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Eärnur

Eärnur was a king of Gondor in the late Third Age, belonging to the line of Isildur. He is best known for his martial valor and for being the last ruler of Gondor from that royal line. His reign occurred during a period of ongoing conflict with the forces of Angmar, the enemy that had long threatened the northern realm.

Eärnur is remembered for a singular and fateful act: he rode from Minas Tirith to Minas Morgul

The death of Eärnur thus had a lasting political consequence for Gondor, cementing the transition from a

to
challenge
the
Witch-king,
the
Lord
of
the
Nazgûl,
in
single
combat.
He
did
not
return
from
the
assault,
and
his
disappearance
marked
the
end
of
the
direct
succession
of
Kings
in
Gondor.
The
throne
then
remained
vacant,
and
the
realm
was
governed
by
the
Stewards,
beginning
with
Mardil
Voronwë,
who
would
rule
for
centuries
in
Gondor’s
name
until
the
return
of
the
king
in
the
Fourth
Age.
monarchy
to
a
stewardship
during
the
period
between
the
end
of
the
Kings’
line
and
the
eventual
restoration
of
the
throne
by
Aragorn,
who
becomes
King
Elessar
in
the
Fourth
Age.
In
Tolkien’s
writings,
the
episode
is
often
cited
as
a
turning
point
that
shaped
the
subsequent
governance
of
Gondor
and
its
alliances
with
neighboring
realms.