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6* Gandalf the White comes off as a bit imperious and detached when he returns. And then...
7-->'''Gandalf:''' The Ring remains hidden. And that we should seek to destroy it has not yet entered their darkest dreams. And so the weapon of the Enemy is moving towards Mordor in the hands of a Hobbit. Each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom. We must trust now in Frodo. Everything depends now upon speed and upon the secrecy of his quest. Do not regret your decision to leave him. Frodo must finish this task alone.\
8'''Aragorn:''' He's not alone. [[TrueCompanions Sam went with him]].\
9'''Gandalf:''' ...Did he? Did he indeed? ''(Smiles genuinely)'' Good. Yes, very good...
10* When Sam leans too far over and falls down the embankment at the Black Gate, Frodo immediately bolts after him, risking drawing the attention of the guards to keep his friend from getting captured.
11** Gollum's moment of honest concern for Frodo, it's brief but kinda sweet.
12* Sam keeps a box of his favorite seasoning from the Shire, a “little bit of home”, in the unlikely event they have any roast chicken.
13* Sam's speech; even Gollum was visibly affected by this speech, at least for a moment.
14-->'''Sam:''' It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.\
15'''Frodo:''' ''(in despair)'' What are we holding onto, Sam?\
16'''Sam:''' That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.
17** Sam's friendship for Frodo throughout the trilogy is even more heartwarming when taken with moments like the one that came before this. Let's face it, it takes a ''lot'' to get over your best friend threatening you, even if you knew it wasn't his fault.
18** Not only was Gollum affected, the speech convinced Faramir, who up until then was still contemplating bringing the Ring to his father, to let the hobbits continue their quest, regardless of the consequences to him.
19--->'''Madril:''' You know the laws of the country, the laws of your father. If you let them go, your life will be forfeit.\
20'''Faramir:''' Then it is forfeit.
21** In the Extended Edition, it leads into this comment from Sam that doubles as a MeaningfulEcho:
22--->'''Sam:''' Captain Faramir, you have shown your quality, sir. The very highest.
23** The speech is also accompanied by shots of victory at Helm's Deep and Isengard, and characters cheering and celebrating those victories.
24* This exchange:
25-->'''Frodo''': You've left out one of the chief characters, Samwise the Brave! I want to hear more about Sam. Frodo wouldn't have gotten far without Sam.\
26'''Sam''': Now Mr. Frodo, [[HeroicSelfDeprecation you shouldn't make fun.]] I was being serious.\
27'''Frodo''': [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre So was I]].
28* Gandalf's reappearance. Aragorn being struck completely speechless and then only managing to say, "You fell..." unable to believe that he's truly come back. After he tells them how he survived (or didn't, rather) the fall and the fight with the Balrog, he explains how he's come back "at the turn of the tide." After this, Aragorn is smirking, and teases Gandalf about how he still speaks cryptically. The look on his face? That's the look of a man who's just had his hope restored.
29* Underplayed but Eomer's sheer joy at finding Théodred still [[TearJerker alive]] hints at how close the cousins are.
30* When Gandalf drives out Saruman's influence from Théoden and he comes back to himself. Éowyn is near to weeping with joy as he looks at her in wonder, and then says: "I know your face... Éowyn..."
31* It's only a small thing, but upon healing Théoden, Gandalf steps back and, for the first time really, Théoden notices him. With warmth and no small amount of disbelief, he says his name. Not only is it a welcome change from the bitter old man we saw under Saruman's influence, but Gandalf's method of addressing him in turn is heartwarming in the rarity with which he uses it.
32-->'''Gandalf''': "Breathe the free air again, ''my friend.''"
33* Théoden talking to Aragorn as they ride to Helm's Deep, possibly to their deaths and the end of his Kingdom - and his concern is for his long-orphaned niece and his regret is that he wasn't a loving enough uncle to her.
34* Théodred's warhorse Brego is called "half-mad" by at least a few of the Rohirrim from being so distraught after his rider's death. Aragorn calms him and tells them to set the horse free, as "he has seen enough of war." After Aragorn's fall off the cliff, [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe Brego finds him, wakes him up, and gives him a ride to Helm's Deep.]]
35* The short, sweet reunion between the mother and her children at Helm's Deep after she sent them ahead to Meduseld to warn King Théoden of the invasion.
36* The arrival of Haldir in the nick of time at Helm's Deep to honor the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
37-->'''Haldir''': We are proud to fight alongside men once more.
38** Then Aragorn, unable to think of anything else, gives Haldir a ''very'' grateful hug. All poor Haldir can do is awkwardly pat him on the back in return. Aww!
39** The above sacrifice was made even more potent when the realization came that Haldir and the elves gave up immortality to honor the alliance and possibly die.
40*** The looks on the faces of some of those soldier-extras was some mighty fine acting.
41*** A recap of the sacrifice they're making. First, they're immortal (as in, they do not die of old age). Second, if things got bad, they could always take a boat to Valinor (which is essentially paradise). Third, they knew that theirs was a suicide mission, and that they only raised the men of Rohan's chances of survival from nil to maybe 2%. Fourth, the people whose aid they came to had done nothing for them for three millennia. And despite all of this, they still did it.
42* The scene near the end of the Battle of Helm's Deep where TheCavalry arrive and this exchange:
43-->'''Gandalf''': Théoden King stands alone.\
44'''Éomer''': No. Not alone. Rohirrim! To the King!
45** The camera pans up to reveal several hundred Rohirrim who proceed to charge through an army of 10,000 Uruk-Hai to save the king.
46* [[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7qhtyu In a flashback in the Extended Edition,]] we see Boromir defending Faramir from Denethor's criticism and [[CallingTheOldManOut calling him out on how badly he treats his younger son.]] Although Faramir is clearly TheUnFavourite, it's good to see that this hasn't poisoned his relationship with Boromir, and that Boromir is genuinely angry at how his brother is constantly belittled by their father. [[note]]This is very much in keeping with the books, where "between the brothers there was great love, and had been since childhood, when Boromir was the helper and protector of Faramir. No jealousy or rivalry had arisen between them since, for their father's favour or for the praise of men. It did not seem possible to Faramir that anyone in Gondor could rival Boromir, heir of Denethor, Captain of the White Tower." Aww.[[/note]]
47** Even before Denethor shows up, we get to enjoy a couple of minutes of the brothers celebrating together.
48--->'''Boromir:''' Remember this day, little brother. Today, life is good.
49** All in all, seeing Boromir as he once was is heartwarming. He was never a bad man, that's just what the Ring's corruption and the pressure his father heaped upon him turned him to. When he could be himself, he was a brave, kind-hearted protector of both his people and his little brother.
50* This exchange:
51-->'''Éomer''': What business does an Elf, a Man, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!\
52'''Gimli''': Give me your name, Horse-master, and I shall give you mine.\
53'''Éomer''': [gets off horse] I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground.\
54'''Legolas''': [prepares bow and arrow] You would die before your stroke fell.\
55[Rohirrim point spears at Legolas]
56** Made even better when you consider that dwarves and elves have ''never'' gotten along well. In ''Film/TheHobbit'' we see how judgemental Legolas was, and how much he's changed by the time ''The Two Towers'' rolls around.
57*** Actually as ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' reveals, elves and dwarves did get very well in the distant past & the two races fought side by side against the greatest evil ever to walk Middle earth. But due to mistakes and errors of judgement made by both sides, their relationship soured. Which makes it even more heartwarming that in the hour of their collective greatest need, a budding friendship between an elf & a dwarf brings a hope of reconciliation once more.
58** In fact, Legolas' default response to someone threatening his friends seems to try and shoot it, be it the commander of the Rohirrim or the leader of a ghost army.
59* Three words: Gimli hugging Aragorn.
60-->'''Gimli''': Where is he? Where is he?! Get out of the way! [[AngerBornOfWorry I'm going to kill him!]] (Reaches Aragorn) You are the, luckiest, canniest -- and the most reckless man I ever knew. Bless you, laddie."
61** A few seconds later Legolas intercepts him on the way to the king. All he says is, "''Le abdollen (you're late)''", looks him over, states, "You look terrible" and then all that needed to be said has been said, the worry and the relief. It's a completely silent understanding between (as of [=BoFA=] confirmed) old friends.
62* Sméagol (temporarily) getting rid of Gollum. "Sméagol is free!"
63** That Sméagol just wanted to be Frodo's friend.
64* Sméagol's expression after Sam's rousing speech to Frodo near the end. For a moment it seemed to make him remember something; perhaps his millennia-old friendship with Déagol, his old life, or that there was still some good in him too. Also a tear-jerker. Sméagol has been alone for millennia. It's as if he ''wants'' to believe but can't.
65* The Extended Edition gives Sam a PetTheDog moment where he tells Gollum that Frodo didn't mean for the Rangers to hurt him. After spending the entire film insulting him, it's a nice change.

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