The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Marched from Minas Tirith on 18 March III 3019; fought before the Morannon on 25 March III 3019
Location
Followed a route from Minas Tirith across the Great River, then northward through Ithilien to the Black Gate of Mordor
Races
Primarily Men, but including a Wizard, and perhaps representatives of other peoples of Middle-earth
Divisions
Led a Host composed mainly of Gondorians and Rohirrim
Settlements
Departed from Minas Tirith
Other names
Title of

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 21 March 2026
  • Updates planned: 1

Captains of the West

Leaders of the final hopeless march to Mordor

Map of the route of the Captains of the West

The journey of the Captains of the West and their followers from Minas Tirith to the Gates of Mordor. (Note that some of the locations shown are necessarily approximate.)

(1) At the Cross-roads they restore the broken statue there and divert briefly to break the bridge of Minas Morgul. When they depart, they leave a guard of Men behind to watch for enemies from the south.

(2) At a cutting in North Ithilien they detect and avoid an ambush, slaying or driving off a small force of Orcs and Easterlings. From this point in the journey, they are watched from the skies by the Nazgûl.

(3) At the edge of the Desolation of the Morannon, Aragorn sends away those overcome by fear to instead recapture and guard the island of Cair Andros.

(4) The Captains of the West reach the Morannon after a journey of seven days.

The journey of the Captains of the West and their followers from Minas Tirith to the Gates of Mordor. (Note that some of the locations shown are necessarily approximate.)

(1) At the Cross-roads they restore the broken statue there and divert briefly to break the bridge of Minas Morgul. When they depart, they leave a guard of Men behind to watch for enemies from the south.

(2) At a cutting in North Ithilien they detect and avoid an ambush, slaying or driving off a small force of Orcs and Easterlings. From this point in the journey, they are watched from the skies by the Nazgûl.

(3) At the edge of the Desolation of the Morannon, Aragorn sends away those overcome by fear to instead recapture and guard the island of Cair Andros.

(4) The Captains of the West reach the Morannon after a journey of seven days.

Gandalf, Aragorn, Éomer, Imrahil and the other lords of the allied force that rode against the gates of Mordor in the last stages of the War of the Ring.


Notes

1

It should be said that it is not completely clear which of the members of the Host of the West constituted its Captains. There is no doubt, however, over the inclusion of Aragorn, the Captain of the Host of the West, nor over Éomer or Imrahil, who each led forces of their own. Gandalf did not formally command any Men, but nonetheless his obvious authority and wisdom must surely have placed him among the Captains too.

The situation is less clear-cut for Legolas and Gimli, who represented their peoples and were high in the counsels of the Captains, and so likely qualified for inclusion, though they led no forces of their own. Peregrin Took was also the sole representative of his people within the Host, and indeed was known as the Prince of the Halflings among the Gondorians, but played no direct part in the leadership of the army.

There were other members of the Host whose roles were even less clear: Elladan and Elrohir of Rivendell accompanied the force, for example, and doubtless other lords of Gondor led their own Men as part of the army. Whether any of these would be individually considered among the Captains of the West is an open question.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 21 March 2026
  • Updates planned: 1

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1999, 2001, 2019, 2026. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.
The full Discus software is now available in multiple different languages, including all questionnaires, reports and more.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry