While The Lord of the Rings doesn’t feature romance too heavily, some romances are core to the story. However, while Arwen and Aragorn might be the main couple that people think about, Eowyn and Faramir deserve more attention and love than they often get. While they are more side characters, they have one of the best romances from any of the films, including The Hobbit trilogy.
While Eowyn does at first fall for Aragorn, things turn out for the best when she and Faramir get together. There are many reasons why these two make the best couple and why fans can relate to them.
It made a lot of sense politically
While there are many reasons these two are a good match when it comes to their life experiences and personality, they also make sense on a political level.
Eowyn is a shieldmaiden of Rohan, and Faramir is a royalty, too, and he is made Prince of Ithilien by Aragorn. Having Eowyn and Faramir be together makes sense given that Gondor and Rohan are allies, and so it’s a smart marriage in this sense.
Their love story didn’t involve loss or death
While all love stories will eventually end in loss and death, their story isn’t one of sadness or the threat of loss. Instead, they find each other after they’ve lost a lot, and their love is a beacon of hope and joy for both of them.
Where Arwen had to give up her immortality for Aragorn, and there is a lot of bittersweetness there, Faramir and Eowyn can live out the rest of their natural lives together.
They were both motivated by their compassion and bravery
While Faramir and Eowyn aren’t the main characters in the story, fans see a fair amount of their journey on screen. There may be many characters and a lot of plots going on, but Eowyn and Faramir’s personalities and core values still come through.
They are both willing to sacrifice a lot to protect the people they love, and they both have compassion and gentleness to them, along with a strength. In the books, Faramir is even more calm and kind as he never captures Sam and Frodo at all.
Because they were able to go through the healing process together
While their meeting isn’t really shown except briefly in the extended edition of The Return of the King, book fans know that Faramir and Eowyn met and fell in love while they were both in the Houses of Healing. They are both recovering from both their physical wounds and emotional ones, and they are able to be there for each other.
Finding love and trust in one another is actually an important part of the healing process for both of them. This shows that their relationship is one of hope and positivity after the sadness and hardships that they have both experienced.
Eowyn was only in love with the idea of Aragorn
While some fans like the idea of Aragorn and Eowyn together, Eowyn’s love of Aragorn was somewhat displaced. At the time she meets Aragorn, Theoden is being possessed, and Rohan is failing. Her cousin has just died and her brother, Eomer, is barely around. She’s also being creepily pursued and harassed by Grima.
She sees Aragorn as a kind, good man with many leadership skills, but she doesn’t truly love him. This is why Aragorn tells her just as much.
Their romance taught them both that they were lovable
Both Eowyn and Faramir are characters who are underestimated by the people around them and seen as weak. Eowyn is told she can’t fight because she's a woman, and Faramir is always trying to measure up to Boromir in Denethor's eyes.
They have some self-doubt even as they also show a lot of strength and bravery. When they fall in love, they’re able to help the other see just how great they are.
Because Eowyn fell in love with Faramir after a heartbreak
One of the most realistic things about Eowyn and Faramir’s love story is that it wasn’t meant to be a story where they only ever knew and loved each other. Eowyn had recently had a heartbreak after Aragorn rejected her. And, while this might not have been as difficult as the other things she went through at the Battle of Pelennor Fields, it never feels good to be let down in love.
However, their romance is a good example of the fact that we don’t always end up with who we think we will. Faramir ends up being a much better match for her.
They feel more real and less like a fairytale
There’s nothing wrong with a romance in a movie or book that's filled with tropes, but these romances can sometimes feel distanced from the reality of love.
While Arwen and Aragorn have a very star-crossed lovers feel to their narrative, the love between Eowyn and Faramir is quieter but just as beautiful and more realistic.
Because they had really compatible personalities
Of all the romances from the franchise, including other popular pairings like Rosie and Sam, Eowyn and Faramir might be the most compatible. They are very similar in a lot of key ways, such as in valuing compassion and loyalty so highly, but they do have some differences, too.
Eowyn feels bolder in her choices and actions, while Faramir is a bit more measured. So, they really do make a good match.
It was a better love story for Eowyn
While Aragorn and Eowyn did make sense in some ways, they weren’t quite right for one another. Aragorn was already deeply in love with Arwen, so being with Eowyn would have felt like he was betraying his true love. It also would have likely left Eowyn never feeling like she was first in Aragorn’s heart.
Eowyn, at first, seemed like she wanted Aragorn to save her, and this would have given her a damsel narrative. Instead, she finds her own strength and then falls in love with someone who will be able to see and be her true equal.