Isildur is the son of the king (in the movie, Elendil is not mentioned by name). In the final battle of the Last Alliance, he sees Sauron kill his father, and the Dark Lord also attempts to slay Isildur who is kneeling by his father’s body. Isildur grabs his father’s sword, but Sauron steps on it and the blade breaks; slashing with the hilt-shard, though, Isildur manages to cut off Sauron’s fingers, on one of which he is wearing the One Ring. It is rather a lucky strike than a planned move. Sauron’s body dissolves, and Isildur picks up the Ring; against the counsel of Elrond who sees it happen, he decides to keep it.
But later, his company is waylaid on a road at a riverbank; he puts the Ring on and tries to escape by swimming across the river, but the Ring betrays him and slips from his finger, and the orcs see him and kill him with arrows shot from behind.
by Morwinyoniel
