Isildur

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Isildur
Númenórean
File:Isildur (Liz Danforth).png
Biographical Information
Titles	High King of the Two Kingdoms: King of Arnor and King of Gondor
Position	Ring-bearer
Affiliation	The Faithful; Last Alliance of Elves and Men
Language	Adûnaic, Sindarin and Quenya
Birth	S.A. 3209 Númenor
Rule	S.A. 3441 - T.A. 2 (2 years)
Death	October 4, T.A. 2 (aged 234) Battle of the Gladden Fields
Family
House	House of Elendil (founded House of Isildur)
Parentage	Elendil
Siblings	Anárion
Children	Elendur, Aratan, Ciryon and Valandil
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Height	Nigh 7 feet
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Grey
Weaponry	Narsil
Gallery	Images of Isildur

	Isildur.mp3
	By Ardamir. (Help; more articles)

Isildur was a Dúnadan of Númenor, the elder son of Elendil, High King of the Realms in Exile. He was briefly the second king of Gondor and Arnor. His name means "Devoted to the Moon".

History

Isildur was born in Númenor, the eldest son of Elendil son of Amandil, the last Lord of Andúnië. His younger brother was Anárion. Isildur had four sons, Elendur, Aratan, Ciryon, and Valandil, though his wife was never named.

In his youth, Isildur stole a fruit of Nimloth before it was cut down, preserving the line of the White Tree, and later planted a seedling in the city of Minas Anor.

Isildur together with his father and brother were saved from the Downfall of Númenor when they fled for Middle-earth. Isildur and Anárion landed in the south and established the realm of Gondor, while their father landed in the north, founding the realm of Arnor.

Isildur lived on the east bank of the river Anduin and established the city of Minas Ithil (which would later be named Minas Morgul), as well as the province of Ithilien. However, in 3428 Sauron captured Minas Ithil, and Isildur fled down the Anduin, then northwest to Gil-galad in Lindon and his father in Arnor, leaving Anárion to rule over Gondor.

He returned with his father and the Elven High King Gil-galad in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men in 3434 with their combined armies. His father and Gil-galad threw down Sauron, winning the battle, though both were slain. Isildur took the hilt shard of his father's sword Narsil, which had broken beneath Elendil in the combat with Sauron, and used it to cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger.

Ignoring the advice of Elrond and Círdan, lieutenant of Gil-galad, he did not destroy the Ring, instead claiming it as an heirloom for his House.

After the fall of Sauron, Isildur left Meneldil, son of his brother Anárion, in charge of Gondor, and returned north to Arnor with his three sons. His fourth son Valandil had stayed behind in Rivendell. At the Gladden Fields, Isildur was ambushed by roaming Orcs, and his son told him to flee when he saw that the battle was lost. He put on the ring in order to escape, but due to the Ring's treachery he was killed, losing the Ring in the river Anduin.

He was the last king to rule both Gondor and Arnor until King Elessar reunited the Kingdom at the end of the Third Age.

In the riddling rhyme "Seek for the Sword that was Broken" the Ring is referred to cryptically as Isildur's Bane.

Genealogy

Elendil S.A. 3119 - 3441

ISILDUR S.A. 3209 - T.A. 2

Anárion S.A. 3219 - 3440

Elendur S.A. 3229 - T.A. 2

Aratan S.A. 3339 - T.A. 2

Ciryon S.A. 3379 - T.A. 2

Valandil S.A. 3430 - T.A. 249

Eldacar T.A. 87 - 339

Portrayal in Adaptations

File:Peter Jackson's Isildur1.jpg

Harry Sinclair as Isildur in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):

Prince Isildur is mentioned in the prologue, and he is shown to cut the Ring off Sauron's hand in battle, rather than from a defeated Sauron.

2001-2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy:

Isildur briefly appears in the first scenes of the first film, and in an extended flashback scene in the second. Isildur is played by Harry Sinclair. Sinclair, a friend of Peter Jackson, was asked because he was the most corrupt looking person Jackson knew. Sinclair had only one line, "No!", which was dubbed by Hugo Weaving.

In the movie, Isildur apparently is the last king of Gondor; Anárion and heirs and Arnor do not appear at all. However, in the Extended Editions both Arnor and the House of Anárion are mentioned, and at times it is clear that Isildur was not the last King, so this might be dialogue error. The story of Isildur's succumbing to the temptation of the Ring bothers Aragorn who fears that he could have the same weakness (a fear that is not evident in the book).

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (video game):

In the game starts with a prologue, where you have to play with Isildur beneath Mount Doom. After you complete the mission you see how Isildur defeats Sauron.

2006: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II:

Isildur appears only in cinematics battling Sauron. However, in the expansion of the game, Isildur is mentioned more detailed in the Angmar campaign.

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Isildur makes his first appearance in a flashback during Volume III: Allies of the King, Book III Echoes of the Dead where it is explained how the oathbreakers came to be.

Titles

Isildur House of Elendil Cadet branch of House of Elros Born: S.A. 3209 Died: T.A. 2
Preceded by: Elendil	2nd King of Arnor S.A. 3441 – T.A. 2	Followed by: Valandil
	2nd King of Gondor S.A. 3441 – T.A. 2	Followed by: Meneldil
	2nd High King of the Two Kingdoms S.A. 3441 – T.A. 2	Vacant Next held by: Aragorn, 3017 years later
Preceded by: Sauron	2nd Ring-bearer S.A. 3441 – T.A. 2	Vacant Next held by: Déagol, c. 2461 years later

See Also

• Images of Isildur