23 Lord of the Rings Memes for OG Fans Who Were There 3000 Years Ago (May 8, 2025)

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

May 8, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Steward of Gondor, Denethor II, Son of Ectheleon, is not known for any great achievements. Rather, he's known for his parental favoritism and the way he eats tomatoes. Any aficionado of the Lord of the Rings saga knows that there are many great men, hobbits, wizards, elves, and dwarves whom we cherish. For all their flaws, we love them anyways—except in Aragorn, Son of Arathorn's case, because he has proven to be utterly flawless.

But that sorry sack Denethor, with his fur coats, his enslaved hobbits, and his disdain for a son of great quality, we despise more than Sauron himself. Disgusted by bursted tomato juice and soiled by gallons of lamp oil, Denethor is more foul on screen than many villains of our age. All it takes is a gross introduction, a yellow-bellied approach to the One Power, and a mug that says, "Worst Father of the Year."

There are those of us who are thankful for our own parents after watching such egregious grossness in Minas Tirith, the White City of Gondor. Because no matter what, at least we know how to eat savory fruits with dignity.