Denethor II is the father of Faramir and Boromir in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Denethor is the Steward of Gondor during the War of the Ring. He rules from Minas Tirith while the kingdom faces the military threat of Sauron. His elder son, Boromir, is a member of the Fellowship, while his younger son, Faramir, commands forces in Ithilien and later defends Gondor.
Denethor’s character is shaped by pride, political responsibility, grief, and the influence of the palantír. He uses the seeing-stone of Minas Tirith to observe events, but Sauron’s power causes him to receive despairing impressions. After Boromir’s death and the apparent death of Faramir, Denethor loses hope.
The Roman numeral in his name distinguishes him from earlier rulers with the same name. He is commonly called Denethor II, while Denethor I was an earlier Steward of Gondor. Denethor is therefore both a political title-holder and a crucial member of the family at the center of Gondor’s crisis.