Anárion

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Character from Tolkien's Legendarium
Name	Anárion
Titles	King of Gondor
Race	Men
Culture	Númenórean
Date of birth	S.A. 3219
Date of death	S.A. 3440
Book(s)	The Lord of the Rings The Silmarillion

Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, born S.A. 3219 and killed S.A. 3440 (lived 221 years). His name is apparently derived from Anar, the Quenya name for the Sun.

He was the second son of Elendil and the brother of Isildur. According to some sources, his son Meneldil was the last man born in Númenor before the Akallabêth. Together with his father and brother, Elendil and Isildur respectively, Anárion was a leader of the Elendilli or Faithful, the part of the Númenórean people that opposed the dark rule of king Ar-Pharazôn and Sauron.

After the downfall Elendil landed in the north near the Elven realm of Lindon, and there established the realm of Arnor, but Isildur and Anárion landed in the south of Middle-earth, establishing the realm of Gondor. Both realms were founded on existing Númenórean colonies: Gondor grew out of the already established city of Pelargir, and the existing Princedom of Belfalas (later renamed Dol Amroth).

Anárion and Isildur were chiefly responsible for the early ordering of Gondor: they founded the cities of Minas Anor and Minas Ithil, as well as the bridge and city of Osgiliath. Osgiliath was dedicated to the stars, but also after Elendil. Minas Anor and the outlying region of Anórien were named after the Sun, but also after Anárion. Minas Ithil and Ithilien across the river Anduin were named after the Moon, and Isildur.

Gondor was soon attacked by a returned Sauron and Minas Ithil was captured, driving Isildur out. In the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men Anárion defended Gondor and its people, ruling as its regent, while his brother escaped north to join up with Elendil and the Elves. Defending a land under siege, he successfully defended the Númenórean exiles, the earlier settlers, and the indigenous population of Gondor for a time. His forces held Osgiliath and drove Sauron back to the mountains for a time, though Anárion was wise enough to forsee that Gondor would not stand unless Elendil arrived.

When Elendil, Isildur and Gil-galad arrived, they summoned him to take part in the campaign into Mordor. He fought with distinction in the Battle of Dagorlad and in the Siege of Barad-dûr, but was slain in S.A. 3340 by a stone hurled from the Dark Tower. The crown of Minas Anor, Anárion's helm, was crushed when he was slain. Isildur later handed over his (plain) war helm to be used as the replacement crown. Several generations later, Isildur's helm was replaced by an elaborate jeweled helm.

Anárion had four children. Nothing is known about the first three; all of them may have been daughters, or there may have been sons who predeceased Anárion. Anárion's fourth child, Meneldil, became King of Gondor.

There was some dispute in later times as to whether Gondor at this point became an independent nation or whether Isildur intended Gondor to remain as a subject realm under the High King. Isildur is not recorded as having given up his rights over Gondor, and Meneldil is described as being well-pleased by his departure. Equally, however, there is no record of Meneldil publicly claiming at the time that Isildur had relinquished the throne. In any case, by the time of the succession dispute between Arvedui and Eärnil II nearly two thousand years later, it was maintained in Gondor that they were an independent state and not subject to the heirs of Isildur.

On the other hand, the title "High King" remained with the northern line, and even as Gondor grew more mighty than Arnor it remained the younger line. The throne of Gondor was eventually left vacant with the disappearance of Eärnur in T.A. 2050.

The bloodlines of Anárion and Isildur were reunited when Anárion's female descendant, Princess Fíriel of Gondor, married Isildur's descendant Prince Arvedui of Arthedain. This eventually opened the path for Aragorn II to in time become king of the Reunited Kingdom.