The Ents are the tree-like shepherds of forests in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium.
Tolkien presents Ents as ancient, intelligent beings who guard and care for trees. Their name comes from an Old English word meaning “giant,” and their slow speech and deliberate decisions contrast with the hurried actions of many other peoples in Middle-earth.
The most prominent Ent is Treebeard, who guides Merry and Pippin after they enter Fangorn Forest. The Ents eventually march against Isengard because Saruman’s forces have destroyed trees and damaged the forest.
Readers sometimes confuse Ents with ordinary talking trees or with Huorns, another tree-related group in Tolkien’s mythology. Ents are a distinct people with their own history, language, and relationship to the Entwives.