He was the father of Isildur and Anárion, last lord of Andúnië on the island of Númenor, and having escaped its downfall by sailing to Middle-earth, became the first High King of Arnor and Gondor.
For the earlier King of Númenor, see Tar-Elendil. Elendil was the father of Isildur and Anárion, a survivor of the Downfall of Númenor, and the founder and first High King of the Realms in Exile. Elendil was also known as Elendil the Tall, as he was the tallest of the Men who escaped the Downfall.
Aragorn has been referred to numerous times as both the heir of Elendil and of Isildur, “Elessar of the line of Valandil, Isildur's son, Elendil's son of Númenor.” (The Passing of the Grey Company, The Steward and the King) Faramir calls Aragorn “Elendil's heir” when speaking to Éowyn.
The Second Age ended, and Isildur became High King of both Arnor and Gondor. Isildur took up the hilt-shard of Narsil, Elendil's sword, and cut the One Ring from the hand of Sauron.
He didn't actually become a star. He had a Silmaril and he sailed West to Valinor with it. Its power (which came from the light of the Two Trees trapped within it) enabled him to pass through the Shadowy Seas and other dangers that prevent people from getting to Aman, the continent where Valinor is located.
The Complete Travels of Elendil | Tolkien Explained
Is Isildur a Nazgûl?
As one of the Ringwraiths, Isildur was forced to serve the Dark Lord for all time, until he was defeated and freed by "Talion". Later, the Ranger claimed his ring to survive after Celebrimbor abandoned him, and eventually took Isildur's place among the Nazgûl after holding back Sauron's forces for decades.
Elendil is Friend to Gil-galad, Father of Isildur, and Ancestor of Aragorn. Image via Prime Video. According to Tolkien's mythology, Elendil gathered a group of sailors known as “The Faithful” after his father prophesied that a great evil was headed to Middle-earth.
Isildur used a broken sword to cut the Ruling Ring off Sauron's hand. Sauron was fatally wounded by Gil-galad and Elendil as Sauron killed them. Gandalf took the job of blocking the Balrog - and he was barely able to defeat the Balrog (in fact, he died in the process). A few reasons.
However Isildur was by right High King over both Arnor and Gondor, though after Isildur's death his son Valandil did not press the claim, so thereafter the realms were entirely split. Thus, the House of Isildur ruled Arnor and the House of Anárion ruled Gondor.
Besides not having the will to destroy the Ring, pushing Isildur into Mount Doom would have had some practical consequences. In another passage from The Silmarillion, Elrond and Círdan counseled Isildur to destroy the Ring, but he refused, saying, "This I will have as weregild for my father's death, and my brother's.
A legend says that the Wizard Gandalf had brought such a stone, called the Elessar, from Valinor. He gave the Elessar to the Elven Lady Galadriel and remarked prophetically that she would pass it to another, who will also be called Elessar. From this would come Aragorn's royal name Elessar (Quenya for "Elfstone").
Arvedui, Isildur's Heir through twenty-three generations, was the last King to rule in the north; he attempted to reclaim the High Kingship, but failed, and the last remnant of royal Arnor was overrun by its enemies. Now the line of Isildur in the north became forgotten by nearly all.
Because of Isildur's actions almost 3,000 years ago, many distrusted his resistance to the One Ring and believed Arargorn unworthy as a king. But with 36 generations between the two, Aragorn knew he wasn't bound to the same fate and re-established his royal bloodline.
Realising he could not defeat the Númenóreans with military strength, Sauron allowed himself to be taken as a hostage to Númenor by King Ar-Pharazôn in S.A. 3262. There, he quickly grew from captive to adviser and was known as Zigûr, the Wizard; he seduced the King and further corrupted the people.
Elros, the twin brother of Elrond, became the first king of Númenor, marking the beginning of Aragorn's kingly lineage. Elros was approximately the 63rd great-grandfather to Aragorn. This also means that Elrond was his equally distant great-uncle, making Arwen (his wife) his first cousin, 64 times removed.
He removed his armor and waded into the river intending to try to cross it. The current was strong and despite his great strength, it pulled him toward the marshes of the Gladden Fields. Then the Ring left Isildur's finger and was lost in the waters.
The first line of the Kings of Gondor were primarily members of the House of Anárion. Elendil was the first King of Arnor and was succeeded by Isildur. Elendil ruled over both realms as High King of the Dúnedain-in-exile Isildur succeeded as High King as well upon his father's death.
He wasn't "exiled" in a judgmental sense, just a functional one. His people's kingdom was long gone, and his bloodline had yet to assert their claim to the kingdom in the south, so they wandered as distrusted outcasts in the ruins of Arnor.
In the books, Isildur did not defeat Sauron; it was his father Elendil and the Elf King Gil-galad who defeated Sauron together at the cost of their lives. Isildur cut the Ring from Sauron's dying body, and his spirit fled.
Isildur was Aragorn's remote ancestor. He died at the beginning of the Third Age (TA), in TA 2. Aragorn was born 2929 years later, on March 1, TA 2931. His father was Arathorn II, Chieftain of the Dunedain.
Eärien was a Númenórean lady of the Second Age, the daughter of Lord Elendil of Andúnië and sister of Isildur and Anárion in Amazon Studios' The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power television series. She is portrayed by American actress Ema Horvath.
Saving Galadriel at sea was likely a method of gaining her trust, since Sauron would need an Elf's friendship to enter their realm. Whether he targeted Galadriel specifically because he could exploit her bloody-minded rage and broken heart is unclear.
The last person in Isildur's line to sit the throne of Gondor was Isildur himself. After that, the throne passed on to Anarion's descendants. Aragorn is related to Isildur through Valandil, Isildur's fourth son. Valandil's descendants were traditionally the Kings of Arnor, not Gondor.
