Isildur: High King of Gondor and Arnor

Isildur (born Second Age 3209) was the eldest son of Elendil and the co-founder of the South-kingdom of Gondor. He was a man of immense stature and willpower, a savior of the White Tree, and the warrior who finally ended the Second Age by cutting the One Ring from the hand of the Dark Lord.

The Hero of Númenor

Long before he was a King in Middle-earth, Isildur was a rebel against the corruption of Númenor. When the King Ar-Pharazôn sought to cut down Nimloth (the White Tree), Isildur disguised himself and entered the royal gardens at night. He fought off the guards and stole a fruit of the tree, sustaining life-threatening wounds in the process. This act preserved the lineage of the White Tree for all the ages to follow.

During the Downfall of Númenor, Isildur led a portion of the Faithful in five ships, escaping the cataclysm and landing in the mouth of the Anduin.

The Founding and the Last Alliance

Isildur and his brother Anárion established the kingdom of Gondor in the south, while their father Elendil ruled Arnor in the north. Isildur built his city, Minas Ithil (the Tower of the Moon), on the borders of Mordor to keep watch over the Land of Shadow.

When Sauron returned and captured Minas Ithil, Isildur fled to his father, leading to the formation of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. In the final battle upon the slopes of Mount Doom in 3441 Second Age, after his father and King Gil-galad were slain, Isildur took up the hilt-shard of Narsil and severed the Ring from Sauron's finger.

The Fatal Choice

Urged by Elrond and Círdan to cast the Ring into the fires of Orodruin to end Sauron's power forever, Isildur refused. He claimed the Ring as "weregild" (blood-payment) for the deaths of his father and brother. This choice allowed Sauron’s spirit to endure and ultimately led to Isildur’s own ruin.

The Disaster of the Gladden Fields

In the year 2 Third Age, while traveling north to take up the High Kingship of Arnor, Isildur’s company was ambushed by Orcs near the Gladden Fields. Isildur attempted to escape by using the Ring's invisibility to swim across the Anduin. However, the Ring—possessing a treacherous will of its own—slipped from his finger.

Exposed and visible, Isildur was struck by Orc-arrows and perished in the water. The Ring remained lost in the river silt for over two thousand years until it was found by Déagol, while the lineage of Isildur survived through his youngest son, Valandil, eventually leading to Aragorn.