36 Giggle-Inducing Lord of the Rings Memes to Turn Any Gollum Back into Smeagol (November 21, 2024)

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Nov 21, 2024 11:30 AM EST

Do you have family drama? We all have some weird uncle at the family luncheon or some kooky cousin who's always coming up with bird-brained schemes, but when you're looking at the bigger picture, how grandiose is your family's drama? Certainly not as fervent as the sibling rivalry cultivated out of favoritism in the house of Gondor.

Behind the walls of Minas Tirith lay the world's worst father.

Sorry, to anyone who has daddy issues out there, I see you, but nothing quite compares to the terrible paternity and fathering skills of Denethor, Steward of Gondor. For reference–and if you don't recall this scene getting burned into your retinas on the big screen–Denethor decidedly sent his son to his demise at the gates of Osgiliath to prove his quality, meanwhile, he sat there mowing down tomatoes and a 10-course feast. What kind of father does that?!

Blinded by grief at the loss of his older golden child, Boromir, Denethor forgot he had another son. Only 5 years younger, but a million times wiser, Faramir was able to resist the allure of the Ring, help the hobbits Frodo and Sam on their journey, survive despite his father's best efforts to off him, and ultimately win the girl. So while Eowyn may not make the best stew, Faramir gets the happiest ending out of all of the stories of Lord of the Rings, proving that good deeds don't go unpunished, but sometimes, in the rare case of the Prince of Ithilien, get rewarded.