High-Kings of Arnor and Gondor
Encyclopedia
In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth
, the High Kings of Arnor
and Gondor
were the Kings of all Dúnedain
in Middle-earth after the Downfall of Númenor. Elendil
was the leader of the Elendili who survived the Downfall. He claimed the title of High King.
There were only two High-Kings of Arnor
and Gondor
before the sundering of the two Kingdoms. Those kings were Elendil the Tall
and his son Isildur
. After the death of Isildur in , his son Valandil succeeded him as King of Arnor, while his brother Anárion
's son Meneldil succeeded him as King of Gondor
. Valandil never attempted to claim the High Kingship, and thus Isildur is counted as the last High King. Later, after the death of Ondoher of Gondor, Arvedui
of Arthedain claimed the Kingship over Gondor as the rightful heir of Isildur
, but the Council of Gondor, influenced by Steward Pelendur
refused Arvedui's claim, saying that Isildur forsook the Kingdom to Meneldil, and that only the heirs of Anárion
could be King of Gondor.
Arvedui would become the last King of Arnor, and his descendants, the Chieftains of the Dúnedain never attempted to claim the throne of Gondor, nor the High Kingship. Only at the beginning of the Fourth Age
, the two kingdoms came under one ruler again as the Reunited Kingdom
(see Kings of the Reunited Kingdom) under Elessar Telcontar.
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, the High Kings of Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
and Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
were the Kings of all 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...
in Middle-earth after the Downfall of Númenor. 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....
was the leader of the Elendili who survived the Downfall. He claimed the title of High King.
There were only two High-Kings of Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
and Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
before the sundering of the two Kingdoms. Those kings were Elendil the Tall
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....
and his son Isildur
Isildur
Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
. After the death of Isildur in , his son Valandil succeeded him as King of Arnor, while his brother Anárion
Anárion
Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His name is derived from Anar, which means "Sun" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya...
's son Meneldil succeeded him as King of Gondor
Kings of Gondor
This is a list of kings of Gondor from the fictional universe of Middle-earth by J. R. R. Tolkien.The kings of Gondor through Amandil claimed descent from the Lords of Andúnië, and from there to Silmariën and the Kings of Númenor....
. Valandil never attempted to claim the High Kingship, and thus Isildur is counted as the last High King. Later, after the death of Ondoher of Gondor, Arvedui
Arvedui
Arvedui is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium.Arvedui was the son of King Araphant of Arthedain. He was born in T.A. 1864 and came to the throne in 1964 at the death of his father...
of Arthedain claimed the Kingship over Gondor as the rightful heir of Isildur
House of Isildur
In the literary works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the House of Isildur was the Royal House of Arnor, Arthedain, Cardolan, Rhudaur and, much later, Gondor The house was descended from Isildur, elder son and heir of Elendil the Faithful...
, but the Council of Gondor, influenced by Steward Pelendur
Pelendur
Pelendur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, appearing The Return of the King.He was Steward of Gondor in the year 1944 Third Age. He was born in T.A...
refused Arvedui's claim, saying that Isildur forsook the Kingdom to Meneldil, and that only the heirs of Anárion
Anárion
Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His name is derived from Anar, which means "Sun" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya...
could be King of Gondor.
Arvedui would become the last King of Arnor, and his descendants, the Chieftains of the Dúnedain never attempted to claim the throne of Gondor, nor the High Kingship. Only at the beginning of the Fourth Age
Fourth Age
In the fictional world of middle earth "'the fourth age'" and the ages that preceded it, are time periods from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth, described in his fantasy writings...
, the two kingdoms came under one ruler again as the Reunited Kingdom
Reunited Kingdom
The Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor is a fictional realm from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.When Aragorn became King of Gondor at the end of the War of the Ring, he was also the descendant of the Kings of Arnor, and by right he was crowned High King of both Arnor and Gondor and Reunited the...
(see Kings of the Reunited Kingdom) under Elessar Telcontar.