10 Greatest Lord Of The Rings Villains
3. Denethor
Certainly one of the most interesting characters in Middle Earth, Denethor doesn't seem to have passed on any of his characteristics to his sons.
Denethor was steward of Gondor during the War of the Ring, running the country in the absence of a real king. He didn't give much of an impression as a leader, refusing to allow Aragorn to become king and falling into despair.
He was father to Boromir and Faramir and didn't set much of an example to them either. He persuaded Boromir that the Ring should come to Gondor and be used against Sauron. After learning of Boromir's death he decided he wanted rid of Faramir and sent him on a hopeless charge into battle against the orcs. When Faramir returned, unconscious and barely alive, Denethor had a change of heart and realised Faramir wasn't such a bad son. He convinced himself that Faramir was dead and set about preparing a funeral pyre for the both of them.
Luckily Gandalf was nearby and had seen Denethor's madness, he managed to save Faramir, but for Denethor there was no hope and he swiftly jumped from the top of Minas Tirith.