Ents are the fictional tree-like people in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. They are ancient shepherds of trees, and their best-known leader is Treebeard, also called Fangorn.
Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard after being separated from the other members of the Fellowship. Their arrival helps bring about the Ents’ decision to attack Isengard, the stronghold of Saruman. The assault is one of the major turning points in the story and reflects the conflict between industrial destruction and the natural world.
Ents are sometimes confused with Huorns, related tree-like beings that are less clearly personified, or with the Eagles, who are intelligent flying creatures. Tolkien’s word “Ent” comes from an Old English term meaning giant or supernatural being, rather than simply being a modern word for a tree person.