If there's one thing Tolkien fans can be grateful for, it's that J.R.R. Tolkien had an absolute wealth of information that he wrote about Middle-earth. He would often expand a character's story far past where the initial plot line took it, and for most of the main characters in The Lord of the Rings, he had written at least a little bit about the later part of their lives post-war. Even if it's just a few lines, it's always nice to be able to have that closure, and to know what the author intended for the very end of his characters' stories. Some of these endings are in published works, and others have been collected over the years through gathering the notes that Tolkien left behind when he passed.
One of the more complex and dynamic characters in The Lord of the Rings (at least, for the time) was Eowyn, the White Lady (or sometimes Shieldmaiden) of Rohan. Eowyn's story was captivating as she was one of only a few female characters present in the story, and one of the only ones to have any real agency. Eowyn is a fighter; it's one of her main character traits, and something she exhibits throughout her story in LOTR. Did that same fighting spirit carry on with her after the war? What happened to Eowyn after the Ring was destroyed and Middle-earth was saved?
Eowyn's Role In The Lord Of The Rings
The audience first meets Eowyn in Rohan, where she is caring for her Uncle Théoden - the king - as he has been declining both mentally and physically under the influence of Saruman and Grima Wormtongue. When the Fellowship arrives and Gandalf restores Théoden to his former glory, the King had to defend Rohan from Isengard, and planned to ride into battle himself. Eowyn was left to lead the nation in his stead, as she was brave and beloved by the people. She led the people of Edoras to the White Mountains, where they took shelter. She stayed with them (albeit reluctantly) while the men fought in the Battle of Helms Deep.
Eowyn also developed feelings for Aragorn, though when she made them known, he gently rejected her, his affections already placed with Arwen. When Gondor asked for Rohan's help in the War, Eowyn requested that Théoden let her ride into battle, but he refused. She decided to take matters into her own hands and disguised herself as a man so that she could enter the battle undetected (and she took Merry Brandybuck, who had also wanted to join the fight but had been refused, with her). The Battle of Pelennor Fields is where perhaps her most iconic moment took place, where she faced off against the Witch-king of Angmar. She was one of the only riders who did not flee from him, and she stood against him to protect Théoden, who was mortally wounded. When the Witch-king stated that he could not be harmed by a man, she revealed herself to him, declaring that she was no man, and proceeding to drive her sword through his head, finally killing him.
Eowyn was a warrior, and she didn't let anyone tell her what she was or was not capable of doing. She managed to take out one of the most major threats in Middle-earth, and she was a good leader to boot. Women didn't get much of a spotlight back in the 1950s when the books were originally published, at least not when it came to heroics, so in a way, it was progressive of Tolkien to have a female character that was this independent and complex in his story. Nowadays, audiences are much more used to strong female characters like this, but it's important to recognize that it was pretty special for its time.
What Happened To Eowyn After the War?
After killing the Witch-king, Eowyn fell ill with the Black Breath, due to a combination of the injuries she had sustained in battle, as well as her grief over Théoden's death. The Black Breath was an often fatal condition that was brought on by contact with a Nazgûl, and even a mild case would cause unconciousness and nightmares in the victim, and Eowyn's was even more severe than that. She was found on the battlefield by Prince Imrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth, and taken to the Houses of Healing in Minas Tirith, where she was healed by Aragorn. She stayed behind in the city while the rest of the company marched on the Black Gates, and it was here that she met Faramir, who had also been injured during the battle.
The pair fell in love, and after the War of the Ring had ended, they were married. Eowyn now, it seemed, preferred a life of peace over her previous desire for action and battle. Eowyn also did not forget her friend Merry, and she officially made him a Knight of the Riddermark. He attended Théoden's funeral and Eomer's coronation as King of Rohan, where Eowyn presented him with the Horn of Rohan, a silver horn taken from the hoard of Scatha the dragon. Faramir and Eowyn eventually settled in Ithilien, where they had at least one child (a son named Elboron is the only one recorded), and eventually a grandson, Barahir, who wrote The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen in the Fourth Age. Eowyn's death date is not recorded anywhere.