Who leads the army of the dead against the armies of Mordor?

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Who leads the Army of the Dead against the armies of Mordor? Aragorn leads the Army of the Dead. He summons the oathbreakers from the Paths of the Dead and brings them to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

The dead are the spirits of men who once swore allegiance to Isildur but broke their oath by refusing to fight for him. Isildur cursed them to remain in Middle-earth until they fulfilled that promise. Aragorn, as Isildur's heir, has the authority to call upon them, and the reforged sword Andúril helps establish his claim.

In The Return of the King, Aragorn uses the dead to defeat the Corsair fleet at Pelargir. He then releases them from their oath rather than leading them into the final battle inside Mordor. The film presents them as a sweeping supernatural force at Minas Tirith, while Tolkien's book emphasizes their role at Pelargir and makes clear that Aragorn cannot command them indefinitely.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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