First...I think Hugo plays Elrond way better than he did Agent Smith. He brought out both sides of Elrond- the human and the elf.
Second...you guys are gonna love (at least it's highly likely that you'll love it) my fan fiction that I am working on. I am writing The Tale of Aralaithiel, Elrond's other daughter. She is conceived during the Last alliance of men & elves. And, she's one gutsy b*%#@! It may be awhile before I get the intro posted, but I thought I would pique your interest!
I choose both Galadriel & Eowyn. They are both an excellent combo of beauty & brains.
I like this thread - and that Gandalf diary had me in stitches!!!!!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I second that motion. I think there may have been some sort of gay subtext to it though ;)

What's the need to choose one? They're all incredible in their own ways.
Arwen: Her brave decision, to choose mortality over the comfortable life of Valinor, family and all her kins. Knowing she'll end her life in a bitter way, she chose to give up all of it for her man. Who can't like her? It's not just her beauty, but her character that makes her a powerful character despite not appearing much in the books.

Lady Galadriel: I'd go for her for rejecting the temptation of the Ring. She was the oldest and Wisest.

�0‡6owyn: Well, she's the character I feel closest to mine. She's human, brave and sacrificial (?). Her courage and bravery become inevitable for the downfall of Sauron when she kills Witchking. No man could kill him, so it had to be a woman.
Therefore all of them for different reasons. :)

Goldberry
 

Can I put in an honorable mention for the river-daughter?

Out of the three I 'prefer' Arwen, because she probably had the best character and finest character out of the three.

However, Eowyn was a very human character that rose to kill a foe much greater than her. In some ways she reminds me of Turin. So my favourite out of the three is Eowyn.

Nice, blantyr. :) Now you've made it hard for me. I was going to say Eowyn, but I second Goldberry.

Arwen. She has the longest shelf life.

Really? That's your criterion? Right up there with UHT milk.

I think Eowyn and Galadriel are similar and both vastly preferable to Arwen who doesn't seem to have any personality in her own right and merely is a poor imitation of someone else.

Guess I should have put a smiley emoticon in, because I really can't take the innumerable forum questions like this seriously. Who's the bestest? The hottest? The smartest? The biggest cup size? Tough to say with fictional characters who serve drastically different roles in the novels. In Arwen's defense, she has dark hair, which I definitely prefer over blondes. My wife will appreciate that answer.

If you say so... :p

Arwen is not in the books a lot, but I don't see why you fault what we find.

Nor do I see any similarity between Galadriel and Eowyn. Eowyn was a depressed suicidal girl, who had lost virtually everything that mattered to her. She was desperate for any means of escape even if it was just riding into the Paths of the Dead. Deep down Eoywn had now desire to be a warrior or a great queen. She just wanted a meaning role in life and respect.

Galadriel is a very different kettle of fish and from a different background.

Eowyn - Her and Merry fighting the King of The Nazgul was cool.

↑ That exchange just cracked me up! :D

_______________________________________________

As for the original question being asked, I like all three in their own way. I know... cop-out answer. I'll go deeper into my head-canon ... :eek:

As these three are basically the only women major characters mentioned in the Lord of the Rings story, I'll review each one:


• Galadriel - I've always had a 'thing' for the hot blonde elf in her flowy dress... but she was clearly above this mere Dunedain Ranger #26's station.

• Arwen was clearly beyond this mere Dunedain Ranger #26's station as she was even beyond the Chieftain's station until he became king of a reunited kingdom... a challenge Arwen's dad threw down after breaking up a make-out session between them, thinking that would be too big of a wall to climb for him. Of course it wasn't, and this mere Dunedain Ranger #26 returning to Minas Tirith with Aragorn and Arwen after they came north and stayed for a time, surely took advantage of hanging around the royal house as an advisor during Aragorn's reign.

• Éowyn was clearly the one this mere Dunedain Ranger #26 had a real chance with. Were it not for the fact that we were leaving Dunharrow in the early morning hours into the Dimholt, I could have been a good wingman to Aragorn and come along behind him soothing the broken hearts. But Éowyn caught Aragorn stealthily slipping from the blankets and sneaking away, and by the time we met again after the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Éowyn was in the HEaling House being woo'd by Steward Faramir of Gondor, a man worthy of the blonde babe from Rohan and well above this mere Dunedain Ranger #26.


So, in retrospect, I have to say it was Arwen. When one of the younger daughters were born, she appeared somewhat different from her brother Eldarion and her sisters, and there was some question in the timing. This mere Dunedain Ranger #26 had taken a misstep while climbing Halifirien and was rehabilitating his broken ankle so did not go with Aragorn and Éomer and the armies of Gondor and Rohan when they rode off to war in the east....