12: ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', VII: "The Heirs of Elendil"</ref>
 +
| birth = [[TA 2930]]<ref name=heirs>''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', Vol. XII: ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', VII: "The Heirs of Elendil"</ref>
−
| rule =
+
| rule =[[TA 2984]] - [[TA 3019]]
−
| death = [[March 15]], [[TA 3019|3019]] (aged 89)<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix B]]: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age"</ref>
 +
| death = [[March 15]], 3019 (aged 89)<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix B]]: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age"</ref>
 
| realms =
 
| realms =
 
| spouse = [[Finduilas of Dol Amroth|Finduilas]]
  
| spouse = [[Finduilas of Dol Amroth|Finduilas]]
−
| weapon = Sword and knife<ref name=pyre>''[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[The Return of the King]]'', Book Five, Chapter VII: "[[The Pyre of Denethor]]"</ref>
 +
| weapon = Sword and knife<ref name=pyre>''[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[The Return of the King (novel)|The Return of the King]]'', Book Five, Chapter VII: "[[The Pyre of Denethor]]"</ref>
 
| race = [[Men]]
  
| race = [[Men]]
−
| culture = [[Men of Gondor]] ([[House of Húrin]]), Dunedain
+
| culture = [[Men of Gondor]] ([[House of Húrin]])
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| gender = Male
 +
| gender =
 
| height =
 
| height =
 
| hair = Dark, grey (in old age)
  
| hair = Dark, grey (in old age)
 
| eyes =
 
| eyes =
 
| actor = [[John Noble]]
  
| actor = [[John Noble]]
−
| voice = [[wikipedia:William Conrad|William Conrad]]
 +
| voice = [[wikipedia:William Conrad|William Conrad]] (1980)
 
| character =
  
| character =
  +
|children = |parentage = [[Ecthelion II]] & his unnamed wife|siblings =
 
}}
  
}}
  ⚫
{{Quote|Yet a Halfling still, and little love do I bear the name, since those accursed words came to trouble our counsels and drew away my son on the wild errand to his death. My Boromir! Now we have need of you. Faramir should have gone in his stead.|Denethor, upon meeting Gandalf and Pippin Took in Minas Tirith<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[The Return of the King (novel)|The Return of the King]]'', Book Five, Chapter I: "[[Minas Tirith (chapter)|Minas Tirith]]"</ref>}}
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{{Disamb-two|Steward of Gondor|other namesakes|[[Denethor (disambiguation)]]}}
  
  ⚫
'''Denethor II''' was the twenty-sixth and last [[Stewards of Gondor|Ruling Steward of Gondor]], and father of [[War of the Ring]] heroes [[Boromir]] and [[Faramir]].
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{{Quote|Yet a Halfling still, and little love do I bear the name, since those accursed words came to trouble our counsels and drew away my son on the wild errand to his death. My Boromir! Now we have need of you. Faramir should have gone in his stead.|Denethor, upon meeting Gandalf and Pippin Took in Minas Tirith<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[The Return of the King]]'', Book Five, Chapter I: "[[Minas Tirith (chapter)|Minas Tirith]]"</ref>}}
  
⚫
'''Denethor II''' was the twenty-sixth [[Stewards of Gondor|Ruling Steward of Gondor]], and father of the [[War of the Ring]] heroes [[Boromir]] and [[Faramir]].
  
   
−
==Biography==
 +
== Biography ==
   
−
Denethor was the first child and eldest son of [[Ecthelion II]].<ref name=heirs/> In [[TA 2976]], he married [[Finduilas of Dol Amroth]], daughter of Prince [[Adrahil II]] of [[Dol Amroth]].<ref name=anarion>''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]]: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, I: The Númenórean Kings, (iv): "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"</ref> Together, the couple had two sons, [[Boromir]] and [[Faramir]]. A few years later, in [[TA 2988]], Finduilas died, leaving Denethor bitter.<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age"</ref>
 +
Denethor was the third child and only son of [[Ecthelion II]].<ref name=heirs/> A proud and noble man, the blood of [[Númenor]] ran truer in him than it had in any man of [[Gondor]] for many years. He was described as subtle and often scornful and could perceive the thoughts of men, including those that dwelled far off. It was difficult to deceive him and dangerous to try.
   
  +
In [[TA 2976]], he married [[Finduilas of Dol Amroth]], daughter of Prince [[Adrahil II]] of [[Dol Amroth]].<ref name="anarion">''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]]: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, I: The Númenórean Kings, (iv): "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"</ref> Together, the couple had two sons, [[Boromir]] and [[Faramir]]. A few years later, in [[TA 2988]], Finduilas died young, leaving Denethor embittered.<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age"</ref>
⚫
He succeeded his father Ecthelion II as the twenty-sixth Ruling Steward in [[TA 2984]]. During his stewardship, Gandalf was less welcome in [[Minas Tirith]] and his counsels went unheeded.
  
   
  ⚫
He succeeded his father Ecthelion II as twenty-sixth Ruling Steward in [[TA 2984]]. During his stewardship, Gandalf was less welcome in [[Minas Tirith]], and his counsels went unheeded.
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===War of the Ring===
  
   
  ⚫
=== War of the Ring ===
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Denethor secretly used a [[Palantíri|Palantír]] to probe [[Sauron]]'s strength, and he used it at the top of the White Tower in his secret chamber, above the Throne room.<ref>''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', Part Four: III: "The Palantíri"</ref> The effort aged him quickly, and the knowledge of Sauron's overwhelming force exacerbated the bitterness that had taken root at the time of the death of his wife, [[Finduilas of Dol Amroth|Finduilas]], in TA 2988. Sauron used the Palantír to drive him mad with despair. He retained, however, an air of nobility and power. The death of [[Boromir]], his eldest son and favorite, and the siege and apparent doom of the [[Minas Tirith|capital city]] drove Denethor further along the path to madness. Following this, he became estranged from Faramir. Shockingly, Faramir still upheld his father's wishes.<ref name=anarion/>
  
   
  +
In later life, Denethor secretly used a [[Palantíri|palantír]] to probe [[Sauron]]'s strength, using it at the top of the [[White Tower of Ecthelion|White Tower]] in a secret chamber above the Throne room.<ref>''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', Part Four: III: "[[The Palantíri]]"</ref> The effort aged him prematurely, and although Sauron was not able to bend him to his will as he had [[Saruman]], knowledge of the [[Dark Lord]]'s overwhelming forces exacerbated the bitterness that had taken root at the time of the death of his wife.
−
His actions, however, did not immediately proclaim his insanity. The [[Osgiliath]] mission was not obviously suicidal, as the city had not yet been overrun. The [[Warning beacons of Gondor]] had indeed been lit, although Denethor expected little help, because of the fatalistic mindset that he had at that time of sorrow.<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[The Return of the King]]'', Book Five, Chapter IV: "[[The Siege of Gondor]]"</ref>
  
   
  +
Denethor was well aware that Sauron's assault on Gondor would come during his lifetime and prepared accordingly, even though he increasingly came to believe that the struggle would be hopeless. In [[TA 3018]] when Sauron [[Sauron's assault on Osgiliath|attacked]] [[Osgiliath]], he found the strength and preparedness of Denethor greater than he had expected or feared. [[Minas Tirith]] was fully provisioned for a siege and as war loomed Denethor sent away from the city the old, the women and children and had the [[Warning beacons of Gondor]] lit, dispatching errand riders with the [[Red Arrow]] to [[Théoden]] of [[Rohan]] to summon aid.
⚫
He committed suicide on March 15, 3019, having ordered his men to erect a [[pyre]] for him and Faramir in the Hallows of Minas Tirith. He threw a torch onto the pyre, then broke the white rod of his office over his knee and cast it into the flames, symbolizing the end of his stewardship and the end of the rule of the Stewards. He laid himself down on the table and so perished, clasping the Palantíri in his hands. His attempt to take the grievously injured and apparently dying Faramir with him was thwarted by the timely intervention of [[Beregond (Captain)|Beregond]] and ultimately, by Gandalf.<ref name=pyre/>
  
   
  +
The death of [[Boromir]], his eldest and favorite son, and the siege and apparent doom of Gondor drove Denethor further along the path of despair. Following this news and the passage of [[Frodo Baggins]] through [[Ithilien]] he became estranged from Faramir, though Faramir still upheld his father's wishes.<ref name="anarion" /> Denethor therefore dispatched Faramir with reinforcements to command the garrison at Osgiliath and following the [[Battle of Osgiliath|battle]] there and at the [[Causeway Forts]], sent out a cavalry sortie under the command of Prince [[Imrahil]] to rescue his son's retreat. However Faramir returned severely wounded, breaking Denethor's spirit.
⚫
Denethor II ruled as the Steward of Gondor for 35 years, from [[TA 2984]] until his death on [[TA 3019]]. The title of the Ruling Steward was passed to his son, [[Faramir]], who also became the first [[Princes of Ithilien]].<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[The Return of the King]]'', Book Six, Chapter V: "[[The Steward and the King]]"</ref>
  
   
  +
Looking into the palantír, Sauron was able to drive him mad with despair, giving him a hopeless vision of an approaching black fleet from the south, portending that Gondor would fall to Sauron thanks to the [[Corsairs of Umbar]] coming to assist in the [[Siege of Gondor|Siege]]. Sauron, however, obscured the vision's finer details to hide that those ships would in fact be under the command of Gondor's erstwhile king, [[Aragorn II Elessar|Aragorn]], who ousted the Corsairs at [[Pelargir]] and come by ship to relieve the city. Denethor therefore believed that further resistance was futile, although he remained steadfast in his rejection of the shadow.
⚫
==Etymology==
  
   
  ⚫
He committed suicide on [[March 15]], [[TA 3019]], having ordered his men to erect a pyre for him and Faramir in the [[Houses of the Dead|Hallows of Minas Tirith]]. He threw a torch onto the pyre, then broke the white rod of his office over his knee and cast it into the flames, symbolizing the end of his stewardship and the rule of the Stewards. He laid himself down on the table and so perished, clasping the palantír in his hands. His attempt to take the grievously injured and apparently dying Faramir with him was thwarted by the timely intervention of [[Beregond (Captain)|Beregond]] and ultimately, by Gandalf.<ref name=pyre/>
⚫
'''Denethor''' might have been named after the tenth Ruling Steward of Gondor, who, in turn, was named after a [[Nandorin]] Elf. The name comes from the Nandorin words ''dene'' ("strong, lithe") and ''thara'' ("tall, slender"), and gives the name a meaning of "Lithe and lank".<ref>''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', Vol. 11: ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'', Part Four: Quendi and Eldar, Appendix D: Kwen, Quenya, and the Elvish (especially Ñoldorin) words for 'Language'</ref>
  
   
  ⚫
Denethor II ruled as the Steward of Gondor for 35 years, from [[TA 2984]] until his death in [[TA 3019]]. The title of Steward was passed to his son, [[Faramir]], who also became the first of the [[Princes of Ithilien]].<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[The Return of the King (novel)|The Return of the King]]'', Book Six, Chapter V: "[[The Steward and the King]]"</ref> After his death the Anor-stone would only show Denethor's hands slowly withering in flame, unless the viewer had great strength of will to turn it to other visions.
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{{House of Hurin}}
  
⚫
==Portrayal in adaptations==
  
⚫
===Radio===
  
   
  ⚫
== Etymology ==
⚫
Denethor was voiced by [[wikipedia:William Conrad|William Conrad]] in [[Rankin/Bass]]'s [[1980]] animated adaptation of ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]'', and by [[wikipedia:Peter Vaughan|Peter Vaughan]] in [[wikipedia:BBC Radio|BBC Radio]]'s [[1981]] [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|serialisation]].
  
   
  +
''Denethor'' had been the name of the [[Denethor I|tenth Ruling Steward]] of Gondor, who, in turn, was named after a king of the [[Denethor (First Age)|Nandorin Elves]].
⚫
===''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy===
  
   
  ⚫
The name comes from the [[Nandor]]in words ''dene'' ("strong, lithe") and ''thara'' ("tall, slender"), and gives the name a meaning of "Lithe and lank".<ref>''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', Vol. XI: ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'', Part Four: Quendi and Eldar, Appendix D: Kwen, Quenya, and the Elvish (especially Ñoldorin) words for 'Language'</ref>
⚫
{{Quote|You may triumph on the field of battle for a day, but against the power that has risen in the East, there is no victory.|Denethor, to Gandalf<ref>''[[The Return of the King (film)]]"</ref>}}
  
   
  ⚫
{{House of Hurin}}
⚫
In [[Peter Jackson]]'s [[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|movie trilogy]], Denethor is portrayed by [[John Noble]]. In a significant change from the novels, he is depicted as an incompetent leader driven to insanity by despair. He appears in the extended edition of ''[[The Two Towers (film)|The Two Towers]]'' and is a secondary antagonist in ''[[The Return of the King (film)|The Return of the King]]''.
  
  ⚫
== In adaptations ==
  +
[[File:Rankin Bass Denethor.PNG|thumb|255x255px|Denethor II (1980)]]
   
  +
=== Television ===
−
Denethor appears in one extended flashback scene in ''The Two Towers'', arriving at [[Osgiliath]] as it is liberated by [[Boromir]]'s troops. He congratulates his elder son while disparaging the younger [[Faramir]], and commands Boromir to travel to the [[Council of Elrond]], take the [[One Ring]], and return it to Gondor.
  
  ⚫
Denethor was voiced by [[wikipedia:William Conrad|William Conrad]] in the [[1980]] [[Rankin/Bass]] animated adaptation of ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]''.
   
  ⚫
=== Radio ===
⚫
In ''The Return of the King'', Denethor is depicted as overcome with despair, convinced that Sauron cannot be opposed. He denies [[Aragorn]]'s birthright to the throne of Gondor, refuses to light the [[Warning beacons of Gondor|beacons]] to call Rohan for aid and, after Osgiliath is captured by Mordor's forces, sends Faramir and his men on a suicide mission to retake the ruined city. When Faramir is brought back to Minas Tirith unconscious, Denethor hastily concludes that his last son is dead and commands his guards to build a funeral pyre for the both of them. As Sauron's armies attack [[Minas Tirith]], Denethor prepares to immolate himself alongside Faramir; only Merry and Gandalf's intervention saves Faramir's life. Denethor then throws himself off of the pinnacle of Minas Tirith, engulfed in flames.
  
  +
*Robert Farquharson voiced Denethor in [[BBC|BBC Radio]]'s 1955 radio adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings''.
  +
*Tom Luce voiced the character in the 1979 The Mind's Eye radio adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings''.
  +
*[[wikipedia:Peter Vaughan|Peter Vaughan]] portrayed the character in BBC Radio's 1981 radio serial ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|The Lord of the Rings]]''.
  +
*Heinz Schimmelpfennig voiced the character in the 1991-1992 German radio serial adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings''.<ref>[https://www.ardapedia.org/wiki/Der_Herr_der_Ringe_(H%C3%B6rspiel) ''Der Herr der Ringe'' (hörspiel). (German: "''The Lord of the Rings'' (radio play)". Ardapedia.org (German-language wiki of Tolkien's Legendarium). Retrieved/cited 30 May 2021.]</ref>
  +
*Marián Slovák voiced the character in the 2001-2003 three-season Slovak radio serial adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings''.<ref>[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/P%C3%A1n_prste%C5%88ov_(2001-2003_Slovak_radio_series) ''Pán prsteňov''. (Slovak: "''The Lord of the Rings''") Slovak 2001-2003 radio play. Tolkien Gateway.net (English-language wiki of Tolkien's Legendarium). Retrieved/cited 30 May 2021.]</ref>
  +
  ⚫
=== ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy ===
  ⚫
{{Quote|You may triumph on the field of battle for a day, but against the power that has risen in the East, there is no victory.|Denethor, to Gandalf<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]"</ref>}}
  ⚫
In [[Peter Jackson]]'s [[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|movie trilogy]], Denethor is portrayed by [[John Noble]]. In a significant change from the novels, he is depicted as an incompetent leader driven to insanity by despair. He appears in the [[The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition|extended edition]] of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers|The Two Towers]]'' and is a major character in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.
  +
  ⚫
Denethor appears in one extended flashback scene in ''The Two Towers'', arriving at [[Osgiliath]] as it is liberated by [[Boromir]]'s troops. He congratulates his elder son while disparaging the younger [[Faramir]], and commands Boromir to travel to the [[Council of Elrond]], take the [[One Ring]], and return it to Gondor.[[File:The Lord of the Rings Online - Denethor.jpg|thumb|Denethor in ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'']]In ''The Return of the King'', Denethor is depicted as overcome with despair, convinced that Sauron cannot be opposed. He denies [[Aragorn II Elessar|Aragorn]]'s birthright to the throne of Gondor, refuses to light the [[Warning beacons of Gondor|beacons]] to call Rohan for aid and, after Osgiliath is captured by Mordor's forces, sends Faramir and his men on a suicide mission to retake the ruined city. When Faramir is brought back to Minas Tirith unconscious, Denethor hastily concludes that his last son is dead and commands his guards to build a funeral pyre for the both of them, ignoring Pippin's insistence that Faramir is still alive. As Sauron's armies attack Minas Tirith, Denethor prepares to immolate himself alongside Faramir; only Pippin and Gandalf's intervention saves Faramir's life. As he sees Faramir start to awaken, Denethor, now engulfed in flames, throws himself off of the pinnacle of Minas Tirith.
   
 
The ''[[Palantíri|palantír]]'' of Minas Tirith, which causes Denethor's corruption in the novels, is only hinted at in the extended edition of ''The Return of the King''.
  
The ''[[Palantíri|palantír]]'' of Minas Tirith, which causes Denethor's corruption in the novels, is only hinted at in the extended edition of ''The Return of the King''.
   
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===Voice Dubbing actors===
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==== Voice dubbing actors ====
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<div style="overflow:auto; height:300px; width:500px; float:left">
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
  
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<!--<div style="overflow:auto; height:200px;">-->
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!Foreign Language
  
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{| class="itemtable" bgcolor="#EDEEFF" style="color:#6f3d0b; border:2px solid #FFF; border-top: 0; text-align:left; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft:8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright:8px; -webkit-border-bottom-left-radius:8px; -webkit-border-bottom-right-radius:8px;"
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!Voice dubbing artist
  
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| width="300px" |'''Foreign Language'''
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| width="300px" |'''Voice dubbing artist'''
 
|-
  
|-
 
|Spanish (Latin America)
  
|Spanish (Latin America)
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|-
  
|-
 
|Portuguese (Brazil) (Television/DVD)
  
|Portuguese (Brazil) (Television/DVD)
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|Renato Master † ''(ROTK)''<br /> Renato Márcio ''(Extended Edition TTT and ROTK)''
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|Renato Master † ''(ROTK)''<br />Renato Márcio ''(Extended Edition TTT and ROTK)''
 
|-
  
|-
 
|German
  
|German
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|}
  
|}
   
  +
</div>
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==Translations around the World==
  
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−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
  
  +
===Video games===
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!Foreign Language
  
  +
In ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'', Denethor has two sisters, Terenis and Vanyalos, the wife of Lord [[Forlong]]. His role in the game is relatively minor, as by the time the player reaches Minas Tirith, Faramir already lies wounded while the Steward's will is failing.
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!Translated name
  
  +
  +
== Gallery ==
  +
<gallery>
  +
File:Denethor - LOTR The Card Game.JPG|Denethor in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game]]''
  +
File:Denethor - LOTR The Card Game (2).JPG|Denethor in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game]] - Flight of the Stormcaller Adventure Pack''
  +
File:Denethor (Ally).JPG|Denethor in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game]] - Encounter at Amon Dîn Adventure Pack''
  +
</gallery>
  +
  +
  +
{{Clear}}
  +
  ⚫
==Translations==
  +
<div style="overflow:auto; height:300px; width:500px; float:left">
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<!--<div style="overflow:auto; height:200px;">-->
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{| class="itemtable" style="color:#6f3d0b; border:2px solid #FFF; border-top: 0; text-align:left; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft:8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright:8px; -webkit-border-bottom-left-radius:8px; -webkit-border-bottom-right-radius:8px;" bgcolor="#edeeff"
  ⚫
| width="300" |'''Foreign Language'''
  ⚫
| width="300" |'''Translated name'''
  +
|-
  +
|Arabic
  +
|دينيثور الثاني
  +
|-
  +
|Armenian
  +
|Դենետհոր II
  +
|-
  +
|Belarusian Cyrillic
  +
|Дэнетар II
  +
|-
  +
|Bengali
  +
|দ্বিতীয় ডিনেথর
  +
|-
  +
|Bulgarian Cyrillic
  +
|Денетор II
 
|-
  
|-
 
|Chinese (Hong Kong)
  
|Chinese (Hong Kong)
 
|迪耐瑟二世
  
|迪耐瑟二世
  +
|-
  +
|Georgian
  +
|დენეთორ II
  +
|-
  +
|Greek
  +
|Ντένεθορ Β΄
  +
|-
  +
|Hebrew
  +
|דנתור השני
  +
|-
  +
|Hindi
  +
|डेनेथोर द्वितीय
  +
|-
  +
|Japanese
  +
|デネソール2世
  +
|-
  +
|Kannada
  +
|ಎರಡನೆಯದು ಡೇನೆತೋರ್
  +
|-
  +
|Kazakh
  +
|II Дэнетор (Cyrillic) II Dénetor (Latin)
  +
|-
  +
|Kyrgyz Cyrillic
  +
|ДэнэтХор II ?
  +
|-
  +
|Macedonian Cyrillic
  +
|Денетор II
  +
|-
  +
|Maori
  +
|Denethor te Tuarua
  +
|-
  +
|Marathi
  +
|दुसरा डेनेथर
  +
|-
  +
|Nepalese
  +
|पहिलो डेनेथोर
  +
|-
  +
|Persian
  +
|دِنِه‌تُور دوم
  +
|-
  +
|Russian
  +
|Дэнетор II
  +
|-
  +
|Sanskrit
  +
|डेनेथोर् २
  +
|-
  +
|Sinhalese
  +
|දෙවැනි ඩෙනෙටෝර
  +
|-
  +
|Tamil
  +
|இரண்டாவது தேனேதோர்
  +
|-
  +
|Tajik Cyrillic
  +
|Денетор II
  +
|-
  +
|Telugu
  +
|రెండవ దేనితోర్
  +
|-
  +
|Thai
  +
|เดเนธอร์ 2
  +
|-
  +
|Ukrainian Cyrillic
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|דענעטהאָר דער צווייטער
 
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Latest revision as of 02:36, 26 March 2024

This article refers to the father of Boromir and Faramir. For other namesakes, see Denethor (disambiguation).

"Yet a Halfling still, and little love do I bear the name, since those accursed words came to trouble our counsels and drew away my son on the wild errand to his death. My Boromir! Now we have need of you. Faramir should have gone in his stead."
—Denethor, upon meeting Gandalf and Pippin Took in Minas Tirith[4]

Denethor II was the twenty-sixth and last Ruling Steward of Gondor, and father of War of the Ring heroes Boromir and Faramir.

Biography

Denethor was the third child and only son of Ecthelion II.[1] A proud and noble man, the blood of Númenor ran truer in him than it had in any man of Gondor for many years. He was described as subtle and often scornful and could perceive the thoughts of men, including those that dwelled far off. It was difficult to deceive him and dangerous to try.

In TA 2976, he married Finduilas of Dol Amroth, daughter of Prince Adrahil II of Dol Amroth.[5] Together, the couple had two sons, Boromir and Faramir. A few years later, in TA 2988, Finduilas died young, leaving Denethor embittered.[6]

He succeeded his father Ecthelion II as twenty-sixth Ruling Steward in TA 2984. During his stewardship, Gandalf was less welcome in Minas Tirith, and his counsels went unheeded.

War of the Ring

In later life, Denethor secretly used a palantír to probe Sauron's strength, using it at the top of the White Tower in a secret chamber above the Throne room.[7] The effort aged him prematurely, and although Sauron was not able to bend him to his will as he had Saruman, knowledge of the Dark Lord's overwhelming forces exacerbated the bitterness that had taken root at the time of the death of his wife.

Denethor was well aware that Sauron's assault on Gondor would come during his lifetime and prepared accordingly, even though he increasingly came to believe that the struggle would be hopeless. In TA 3018 when Sauron attacked Osgiliath, he found the strength and preparedness of Denethor greater than he had expected or feared. Minas Tirith was fully provisioned for a siege and as war loomed Denethor sent away from the city the old, the women and children and had the Warning beacons of Gondor lit, dispatching errand riders with the Red Arrow to Théoden of Rohan to summon aid.

The death of Boromir, his eldest and favorite son, and the siege and apparent doom of Gondor drove Denethor further along the path of despair. Following this news and the passage of Frodo Baggins through Ithilien he became estranged from Faramir, though Faramir still upheld his father's wishes.[5] Denethor therefore dispatched Faramir with reinforcements to command the garrison at Osgiliath and following the battle there and at the Causeway Forts, sent out a cavalry sortie under the command of Prince Imrahil to rescue his son's retreat. However Faramir returned severely wounded, breaking Denethor's spirit.

Looking into the palantír, Sauron was able to drive him mad with despair, giving him a hopeless vision of an approaching black fleet from the south, portending that Gondor would fall to Sauron thanks to the Corsairs of Umbar coming to assist in the Siege. Sauron, however, obscured the vision's finer details to hide that those ships would in fact be under the command of Gondor's erstwhile king, Aragorn, who ousted the Corsairs at Pelargir and come by ship to relieve the city. Denethor therefore believed that further resistance was futile, although he remained steadfast in his rejection of the shadow.

He committed suicide on March 15, TA 3019, having ordered his men to erect a pyre for him and Faramir in the Hallows of Minas Tirith. He threw a torch onto the pyre, then broke the white rod of his office over his knee and cast it into the flames, symbolizing the end of his stewardship and the rule of the Stewards. He laid himself down on the table and so perished, clasping the palantír in his hands. His attempt to take the grievously injured and apparently dying Faramir with him was thwarted by the timely intervention of Beregond and ultimately, by Gandalf.[3]

Denethor II ruled as the Steward of Gondor for 35 years, from TA 2984 until his death in TA 3019. The title of Steward was passed to his son, Faramir, who also became the first of the Princes of Ithilien.[8] After his death the Anor-stone would only show Denethor's hands slowly withering in flame, unless the viewer had great strength of will to turn it to other visions.

Etymology

Denethor had been the name of the tenth Ruling Steward of Gondor, who, in turn, was named after a king of the Nandorin Elves.

The name comes from the Nandorin words dene ("strong, lithe") and thara ("tall, slender"), and gives the name a meaning of "Lithe and lank".[9]

House of Húrin

   
   
   
   
Húrin
of Emyn Arnen
   
   
   
   
Pelendur
   
   
   
   
Vorondil
   
   
   
   
Mardil Voronwë
   
   
   
   
Eradan
   
   
   
   
Herion
   
   
   
   
Belegorn
   
   
   
   
Húrin I
   
   
   
   
Túrin I
   
   
   
   
Hador
   
   
   
   
Barahir
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Dior
   
   
Rían
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Denethor I
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Two daughters
   
   
Boromir
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Cirion
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Hallas
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Húrin II
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Belecthor I
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Orodreth
   
   
   
   
Morwen
   
   
Ecthelion I
   
   
   
   
Unknown
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Egalmoth
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Beren
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Beregond
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Belecthor II
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Thorondir
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Túrin II
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Turgon
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Ecthelion II
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Two daughters
   
   
Denethor II
   
   
Finduilas
   
   
   
   
House of Eorl
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Boromir
   
   
   
   
   
   
Faramir
   
   
   
   
   
   
Éowyn
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Elboron
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Barahir

In adaptations

Rankin Bass Denethor

Denethor II (1980)

Television

Denethor was voiced by William Conrad in the 1980 Rankin/Bass animated adaptation of The Return of the King.

Radio

  • Robert Farquharson voiced Denethor in BBC Radio's 1955 radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.
  • Tom Luce voiced the character in the 1979 The Mind's Eye radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.
  • Peter Vaughan portrayed the character in BBC Radio's 1981 radio serial The Lord of the Rings.
  • Heinz Schimmelpfennig voiced the character in the 1991-1992 German radio serial adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.[10]
  • Marián Slovák voiced the character in the 2001-2003 three-season Slovak radio serial adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.[11]

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

"You may triumph on the field of battle for a day, but against the power that has risen in the East, there is no victory."
—Denethor, to Gandalf[12]

In Peter Jackson's movie trilogy, Denethor is portrayed by John Noble. In a significant change from the novels, he is depicted as an incompetent leader driven to insanity by despair. He appears in the extended edition of The Two Towers and is a major character in The Return of the King.

Denethor appears in one extended flashback scene in The Two Towers, arriving at Osgiliath as it is liberated by Boromir's troops. He congratulates his elder son while disparaging the younger Faramir, and commands Boromir to travel to the Council of Elrond, take the One Ring, and return it to Gondor.

The Lord of the Rings Online - Denethor

Denethor in The Lord of the Rings Online

In The Return of the King, Denethor is depicted as overcome with despair, convinced that Sauron cannot be opposed. He denies Aragorn's birthright to the throne of Gondor, refuses to light the beacons to call Rohan for aid and, after Osgiliath is captured by Mordor's forces, sends Faramir and his men on a suicide mission to retake the ruined city. When Faramir is brought back to Minas Tirith unconscious, Denethor hastily concludes that his last son is dead and commands his guards to build a funeral pyre for the both of them, ignoring Pippin's insistence that Faramir is still alive. As Sauron's armies attack Minas Tirith, Denethor prepares to immolate himself alongside Faramir; only Pippin and Gandalf's intervention saves Faramir's life. As he sees Faramir start to awaken, Denethor, now engulfed in flames, throws himself off of the pinnacle of Minas Tirith.

The palantír of Minas Tirith, which causes Denethor's corruption in the novels, is only hinted at in the extended edition of The Return of the King.

Voice dubbing actors

Foreign Language Voice dubbing artist
Spanish (Latin America) Rolando del Castro
Spanish (Spain) Carlos Kaniowski
Portuguese (Brazil) (Television/DVD) Renato Master † (ROTK)
Renato Márcio (Extended Edition TTT and ROTK)
German Roland Hemmo
French (France) Pierre Santini
Italian (Italy) Oreste Rizzini
Czech (Czech Republic) Ladislav Županič
Slovak Juraj Predmerský
Turkish Emir Tayla

Video games

In The Lord of the Rings Online, Denethor has two sisters, Terenis and Vanyalos, the wife of Lord Forlong. His role in the game is relatively minor, as by the time the player reaches Minas Tirith, Faramir already lies wounded while the Steward's will is failing.

Gallery


Translations

Foreign Language Translated name
Arabic دينيثور الثاني
Armenian Դենետհոր II
Belarusian Cyrillic Дэнетар II
Bengali দ্বিতীয় ডিনেথর
Bulgarian Cyrillic Денетор II
Chinese (Hong Kong) 迪耐瑟二世
Georgian დენეთორ II
Greek Ντένεθορ Β΄
Hebrew דנתור השני
Hindi डेनेथोर द्वितीय
Japanese デネソール2世
Kannada ಎರಡನೆಯದು ಡೇನೆತೋರ್
Kazakh II Дэнетор (Cyrillic) II Dénetor (Latin)
Kyrgyz Cyrillic ДэнэтХор II ?
Macedonian Cyrillic Денетор II
Maori Denethor te Tuarua
Marathi दुसरा डेनेथर
Nepalese पहिलो डेनेथोर
Persian دِنِه‌تُور دوم
Russian Дэнетор II
Sanskrit डेनेथोर् २
Sinhalese දෙවැනි ඩෙනෙටෝර
Tamil இரண்டாவது தேனேதோர்
Tajik Cyrillic Денетор II
Telugu రెండవ దేనితోర్
Thai เดเนธอร์ 2
Ukrainian Cyrillic Денетор II
Urdu دانیٹہاور دوسری
Yiddish דענעטהאָר דער צווייטער
Ruling Steward of Gondor
Preceded by
Ecthelion II		 Denethor II Succeeded by
Faramir
TA 2984 - TA 3019


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, VII: "The Heirs of Elendil"
  2. ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Chapter VII: "The Pyre of Denethor"
  4. ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Chapter I: "Minas Tirith"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, I: The Númenórean Kings, (iv): "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
  6. ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age"
  7. ↑ Unfinished Tales, Part Four: III: "The Palantíri"
  8. ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Six, Chapter V: "The Steward and the King"
  9. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI: The War of the Jewels, Part Four: Quendi and Eldar, Appendix D: Kwen, Quenya, and the Elvish (especially Ñoldorin) words for 'Language'
  10. ↑ Der Herr der Ringe (hörspiel). (German: "The Lord of the Rings (radio play)". Ardapedia.org (German-language wiki of Tolkien's Legendarium). Retrieved/cited 30 May 2021.
  11. ↑ Pán prsteňov. (Slovak: "The Lord of the Rings") Slovak 2001-2003 radio play. Tolkien Gateway.net (English-language wiki of Tolkien's Legendarium). Retrieved/cited 30 May 2021.
  12. ↑ The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
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