When they saved the day during the battle of Pelennor fields in The Lord of the Rings, many questions still lingered as to who exactly the Dead Men of Dunharrow were. Much more than literal ghosts in the machine that only served to get the heroes out of a tough jam, the restless spirits actually had a rich connection to the history of Middle Earth and a distinct link to Aragorn and his lineage. While they only appeared briefly, they lent a helping hand that turned the tides of the War of the Ring and closed the book on Isildur's multi-millennia storyline.
Isildur is the key to understanding the importance of the Dead Men of Dunharrow, and though Rings of Power added layers to the mysterious shades that have totally transformed them into integral parts of Middle Earth lore.
The Dead Men Of Dunharrow Are The Men Of The White Mountains
Stretching all the way back to the Second Age, the Men of the White Mountains were worshipers of Sauron who changed their tune when Gondor was founded. In the final years of the timeline of the Second Age, the King of White Mountains swore to Isildur if aid was ever needed in the fight against Sauron, but when the call was made, the men refused to lend aid since they began to worship the Maia. Because of their reluctance to the Last Alliance, Isildur placed a curse upon them that dictated that their spirits could never rest until their debt was paid to his eventual heir.
Not much was mentioned of the Dead Men of Dunharrow during the film trilogy, but Aragorn eventually called upon the men to help in the battle of Pelennor fields. Being the direct descendent of Isildur, Aragorn was the only man who could call upon the specters, and he was able to convince the Army of the Dead by wielding his mighty sword, Andúril, in their presence. Around the time when the Rings of Power were forged, Isildur wielded his father's sword, Narsil, which was shattered while cutting the ring from Sauron's hand. That sword was eventually reforged into Andúril and used by Aragorn throughout the events of The Lord of the Rings.
Why The Army Of The Dead Is So Important
It would be easy to dismiss the Dead Men of Dunharrow as a simple writer's trick, and though the convenience of their sudden arrival seemed contrived, it wasn't without historical backing. Their connection to Isildur was one of the foundational pillars of the story of The Lord of the Rings, and their betrayal of him no doubt started the ball rolling that culminated in the War of the Ring many years later. Aragorn finally paid off their lengthy set-up by freeing them from their bonds and allowing their spirits to rest, and it brought closure to Isildur's curse and prophecy.
The Rings of Power made their appearance better, because it served to further flesh out the complicated history between Isildur and the Men of the White Mountains. Readers and viewers were never able to see the entire story, and by expanding the history, it made Rings of Power a more cohesive prequel series to The Lord of the Rings. Isildur's eventual corruption by the ring was a dark chapter in Middle Earth history, and the retribution for the Dead Men of Dunharrow was a form of retribution for Isildur himself.
