Treebeard is an Ent in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Treebeard, whose Elvish name is Fangorn, is one of the ancient shepherds of trees. He lives in Fangorn Forest and meets Merry and Pippin after they escape from the Orcs. His slow, deliberate speech and immense age reflect the Ents’ role as guardians of forests and living trees.
The Ents eventually decide to attack Isengard after learning how Saruman’s forces have destroyed trees for war machines. Their assault overturns Saruman’s power base and shows that the natural world of Middle-earth can act decisively when pushed too far.
Treebeard is sometimes confused with a Huorn, a related but distinct kind of tree-being. Tolkien presents Ents as articulate, mobile shepherds of trees, while Huorns are more mysterious and often appear less fully human in speech and behavior. Treebeard is the best-known Ent and one of the oldest living characters in the trilogy.