Character from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
A cavalry commander who disobeys his king to do what is right — fierce in battle and fiercely loyal, he fights through grief and exile to become the king Rohan needs when Théoden falls.
Éomer is a man of action trapped in a political crisis that demands patience, and he handles this about as well as you'd expect. He is blunt to the point of rudeness, says exactly what he thinks regardless of rank, and makes enemies effortlessly among courtiers while inspiring fanatical devotion in his riders. He disobeyed Théoden's orders — really Gríma's orders — to hunt an Orc band because waiting felt like cowardice, and he'd rather be exiled for doing the right thing than rewarded for doing nothing. His relationship with Éowyn is the most uncomplicated love in the story — he adores his sister with protective ferocity and his discovery that she rode to Pelennor Fields terrifies him in a way no enemy ever has. He grieves loudly and publicly, because Rohirric culture processes emotion through declaration, not silence. His friendship with Gimli begins with insults about Galadriel and ends with genuine mutual respect. He becomes king not because he wanted the crown but because everyone who should have worn it is dead, and he is the kind of man who does what needs doing.
Tall and strong with an unusually dark hair for a Rohirrim, which marks his mother's Gondorian blood. Stern, weathered face with fierce dark eyes. Broad-shouldered and powerfully built, sits a horse as naturally as breathing. Wears the armor and green cloak of the Riddermark, carries a heavy spear and a long sword. A green-plumed helm marks his rank as Third Marshal. His expression defaults to a suspicious scowl that can crack into a startling, wolfish grin.
Also known as: Éomer, Éomer King, Third Marshal of the Mark, Lord of the Riddermark