What is the title of the third volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings?

The third volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is titled The Return of the King. George Allen & Unwin published it on 20 October 1955, completing the novel’s three-volume publication.

The volume covers the final stages of the War of the Ring, including the defence of Minas Tirith, Aragorn’s rise as king, the destruction of the One Ring, and the return of the hobbits to the Shire. Its title refers chiefly to Aragorn, the rightful heir of Isildur and claimant to the thrones of Gondor and Arnor.

The Lord of the Rings was written as one continuous work, but publishing and practical considerations led to its release in three volumes. The first was The Fellowship of the Ring in 1954, followed by The Two Towers and then The Return of the King in 1955.

The title is sometimes mistaken for a reference to Frodo or Sauron. In Tolkien’s narrative, however, the returning king is Aragorn, whose restoration completes the political resolution of the story.