King Théoden: From Shadows to Valour
The question of who the best character in the Lord of the Rings series is always up for contest among the characters of the Fellowship. Frodo—well, he’s the hobbit, the myth, the legend; Sam—Frodo’s loyal companion and a true hero; Gandalf—always appearing from out of nowhere to kick ass and save the day (and sometimes to get Hobbits into trouble); Aragorn—effortlessly exuding main character energy; Legolas—the ever-ready elf whose perfect hair makes me envious; Gimli—ferocious and ready to take down enemies double his size; and poor Boromir—who exits the scene too soon but steals every moment he appears in. These characters (except for Boromir) carry the weight of the whole trilogy on their shoulders, and they definitely deserve the love that they get. But there is another character who has left a mark on every LOTR fan and could possibly be the favourite character of at least some—King Théoden.
In the larger scheme of things, it is easy to forget about Théoden because he is altogether missing in The Fellowship of the Ring and appears somewhere in the middle of The Two Towers. Nevertheless, Théoden’s actions have a conspicuous impact on the entire plot and how things turn out in Middle-earth during times of great evil. The first couple of times I watched the trilogy, I remember choking up during a few scenes with Théoden, but I left it at that. I never really appreciated the sheer magnificence of the character until a friend of mine (who calls himself a part-time philosopher but is definitely a full-time LOTR nerd) asked me to pay attention to King Théoden when I watched the trilogy again. To my surprise, I realized that Théoden’s character was so compelling that, despite being a supporting character, he gives the main characters a run for their money. So, here’s a tribute to one of the greatest fictional characters ever written and to Bernard Hill—who embodied Théoden to absolute perfection.
What is it that makes Théoden so memorable?
Be it from the pages of history books or fiction, kings are generally pompous, clad in the grandeur of their riches, which makes them seem untouchable, both literally and figuratively. I am not saying that all kings are like King Joffrey from Game of Thrones, but money and power have a way of bringing out the worst in people and leading them to make selfish choices.
But King Théoden is an outlier. Théoden is everything a king should be or aspire to be—fearless, honourable, and most importantly, kind. However, we also see him in private as a broken man riddled with self-doubt. This reveals that beneath the golden armour, Théoden is just a man weighed down by the burden of doing the right thing—even when it means riding to his own death.
J.R.R. Tolkien has crafted King Théoden as a great warrior and king, but Bernard Hill brings so much authenticity and humanity that you can’t help but feel the things he feels. Théoden makes you grieve with him in his loss and celebrate with him in his victory. He encompasses a certain kind of duality that makes him larger than life yet an accessible character.
Though he was born into one of the mightiest lineages of Middle-earth, life has not been very kind to Théoden. He has had to bear the brunt of losing people close to him from a young age. He loses his wife Elfhild and sister Théodwyn very early on in life and has to raise his son Théodred all by himself. He also adopts Éomer and Éowyn, Théodwyn’s children, and raises them as his own. He becomes the king of Rohan after the death of his father Thengel, who was a mighty warrior. While dealing with the grief of losing his wife and sister and taking on the responsibilities of raising young Théodred, Éomer, and Éowyn, Théoden also has to fill the shoes of his father.
The demise of his son Théodred is probably the greatest loss Théoden has to endure in his lifetime, and he puts the blame on himself. All these personal losses could have made Théoden desolate. His shortcomings as a king, misguided under the influences of evil forces, and the death of his son ravage him. In the movie The Two Towers, we see the full extent of Théoden’s grief during his exchange with Gandalf.
Théoden: “Alas that these evil days should be mine. The young perish and the old linger. That I should live to see the last days of my house.”
Gandalf: “Théodred’s death was not of your making.”
Théoden: “No parent should have to bury their child.”
This scene captures the extent of Théoden’s anguish and the pain of his loss. It is not fair for me to talk about Théoden without appreciating Bernard Hill’s portrayal of the character. No other actor could have done justice to the complexities and depth of King Théoden than Bernard Hill. He captures the nuances, the splendour, and the evolution of Tolkien’s character and delivers one of the best performances in the history of cinema. Hill displays the perfect juxtaposition of Théoden as a weak man but a strong king and his portrayal of Théoden at his lowest points is truly staggering.
As an aging king, Théoden is overcome with the hopelessness of not having been able to serve his kingdom as he should have and the fact that his death will bring an end to his lineage. But he does not let that get in the way of being a good king for the people of Rohan. Unlike kings who live in their echo chambers surrounded by people who only say what they like to hear, Théoden is someone who strives to be worthy of his title as a king.
Often, we find Théoden unable to contain his insecurities and showing his weakness to those close to him. In one such moment of vulnerability, we see Théoden seeking reassurance from his general Gamling.
Théoden: “Who am I, Gamling?”
Gamling: “You are our king, sire.”
Théoden: “And do you trust your king?”
Gamling: “Your men, my Lord, will follow you to whatever end.”
Gamling’s affirmation that the men of Rohan would follow their king to whatever end seems to give Théoden a renewed confidence as he prepares for an inevitable war. Though his low self-esteem forces him to seek reassurance from those around him, ultimately all the choices that Théoden makes are his own and are not influenced by external forces.
Théoden is often pitted as a parallel against Denethor, another leader facing similar circumstances. Both leaders are in their twilight years, with not much to hold on to or look forward to. Both have lost their oldest sons; war is upon them, and death looms over them like a terrible shadow. Denethor, on the one hand, retreats into himself, consumed by his selfishness and ignoring the people he has to protect. In contrast, Théoden, even when he knows that his chances are slim, still decides to meet his enemies in battle.
In the scene where Gamling tells Théoden that they cannot defeat the armies of Mordor, Théoden does not try to delude his men with false hopes. Instead, he says, “We will meet them in battle nonetheless.” Rather than lying to his men, Théoden chooses to tell them the truth and to do what is right, even if it is not the easiest thing to do.
We see Théoden in his full glory as a king in the scenes of the Ride of the Rohirrim and the subsequent Battle of Pelennor Fields. Here, Théoden is no longer a king bent under the weight of self-doubt or old age. Rather, he becomes the majestic leader who inspires a legion of riders to fight for glory and for the better days of their kingdom of Rohan.
"Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!
Spear shall be shaken, shield shall be splintered,
a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, ride now, ride! Ride for ruin and the world's ending!
Death! Death! Death!
Forth Eorlingas!"
With this battle cry, Théoden and his riders charge into the enemy's army. Théoden is well aware that he is leading himself to certain death, but that does not seem to bother him. In the book, Tolkien describes Théoden’s ride into the Pelennor Fields as a majestic sight to behold, comparing Théoden to the Valar, Oromë the Great.
Théoden’s death is heartbreaking and always leaves me feeling empty. No matter how many times I watch The Return of the King, I am never going to get over it, but I will always be happy knowing that he died an honourable death. In his last moments, we see Théoden finally making peace with himself. The doubt that he is the lesser son of great sires seems to vanish. “I go to my fathers. And even in their mighty company, I shall not now be ashamed,” says Théoden as he draws his final breath.
Théoden will always remain one of the greatest kings ever written. What makes him so great is not that he is born into a family of great kings or destined to lead the mighty kingdom of Rohan, but what he chooses to do with the time that is given to him and the legacy that he leaves behind. It is easy to cloud your judgment when you are constantly at war with yourself, especially in the face of peril. To choose to do the right thing even when all the odds are against you takes great strength. Even though Théoden always felt like a lesser king, we know that Rohan could not have asked for a better king than Théoden. Gamling was right in saying that the men of Rohan would follow their king to whatever end because Théoden was worth following to whatever end.
Since you have reached the end of this article here’s a little treat for you!