Théoden

History
Is the seventeenth King of Rohan, and last of the Second Line of the royal house of Eorl. Théoden was the oldest son of Thengel, and became king after the death of his father in TA 2980.

By the time of the War of the Ring Théoden had been king for nearly 30 years, and was getting old and tired.

He was increasingly misled by his chief advisor Gríma, who was secretly in the employ of Saruman the White. It was possible that Gríma may even have been poisoning Théoden.

In the last years before the War of the Ring, Théoden let his rule slip out of his hands, and Gríma gained an increasingly large hold over him. Rohan was troubled again by Orcs and Dunlendings as well as the new fighting Uruk-hai, who operated under the will of Saruman, ruling from Isengard.

When Théoden's son Théodred was mortally wounded at a battle at the Fords of Isen in skirmish with the Orcs of Saruman, his nephew Éomer became his heir. Éomer fell out of favour with Wormtongue and was eventually arrested.

When Gandalf the White and Aragorn appeared before him, Théoden initially rebuked Gandalf's advice to resist Saruman, but after being released from effects of Gríma, he commanded Hama to release his nephew and bring him his sword Herugrim, and led the Riders of Rohan into battle against Saruman but having found that Sarumans forces had broken through Rohans outer defences. Theoden, under advice from Gandalf, retreated and fought against Saruman's hordes at the Battle of Helm's Deep. After this he became known as Théoden Ednew, the Renewed, because he had thrown off the yoke of Saruman.

He led the Rohirrim to the aid of Gondor at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields bravely charging the legions of Sauron, where he won great glory by defeating "The Black Serpent," a chieftan of the Southrons, in single combat. In that battle he challenged the Witch-king of the Nine Ringwraiths, and died when his horse Snowmane fell upon him after being spooked by the Ringwraith's fell beast. He was immediately avenged by his niece Éowyn and the Hobbit Meriadoc Brandybuck (to whom Theoden spoke his final words), both of whom had ridden to war in secret.