Treebeard is an Ent in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Ents are ancient, tree-like beings who protect the forests of Middle-earth. Treebeard, whose Elvish name is Fangorn, is the oldest of the Ents encountered by the story’s characters. Merry and Pippin meet him in Fangorn Forest after escaping from the Orcs who captured them.
Treebeard initially distrusts the hobbits because he thinks they may be related to Orcs, but their conversation helps awaken his concern about Saruman’s destruction of the forest. He eventually calls the Ents to the Entmoot, where they decide to attack Isengard.
Ents are sometimes confused with Huorns, another tree-related group in Tolkien’s mythology. The two are connected, but Treebeard himself is an Ent. The character reflects Tolkien’s interest in trees, forests, environmental destruction, and the contrast between patient natural life and industrial warfare.