Éowyn, niece of King Théoden, was a noblewoman and warrior, raised as a shieldmaiden of Rohan. Éowyn honed her skills and practiced, even though her uncle forbade her from fighting alongside men.

The Lady of Edoras had a deep and abiding affection for her cousin Théodred, and when the prince was cruelly slain by Orcs, she remained faithfully at his bedside until his last breath. With her brother in exile and her uncle under the insidious influence of Saruman, Éowyn was left to suffer in isolation, exposed to the unwelcome attentions of Gríma Wormtongue.