"Gil-galad was an Elven-king.
Of him the harpers sadly sing:
the last whose realm was fair and free
between the Mountains and the Sea."
Sixth and last of the High Kings of the Noldor. The only son of High King Fingon, Gil-galad was born in Beleriand late in the First Age, and was still a child at the time of the Dagor Bragollach; his father sent him to Círdan at the Havens for safekeeping when Morgoth broke the Siege of Angband in that battle.
Fingon was lost in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, but the crown passed to Gil-galad's uncle Turgon in Gondolin, rather than Gil-galad himself (presumably because of his youth at that time). When Gondolin was lost, Gil-galad received the Kingship of the Noldor; he dwelt with the Exiles of the city at the Mouths of Sirion during the remainder of the First Age.
After the destruction of Beleriand during the War of Wrath, Gil-galad founded a kingdom in Lindon in the far northwest of Middle-earth, between the Blue Mountains and the Great Sea. There he and his people prospered, until Sauron returned; he came first to Lindon in the form of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, but Gil-galad and Elrond rejected him. Soon after, the One Ring was forged, and there was war in Middle-earth between the Elves and Sauron.
After the Downfall of Númenor, Elendil and his sons came to Middle-earth and formed an alliance with Gil-galad, the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. They marched on Mordor and besieged Sauron's Dark Tower. Sauron was defeated, but Gil-galad met his death in that war.
See also...
Anardil, Barad-dûr, Battle of Dagorlad, Blue Ring, Círdan the Shipwright, Ciryatur, Eärendil, Elendil, Elf-kings, Elostirion, Elrond, Elven-kings, Elven-rings, Elves of Lindon, Elves of the Havens, [See the full list...]Emyn Beraid, Entulessë, Epessë, Falathrim, Fall of Sauron, Galadriel, Green-elves, Guardian of the Third Ring, Guild of Venturers, Half-elven, High King of the Noldor, House of Fingolfin, Isle of Balar, King of Númenor, King of Númenórë, King of the Eldar, King of the Noldor, Laiquendi, Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Lindon, Malinorni, Master of the Grey Havens, Meneldur, Minastir, Mordor, Ring of Isildur, Ring of Sapphire, Ring of Water, Rings of Power, Ruling Queen of Númenor, Siege of Barad-dûr, Spear of Gil-galad, Tar-Minastir, The Fall of Gil-galad, The Great, The Red, The Ring, Third Ring, Three Keepers, Three Rings, Ulbar, Vilya, War of the Last Alliance
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