Denethor

Denethor II was the twentieth and last Ruling Steward of Gondor. He was the son of Ecthelion II and his wife, Morwen of Lossarnach. Denethor had two sons, Boromir and Faramir, and a daughter, Finduilas, who was married to Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. As Steward, he ruled Gondor in the absence of a king, a line that had ended centuries before his time with the death of Eärnur.

Denethor was a proud and capable ruler, though his reign was overshadowed by the growing threat of Sauron. He was known for his wisdom and his strong will, but also for his increasing despair as the war against Mordor intensified. He possessed the use of a Palantír, a seeing-stone, which he used to communicate with Sauron. This constant gaze into the stone and the overwhelming visions of Sauron's power began to erode his mind and spirit.

During the War of the Ring, Denethor's defiance of Sauron was fierce, but his hope dwindled. He refused to evacuate Minas Tirith when Gandalf urged him to, believing that Gondor could hold its own. After the death of his beloved son Boromir at Amon Hen, Denethor's despair deepened. He became increasingly withdrawn and irrational. Following the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and the apparent hopelessness of Gondor's situation, Denethor attempted to burn himself and his dying son Faramir on a funeral pyre. Gandalf and Peregrin Took intervened, saving Faramir, but Denethor perished in the flames. His death marked the end of the Stewardship and paved the way for the return of the King of Gondor with Aragorn's coronation.