History Awesome / TheLordOfTheRings

** And there's the fact that best the One Ring had to offer to Sam is ''make Mordor a garden''. The guy is so humble that make the Ring run out of options.

** Let us be clear here: only one other figure, Tom Bombidil, who might be a god, was able to resist the ring. Sam did what wizards, kings, and mighty Elf Lords could never hope to do: bear the ring and give it up WILLINGLY

-->Then the Messenger of Mordor laughed no more. His face was twisted with amazement and anger to the likeness of some wild beast that, as it crouches on its prey, is smitten on the muzzle with a stinging rod. Rage filled him and his mouth slavered, and shapeless sounds of fury came strangling from his throat. But he looked at the fell faces of the Captains and their deadly eyes, and fear overcame his wrath. He gave a great cry, and turned, leaped upon his steed, and with his company galloped madly back to Cirith Gorgor.

** Less than a page later, Frodo can't take one more step, and Sam knows that to try to take the Ring and complete the quest himself would break Frodo - if not prompt a violent response. Therefore, he does exactly what he said he'd do.

--> '''Sam:''' I'll get there, if I leave everything but my bones behind.

-->'''Frodo:''' "Go back to the land of {{Mordor}}! And follow me no more!"\\
'''Nazgûl:''' "The Ring! The Ring! To Mordor we will take you!"
-->'''Frodo''': (draws sword) "By all the Shire, you shall have neither the Ring, nor me!"

** While heavily tinged with the grief of [[spoiler:Théoden and Éowyn's (assumed) death]], the Rohirrim's second big charge, this time led by Éomer; they're no longer singing, they're [[BerserkerTears fey]] and [[UnstoppableRage furious]].
---> And with that the host began to move. But the Rohirrim sang no more. ''Death'' they cried with one voice loud and terrible, and gathering speed like a great tide their battle swept about their [[spoiler:fallen king]] and passed, roaring away southwards.

** Lobelia Sackville-Baggins goes from disliked character to awesome when she attacks a group of the thugs infesting the Shire ''with her umbrella'' in the penultimate chapter of ''Return of the King''. To quote one of the hobbits, "They've took others we miss more, but there's no denying she's showed more spirit than most." When she's freed from prison after the hobbits' revolt, the crowd cheers her.

** Lobelia Sackville-Baggins goes from disliked character to awesome when she attacks a group of the thugs infesting the Shire ''with her umbrella'' in the penultimate chapter of ''Return of the King''. To quote one of the hobbits, "They've taken people we miss more, but you have to admit she's showed more spirit than most." When she's freed from prison after the hobbits' revolt, the crowd cheers her.

---> Lobelia was very touched. [[RichBitch She had never been popular before.]]

** As a Maiar, Gandalf is limited in how he can help Middle-Earth fight evil. The Balrog is as close to an equal as Gandalf can get. When the old wizard reveals his titles ("Wielder of the Flame of Arnor"), it's his way of saying, "[[YouHaveNoIdeaWhoYoureDealingWith You have]] ''[[YouHaveNoIdeaWhoYoureDealingWith no idea]]'' [[YouHaveNoIdeaWhoYoureDealingWith who you're messing with]]!"

* It's early, and compared to later moments, quite minor, but as Gandalf pointed out - Bilbo is the only being known to [[HeroicWillpower willingly surrender]] the [[ArtifactOfDoom Ring]], and this is after 60 years of time for it to take hold on his mind.

** As a Maiar, Gandalf is limited in how he can help Middle-Earth fight evil. The Balrog is as close to an equal as Gandalf can get. When the old wizard reveals his titles ("Wielder of the Flame of Arnor"), it's his way of saying, "You have ''no idea'' who you're messing with!"

But about the Gate resistance still was stout, and there the knights of Dol Amroth and the hardiest of the garrison stood at bay. Shot and dart fell thick; siege-towers crashed or blazed suddenly like torches. All before the walls on wither side of the Gate the ground was choked with wreck and with bodies of the slain; yet still driven as by a madness more and more came up.

--> "The drums rolled louder. Fires leaped up. Great engines crawled across the field; and in the midst was a huge ram, great as a forest-tree a hundred feet in length, swinging on mighty chains. Long had it been forging in the dark smithies of Mordor, and its hideous head, founded of black steel, was shaped in the likeness of a ravening wolf; on it spells of ruin lay. Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old. Great beasts drew it, orcs surrounded it, and behind walked mountain-trolls to wield it.

Grond crawled on. Upon its housing no fire would catch; and though now and again some great beast that hauled it would go mad and spread stamping ruin among the orcs innumerable that guarded it, their bodies were cast aside from its path and others took their place.

Grond crawled on. The drums rolled wildly. Over the hills of slain a hideous shape appeared: a horseman, tall, hooded, cloaked in black. Slowly, trampling the fallen, he rode forth, heeding no longer any dart. And as he did so a great fear fell on all, defender and foe alike; and the hands of men drooped to their sides, and no bow sang. For a moment all was still.

The drums rolled and rattled. With a vast rush Grond was hurled forward by huge hands. It reached the Gate. It swung. A deep boom rumbled through the city like thunder running in the clouds. But the doors of iron and posts of steel withstood the stroke.

Then the Black Captain rose in his stirrups and cried aloud in a dreadful voice, speaking in some forgotten tongue words of power and terror to rend both heart and stone.

Thrice he cried. Thrice the great ram boomed. And suddenly upon the last stroke the Gate of Gondor broke. As if stricken by some blasting spell it burst asunder: there was a flash of searing lightning, and the doors tumbled in riven fragments to the ground.
In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face. All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat Gandalf upon Shadowfax: Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dínen.'You cannot enter here,' said Gandalf, and the huge shadow halted. 'Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!' The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter. 'Old fool!' he said. 'Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!' And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade. And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of war nor of wizardry, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn. And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last."

* The Witch-King's entry into Minas Tirith before his confrontation with Gandalf. He weakens the gates with black magic to allow the ram to do its work and then becomes the first enemy in almost four thousand years to enter Minas Tirith.
--> "''In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face.''"

** The poster itself is arguably the most {{Crazy Awesome}} one for any LOTR film, LOOK AT IT.

** The ''only'' time Legolas is seen missing a shot in the entire trilogy is when the Three Hunters are facing off with the Corsairs of Umbar in the extended edition, and Gimli tells him to "mind your aim!" while knocking the bottom of his bow. Rven then it still ends up being a killshot to [[CreatorCameo one of the pirates]].

[[folder:The Books]]