History TheLordOfTheRings / TropesMToO

* TheMagicGoesAway: Elves sail off to the West, wizards leave (or otherwise drop off the radar), no more magic. Tolkien was extremely loath to use the word "magic" to refer to any of that in the first place.

** Boromir's death at the beginning of "The Two Towers" precedes Denethor's by several days.

* MedicalMonarch: Aragorn is recognized as the true king of Gondor when he uses his healing abilities after the battle of Minas Tirith. It is prophesized that only the King will be able to use athelas to heal the Black Breath.

* NationalWeapon: Axes for dwarves -- the association is strong enough to make it into their standard battle-cry ("The axes of the Dwarves are upon you!") Tolkien is probably also responsible for the standard fantasy association of bows with elves, though he doesn't really use it. Legolas habitually uses a bow, but fights with a long knife when he runs out of arrows. And elves in general are just as likely to use swords or spears .

** And when they're not standing still, they're going backwards. Justified by the dwindling population of the West, and the steady procession of wars and plagues engineered by Sauron, but also by more metaphysical concerns. The grass really was greener in the Second Age, and the physical world less recalcitrant. As Morgoth slowly regains his power over the eons, matter is becoming ever more hostile to mind. (Yes, every time your shoe lace breaks, or your pen leaks, or your computer dies and takes all your information with it -- or [[FridgeHorror someone in your family gets cancer]] -- it's Morgoth's fault. It wouldn't have happened in the Second Age; things, ''including human bodies'', were more reliable back then.)

::'''Tropes from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (the book)'''

::TheLordOfTheRings/TropesAToC -- TheLordOfTheRings/TropesDToF -- TheLordOfTheRings/TropesGToI -- TheLordOfTheRings/TropesJToL -- TheLordOfTheRings/TropesPToR -- TheLordOfTheRings/TropesSToU -- TheLordOfTheRings/TropesVToZ

* MindRape: Sauron is a repeated offender, working through two media: the Palantíri and the One Ring (which has a mind of its own, and a single goal - get back to its master, by any means possible, and having no independent motion, it has to make people take it there. Hence, mind rape).

-->Already, years before, Gollum had beheld her, Sméagol who pried into all dark holes, and in past days he had bowed and worshipped her, and the darkness of her evil will walked through all the ways of his weariness beside him, cutting him off from light and from regret. And he had promised to bring her food.

--> Pippin [[DespairEventHorizon had bowed crushed with horror when he heard Gandalf reject the terms and doom Frodo to the torment of the Tower]]; [[LastStand but he had mastered himself, and now he stood beside Beregond in the front rank of Gondor with Imrahil's men]]. [[DrivenToSuicide For it seemed best to him to die soon and leave the bitter story of his life, since all was in ruin.]]
--> [[MurderSuicide 'I wish Merry was here,']] he heard himself saying, and quick thoughts raced through his mind, even as he watched the enemy come charging to the assault. '''Well, well, now at any rate I understand poor Denethor a little better. We might die together, Merry and I, and since die we must, why not?'''

--> But I say to you, King of the Númenóreans, '''not till now have I understood the tale of your people and their fall.''' '' [[CondescendingCompassion As wicked fools I scorned them,]] [[NotSoDifferentRemark but I pity them at last.]] For if this is indeed, as the Eldar say, the gift of the One to Men, it is bitter to receive."

* OnlyKillableAtHome: The fact that The One Ring can only be destroyed by dropping it into the volcano where it was forged is central to the story, as said volcano is in the middle of {{Mordor}}. However, [[DownplayedTrope it is also technically destructible by a power greater than the forger]], Sauron — but such power [[TheMagicGoesAway no longer exists in Middle-earth]], leaving [[DistinctionWithoutADifference this caveat moot]].

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Gandalf warns the others to be wary of Saruman's "voice", which is still hypnotic even after he has been thoroughly exposed as the villain that he is. Tolkien deliberately leaves ambiguous whether this is some form of spell, or simply a knack of persuasion that Saruman has always had in addition to his powers as a wizard.

** The One Ring itself is of the standard Made of Diamond variety. The only thing that will destroy is to throw it back into the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged. The entire series then revolves around accomplishing this.