Who was the father of Denethor?

The father of Denethor was Ecthelion II. Ecthelion II was the twenty-fifth ruling Steward of Gondor and governed from 2953 to 2984 of the Third Age.

During his rule, Ecthelion welcomed a mysterious warrior named Thorongil as an adviser and captain. Thorongil was actually Aragorn, traveling under an assumed name. Ecthelion valued his service, which contributed to Denethor’s suspicion and resentment toward Aragorn.

Ecthelion died in 2984, after which Denethor succeeded him as the twenty-sixth ruling Steward. Denethor later became the father of Boromir and Faramir through his marriage to Finduilas of Dol Amroth. Boromir’s death and Faramir’s apparent mortal injury deepened Denethor’s despair during the War of the Ring.

The name can cause confusion because Gondor had several rulers called Ecthelion and Denethor. Ecthelion I was an earlier Steward, while Denethor I was an earlier Steward who ruled centuries before Denethor II, the character in The Lord of the Rings.