Boromir

Captain of Gondor; argues throughout for using the ring; finally tries to take it from Frodo; the deed broken, returns to himself and dies defending the two hobbits he had earlier despised; confesses to Aragorn at the end. Failure mode: Convinced himself the strong should wield what was forbidden. Restoration path: After the failure, defend the small ones to the death and confess clearly. Markers: argues for using the forbidden; actually tries it; comes back to himself immediately; dies defending the small; confesses to the rightful king — Boromir, Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Literature)