History TearJerker / TheLordofTheRings

* The two personalities of Gollum/Smeagol talking to each other is creepy itself, but the things Gollum says to Smeagol are downright cruel and very familiar to those who have had emotionally abusive people in their lives.

* The entire scene at the Grey Havens.
** Ditto. Especially the paragraph involving the "white shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise."
** And straight after the scene changes to the friends of Frodo staying alone on the shore under a darkening sky. The strong contrast makes the scene so poignant that it is nearly impossible not to feel sorry for them.
* The end of ''The Two Towers''. Sam weeping over Frodo's (unconscious) body, begging "Don't go where I can't follow," and resolving to carry on the quest by himself, even though he's in complete despair and expects the Orcs to come kill him at any minute...oh, ''Sam.''

* The diminishing of Lórien. Seriously. The heart of Elvendom on Middle-Earth, the last place on the Bent World where some memory of Aman was preserved, left empty and silent. There's a reason why that chapter is called "Farewell to Lórien" and why this quote adorns the EndOfAnAge page:

* Sam thinking Frodo is dead after being stung by Shelob in the third book.
** Ugh, '''yes'''. One line in particular sticks out. Sam is saying farewell to his master after deciding to complete the quest alone:
--->"Forgive your Sam. He'll come back to this spot when the job's done, if he manages it. ''Then I'll not leave you again.''"
** The realization of what that last sentence ''really'' means, that Sam is willing to keep vigil over Frodo in death and never see his home again, is heartbreaking.
* And then the Appendices, where we learned what became of Sam after LOTR... *whimper*

* The end of ''Return Of The King''. When Frodo realises [[spoiler:that he can never be happy in Middle-Earth, goes across the sea and *sob* leaves Sam, Merry and Pippin behind]].
* When Pippin went to Minas Tirith. His little tour of the city with that kid, playing games and having fun.
* In-universe example: after [[TheCavalry the Rohirrim]] [[BigDamnHeroes arrive to lift the siege of Minas Tirith]], Pippin can never hear the sound of a horn again without tearing up. ManlyTears, of course.
** The film certainly captures the sentiment as well.

** Even worse, [[spoiler: Legolas was ''the last Elf in Middle-Earth'' by that time.]]
* Treebeard's nostalgic and afflicted account about the loss of the Entwives makes you feel very sorry for him. More so, even after Sauron is gone, Treebeard predicts they won't be found in the new lands and his race will slowly die. There isn't a hint of the opposite in other Tolkien works.
** Given that Middle-Earth is supposed to be the ancient past... [[FridgeHorror have you seen any walking, talking trees lately?]]

* No mention of the beautiful elegy Aragorn & Legolas sang for Boromir?

* In 1981, the BBC adapted the trilogy for radio broadcast, complete with a gorgeous soundtrack, showcasing Tolkein's own poetry. Perhaps [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bYTLAXOC1Y Bilbo's last song]] can be seen as a crowner, as it has never been set at such a scale (Jackson didn't have the rights to that poem, leading to the writing of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgcoBKWTW14 Into The West]], which is heartwrenching in its own right).

** The massive sense of ''finality'' those three words carry. This is an epic trilogy (or "trilogy"), with characters that have goals, dreams, and causes to fight to the last for. Three Ages of war and blood and a faint spark of hope held at all costs against literal gods. Magic and legendary alliances against utter evils. And a final victory, even though so much has been lost forever. And it's all ''over'', for ''good''.

[[caption-width-right:350:I would have followed you, my brother, my king.]]

** Actually, the extended edition scene featuring Saruman and Wormtongue's death also seems to support the former; that Wormtongue still remembers that he was once "a man of Rohan" and is tormented by the fact that he sold Rohan out.

* Faramir remembering the last time he saw his brother alive in the Extended version. Not only because of how it highlights how Faramir not only lost the only family member he ever had that believed in him, but also shows how deeply opposed Boromir was to having anything to do with the Ring, let alone trying to bring it back to Gondor.

** And similarly, when Pippin finds Merry's cloak on the battlefield and realizes that he was in the battle is a tearjerking moment. Especially in the extended edition when several hours are shown to have passed before he finally finds him.

* The deleted scene from the Extended Edition where the Mouth of Sauron tells them Frodo is dead. The look on Pippin's face when he holds Frodo's mithril vest, and Gandalf comforting him. Aragorn's whacking off the head of the Mouth of Sauron is highly cathartic.
* The scene with Frodo and Sam following the destruction of the Ring. First, you have Frodo realizing that his burden is gone ("It's gone... It's done."), then, while trapped on a rock in a sea of lava, Frodo recalls the Shire again, which makes Sam think of Rosie Cotton ("If ever I was to marry someone... It would've been her... It would've been her."). Because let's face it, where else in the trilogy does Sam get the chance to be selfish (and justifiably, too)? And then, to cap it all off, Frodo's delivery of the line, "I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee... here at the end of all things."

* As Elrond is passing Arwen on to Aragorn during the latter's coronation, after he whispers to her, "Go to him", look at Creator/HugoWeaving's eyes. It barely lasts a quarter of a second, but it was enough to turn the triumphant feeling having watched the entire trilogy back to back to one of sadness and empathy. He's so torn between joy that all is well and Arwen is with someone she loves and grief that she has chosen mortality.

[[folder:Tearjerker in adaptations]]

-->'''Pippin''': What's he doing?
-->'''Merry''': He's leaving.

-->'''Frodo:''' [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre So was I.]]

-->'''Théoden:''' "Simbelmyne. Ever has it grown on the tombs of my forebears. Now it shall cover the grave of my son. Alas, that these evil days should be mine. The young perish and the old linger. That I should live to see that last days of my house."

** It's even worse if you've read the books. Then you'd know that every word Elrond says is true, that [[spoiler: she will spend her time with Aragorn, bear a son and at least two daughters, and then her husband will voluntarily lay down his life. Arwen returns to Lothlórien, where she used to live with her mother and grandmother, and finds it completely empty, abandoned and silent, all her people having returned to Valinor, lies down on the grass of Cerin Amroth and effectively dies of a broken heart.]] Her true tragedy is that she ''knew'' this would happen when she gave up immortality for her husband, and for love, she chose a path that guaranteed widowhood and isolation from her people, culture and family forever until the end of the world.
* The (thankfully brief) period where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli thought that Merry and Pippin were dead, either at the hands of the Uruk-hai or the Rohirrim in the confusion of the battle. Gimli is practically in tears as he finds a chunk of one of their belts on the remnants of the pyre. Legolas still seems confused by the concept of death, but Aragorn practically falls into a HeroicBSOD. You can tell that it's hitting them twice - first, they couldn't keep Frodo safe from ''themselves'' because of the corrupting influence of the Ring, and then they arrived too late to save the other two halflings.

* Faramir, believing the Ring to be Gondor's salvation (and the only way to win his father's approval) refuses to see reason and let Frodo go. Then Sam berates him with a devastating ArmorPiercingStatement, almost bringing himself to tears as he lays the awful truth at Faramir's feet. The Nazgul attack before Faramir can respond, but the look on his face is pure MyGodWhatHaveIDone
--->'''Sam:''' "Do you want to know why Boromir died? He tried to ''take'' the Ring from Frodo, after ''swearing'' an oath to protect him! He tried to kill him! The Ring drove your brother mad!"

** Gollum's Song is both heart-wrenching and scary, much like its subject.
* Pippin's lament. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Fe-xagFak Home is behind, the world ahead; and there are many paths to tread. Through shadow, to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight. Mist and shadow, cloud and shade, all shall fade. All shall fade.]]''

*** Also, when Sam thinks Frodo is dead. ''[[PleaseDontLeaveMe Don't leave me here alone.]] Don't go where I can't follow''
* The GondorCallsForAid scene in the third movie was also very moving. A famous quote from World War I -- "The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime". (It's worth noting that Tolkien himself lost all but one of his friends during that The First World War, so the scene was especially poignant).

-->'''Gimli:''' Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf.
-->'''Legolas:''' What about side by side with a friend?
-->'''Gimli:''' Aye. I could do that.

* Denethor and [[TheUnfavorite Faramir]], before [[{{Woobie}} Faramir]] rides off to try to retake Osgiliath. It's one thing to have favorites, but to ''[[YouShouldHaveDiedInstead tell your son that you wish he were dead]]'' and the other were alive? And the way Faramir's voice breaks, and he goes off on basically a suicide mission, and his father ''still'' doesn't care?

--->'''Théoden''': "My eyes darken..."
--->'''Éowyn''': "No. I'm going to save you."
--->'''Théoden''': "You already did. Éowyn...my body is broken. You have to let me go...I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now be ashamed...Éowyn."
*** The fact that his last word is her name...and her wordless sob as he finally dies...the acting is just amazing. Bernard Hill and Miranda Otto are too brilliant for words.

* The parting of Merry and Pippin - in particular when Merry gives Gandalf a look as if "can we please get this over with?" and Pippin cries out his friend's name. Not to mention the way Creator/DominicMonaghan's voice utterly ''breaks'' on the "I don't know what's going to happen anymore" line as he steps away.

*** The goddamn music again! It's so hopeful and happy and for a second there you might think they're going to ''die'' with such happy music playing.
* Elrond's face at Aragorn's coronation, as he watches Arwen go to her mortal love. He's so torn between joy that all is well and Arwen is with someone she loves and grief that she has chosen mortality.

* At the end, as Elrond is just passing Arwen on to Aragorn, look at Creator/HugoWeaving's eyes. It barely lasts a quarter of a second but it was enough to turn the triumphant feeling having watched the entire trilogy back to back to one of sadness and empathy.

* Another one that's in the Appendices: The crew had become acquainted with a teenage filmmaker who had a lot of talent - unfortunately he also had [[LittlestCancerPatient terminal cancer]]. They encouraged him to keep making movies as long as he could, even allowing the use of their high-tech equipment as much as he wanted. During this time they were writing "Into The West" and became inspired by his struggle; after he died the song was played for the first time at his funeral and they included his story and movies in the [=DVDs=].

* The development of Merry and Éowyn's friendship in the films has always gotten me, especially "I'll look after you", Éowyn's reaction to thinking Merry's been squashed by an oliphaunt, and the fact that just after having slain the Witch-King, she's trying to find him.
** "Courage, Merry. Courage for [[ThePowerofFriendship our friends]]."

-->'''Arwen:''' You saw there was a child! ''You saw my son!''
-->'''Elrond:''' I looked into your future and I saw death.
-->'''Arwen:''' But there is also life!

--> '''Gandalf:''' Well, well. My brave hobbits. Here at last, on the shores of the Sea, comes the end of our Fellowship. I will not say, do not weep: for not all tears are an evil.

--> '''Gandalf:''' It is time, Frodo.
--> '''Sam:''' What does he mean?!
--> '''Frodo:''' I set out to save the Shire, Sam. And it has been saved... But not for me.
--> '''Sam:''' You don't mean that... You can't ''leave!''
--> '''Frodo:''' *hands Sam the red leatherbound book* The last pages are for you, Sam.

*** Théoden's speech.
----> '''Théoden:''' "Ride now! Ride for ruin, and the world's ending!"
*** Oh, ''hell yes.'' Théoden's entire speech sets it up for you, and minutes later, as he lies shattered beneath his horse, cue the Kleenex:
---->'''Théoden:''' "I go to my fathers . . . in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed. Éowyn ..."

*** Funny how so many of the TearJerker moments in the films coincide with speeches taken straight from the books. CreatprSeanBean's delivery was spot-on here.

** Just before his Last Stand we have Boromir's MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment when he tries to take the Ring from Frodo and causes him to flee. It's a running thread through the story that everyone, but especially the Men of Gondor, underestimates the power of the Ring. Like his father, Boromir just thinks of the Ring as this powerful magical weapon that can - and ''should'' - be used against Sauron, and he's immensely frustrated with Aragorn for not understanding that. Then Boromir finds Frodo alone, tries to convince him of his point, and then snaps when Frodo refuses. It's only after Frodo runs away that Boromir finally understands, and he realizes that in driving the Ringbearer away from him, he's just snuffed out Gondor's only hope. No wonder he throws himself into suicidal redemption.

** At that moment, Sean Astin is no longer acting. He has become a complete physical embodiment of Samwise Gamgee. That blood, sweat, and tears? It's gotta be none other than the real deal.

** Look closely and you'll notice that Legolas is fighting his way through orcs and men with absolutely no regard for his own safety. The helplessness when he's blocked is absolutely heartbreaking. Even more so now that The Hobbit films have confirmed them to be old friends. Legolas is forced to watch his best friend's apparently inevitable death. ''Ouch''.

* It is a TearJerker for somewhat different reasons, but the Houses of Healing scene with the gorgeous, haunting song sung by Liv Tyler where Éowyn gets up in the middle of the night and walks to her window and then catches Faramir looking at her as if he's just seen an angel...

* The parting of Merry and Pippin - in particular when Merry gives Gandalf a look as if "can we please get this over with?" and Pippin cries out his friend's name. Not to mention the way Dominic Monaghan's voice utterly ''breaks'' on the "I don't know what's going to happen anymore" line as he steps away.

* At the end, as Elrond is just passing Arwen on to Aragorn, look at Hugo Weaving's eyes. It barely lasts a quarter of a second but it was enough to turn the triumphant feeling having watched the entire trilogy back to back to one of sadness and empathy.

* Boromir's LastStand is one of the most poignant and tear jerking scenes in the entire trilogy. Made all the better by the fact that as you watch it, it becomes very clear that he knows he won't survive...and in the face of seemingly endless orcs, still refuses to stay down. And who can forget the looks on Merry and Pippin's faces when Boromir is shot. It gets worse when [[FridgeHorror you realize that as far as Boromir knew]] ''his HeroicSacrifice was in vain''! one of the last things he saw was the very ones he gave his life to protect get captured, and (as far as he knew) carried off to their deaths, [[FateWorseThanDeath that is, if they're lucky]].

*** Funny how so many of the TearJerker moments in the films coincide with speeches taken straight from the books. Sean Bean's delivery was spot-on here.

* One scene, or at least an interpretation of it. It's Rivendell, circa Fellowship of the Ring. Sam talks about wanting to go home, and Frodo realizes: sure, why not? After all, he got the Ring to Rivendell like he was supposed to. His job is done, so what's to stop him from leaving? (...Meanwhile, Gandalf pleads with Elrond to not burden Frodo with the Ring, knowing what it would most likely do to his young friend.) Then cue the Council meeting. It's a complete disaster. Nobody can agree on anything, Boromir wants the Ring for himself, Gimli won't work with elves, and everyone is arguing... hell, even ''Gandalf'' is yelling. The Ring is spreading chaos and malcontent. Then Frodo, visibly overwhelmed, stands up and says, "I will take it!"... and at first nobody hears him, but then Gandalf does and just closes his eyes...

** Also Legolas's reaction. While the Hobbits are sobbing in grief, he just stands there, utterly confused. Being immortal, Elves don't fully understand what death is. And now Legolas has witnessed the death of someone close to him. He clearly has no idea what just happened, or how he should feel.

* Boromir's Last Stand is one of the most poignant and tear jerking scenes in the entire trilogy. Made all the better by the fact that as you watch it, it becomes very clear that he knows he won't survive...and in the face of seemingly endless orcs, still refuses to stay down. And who can forget the looks on Merry and Pippin's faces when Boromir is shot. It gets worse when [[FridgeHorror you realize that as far as Boromir knew]] ''his HeroicSacrifice was in vain''! one of the last things he saw was the very ones he gave his life to protect get captured, and (as far as he knew) carried off to their deaths, [[FateWorseThanDeath that is, if they're lucky]].

* An example of Howard Shore's music pulling at them heart strings, just the scene when the fellowship enter the halls of Moria and Shore's music swells. You'll tear up at the beauty of an ancient land lost.

* The beautiful speech that Elrond gives to his daughter in The Two Towers. The soundtrack and Hugo Weaving's perfect delivery combine together so well:

--->"O my dear John Ronald what ever are we going to do?"[[note]]The quote comes from Geoffrey Bache Smith, who with Tolkien was a member of the T.C.B.S., a tight-knit group of four devoted friends who'd pledged to accomplish great creative things. He was writing to tell Tolkien that fellow member Rob Gilson had been killed. Five months later, Smith himself was killed, leaving Christopher Wiseman and Tolkien. ''By 1918 all but one of my close friends was dead.''[[/note]]

--->"O my dear John Ronald what ever are we going to do?"
** Further context for the quote: It comes from a line from a latter sent by one of Tolkien's dearest friends, a reportedly tight knit group of four, telling him that one of their four had died. Five months later, the other one of the four had to tell Tolkien that the letter writer had also died, leaving only two of the four.

** The next line, when he looks straight at Gandalf and says, very quietly, "No parent should have to bury their child," and then the King just breaks down, not just from the loss, but because he wasn't really there for the last years of his son's life.

** When Frodo angrily tells Sam to go home.
** The Hobbits saying good-bye at the Grey Havens.
** Another one that's in the Appendices: The crew had become acquainted with a teenage filmmaker who had a lot of talent - unfortunately he also had [[LittlestCancerPatient terminal cancer]]. They encouraged him to keep making movies as long as he could, even allowing the use of their high-tech equipment as much as he wanted. During this time they were writing "Into The West" and became inspired by his struggle; after he died the song was played for the first time at his funeral and they included his story and movies in the [=DVDs=].
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtDxeAZJ9S4 "DEATH!!!"]]
*** Even better: In the film, that line was said as the Rohirrim were, as far as they knew, making their last stand. In the book, the Rohirrim ride off to a rousing speech and the "DEATH!" line...

** "I made a promise Mr Frodo, a promise! ''Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee...'' and I don't mean to." To Howard Shore's heartwarmingly pure "Concerning Hobbits" musical theme.
*** It's the remarkable message of sacrifice and undying friendship being expressed by Samwise, who has to know all-too-well, in his little Hobbit heart, that by going with Frodo into Mordor he's almost certainly sealing his own doom. [[ActOfTrueLove Yet he gladly chooses to walk that dark path with Frodo, even if it means his end.]] Now THAT's unconditional love.

* The Hobbits' homecoming, or lack thereof, at the Shire. The locals just carry on their business as if the four just stepped out when in fact they survived the greatest, bloodiest war in Middle-Earth history. All the four can do at the tavern is silently look at each other and acknowledge that only they know what they did to make sure the Shire was untouched during the war. It's another element in Tolkien's WWI allegory: the soldiers returning home, shell-shocked, and trying to adjust to a civilian world that is unknowing or uncaring of what they went through.

* A brief one, but the moment as the remainder of the Fellowship watch Mt. Doom erupt. In the space of a few seconds, they go from triumphant joy to shocked sadness as they realize that Frodo, who has just been proven alive by the destruction of the evil forces, might have lost his life in gaining this unexpected victory. You see the realization on Merry's face, and then it cuts to Pippin openly weeping and saying Frodo's name...

* A brief one, but the moment as the remainder of the Fellowship watch Mt. Doom erupt. In the space of a few seconds, they go from triumphant joy to shocked sadness as they realize that Frodo, who has just been proven alive by the destruction of the evil forces, might have lost his life in gaining this unexpected victory.

** And at the Grey Havens, one last glimpse of the old adventurous spirited Bilbo- the gleam in his eyes and the eager tone when he says "I think I'm quite ready for another adventure."

** Bilbo and Frodo reuniting is very heartwarming. A while later, however, when the Fellowship is planning to leave, Bilbo starts reciting "I sit beside the fire and think", which is about how though he loved adventures he is too old for them (expressly saying he knows he will die soon, no less!) and all he can do now is wait for those still young to return from them.

** Bilbo and Frodo reuniting is very heartwarming. A while later, however, when the Fellowship is planning to leave, Bilbo starts reciting "I sit beside the fire and think", which is about how though he loved adventures he is too old for them and all he can do now is wait for those still young to return from them.

* The slow glimpses we get of Bilbo's age catching up with him, starting when we see him in Rivendell after almost 2 decades without the Ring, and much more apparent at the end.

* When the Men force Frodo to lure Sméagol to him so they can capture him in ''The Two Towers.'' It's terrible luck, because it invokes Gollum to come back and gleefully give Sméagol an "I told you so" regarding the lies he had told Sméagol about Frodo being corrupt. Gollm/Sméagol is so tormented, and Frodo's friendship was his one last hope.