How and where did Boromir die in The Lord of the Rings? Character’s fate explored, in depth

The Lord Of The Rings franchise has a long-running legacy that has gone on for more than two decades. Spanning over the years into the 21st century, the film franchise, which has been adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's book series of the same name, the film follows the events of Tolkien's predecessor series The Hobbit, and how Frodo's inheritance of One Ring influences the characters having to battle against the Lord of The Ring, Sauron.

The extensive franchise features plenty of key characters, one such being Boromir. One of the bravest men of Gondor, Boromir was acclaimed for his strength and valor on the battlefield. Son of Denethor II and brother to Faramir, Boromir was loved by the people of Rohan and has been a significant character in the series.

However, the character faces an unpleasant death in the very first film in the franchise, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, during a moment of sheer courage and heroism as he protects Merry Brandybuck and Peregrin Took from the Orcs. His death has also been portrayed in different ways in both print and picture, leading to fan discussions on the differences Peter Jackson's adaptation had from the original series.

How did Boromir die in the book version of The Lord Of The Rings?

Boromir's character gets to have significant coverage throughout the series as he stands as one of the key characters to the plot throughout The Fellowship Of The Ring. His protection of The Ring, his protection of the people, and his valor are all prominent aspects of the novel. However, the same cannot be said about his death in the book, where his mortal defeat doesn't receive much coverage and is, in fact, an event referred to in the next book, The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers.

In the book, the ending follows all the Fellowship going their different ways, with readers being left with an ambiguous ending regarding the fate of all the warriors. The second book begins with Aragorn discovering Boromir in the forest, stabbed by multiple arrows, and surrounded by Orc bodies. His death is shown to be in Parth Galen, a slope that starts from the wooded hill of Amon Hen, situated on the north side of the Falls of Rauros.

In his final moments, Boromir tells Aragorn how he died protecting Merry and Pippin and confesses to having attempted to take the ring from Frodo. In final words, he says,

"Farewell, Aragorn! Go to Minas Tirith and save my people! I have failed."

How does Boromir die in the movie version of The Lord Of The Rings?

Boromir's ending moments in the series are a grueling four-minute sequence where the warrior battles the vicious Orcs and protects Merry and Pippin from the animalistic herd. In his final moments, he gets hit by an arrow from one of the Orcs but continues his fight despite it cutting through his flesh. More arrows follow, but it doesn't kill the combatant inside him as he continues to fight against the Orcs. Finally, after multiple arrows stab his body, he falls to the ground in complete collapse, as Aragorn shows up.

In his final moments, Boromir apologizes to Aragorn and asserts his right to the throne of Men. His final words in the film are,

"I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king,"

Boromir is laid to rest in a rowboat that sails through Anduin by Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.

Although key differences and deteriorations between the book and the film exist in large numbers, Boromir's death was one of the best improvisations in the adaptations as fans got to witness Boromir's final scene as a lengthy and influential one. Although he was only a part of just the first film in the franchise, his death does have a lasting impact on the plot that follows, making his parting moments all the more important.

The Lord Of The Rings series is available to stream on Prime Video.