Prince Imrahil was such an under-rated character, Loved how important he was in the battles of the Pelennor, and how bravely he stood at the black gates, putting himself on the frontlines, all while not losing too many knights, showing off the skill and valour the knights still had.
@@MenoftheWest I should like to paste my comment from HotA: I have decided in Ent-fashion that Prince Imrahil is now my favorite newly discovered obscure character in Middle Earth, from all Ages, at this time. Being a relatively hidden character for some until now. His unassuming heroism is to be commended! To the lately recognized heroes of Middle Earth! Since I had finished this video and not having my wits about me, began the HotA video (yet unfinished) and commented this!
Him being in the movie instead of the dead mountain men is prolly the one thing I would change. That or the Gondorian soldiers not being idiots at fighting
I don't think they were idiots. Take osgiliath for example, they held out through the entire night against a force that far outnumbered them, fighting for hours and hours till daylight and only being forced to retreat when the nazgul showed up. And at minas tirith they fought and fought against a force that was massive and far exceeded their own forces. A testament to their training and dedication. No real life force could've ever held out against those odds, would've been crushed in a couple hours at osgiliath. only time I feel they were idiots was shooting arrows at the drive towers and not the trolls.
Tank_the_Immortal I mean like actual screen presence, when you look at Gondor battle footage, like 8/10 chance it’s a gondorian getting killed by an orc. But they were good for holding as long as they did
Right! Compare the Gondor soldier fighting and dying to Boromirs death scene. Both are soldiers fighting against overwhelming odds and dying after putting up a fight. Except the Gondor soldiers death’s only look miserable. You aren’t left with the impression that they were capable men, though they were.
I would change two things:The relationship between Aragorn, Arwen and Elrond. One of the most important in the book, the movie ruins it. And most importantly, Orlando Bloom on a skateboard. That alone almost ruins the movies for me.
He was actually. But not mentioned directly. Watch The Return of the King and watch out for a long blond haired guard who appears often in the Minas Tirith scenes. He's the one.
I know Jackson wanted to streamline the story for the movies and he did a very good job. (The Army of the Dead at Minas Tirith made more sense in the movie) But keeping Imrahil and the Swan Knights in the Return of the King wouldn't have been a major hassle IMHO.
It greatly annoyed me how they skipped the summoning of the "banners" of Gondor. It would have showed that there was more to Gondor than the inhabitants of Minas Tirith..
Nearly every Tolkien good-guy character had flaws, but I was always amazed at how Imrahil had no flaws. He always made the correct tactical, political and strategic decisions. As you mentioned, he knew that Eowyn was alive. He was one of the three leaders who came out of Pelennor Fields unscathed because of their prowess in battle. He recognized Aragorn's claim, and made no comment against it. He deferred to Gandalf even when Denethor was skeptical. He was the perfect human.
He was meant to be a character that shows what Gondor would've looked like in the glory days. Legolas says "That is a fair lord and a great captain of men. If Gondor has such men still in these days of fading, great must have been its glory in the days of its rising" It kinda shows that Imrahil was meant to be of purest Gondorian blood
Dol amroth as a whole is supposed to be the glory of what gondor should be. They had enough elvish blood and i believe the purest numenorian blood left, incredible horse riders, with terrifying infantry. True decendants of numenor in the south.
Yep. Dol Amroth is the last place in Middle Earth where you can still find the purest Dunedain with its nobility even having Eldar blood. Imrahil was said to have an elvish glow in his face which is why even Legolas bowed to him in greeting. They were all tall, incredibly long lived, strong people with great arts, music riches and technology. Dol Amroth really was Gondor's greatest asset in the Third Age.
Maybe it is for the best that Jackson didn't try to portray Tom Bombadil? Tom can seem absurd until you read further and realize how very strange he is... He is a very, very special character .. The ONE ring didn't have any power over him? He was first. He fell in love with the river's daughter? what i mean ... look how Radagast was treated.. Jackson made him a buffoon. All we know is he loves animals, was a herbalist, doesn't much involve himself with mankind and is an Angel incarnate like Gandalf... (a Maia)
Kathleen Hensley : I think Peter Jackson brought many aspects of Tom Bombadil’s character into Radagast - since the personality of Radagast was extremely vague and virtually unknown in the books. We have only Saruman’s description of Radagast, and that is very biased against him, and therefore unreliable.
@@kathleenhensley5951 I think PJ would've still made Tom Bombadil a really strange and interesting character. I don't think he had enough time to include him and make the story even more complex. PJ would've definitely showed Tom holding the ring and having no effect, that would've caused a great deal of confusion among the audience, plus he would've likely been discarded in the later movies anyways.
@@Dude_1864 I agreed but characters like him, Glorfindel,Tom Bombadil and even Elrond's twins would have given a unique flavor to the movie, but nothing is perfect
Prince Imrahil is one of my favorite characters in the LOTR trilogy. He represents not only the full might of Gondor cavalry but the wisdom of the West. He is the character that made the difference, not just in defending Minas Thirith, but defending Faramir, crying: "Dol Amroth for Gondor! Dol Amroth for Faramir". Just imagine 700 full-armored knights charging against the Nazgul. EPIC!!! Not the mention, he is a healer and general and, unlike Denethor, immediately accepts Aragorn as King Elessar. As for the LOTR movie trilogy, since there was no Tom Bombadil, Elladan& Elrohir, there was just no point in putting him in the movie. Big shame, but still, Tolkien fans will always know the immense value of Dol Amroth ;)
"Ride! Ride for ruin and the worlds ending!!!" I get why they were left out of the film, but maaaaaaaaan would they have been awesome to see riding in from the south to help in the battle for Minas Tirith. I always get pleasantly surprised when I read the books and realize OH RIGHT! These guys!!! 😂
I agree, the Swan-Knights riding out of the gates to save the day is one of my favorite moments, you know its serious then the most elite knights of Gondor ride out of those gates.
@@NOIDEAIWILLJUSTUSEHAILEYIGUESS I love PJ for actually having the battle take place within Minas Tirith unlike the books where none enter except the witch king. It would've been cool seeing the swan knights behind the gate instead of the average soldier, which would've been great for introducing or developing Prince Imrahil as a character.
Prince Imrahil was definitely an underrated character in the lore. I wish they had shown a little more of him in the movies as well. Definitely one of my favorite minor characters in the books. Great video once again Yoystan!!
The arrival of the out companies is one of the best scenes in the books. Of course, if you include the out companies, you would have to include the journey of Aragorn from Morthond to Erech, to Pelargir.
Paul Wagner agreed it was definitely one of my favorite parts in the book! Something like that could have been written in well somehow in the movies. Imrahil was a great presence during the war of the ring and I wish that PJ had maybe shown even just a small bit of it.
I wonder how powerful the navy at Dol Amroth added in the realm of Gondor. The Swan ships of Dol Amroth are said to be Grand in craftsmanship. Great video.
Its likely that they were quite powerful, the corsairs, even with umbar and pelargir, were about equal in strength with the forces left to defend western gondor. after the war, with pelargir going back into gondor's posession, its likely the Prince Imrahil commanded one of the most fearsome naval powers.
Gondor's navy was headquarted at Pelargir with the command given to the Lord of Ships. However during the Kin-strife led by Castamir most of the navy sided with the rebel prince,who was its commander. His sons fled to Umbar, weakening the navy. Gondor never became a naval power again, at least to rival Umbar -they could still support Arnor later- and Aragorn's brave foray into Umbar as Thorongil later was one of the few times Gondor sailed to war after the Kin Strife. The swan ships are not war galleys like the ships of the Corsairs.
I as well missed Imrahil in the movies. But, in the defense of Peter Jackson, in the movies creating a memorable and worthy character is much more difficult and time consuming than it is in books. So, they have to cut down from what is in the books in order to have the time the time necessary for the most central characters.
Frankly, they also wasted time here anf there. They could have left out or at least shortened certain action scenes to squeeze in more time for side character development. Now Gondor as a country and a people was left criminally underdeveloped.
@@AnnaMarianne You see, they also had a massive budget to pay. I don't really think a movie with barely any action scenes would sell like the trilogy did. I would love it tho.
What a fantastic character. I did not know Prince Imrahil had saved both Faramir and Eowyn, two of my favourite characters. Which raise Prince Imrahil even higher in my good opinion of him. Awesome video really well told and explained. Nicely done!
Great video and summarization of this great man yoystan! I’d also like to add that imrahil also teaches us that uncle’s can be great people to their nieces or nephews as from what I saw he loved faramir and possibly boromir as his own children and I’d like to think he was like an iroh to boromir and faramir! I’d also like to add that he teaches us that loyalty to family and friends is greatly important and you must always show that even in impossible odds such as iimrahil did in the siege of minas tirith and the battle of pelenor fields!
It's disappointing how so many characters and scenes were discarded to make space for videogame battles and made-up drama. Not only the usual Tom Bombadil, or the magic battle against fell wolves, or my boy Ghân-buri-Ghân, but also that scene were Pippin watches the bannermen from all over Gondor come to Minas Tirith before the battle even if they're not nearly enough to make a difference, until Imrahil comes with his elvish-like army playing a flute as nothing bad was about to happen, and people rejoice. (more or less, can't recall all details) You own me those goosebumps, Philippa Whatshername.
He was absolutely one of the most important captains in the war, as much as Faramir and Eomer in my opinion, but he felt even greater and braver and more steadfast to me.
Something I've noticed in many modern movies is that characters appear out of nowhere without a lot of set up; one nice and tight package. This is something encouraged in modern writing and by professional writers. Prince Imrahil demonstrates the huge and realistic world Professor Tolkien created. Before his marching to Minas Tirith, the reader has no idea who this is. (The southern territories are vaguely hinted at; and Legolas tells the family legend of the history of Dol Amroth.) Prince Imrahil and his knights lent a realism; that there were more people and places. The Knights of Dol Amroth allowed the Professor to include the pure-hearted, shiny Galahad type. This role could not have been filled by any of the people whom we had met (except elves) Gondor was too sullied by war and Arnor lived in the forest. It was through the Knights of Dol Amroth, LOTR possessed the paragon of European chivalry., This is one man's opinion.
Imragil is very important character in his own right. In the Prince of Dol Amroth we see shadow of the might that Denethor had during his prime and presence he could still have had during the war if the mind of the steward had been sound. Imrahil like his brother in law had keen eyes to assess different situationss both on battlefield and consul table. For exsample he was correct about the gamble they took at he Black Gate even if not many others saw it as morbidly hilarious as Imrahil himself. The elven bloodline of Imrahil, that he got most likely from Mithrellas and her children Galador and Gilmith does play a role, but It is not only thing that makes this man so great Imrahil the prince of Dol Amroth is indeed worth to remember.
Yours is one of my favorite UA-cam channels, whenever I have stress or am feeling a little overwhelmed I stop by and learn/enjoy something new about my favorite story.
Definitely one of the best character in all of Middle Earth’s Third Age. Great video, as always. Now I’ll spend the rest of my day thinking about the Amrothian knights’s shining helmets and mighty steeds !
Even though Prince Imrahil's role was limited it played a very important part in that he was the first high ranking Gondorian to openly acknowledge Aragorn's claim and bloodline. As kin of the Steward, and with both of Denthor's son's killed or incapacitated Imrahil could have easily laid claim as the next Steward. From a political position, Imrahil noting Aragorn was a king, fulfilling the ancient proficiency, greatly legitimizes Aragorn. I believe the character also serves another role, one that shows that the blood of Numenor was not spent in Gondor, even in this late age. Imrahil and many of his men give us a window into what Gondor must have looked like in it's prime, and what it might again look like in the Fourth age.
Yoystan! Wonderful video! The exclusion of Prince Imrahil and the Swan Knights is possibly the biggest error in PJ's ROTK. With the exception of Eomer finding Eowyn on the battlefield which always manages to rip my heart out every time. Prince Imrahil's actions would have made a great movie that much greater!! It is a great shame they were not there!
Great spotlight on Imrahil. I like that he had a small role in the story. Maybe because any more focus on him would have required flaws to give him complexity, and I like that he is basically flawless (except, perhaps, for his pride).
Same here, they lost so few during the war, despite being mostly on the frontlines. having elvish and numenorean blood is also very op. I like to think of them as the last "true" numenoreans in middle-earth, and its likely they rose to great power since pelargir was retaken.
No one surpasses the Rohirrim in horse riding and combat, even the Knights of Dol Amroth. However they are Gondor's best cavalry and one of the last vestiges of the days of Elendil, with a special air about them.
I always pictured them as being heavy cavalry (knights/armoured men at arms) while the Rohirrim were more medium cavalry since they lived their lives on horeseback.
Prince Imrahil of the Dol Amroth. He should have been in the movies. His character was one of the most important ones! Like always, Great Video, Mellon!
Whenever they adapt the series again, which they will inevitably do, it should be in a miniseries format so they can include a lot more book material and characters, like Imrahil.
Thank you for this story. I was not aware or remembered the lineage of this character. I have probably read Lord of the Rings a dozen times. But i always seem to learn something new listening to your stories. As always, thank you for your time and efforts.
Thank you so much for the back ground of Prince Imrahil!! I have long wished to know more about his Elven blood and how it came to be a part of his lineage. Wonderful video!
All right a new Men of the West video!!!! Thanks for the entertainment man God bless and stay safe. Hey I may have an idea 💡 for a video. Why didn’t Frodo ever get married and have children? That question could apply to both Frodo and Bilbo. I’ve always wondered why.
The Baggins are both famous bachelors who lived alone in Bag End, seemingly caring little for making families . Frodo is 50 in the book at the start, meaning that like Bilbo he kept single in anticipation of Gandalf returning. In Frodo's case he was wounded 3 times with traumatic events that sapped his enjoyment of life. The Morgul blade, Shelob's sting and Gollum's biting off his finger made him almost hollow. Even in Lothlorien all Frodo got was warnings of the future and peril instead of comfort. In short Frodo was miserable and could never enjoy anything, unlike Sam who got married, planted a mallorn tree and started a blonde family and became the Mayor.
One of the characters that I feel Tolkien may have expanded upon with a lineage and story of that realm of Gondor, perhaps even a short side-story of Imrahil's deeds as a youth.
I’ve never been this early, haha For a theory video, you should consider doing , What if Fili had survived the battle of the five armies, & took the throne since he was Thorin’s heir!
There probably isn't a lot about it, but I would love to hear more about Éomer and Lothíriel! :) I also love the part where Eomer discovers Eowyn in the books. He basically rides off to die, filled with the grief of the supposed death of his sister.
Great video as expected! Thanks for taking the time to give us the back story to a great character, it was greatly enjoyed by me, and many others alike :) I do believe he is featured in the movie though. When Faramir is brought before Denethor on a stretcher, the man without the helmet that says that he is still alive is supposed to be Imrahil, although somebody should and surely will correct me if i am mistaken, as that could be one of the captains of the Steward as well :)
Princess Lotheriel marries Eomer. Yes. How nice. Imrahil's daughter. So both marriages (Faramir &Eowyn)support the continued friendship between Gondor and Rohan.
This is great because it's someone that people don't know much about. I would find when you do the polls people always vote for the ones that were in the movies. Keep up the great lore.
Hi Yoystan it was awesome...by the way Tolkien had an essay called on fairy-stories which now is in a small book I'm not sure...could you make a video about it please?
It makes sense to me that the Riders of Rohan would have the mastery of horsemanship over the Knights of Dol Amroth. Mostly because I find it likely that the Knights would utilize more heavy calvary as opposed to the light calvary of the Riders and that for most practical cases the key to effective calvary in combat is numbers and discipline. To quote Mike Duncan of the Revolutions podcast. "Who cares if the calvary aren't fully armored? Charging straight into the enemy is super effective, so just keep doing it." This sentiment was fully captured by the several charges of the Rohirrim.
I can see that this Prince Imrahil had the makings of a King. If Aragorn and Faramir had fell, Prince Imrahil would've been the next best choice to rule Gondor.
My only big disappointment of the movies was that Prince Imrahil was not in it. I could understand why the Scouring of the Shire didn't make it, but to this day, I don't understand why he got left out.
When they said he had elven blood I thought he was a scion of Elindills line. I didnt know another elf human marriage occured outside of the Elrond Elros lines.
Can you imagine how lit it would be if they started an animated TV show about the Tolkien books fashioned the same way as the Star Wars clone wars TV show
It's important to note that the charge of the Knights of Dol Amroth that saved Faramir and his Men returning from Osgiliath and the Rammas Echor was actually ordered by Denethor as a way to hit the forces of Mordor while they were in pursuit and out of formation - he actually had a sound defense-in-depth strategy in the books and called both the lords of southern Gondor and the Rohirrim to his aid. He only lost hope and went mad after he believed Faramir to be dead.
Peter Jackson once joked that if he had Prince Imrahil in The Return of the King he probably could've been played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Although I have a hard time imagining Schwarzenegger making a swan on his breastplate look badass.
Prince Imrahil was such an under-rated character, Loved how important he was in the battles of the Pelennor, and how bravely he stood at the black gates, putting himself on the frontlines, all while not losing too many knights, showing off the skill and valour the knights still had.
Absolutely, he was a hero of Gondor, and I hope more people learn about him!
@@MenoftheWest I should like to paste my comment from HotA:
I have decided in Ent-fashion that Prince Imrahil is now my favorite newly discovered obscure character in Middle Earth, from all Ages, at this time. Being a relatively hidden character for some until now. His unassuming heroism is to be commended! To the lately recognized heroes of Middle Earth!
Since I had finished this video and not having my wits about me, began the HotA video (yet unfinished) and commented this!
Hi Hailey
@@lughiee Hey Lugh, funny seeing you here. :D
Do you provide transcripts for your videos? Great quotes and speaking. Thanks
Him being in the movie instead of the dead mountain men is prolly the one thing I would change. That or the Gondorian soldiers not being idiots at fighting
I don't think they were idiots. Take osgiliath for example, they held out through the entire night against a force that far outnumbered them, fighting for hours and hours till daylight and only being forced to retreat when the nazgul showed up. And at minas tirith they fought and fought against a force that was massive and far exceeded their own forces. A testament to their training and dedication. No real life force could've ever held out against those odds, would've been crushed in a couple hours at osgiliath. only time I feel they were idiots was shooting arrows at the drive towers and not the trolls.
Tank_the_Immortal I mean like actual screen presence, when you look at Gondor battle footage, like 8/10 chance it’s a gondorian getting killed by an orc. But they were good for holding as long as they did
The dead mountain scenes were way too bloated. and that downpour of skulls was just silly.
Right! Compare the Gondor soldier fighting and dying to Boromirs death scene.
Both are soldiers fighting against overwhelming odds and dying after putting up a fight.
Except the Gondor soldiers death’s only look miserable. You aren’t left with the impression that they were capable men, though they were.
I would change two things:The relationship between Aragorn, Arwen and Elrond. One of the most important in the book, the movie ruins it. And most importantly, Orlando Bloom on a skateboard. That alone almost ruins the movies for me.
One of my favourite characters! Always wish he was included in the movies!
Technically he was
He was actually. But not mentioned directly. Watch The Return of the King and watch out for a long blond haired guard who appears often in the Minas Tirith scenes. He's the one.
I know Jackson wanted to streamline the story for the movies and he did a very good job. (The Army of the Dead at Minas Tirith made more sense in the movie) But keeping Imrahil and the Swan Knights in the Return of the King wouldn't have been a major hassle IMHO.
It greatly annoyed me how they skipped the summoning of the "banners" of Gondor. It would have showed that there was more to Gondor than the inhabitants of Minas Tirith..
Nearly every Tolkien good-guy character had flaws, but I was always amazed at how Imrahil had no flaws. He always made the correct tactical, political and strategic decisions. As you mentioned, he knew that Eowyn was alive. He was one of the three leaders who came out of Pelennor Fields unscathed because of their prowess in battle. He recognized Aragorn's claim, and made no comment against it. He deferred to Gandalf even when Denethor was skeptical. He was the perfect human.
He was meant to be a character that shows what Gondor would've looked like in the glory days. Legolas says
"That is a fair lord and a great captain of men. If Gondor has such men still in these days of fading, great must have been its glory in the days of its rising"
It kinda shows that Imrahil was meant to be of purest Gondorian blood
Dol amroth as a whole is supposed to be the glory of what gondor should be. They had enough elvish blood and i believe the purest numenorian blood left, incredible horse riders, with terrifying infantry. True decendants of numenor in the south.
Yep. Dol Amroth is the last place in Middle Earth where you can still find the purest Dunedain with its nobility even having Eldar blood. Imrahil was said to have an elvish glow in his face which is why even Legolas bowed to him in greeting. They were all tall, incredibly long lived, strong people with great arts, music riches and technology. Dol Amroth really was Gondor's greatest asset in the Third Age.
The most unfortunate exclusion in the movies, even more than Tom Bombadiil in my opinion!
Maybe it is for the best that Jackson didn't try to portray Tom Bombadil? Tom can seem absurd until you read further and realize how very strange he is... He is a very, very special character .. The ONE ring didn't have any power over him? He was first. He fell in love with the river's daughter?
what i mean ... look how Radagast was treated.. Jackson made him a buffoon. All we know is he loves animals, was a herbalist, doesn't much involve himself with mankind and is an Angel incarnate like Gandalf... (a Maia)
Kathleen Hensley : I think Peter Jackson brought many aspects of Tom Bombadil’s character into Radagast - since the personality of Radagast was extremely vague and virtually unknown in the books. We have only Saruman’s description of Radagast, and that is very biased against him, and therefore unreliable.
And erkenbrand
The saddest exclusion is Glorfindel in my opinion.
@@kathleenhensley5951 I think PJ would've still made Tom Bombadil a really strange and interesting character. I don't think he had enough time to include him and make the story even more complex. PJ would've definitely showed Tom holding the ring and having no effect, that would've caused a great deal of confusion among the audience, plus he would've likely been discarded in the later movies anyways.
Too bad they discard him from the movies, such charismatic character, and as always your videos are awesome
Yeah, that would’ve been awesome to see him!
He’s in ROTK for one or two very short scenes
I'm glad honestly, that Peter Jackson discarded him as a usable character. Fairly certain he would have gotten the Faramir treatment otherwise.
@@Dude_1864 I agreed but characters like him, Glorfindel,Tom Bombadil and even Elrond's twins would have given a unique flavor to the movie, but nothing is perfect
Complete agree I always loved Prince Imrahil. I think the issue as always was it would have confused the casual fans of the movies.
Prince Imrahil is one of my favorite characters in the LOTR trilogy.
He represents not only the full might of Gondor cavalry but the wisdom of the West. He is the character that made the difference, not just in defending Minas Thirith, but defending Faramir, crying: "Dol Amroth for Gondor! Dol Amroth for Faramir". Just imagine 700 full-armored knights charging against the Nazgul. EPIC!!!
Not the mention, he is a healer and general and, unlike Denethor, immediately accepts Aragorn as King Elessar.
As for the LOTR movie trilogy, since there was no Tom Bombadil, Elladan& Elrohir, there was just no point in putting him in the movie. Big shame, but still, Tolkien fans will always know the immense value of Dol Amroth ;)
"Ride! Ride for ruin and the worlds ending!!!"
I get why they were left out of the film, but maaaaaaaaan would they have been awesome to see riding in from the south to help in the battle for Minas Tirith.
I always get pleasantly surprised when I read the books and realize OH RIGHT! These guys!!! 😂
Yeah I would have loved to see the great Swan Knights ride out of the gate!
I agree, the Swan-Knights riding out of the gates to save the day is one of my favorite moments, you know its serious then the most elite knights of Gondor ride out of those gates.
@@NOIDEAIWILLJUSTUSEHAILEYIGUESS I love PJ for actually having the battle take place within Minas Tirith unlike the books where none enter except the witch king. It would've been cool seeing the swan knights behind the gate instead of the average soldier, which would've been great for introducing or developing Prince Imrahil as a character.
@muz9663 Yes, that would be a good way to include them. Maybe a simple cameo.
Prince Imrahil was definitely an underrated character in the lore. I wish they had shown a little more of him in the movies as well. Definitely one of my favorite minor characters in the books. Great video once again Yoystan!!
Thanks Angel, you’re the best!
The arrival of the out companies is one of the best scenes in the books. Of course, if you include the out companies, you would have to include the journey of Aragorn from Morthond to Erech, to Pelargir.
Paul Wagner agreed it was definitely one of my favorite parts in the book! Something like that could have been written in well somehow in the movies. Imrahil was a great presence during the war of the ring and I wish that PJ had maybe shown even just a small bit of it.
Did they show him in the films ?
NATiVE MOB no they did not I wish they had though.
Great Character Who Unfortunately Was Left Out Of The Movies. Thanks for the vid!
I wonder how powerful the navy at Dol Amroth added in the realm of Gondor. The Swan ships of Dol Amroth are said to be Grand in craftsmanship. Great video.
Its likely that they were quite powerful, the corsairs, even with umbar and pelargir, were about equal in strength with the forces left to defend western gondor. after the war, with pelargir going back into gondor's posession, its likely the Prince Imrahil commanded one of the most fearsome naval powers.
Gondor's navy was headquarted at Pelargir with the command given to the Lord of Ships. However during the Kin-strife led by Castamir most of the navy sided with the rebel prince,who was its commander. His sons fled to Umbar, weakening the navy.
Gondor never became a naval power again, at least to rival Umbar -they could still support Arnor later- and Aragorn's brave foray into Umbar as Thorongil later was one of the few times Gondor sailed to war after the Kin Strife.
The swan ships are not war galleys like the ships of the Corsairs.
I as well missed Imrahil in the movies. But, in the defense of Peter Jackson, in the movies creating a memorable and worthy character is much more difficult and time consuming than it is in books. So, they have to cut down from what is in the books in order to have the time the time necessary for the most central characters.
Frankly, they also wasted time here anf there. They could have left out or at least shortened certain action scenes to squeeze in more time for side character development. Now Gondor as a country and a people was left criminally underdeveloped.
@@AnnaMarianne You see, they also had a massive budget to pay. I don't really think a movie with barely any action scenes would sell like the trilogy did. I would love it tho.
Perhaps a stream series surrounding Gondor would flesh out the Heroes/Lords of Gondor!
If Prince Imrahil was in the movie I would think Gary Oldman would have been be a good choice to play him.
Ight this world needs more people like him. Such an honourable character and I never knew about his deeds.
He's done it again folks! 👏👏👏 Seriously Thank you for keeping the lore fresh and new with every video. Good job my man 👍👍
Yeah! He is awesome!
What a fantastic character. I did not know Prince Imrahil had saved both Faramir and Eowyn, two of my favourite characters. Which raise Prince Imrahil even higher in my good opinion of him. Awesome video really well told and explained. Nicely done!
So sad Imrahil wasn’t in the films. I really liked him in the book
I feel sad that they left him out of the movies
I thought he was that blonde guy that brought Faramir to Denethor...
zakfett92 I think that that was a cheap version of Beregrond tho he doesn’t act even a litte bit like him.
@@zakfett92 That guy's name is Irolas
@@AndrewMRoots Who the hell is that?
@@zakfett92 The blonde guy you mentioned, his name is Irolas, maybe I should've been more clear
Great video and summarization of this great man yoystan! I’d also like to add that imrahil also teaches us that uncle’s can be great people to their nieces or nephews as from what I saw he loved faramir and possibly boromir as his own children and I’d like to think he was like an iroh to boromir and faramir! I’d also like to add that he teaches us that loyalty to family and friends is greatly important and you must always show that even in impossible odds such as iimrahil did in the siege of minas tirith and the battle of pelenor fields!
Yes. Finally. Been waiting for this for so long.
Thanks Yusten.
It's disappointing how so many characters and scenes were discarded to make space for videogame battles and made-up drama. Not only the usual Tom Bombadil, or the magic battle against fell wolves, or my boy Ghân-buri-Ghân, but also that scene were Pippin watches the bannermen from all over Gondor come to Minas Tirith before the battle even if they're not nearly enough to make a difference, until Imrahil comes with his elvish-like army playing a flute as nothing bad was about to happen, and people rejoice. (more or less, can't recall all details)
You own me those goosebumps, Philippa Whatshername.
Literally my favorite character from the LOTR besides Aragorn . Great video .
Top 10 favorite character of mine. As a teen I was bummed that he didn't make it into the movies.
If it wasn't for Imrahil, the Knights of the Mark probably would've buried Eowyn alive.
He was absolutely one of the most important captains in the war, as much as Faramir and Eomer in my opinion, but he felt even greater and braver and more steadfast to me.
Something I've noticed in many modern movies is that characters appear out of nowhere without a lot of set up; one nice and tight package. This is something encouraged in modern writing and by professional writers. Prince Imrahil demonstrates the huge and realistic world Professor Tolkien created.
Before his marching to Minas Tirith, the reader has no idea who this is. (The southern territories are vaguely hinted at; and Legolas tells the family legend of the history of Dol Amroth.) Prince Imrahil and his knights lent a realism; that there were more people and places.
The Knights of Dol Amroth allowed the Professor to include the pure-hearted, shiny Galahad type. This role could not have been filled by any of the people whom we had met (except elves) Gondor was too sullied by war and Arnor lived in the forest. It was through the Knights of Dol Amroth, LOTR possessed the paragon of European chivalry., This is one man's opinion.
Imragil is very important character in his own right. In the Prince of Dol Amroth we see shadow of the might that Denethor had during his prime and presence he could still have had during the war if the mind of the steward had been sound.
Imrahil like his brother in law had keen eyes to assess different situationss both on battlefield and consul table. For exsample he was correct about the gamble they took at he Black Gate even if not many others saw it as morbidly hilarious as Imrahil himself.
The elven bloodline of Imrahil, that he got most likely from Mithrellas and her children Galador and Gilmith does play a role, but It is not only thing that makes this man so great
Imrahil the prince of Dol Amroth is indeed worth to remember.
Yours is one of my favorite UA-cam channels, whenever I have stress or am feeling a little overwhelmed I stop by and learn/enjoy something new about my favorite story.
Imrahil has been my favorite character in the books for as long as I can remember. Thank you for doing a video on him!
I can hear my mother screaming at our tv now as we watched LOTR “This was the days of real men”!!
Definitely one of the best character in all of Middle Earth’s Third Age. Great video, as always. Now I’ll spend the rest of my day thinking about the Amrothian knights’s shining helmets and mighty steeds !
Great description of this character, and the pictures you included made me rethink Imrahil the Fair.
Even though Prince Imrahil's role was limited it played a very important part in that he was the first high ranking Gondorian to openly acknowledge Aragorn's claim and bloodline. As kin of the Steward, and with both of Denthor's son's killed or incapacitated Imrahil could have easily laid claim as the next Steward. From a political position, Imrahil noting Aragorn was a king, fulfilling the ancient proficiency, greatly legitimizes Aragorn. I believe the character also serves another role, one that shows that the blood of Numenor was not spent in Gondor, even in this late age. Imrahil and many of his men give us a window into what Gondor must have looked like in it's prime, and what it might again look like in the Fourth age.
It’s been awhile without Gondor, good to see you back my friend.
Yoystan! Wonderful video! The exclusion of Prince Imrahil and the Swan Knights is possibly the biggest error in PJ's ROTK. With the exception of Eomer finding Eowyn on the battlefield which always manages to rip my heart out every time. Prince Imrahil's actions would have made a great movie that much greater!! It is a great shame they were not there!
Hey I remember watching a video on the Friendship between Legolas and Gimli so can you do one between Frodo and Sam? Or maybe Gandalf and Bilbo?
He is a minor but important and noble character. Thank you for covering him.
Great spotlight on Imrahil. I like that he had a small role in the story. Maybe because any more focus on him would have required flaws to give him complexity, and I like that he is basically flawless (except, perhaps, for his pride).
Never been so early before. Thank you for creating this video ! Shame he didn't appear in the movies.
I have always thought that the low number of knights of the silver swan where the best cavalry in the world. even surpassing the horse lords
Same here, they lost so few during the war, despite being mostly on the frontlines. having elvish and numenorean blood is also very op. I like to think of them as the last "true" numenoreans in middle-earth, and its likely they rose to great power since pelargir was retaken.
No one surpasses the Rohirrim in horse riding and combat, even the Knights of Dol Amroth. However they are Gondor's best cavalry and one of the last vestiges of the days of Elendil, with a special air about them.
I always pictured them as being heavy cavalry (knights/armoured men at arms) while the Rohirrim were more medium cavalry since they lived their lives on horeseback.
It does talk about horse riding only, so I’d like to think the knights excel in different areas due to that high blood
@@terry7907 exactly. KoDA - heavy hitting unit for certain tasks. Rohirims - all rounded commando forces to deal with anything anywhere.
This was great, thanks for making this, one of my favorite characters in LOTR! I agree with so many of the great comments on this video, good stuff.
Prince Imrahil of the Dol Amroth. He should have been in the movies. His character was one of the most important ones!
Like always, Great Video, Mellon!
Your videos are the best thank you!
Thank you, that means a lot! And thanks for watching!
YES FINALLY Imrahil is my favo characters from Tolkien his legendarium. Thank you 🙏
A very interesting character indeed. Great video mellon!
Great captain of men.
Whenever they adapt the series again, which they will inevitably do, it should be in a miniseries format so they can include a lot more book material and characters, like Imrahil.
So far, 1.1k likes vs 7 dislikes. Just shows you how well received this channel is, and rightfully so. Keep going brother and God bless!
Do you think maybe you could do a video covering some of the family trees? Also love your videos! ❤️
Thank you for this story. I was not aware or remembered the lineage of this character. I have probably read Lord of the Rings a dozen times. But i always seem to learn something new listening to your stories. As always, thank you for your time and efforts.
Thank you so much for the back ground of Prince Imrahil!! I have long wished to know more about his Elven blood and how it came to be a part of his lineage. Wonderful video!
I cannot say he is much a looker, but as you speak deeply on this man, there is clearly no better nor no more beautiful a man than you
All right a new Men of the West video!!!! Thanks for the entertainment man God bless and stay safe. Hey I may have an idea 💡 for a video. Why didn’t Frodo ever get married and have children? That question could apply to both Frodo and Bilbo. I’ve always wondered why.
The Baggins are both famous bachelors who lived alone in Bag End, seemingly caring little for making families . Frodo is 50 in the book at the start, meaning that like Bilbo he kept single in anticipation of Gandalf returning.
In Frodo's case he was wounded 3 times with traumatic events that sapped his enjoyment of life. The Morgul blade, Shelob's sting and Gollum's biting off his finger made him almost hollow. Even in Lothlorien all Frodo got was warnings of the future and peril instead of comfort.
In short Frodo was miserable and could never enjoy anything, unlike Sam who got married, planted a mallorn tree and started a blonde family and became the Mayor.
FINALLY MAN, great video new lore!
I really love your content, and i have an idea for your who would win series, the Dwarves of Khazad dum versus the Dwarves of Erebor
Hi. Big fan, I noticed you don't have an Epic Character History on Saruman. I would very much like to see such a video.
One of the characters that I feel Tolkien may have expanded upon with a lineage and story of that realm of Gondor, perhaps even a short side-story of Imrahil's deeds as a youth.
I’ve never been this early, haha
For a theory video, you should consider doing , What if Fili had survived the battle of the five armies, & took the throne since he was Thorin’s heir!
There probably isn't a lot about it, but I would love to hear more about Éomer and Lothíriel! :)
I also love the part where Eomer discovers Eowyn in the books. He basically rides off to die, filled with the grief of the supposed death of his sister.
This is wondrous indeed! He is a truly magnificent character, little known but well loved by those who do.
Thanks for a vid on imrahil he also one of my favorite book characters
Ah yes, my second weekly dose of Tolkien, my first being the Tolkien club I’m a part of. A great video once again. Keep it up 👍
Great videos
Great video as expected! Thanks for taking the time to give us the back story to a great character, it was greatly enjoyed by me, and many others alike :)
I do believe he is featured in the movie though. When Faramir is brought before Denethor on a stretcher, the man without the helmet that says that he is still alive is supposed to be Imrahil, although somebody should and surely will correct me if i am mistaken, as that could be one of the captains of the Steward as well :)
Amazing Video man! Thank you for doing a character history for Prince Imrahil. He is my favourite minor character.
Great Character, love this vid:)
I always thought you became less active for a reason. But the men of the west is back !!!
Best middle earth channel on UA-cam along with Geekzone! You guys are awesome
My dude... Thank you so much for this. So well done.
He is such a noble and oft overlooked hero
My favourite character in The Return of the King. The example of a good lord, especially when contrasted with Denethor.
Great vid! Love it, man! 👍
Epic video! 😍✨👑
Love it so much.
Hannon le for making it.
I really wish this character had been represented in The Return of the King.
One of my favourite characters and as is said one that is underrated but of great importance as is seen by Legolas’s greeting to him.
Princess Lotheriel marries Eomer. Yes. How nice. Imrahil's daughter. So both marriages (Faramir &Eowyn)support the continued friendship between Gondor and Rohan.
Great topic! Never knew about this character before and was cool to learn
This is great because it's someone that people don't know much about. I would find when you do the polls people always vote for the ones that were in the movies. Keep up the great lore.
I love Prince Imrahil! He's one of my favorite of the race of man
Peter Jackson could inanely make up elves at Helm's Deep, but ignore the Imrahil and the Knights of Dol Amroth at Mina Tirith.
Where do find these pictures?
Hi Yoystan it was awesome...by the way Tolkien had an essay called on fairy-stories which now is in a small book I'm not sure...could you make a video about it please?
This man was a legend not because of what he is it was because of what he chose to do with his life that makes him a legend!
It makes sense to me that the Riders of Rohan would have the mastery of horsemanship over the Knights of Dol Amroth. Mostly because I find it likely that the Knights would utilize more heavy calvary as opposed to the light calvary of the Riders and that for most practical cases the key to effective calvary in combat is numbers and discipline.
To quote Mike Duncan of the Revolutions podcast. "Who cares if the calvary aren't fully armored? Charging straight into the enemy is super effective, so just keep doing it." This sentiment was fully captured by the several charges of the Rohirrim.
I can see that this Prince Imrahil had the makings of a King. If Aragorn and Faramir had fell, Prince Imrahil would've been the next best choice to rule Gondor.
My only big disappointment of the movies was that Prince Imrahil was not in it. I could understand why the Scouring of the Shire didn't make it, but to this day, I don't understand why he got left out.
Easily my favorite character in the legendarium!
When they said he had elven blood I thought he was a scion of Elindills line. I didnt know another elf human marriage occured outside of the Elrond Elros lines.
This was GREAT and l am sooooo sad the movies never gave him credit
Can you imagine how lit it would be if they started an animated TV show about the Tolkien books fashioned the same way as the Star Wars clone wars TV show
It's important to note that the charge of the Knights of Dol Amroth that saved Faramir and his Men returning from Osgiliath and the Rammas Echor was actually ordered by Denethor as a way to hit the forces of Mordor while they were in pursuit and out of formation - he actually had a sound defense-in-depth strategy in the books and called both the lords of southern Gondor and the Rohirrim to his aid. He only lost hope and went mad after he believed Faramir to be dead.
How did Aragorn and Imrahil did not meet earlier, when Aragorn went to Umbar or some other moment when he was still traveling all across the land.
i love your work well done
Am I the only one who kind of imagines him of father like figure to Boromir and Faramir after Denethor became distant to them?
Great content. I got lost though. I’ll watch it again tomorrow.
Peter Jackson once joked that if he had Prince Imrahil in The Return of the King he probably could've been played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Although I have a hard time imagining Schwarzenegger making a swan on his breastplate look badass.
this is such a good one, i wish he was in the stories more
Great character history, thanks!
Would be great to see him on screen, always think that the Swan Knights are some of the most awesome and beautifully described armors from Tolkien
THEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!!!