Éomer

**King Éomer** is one of the supporting characters in *The Lord of the Rings*. He is the current King of Rohan after the death of his uncle, Théoden in battle, the brother of Éowyn and son of Éomund and Théodwyn, and a grandson of Thengol. Éomer was banished from his kingdom and later led those who were loyal to the King but not to Wormtongue.

## History

Éomer is the son of Éomund and Théodwyn and older brother of
Éowyn and the nephew of Théoden. As a boy, his father is killed by orcs while
his mother dies of a broken heart and goes to live with his uncle. Growing up
alongside his cousin and sister, Éomer becomes like a second son to his uncle
and like a brother to his cousin, Théodred.

### **War of the Ring**

#### Banishment from Rohan

As the war of the Ring begins, Éomer goes with a company of men to find his cousin, Théodred, who had fallen in battle between their men and the Orcs of Isengard at the Fords of Isen. As one of the men blame Mordor, Éomer sees the white hand of Saruman on one of the Orc soldiers' helmets, signifying the Orcs came from Isengard. After looking through all of the dead bodies, one of Éomer is relieved when one of his men finds his cousin Théodred, who is barely alive. Returning with Théodred, Éomer finds a fatal wound at Theodred's lower abdomen. As his sister rushes into the room, he gestures down to the wound not on his head but where Éomer found the fatal wound. Both Éomer and Eowyn are distressed by their cousin’s grievous wounds They inform their uncle of his son's wound, and the terror, blood and war being spread upon by Saruman's Orcs. King Théoden’s confidante, Gríma Wormtongue, contradicts Éomer’s claims. Further infuriated when Wormtongue claims, “Can you not see? Your uncle is wearied by your malcontent......your warmongering,” Éomer angrily confronts him and throws him up against the wall, demanding what Saruman has offered Wormtongue when the world of men has fallen. During the conversation, Éomer realizes that Wormtongue is lusting after his sister, Éowyn, who temporarily watches the confrontation before storming off in a frown. Éomer realizes that his sister is what Saruman promised to give Wormtongue and attempts to protect her by sneering that Wormtongue has lusted for her for too long. Relizing Éomer knows too much, Wormtongue reveals that Éomer has banished from Rohan and all its domains, with a death sentence should he ever return.

#### Meeting the Three Hunters

Several Rohirric men remain loyal to Théoden and refuse to accept Wormtongue’s rule. Instead, they fallow Éomer into banishment and begin fighting in their king’s name. One night, Éomer and his men come across a travelling band of Orcs and Uruk-Hai, who are holding two hobbits hostage. Though they slaughter all their enemies, Merry and Pippin escape without Éomer or his men noticing. The following morning, Éomer and his men come across the Three Hunters, a man, an elf, and a dwarf and demands to know who they are and what business they have in this part of the country. Insulted, the dwarf proclaims that they'll tell him their names if Éomer gives them his. A fight nearly ensues between the two parties when the elf threatens Éomer (who said he would behead the dwarf if it was an inch taller) with an arrow and the Rohirrim point their Spears. However, the man intervenes and reveals their names: the man introduced himself as Aragorn, the elf as Legolas of the woodland realm, and the dwarf, Gimli, son of Glóin and assures that they are friends of their king, Théoden. However, Éomer reveals that their King cannot tell friends from foes, not even his own family, revealing he is a kinsman of the King  and orders his men to stand down. Éomer proceeds to inform the trio that Saruman has poisoned the mind of his uncle and has taken control over Rohan and reveals that he and his company are still loyal to Rohan, thus making them all banished. He warns them the cunningness of the wizard and has heard rumors that he wanders the world as an old man, hooded and cloaked and suspects them to be spies. However, Aragorn reveals that he and his companions are not spies, and are actually looking for their companions, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took, who had been kidnapped by Uruk-hai westward across the plain. Éomer reveals that he and his men had come across the Uruks and had slaughtered them in the night. However, the trio are adamant that two hobbits were with the party, and Aragorn answers that they would only look like children in their eyes. Nonetheless, Éomer insists that they had left none alive and that their carcasses were burnt, and sends his condolences to the shocked company. The Rohirric prince gives Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli two horses, Hasufel and Arod, whose riders were killed during battle and wished them to have fortune, unlike the horses' previous masters. He wishes them luck in looking for their friends, but tells them not to hope, as there is none left in their lands.  The Rohirrim leave the trio and ride north.

Éomer and his men remain unaware that Gríma Wormtongue has been pushed out of Rohan and that his uncle has been healed by Gandalf the White.  However, they still ride under loyalty to Rohan and to the king. At least a couple of days after Théodred's funeral, Éomer and his men encounter a newly resurrected Gandalf and informs them that Théoden is in need of assistance with the Uruks at Helm's Deep. The Rohirrim join Gandalf at the battlefield. Gandalf who returns after five days, notes that Théoden and all of Rohan now stand alone, when Éomer appears and proclaims his uncle is no longer alone. Mustering the rest of the Rohirrim, Éomer and his men help Théoden, Aragorn, Gandalf and their remaining forces defeat Saruman's men.  Their plan of attack causes the Orcs to retreat into Fangorn Forest, Éomer warns his men to stay clear of the forest while the Ents awaken and defeat Saruman's survivors.

#### Final Stand

Following the victory at Helm's Deep, Éomer leads the people back to their home. He constructs a contest between Legolas and Gimli, surprised at Gimli's mannerisms. After Pippin lights the beacons on Gandalf's orders, Éomer leads the troops into a new camp site. On the Eve of battle, Éomer warns his sister that Merry will not survive in battle and knows she is planning on going into battle. After the siege is over, Éomer finds Éowyn and believes her to be dead. However, Aragorn heals her. Since his uncle's death, Éomer becomes the King of Rohan and joins Aragorn in the Battle of the Black Gate.

### Post War of the Ring

Eomer survives the conflict, Éomer attended Aragorn's coronation. Sometime after the war with Sauron, Éomer meets Lothíriel, the cousin of his brother-in-law, Faramir. They fall in love with each other and marry one another. Thus, Lothíriel becomes Queen of Rohan, becoming its first queen in forty years since the death of Eomer's aunt, Elfhild. She and Éomer have at least one a child, a son named Elfwine.