In J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, Treebeard is an Ent.
Treebeard, whose Elvish name is Fangorn, is one of the oldest beings in Middle-earth. He appears in The Two Towers as the guardian and leader of the Ents, tree-like shepherds created to protect the trees and forests.
Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took meet Treebeard in Fangorn Forest after escaping from the Orcs. Their account of Saruman’s destruction of the forest helps persuade the Ents to march against Isengard. The Ents’ attack becomes one of the major turning points in the War of the Ring.
Treebeard is sometimes mistaken for a talking tree. Tolkien presents Ents as a distinct ancient people with their own language, culture, and history. Their long deliberations reflect their extremely slow pace of thought, although Treebeard can act decisively when the danger becomes clear.