Halbarad is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...

's The Lord of the Rings.

Halbarad was a Ranger of the North. He was the second in command of the Dúnedain

Dúnedain

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...

 behind Aragorn

Aragorn

Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...

 and also the leader of the Grey Company. Halbarad was among the Rangers who guarded the Shire

Shire (Middle-earth)

The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...

. He said of the Hobbits "A little people but of Great worth are the Shire-folk. Little do they know of our long labour for the safe-keeping of their borders. Yet, I grudge it not."

In response to a message sent to Rivendell

Rivendell

Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...

 by Galadriel

Galadriel

Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....

, Halbarad led the Grey Company comprising 30 Dúnedain south to the aid of their kinsman Aragorn. With them rode Elladan and Elrohir

Elladan and Elrohir

Elladan and Elrohir are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, the sons of Elrond Half-elven and Celebrían and older brothers of Arwen.-Literature:...

, the sons of Elrond

Elrond

Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...

. They caught up with Aragorn

Aragorn

Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...

 at the Fords of the Isen

Fords of Isen

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Fords of Isen were fords in the river Isen, guarded by the Rohirrim. As the only crossing of the Isen into Rohan, they were of enormous strategic importance....

 in Rohan

Rohan

Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....

 in the early hours of March 6, 3019. Halbarad brought Aragorn a message from Arwen

Arwen

Arwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. She appears in his novel, The Lord of the Rings, usually published in three volumes. Arwen is one of the Half-elven who lived during the Third Age.-Literature:...

 as well as a standard made by her, which Aragorn asked Halbarad to keep with him for a little while.

Halbarad accompanied Aragorn to a chamber high in the Hornburg

Helm's Deep

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, Helm's Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais .The valley was described as being blocked over its entire width by the natural series of hills called Helm's Dike and behind that lay the fortress of Aglarond or the Hornburg, at the...

, where Aragorn looked into the palantír

Palantír

A palantír is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír A palantír (pl. palantíri) is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír A palantír (pl. palantíri) is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír...

and revealed himself to Sauron

Sauron

Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...

. That morning Aragorn decided to take the Paths of the Dead

Paths of the Dead

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Paths of the Dead were a haunted passage under the White Mountains.The Paths of the Dead started at the Dark Door at the end of the long valley of Harrowdale, beyond the Firienfeld and the forest of Dimholt, wedged in between the mountains Irensaga ,...

 under the White Mountains

White Mountains (Middle-earth)

The White Mountains, a loose translation of the Sindarin Ered Nimrais "Whitehorn Mountains", is a fictional mountain range in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The mountains are named after the glaciers of their highest peaks...

 and Halbarad and the Grey Company went with him along with Gimli

Gimli (Middle-earth)

Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....

 and Legolas

Legolas

Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...

. When they reached the entrance at daybreak on March 8, Halbarad said "This is an evil door, and my death lies beyond it. I will dare to pass it nonetheless...".

At midnight Aragorn summoned the Dead to fulfil their oaths, and Halbarad unfurled the standard, which appeared black with no device on it in the darkness. The Grey Company and the Dead Men of Dunharrow

Dead Men of Dunharrow

The Dead Men of Dunharrow are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...

 passed through the lands of the South to Pelargir, where they captured the fleet of the Corsairs of Umbar

Umbar

Umbar is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. It was a great haven and seaport to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth.'Umbar' was a name—of unknown meaning—given to the area by its original inhabitants...

. Aragorn dismissed the Dead and the Grey Company sailed up the Anduin

Anduin

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...

.

When they arrived at the Battle of Pelennor Fields on March 15, in the midst of the battle Aragorn's standard was once again unfurled, but now it was seen to bear the emblem of the White Tree of Gondor

White Tree of Gondor

In J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy universe of Middle-earth, the White Tree of Gondor stood as a symbol of Gondor in the Court of the Fountain in Minas Tirith....

 and the seven stars and the crown of Elendil

Elendil

Elendil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....

. Halbarad carried the standard onto the battlefield, where he fell.

Adaptations

Halbarad was voiced by Martyn Read in the 1981 BBC Radio 4 series

The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)

In 1981 the UK radio station BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo instalments...

 of The Lord of the Rings.

The character and the entire Grey Company are omitted in Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson

Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...

's adaptation of The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...

, as well as the Rankin-Bass animated adaptation.

In the 2009 British fan film Born of Hope

Born of Hope

Born of Hope: The Ring of Barahir is a 2009 fantasy-adventure fan film directed by Kate Madison and written by Paula DiSante that is based on the appendices of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...

, an unofficial prequel to the story of The Lord of the Rings, young Halbarad is portrayed as a child and later as a youth by Lars Mattes and Ollie Goodchild respectively.

In the Lord of the Rings Online video game, Halbarad is in command of Esteldin, the hidden Dúnedain

Dúnedain

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...

 city near Fornost, while Aragorn is away. He leads the defence of the North-Downs and later leads the Grey Company south though the lands of Eregion, Enedwaith and Dunland. Halbarad also appears in the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game as a usable Hero for the forces of good.

In the 2011 video game Lord of the Rings: War in the North Halbarad commands the Ranger outpost at Sarn Ford, which is overrun by the Nazgul

Nazgûl

The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...

 in their hunt for the One Ring

One Ring

The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...

 in The Shire. Halbarad witnesses a meeting between the Nazgul and Sauron

Sauron

Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...

's second-in-command, the sorcerer Agandaur, then later in the game sends the players on a mission into the Barrow-Downs.