Character from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The son who was never good enough — a warrior-scholar who proves his quality not by taking the Ring when he could, but by letting it go when his father's love was the price.
Faramir is the rarest thing in Tolkien's world: a man who encounters absolute power and is not even tempted. Where Boromir saw the Ring as Gondor's salvation, Faramir sees it as a test — and passes it so quietly that people almost miss the magnitude of what he's done. He does not want the Ring. He does not want to want the Ring. This is not weakness; it is the strength of a man who has thought deeply about what power does to people and decided he would rather be wise than mighty. He speaks with the measured, literary cadence of someone who reads extensively in a culture that values the sword over the book. His father's rejection has shaped him without breaking him — he seeks Denethor's approval with a painful earnestness but refuses to betray his principles to get it. He leads the Rangers of Ithilien with a combination of tactical brilliance and moral restraint that earns fanatical loyalty. He is the mirror image of Boromir: where his brother was beloved and fell, Faramir is overlooked and stands. His love for Éowyn is the meeting of two people who have both been told they're not enough.
Tall and dark-haired with the grey eyes and noble bearing of Gondor's old Númenórean blood, closely resembling Boromir but leaner and more thoughtful in demeanor. Wears the green and brown of the Rangers of Ithilien — practical, camouflaged clothing suited for ambush and reconnaissance. Carries a longbow and a sword. His face is gentler than his brother's, with an expression of quiet gravity that people often mistake for sadness.
Also known as: Faramir, Captain Faramir, Captain of the Rangers, Prince of Ithilien, Steward of Gondor