Dáin Ironfoot

**Dáin Ironfoot** was the cousin of Thorin Oakenshield, Fíli, and Kíli, great-nephew of Thrór and father of Thorin III Stonehelm. He was named after his great-grandfather, Dáin I.

While the Lonely Mountain is under siege by a combined force of Mirkwood Elves and Men from the recently-destroyed Lake-town, Dain arrives at the head of an army of dwarves from the Iron Hills. Initially bent on attacking the elves, he wheels half of his army to fight against Azog's army when it appears on the field. The Dwarves quickly formed a phalanx, in which fight he is reluctantly joined by the elves.

As the Orcs force the tired Dwarves back towards the gate of Erebor, Thorin and his company charge out, prompting Dain to call for the Dwarves to rally to their King. The two cousins exchange hearty greetings on the battlefield.

In battle, he rides a wild boar and wields a war hammer. After he is thrown off of his boar and loses his helmet, he is shown to have bright red hair, worn in a Mohawk (similar to Dwalin's at the time of the Battle of Azanulbizar).

Dain's army contained more than just heavily-armed infantry. In addition to having more than five hundred heavy infantry armed with spears, swords, axes, and shields, Dain's army contained a force of two hundred fifty Dwarves mounted on armored goats, five war chariots manned by four dwarves each and pulled by teams of six rams, and nine heavy ballistae manned by crews of five dwarves that fired javelins with spinning tails behind them (called "twirly-whirlies" by Dain). After the battle, he is crowned King under the Mountain. Although the extended edition of the third film does not reveal what happened afterwards, it is possible that he made good the promise his cousin Thorin made to the people of Esgaroth by giving them the gold that was owed to them. He may also have restored to Thranduil the necklace of white gems that Thror allegedly stole from the Elven-king years ago.

After Thorin's death, Dáin became King under the Mountain and King of Durin's folk, the first not of the main line. Dáin was a wise and just leader, and brought much wealth to the mountain realm and was on good terms with the Men of Dale in the south and the Elven king of Northern Mirkwood as well, which ensured peace for many years to come. When Balin and other Dwarves decided to reclaim Moria, Dáin initially refused, but Balin insisted on going.

A few months before the Council of Elrond, a messenger from Mordor appeared at the entrance of the Lonely Mountain and offered the Dwarves an alliance with Sauron, asking only in return that the Dwarves share what they knew "concerning Hobbits", and help to track down the One Ring, which the messenger described as "least of rings... a trifle that Sauron fancies."  The messenger said that, if the Dwarves could deliver the Ring itself, then Sauron would return three of the Rings of Power that originally belonged to the Dwarf-Lords, and Moria would be theirs to possess forever.  On the other hand, the messenger warned that "things will not seem so well" if the Dwarves did not help.

Knowing from long and bitter experience that Sauron could not be trusted, Dáin refused to be bribed or blackmailed, and sent the messenger away without an answer by claiming that he needed time to think over the proposal. He instead sent Glóin to Rivendell to consult with Elrond, while Dáin prepared the Lonely Mountain for war.

### Death

Dáin participated in the War of the Ring's northern campaign but was killed during the Battle of Dale in TA 3019, defending the body of King Brand of Dale before the gates of the Lonely Mountain. He was, by then, an extremely old Dwarf, at the age of two-hundred and fifty-two, but still strong for his age. He was still among the greatest of the Dwarven warriors, a direct descendant of Durin and his prowess in battle was nearly unmatched.

After news of his death reached Minas Tirith, Gandalf remarked that, as saddened as they must be at Dáin's death, they should be glad that he died in battle, defending his friend's body, as well as amazed that he was still as formidable a warrior as he had been when he was a young dwarf.

After his death during the war, his son, Thorin III Stonehelm, succeeded him.