One of the seven Fathers of the Dwarves, Durin provides one of the few connections between The Hobbit and The Silmarillion.

The only child of Lúthien and Beren, Dior's legacy is mostly due to his place in the history of the Peredhil who would knit together the First, Second, and Third Ages.

One of the few named Avari in the texts, Denethor's death in an early battle would have long-standing consequences for his people, the Laiquendi.

Given a prominent role in the narrative, Daeron nonetheless receives few words in The Silmarillion.

Círdan the Shipwright is one of Tolkien's few important characters who plays a substantial role throughout the entire history of the Elves in Middle-earth, present from Cuiviénen to the departure of Frodo at the start of the Fourth Age.

Celebrimbor first appeared in The Lord of the Rings, and as Tolkien rewrote his story to include him in The Silmarillion, his proclivities and tale parallels that of his grandfather Fëanor.

Following the two-part biography of Galadriel, this essay considers her husband, who was notable as a warrior and a leader in his own right. A character dogged by movie fanon that would dismiss him as inconsequential and confused by contradictory texts, Celeborn emerges in this analysis as sympathetic, powerful, and wise: a fitting companion for Galadriel.

An upstart leader of the Easterlings, Brodda forcibly took Aerin to marriage and played a role in the story of the House of Húrin.

Following up on our three-part biography of Lúthien Tinúviel, this month's biography of Beren discusses his early life, the evolution of his character in the legendarium, and his particular importance as a prototype for Aragorn and the small, simple heroes who would come to characterize Tolkien's later work.

The father of Erendis and grandfather of Tar-Ancalimë, Beregar is one of the few men in the legendarium who is defined primarily by his relationship to important women.

As the first Mortal to encounter the Noldor in the legendarium, Bëor and his story establish a pattern that will be followed in the relations between Elves and Mortals in the millennia to come.

Beleg Cúthalion is one of the most storied of the Sindarin characters in The Silmarillion.

Barahir in many ways embodies the unrelenting and inescapable tragedy that plagues The Silmarillion. But through his son Beren and a legacy that passes through to the Third Age, Barahir also fits into Tolkien's essential concept of eucatastrophe.

The leader of the renowned Dwarven army that saved the lives of the Elven host at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Azaghâl appears only briefly in the published material but in scenes of cinematic scope. This biography reviews what we know of Azaghâl and what remains open for fans to explore.

One of the Ainur, the demi-gods of Tolkien legendarium, Aulë is said to have been created by the thought of Eru Ilúvatar. He ranks third in importance among the Valar, following only Manwë and Ulmo. Usually referred to in The Silmarillion as Aulë the Smith or Aulë the Maker, he is given the name Mahal by the Dwarves.

The glorious mount of Glorfindel appears to be more than a mere horse, recalling other famous steeds in the legendarium.

Largely relegated to the margins of the story, Arwen nonetheless represents a strength that is "intellectual, psychological, and spiritual," as well as serving as a symbol of the simultaneous waning of one people and rise of another. Arwen presents the usual thorny questions of how women are presented in the legendarium, compounded by a well-known film depiction that stretches the bounds of the canon.

A character who bridges the stories of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, Arvedui was the Dúnedain king who first attempted to unite Arnor and Gondor under a single crown.

One of Barahir's twelve companions, Arthad embodies the stoic bravery that characterizes the House of Bëor.

In Ar-Gimilzôr, we see the first signs of the divisiveness and decline of Númenor into two factions. This month's biography details this prequel to Númenor's cataclysmic fall.