The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has added a surprising new protagonist, and this means the perfect opportunity for the upcoming film to reference the most iconic moment from Rohan. The highly anticipated animated movie will put this Middle-earth kingdom at front and center, with a deeper exploration into Rohan’s lore and past royal family. Naturally, this will bring to mind Lord of the Rings characters like Théoden, Éowyn, and Éomer. Though these Rohirrim won’t have been born yet during the main story of War of the Rohirrim, they can (and should) still be referenced.

Set 183 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, War of the Rohirrim will tell the story of Rohan’s war with the Dunlendings. Rohan’s King during this age, Helm Hammerhand (the namesake of Helm’s Deep), refused to give his daughter’s hand in marriage to the Dunlending prince, Wulf, which initiated a terrible war between the two kingdoms of Men. Following the announcement of The War of the Rohirrim, it was assumed that Helm would be the film’s protagonist. However, it has since been revealed that his daughter, Hèra, is at center stage, with Éowyn serving as narrator.

Hèra Means The New Lord Of The Rings Movie Can’t Ignore Éowyn’s “I Am No Man” Line

Hèra Is Naturally Comparable To Éowyn

Hèra being the protagonist of The War of the Rohirrim makes Éowyn’s role in the film make a lot of sense. Her character, voiced by The Lord of the Rings‘ Miranda Otto, will be the tale’s narrator, telling a story of her kingdom’s history. Éowyn was always eager to be a warrior, so it’s logical that she would have revered an ancestor like Héra. Seeing that a woman in her family had fought in such a notable conflict likely inspired Éowyn to ride into battle herself, though she wasn’t supposed to. Then, of course, there is the Lady of Rohan’s iconic fight with the Witch King of Angmar and the line she spoke before her finishing blow.

With such a connection between these characters, there’s an excellent opportunity for War of the Rohirrim to reference Éowyn’s “I am no man” line from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. While having Hèra repeat the same line might be a little too obvious, the new movie could slip in some indication that the Rohirrim princess directly influenced Éowyn’s big moment. Otto’s character could even say as much during her narration, stating that the fierce bravery of Rohan’s women found its roots over a century before the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

War Of The Rohirrim’s New Character Makes Éowyn’s LOTR Line Even Better

The Idea Of More Female Warriors From Rohan Enhances Éowyn’s Character

Éowyn’s big line in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a beloved and irreplaceable feature of the franchise, but a character like Héra retroactively makes it even better. While Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies make Arwen a more prominent character than in Tolkien’s books, Éowyn remained the stand-out female figure of the franchise. She fulfilled this role phenomenally, but she was still alone in this. Though Héra lived long before Éowyn was born, the idea that there was a strong female Rohirrim influence on the hero of Pelennor Fields, even just through legend, makes the character stronger.

War of the Rohirrim was released on December 13, 2024.

Other Ways Éowyn’s Story Will Fit Within War Of The Rohirrim

Éowyn’s The Narrator – But Could There Be More?

It won’t be clear how far Éowyn’s role extends into War of the Rohirrim until the film releases. She is a narrator, and this may be the extent of it. The cast list might indicate that Otto is playing Éowyn, but there may be no actual reference to the character herself in the movie, with the actor’s voice meant only as a subtle connection to Jackson’s trilogy. However, it’s also possible that Éowyn’s storytelling is part of a subplot within War of the Rohirrim, and we may actually see the animated version of the character.

It would be neat if War of the Rohirrim first introduced Éowyn and set up a story in which she begins recounting the tale of Héra and Rohan’s war with the Dunlendings to her own children, perhaps a daughter.

It would be neat if War of the Rohirrim first introduced Éowyn and set up a story in which she begins recounting the tale of Héra and Rohan’s war with the Dunlendings to her own children, perhaps a daughter. After the events of The Lord of the Rings, Éowyn married Faramir, who Aragorn named the Prince of Ithilien, a region of Gondor. This means her children would have grown up away from Rohan, so she may wish to teach them all about the proud kingdom where she was raised. As someone who takes pride in being a strong female warrior, Éowyn may find Héra’s story a great place to start.