Fëanor

Fëanor is introduced in the legendarium as the eldest son of Finwë, King of the Noldor, and Míriel. His birth consumed Míriel's spirit and body according to the sources; Fëanor grew to be 'the mightiest in all parts of body and mind.' He rose in the Blessed Realm of Aman as a preeminent craftsman and leader among the Noldor, creating works (notably the Silmarils, and—according to the tradition summarized in the supplied material—such arts as the Tengwar script and palantíri) that permanently shaped the fate of his people. His anger at the theft of the Silmarils by Melkor (later named Morgoth), and at the slaying of his father, led him to lead the Noldor in rebellion and exile and to bind himself and his sons by the Oath of Fëanor, a vow that drives much of the subsequent tragedy described in the sources.

Sources describe Fëanor chiefly by excellence rather than precise physical detail: he is 'the mightiest in all parts of body and mind,' superior in valour, endurance, beauty, understanding, skill, strength and subtlety. Metaphorical language in the texts speaks of 'a bright flame' in him, conveying a radiant bearing and intense presence; the supplied material does not give specific measurements, coloration, or clothing descriptions.

Fëanor's primary capacities are creative, intellectual, and charismatic leadership. He is recorded as the creator of the three Silmarils—jewels described as 'alive, imperishable, and sacred' into which 'part of his essence goes'—and is associated in the provided sources with crafting the Tengwar script and the palantír seeing-stones. He is a master gem-smith and inventor whose works could not be replicated by the Valar. Psychologically, he is proud, possessive, and resolute: his attachment to his creations and suspicion of others lead him to swear the Oath of Fëanor, compelling himself and his sons to relentless pursuit of anyone who withholds a Silmaril and precipitating actions such as the theft of ships, the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, and the exile of the Noldor. His choices provoke formal responses from the Valar (for example, his exile to Formenos for twelve years) and have epochal consequences in the legendarium.