Women don't get enough credit in the LOTR sagas because secretly, it's the ladies who are holding down the safety of Middle Earth and doing their part to destroy the evils that fester in Mordor.
Éowyn was a shield-maiden who was proud of her countrymen and earnestly wanted to fight alongside them. Despite her family's disapproval and cultural barriers, she disguised herself as a man (of slight build) and stole away Merry to charge into battle in the Pelennor Fields. Little did she know, she'd accomplish what no man could, taking down the Witch King who even Gandalf himself couldn't defeat.
Galadriel, however mysterious and mystic she seems in the original 3-movie trilogy, her history in Middle Earth is vast. While tangled in the affairs of Sauron himself, Galadriel had many chances to seize power for herself and enslave the realms of Men. But instead, she was wise and forthcoming, latching to the light of Valinor instead of the darkness.
Other ladies of LOTR are exemplary, but everyone gets fixated on the heroics of the male presence on screen. Fortunately, as female fans of Lord of the Rings, we can wink at the achievements of our fellow women who inspire us to be heroes in our own world. Except we should probably ignore the stew-making pointers from Éowyn…
