Boromir: What would have happened if he didn't die?

[Glirdan]

Now, I know there's a whole topic on what would have happened if Gandalf hadn't fell (I really should know seeing as I participate in it ), but I was wondering what you guys think would have happened if Boromir hadn't died?

Go on and let your minds wander but let me start things off with a few speculations of my own.

First off, he probably would have gone to Gondor alone. No, he would not tag along with Aragorn and Co. to go searching for Merry and Pippin. He would rather go back to his home and help in the fight to come. Or would he? Would he go back to Gondor? Or would he feel a sense of duty to rescue and help the companions that he's travelled with and can call friends? I think the second option would be what would happen. I think he'd feel to guilty to leave his friends to go off and possibly endanger Middle-Earth, not purposely mind you. He'd also feel that since he found his King, he has to follow him. It's his duty to go where the King goes.


So, what do you think?

[Thinlómien]

Hmmmmmmm.... Well it depends what you mean. Do you mean that Boromir had survived, but the orcs had captured Merry and Pippin and then Boromir would have just walked away? I don't believe that he would have tolerated the orcs to take them.
If you just mean that the situation (Boromir+Merry+Pippin against the orcs) hadn't happened, then I suppose you wouldn't be asking would he have gone after the orcs...
So could you clear it up a bit?

[Glirdan]

Do you mean that Boromir had survived, but the orcs had captured Merry and Pippin and then Boromir would have just walked away?

Yes Thin, that is indeed what I mean. Sorry for the confusion.

[Himilsillion]

I think that Borromir would have followed Aragorn and company through out the TT but he would have gone down to Minas Tirith with Pippin and Gandalf so he could get there and help defend the white city before the forces of Mordor surrounded it. He also might have decided that he should go down and help command the Rohirrim with Eomer, Gamling, and Theoden. Either way he could have done good.

[Thinlómien]

He had such sense of honour that he wouldn't just have walked away. I wonder if he had even asked Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli for help before chasing the orcs. (Read the following before judging my point: )
The situation would just have been so different. There maybe wouldn't have been any chasing of the orcs; Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas (and Boromir) wouldn't have had to "waste" time in burying Boromir and such; they would have get to work much sooner than they actually did.

[Glirdan]

This is all, true, but we cannot forget that if he was not slain, Boromir would still be exhausted and need time to rest, so maybe they would have left a little earlier, but not by much to make a big difference in the story's plot. I think they still would have been about a day behind the orcs and the Riddermark would still have killed the orcs at Fangorn's eaves and so on and so forth.