Éowyn delivers the decisive attack that destroys the Witch-king in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the Witch-king of Angmar has brought down Théoden, King of Rohan. Éowyn, who has disguised herself as the warrior Dernhelm, stands against him. Merry Brandybuck first wounds the Witch-king with a Barrow-blade, weakening the protection that shields him. Éowyn then strikes him with her sword.
The prophecy that no living man could kill the Witch-king is fulfilled in an unexpected way: Éowyn is a woman, not a man. Merry’s intervention is essential, but Éowyn performs the final attack. This is why answers naming Merry alone are incomplete.
The episode is one of Éowyn’s defining moments. She later rejects a life limited to watching others pursue glory and chooses healing and a different future with Faramir.