Isildur

[Boromir88]

Quoting Huinesoron from the Amazon series movie thread, because it sparked some of my thoughts about Isildur (in the books)L

Originally Posted by Huey

Isildur is weak.

This direct statement stirred me to think about Isildur's character, because I wouldn't have described him as a weak character before. I would describe when he claims the Ring after Sauron is defeated (by Gil-galad and Elendil), that is a moment of weakness, similar to how Boromir has a moment of weakness, but it never necessarily stood out to think Isildur is weak.

As Gandalf says about Boromir's test:

"It was a sore trial for such a man: a warrior, and a lord of men." (The White Rider)

Boromir has a moment of weakness, as does Isildur. And Tolkien did make it a point that in the "trial" Faramir was the stronger brother, for refusing the lure of the Ring. However, I wouldn't take their moments of weakness as far as Peter Jackson does in the movies, when grumpy Elrond proclaims "Men are weak." There aren't many Faramirs or Aragorns.

Perhaps what points most in favor of Huey's statement is that Gil-galad and Elendil defeated Sauron (according to the Silmarillion):

But at the last the siege was so strait that Sauron himself came forth; and he wrestled with Gil-galad and Elendil and they both were slain, and the sword of Elendil broke under him as he fell. But Sauron was also thrown down, and with the hilt-shard of Narsil Isildur cut the ruling ring from the hand of Sauron and took it for his own. ~Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

Certainly in the Silmarillion it seems like it was Gil-galad and Elendil who wrestled and defeated Sauron, but Isildur proclaims to Elrond and Cirdan:

"Was it not I who dealt the Enemy his death blow?"~ibid

Elrond says at the council that Isildur stood alone with Elendil in that combat with Sauron, and with Gil-galad stood him and Cirdan. So only three know the truth, and of those three, the mortal is dead.

Anyway, I have a gripe to pick with Huey, because it was always easier just to cast aside Peter Jackson's portrayal of Isildur more out of convenience, as a "weakness" that Aragorn had to overcome. As Aragorn says in the films, the same blood flows through him; "the same weakness." But now he's got me thinking that perhaps it wasn't a complete fabrication by Jackson to fit his narrative, that perhaps Isildur was weak.