Best Fighter

[Anguirel]

I am now addressing all the first-time readers of LOTR who were fooled by Eowyn's disguise.

As "Dernhelm", didn't Eowyn seem like the most deadly, suave, fearless and tremendous warrior we'd seen for quite a few pages?

Had she stayed Dernhelm, wouldn't we think the mysterious Rider's deed extremely impressive?

Aren't we slightly degrading her feat because we know who she is, her background, her inexperience...most damningly, her chromosomes?

"If some girl can do that, why, a turnip can."

Sounds to me like:

"If some hobbit can just toss in a ring, Sauron can be conquered by the average blue tit."

Don't belittle her achievement. She did finish Glorfindel's job and avenge the last King of Gondor. She did what we would have expected Aragorn to do; what was partly his ancestral duty to do. Alright, Master Holbylta rendered the Witch-king mortal; but it was Eowyn who rendered him dead.

Alright. That said, I do not think her the greatest fighter in the Lord of the Rings, a title I'd prefer to give to her brother...

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Eowyn needs no defense, sir. It's just that she shouldn't really be on this thread. Although the mention of Pippin earlier was definitely sillier!

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Don't belittle her achievement.

I'm not. And I'm not saying she's not awesome solely because of gender. Quite honestly, my chromosomes are screaming that Galadriel's got the best fighter status.

She took one of the 3rd Age's best fighters (Boromir) and with thought alone messed him up.

In physical contests back in the old Valinorian days, she won all the time.

She had the power to guard and use a ring of power without curruption, and admits on her own that had she the One, she could have ousted Sauron. Even without that extra power, she still keeps Lothlorien safe and secret.

And if you want physical prowess, she marched to Mirkwood beside Celeborn, leading their troops, and personal vanquished Dol Goldur.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Admits on her own?

Didn't Treebeard say that he was the oldest thing in existence? You can't go by Galadriel's boasts, surely? Even with the Ring she wouldn't have defeated Sauron.

As for physical prowess.......mmm.....perhaps you'd care to point out some examples?

Merely curious, is all.

[lord of dor-lomin]

By the 'we' I mentioned in "we work out that Hurin was 0.00001% better" I meant 'silly people'.

So, everyone except for us, right Eomer?

I would have thought the absurdity of such a conclusion was apparent.

Something being "0.00001%" better isn't absurd if it's true. It's a super-duper small margin, but if proven, it still counts.

As "Dernhelm", didn't Eowyn seem like the most deadly, suave, fearless and tremendous warrior we'd seen for quite a few pages?

No.

If Dernhelm had been ambushed by orcs and slain ten of them, then I'd start to form an opinion of Dernhelm as a fighter.

But that never happened. All Dernhelm did was ride a horse. That is hardly a case for calling Dernhelm a "tremendous warrior".

Aren't we slightly degrading her feat because we know who she is, her background, her inexperience...most damningly, her chromosomes?

Sheesh. You do realize that diminishing a woman's accomplishments does not make you sexist?

If some hobbit can just toss in a ring, Sauron can be conquered by the average blue tit.

Not a very good comparison since the hobbit did NOT toss the Ring in. He failed, same as an "average blue tit" would've failed.

That said, I do not think her the greatest fighter in the Lord of the Rings

Then why defend her? Did one of us say something that was false?

admits on her own that had she the One, she could have ousted Sauron

Ha ha! And you believed her?

You can't go by Galadriel's boasts, surely? Even with the Ring she wouldn't have defeated Sauron.

Yep. I've seen several threads that make that point.

Plus, even if she was capable, it wouldn't make her a good fighter, because she wouldn't be confronting Sauron one on one. It would be army versus army. Tolkien said in his letters (the famous letter 246, if I'm not mistaken) that one on one confrontation was not even contemplated.

She took one of the 3rd Age's best fighters (Boromir) and with thought alone messed him up.

Yes, with "thought"- not a sword.

she still keeps Lothlorien safe and secret

Which makes her a good fighter?

and personal vanquished Dol Goldur

Wasn't it mainly the huge army of elves that took care of Dol Guldur?

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Fea

And if you want physical prowess, she marched to Mirkwood beside Celeborn, leading their troops, and personal vanquished Dol Goldur.

Actually, it was Celeborn and the Elvish warriors under his command who defeated the forces of Dol Guldur. Galadriel brought down the walls once Celeborn had dealt with its denizens, and I suspect that was accomplished more by her mental powers than her physical prowess.

That's not to denigrate Galadriel's physical abilities, but we really don't have enough to go on to assess her ability as a warrior. And Celeborn gets a bad enough press as it is - primarily from his wife ( ) - so let's give credit where it's due.

[Gil-Galad]

Speaking of the Battle under the trees... i thought that it was cool when Thranduil and Celeborn met in the midst of the forest and they joined forces together againest the orcs

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Allow me to insert a big wink. Remember, I'm not saying that I think Galadriel was the best fighter, I'm saying that if we're going by what chromosomes are saying, that that's what I would be saying.

The vague idea was that you would simply assume I knew what I was talking about and not make me defend my hastily written post.