Soldier of the Dead 2

PG-523

2017

The Lord of the Rings

The Soldier of the Dead, also known as the King of the Dead, is a character featured in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He leads the ghostly army of oathbreakers inhabiting the Dwimorberg, the Haunted Mountain, near the Paths of the Dead.

During the Second Age, this king swore an oath of fealty to Isildur, heir of Elendil, to fight against Sauron. However, when called upon, he and his people broke their oath, fearing Sauron's power and hiding in the mountains. Isildur cursed them, declaring they would have no rest until their oath was fulfilled.

Millennia later, during the War of the Ring, Aragorn, Isildur's heir, summoned the Dead from the Dwimorberg. Bound by Isildur's curse, the Dead had no choice but to heed Aragorn's call. They fought alongside Aragorn's forces, terrifying Sauron's allies and playing a crucial role in securing victory at the Battle of Pelargir and, arguably, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. After fulfilling their oath by helping to drive away the Corsairs of Umbar, Aragorn declared their oath fulfilled, releasing them from their spectral existence, allowing them to finally rest.