With The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim in theaters now, it's a great time to revisit J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic by watching Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Of course, given that you could travel to Mordor and back in the time it would take to view The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, you might find yourself seeking an alternative way to refresh your fandom.
If you're craving a much quicker fix before checking out the prequel – which you can buy tickets for here – we've got your back with a list of the Lord of the Ring trilogy's 10 best quotes. Handpicked from the original three films, the following lines and quips highlight some of the movie's most memorable moments, from the Shire all the way to Mount Doom.
· The animated The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, currenty in theaters, serves as a prequel to Peter Jackson's beloved trilogy.
· If you're looking to catch up on LotR lore, but can't spare the dozen hours it would take to watch – or rewatch – the three films, check out these memorable quotes for a quick refresher.
· From "One ring to rule them all" to "My precious..." the following 10 fan-favorite lines will take you right back to the Shire, Moria, Mordor and more.
"Fool of a Took!" – Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
You needn't be familiar with the fantasy lore's Took clan – or even be a Lord of the Rings super-fan – to appreciate Gandalf the Grey's (Ian McKellen) scathing takedown of Pippin (Billy Boyd), a.k.a. Peregrin Took.
During an incredibly tense, quiet moment in the creepy confines of Moria, the clueless hobbit earns the wizard's ire by clumsily causing a ruckus that ultimately finds the Fellowship targeted by angry orcs. If you ever want to roast a friend with an epic Rings reference, you can't go wrong with, "Fool of a Took!"
"They have a cave troll." – Boromir, The Fellowship of the Ring
As we soon learn, orcs are the least of the Fellowship's problems. While the crew frantically surveys what they're up against, and their attackers quickly close in, Boromir (Sean Bean) begins to appreciate just how heavily the odds are stacked against them.
With a roguish sarcasm that'd make Han Solo proud, he drops one of the series' best lines: "They have a cave troll." More than a decade later The Avengers' Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) would pay tribute to the delivery with the equally quoted, "We have a Hulk."
"That still only counts as one!" – Gimli, The Return of the King
Comedic buddy-cop duos have nothing on Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (Jonathan Rhys Davies), who share a playful rivalry – especially in regard to who's racked up the highest body count – resulting in some of the franchise's funniest lines. A highlight of their hilarious chemistry comes when the dwarf responds to the elf's epic takedown of a towering olyphant with, "That still only counts as one!"
"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." – Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Over the course of the trilogy, Gandalf delivers more than his fair share of wise, witty lines that have become synonymous with the iconic character. But one of his more memorable quotes is also one of his first, as he arrives in the Shire and schools a playfully impatient Frodo (Elijah Wood) on a wizard's inability to be tardy: "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
"There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for." – Samwise, The Two Towers
As with most trilogies' midpoints, The Two Towers sees its heroes facing some steep challenges and dark times ahead before they reach the final chapter's comparatively happy ending. One of this sequel's more dire scenes – when Frodo's temporarily consumed by the ring's poisonous power – also spawns one of its most inspiring speeches, delivered by Sean Astin's Samwise Gamgee.
Even after Frodo brandishes a blade and nearly kills Samwise, his loyal friend manages to lift his spirits with a lengthy pep talk that concludes with the optimistic line: "There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."
“You shall not pass.” – Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
You could fill an entire list with memorable lines pulled from the Fellowship's tooth-and-nail battle through the Mines of Moria. But it's Gandalf's courageous, selfless stand against the towering Balrog that gave birth to one of the trilogy's most badass deliveries. As the wizard blocks the beast's path over the bridge, he faces the creature with a brave, "You shall not pass!," before seemingly sacrificing himself to save the rest of the Fellowship.
"My precious." – Gollum, multiple uses throughout the trilogy
Gollum (Andy Serkis) isn't the only one to refer to the titular, evil-doing band as his "precious," but the corrupted hobbit says it the most – and most memorably – throughout the trilogy. He first calls the ring "my precious" as Smeagol, just after killing his friend over the recently found prize. But it's his much creepier deliveries as the grotesque Gollum that have endured to not only become one of the series' most famous lines, but one that's so ubiquitous it's often quoted by people who are unaware of its origin.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor." – Boromir, The Fellowship of the Ring
Like so many among the trilogy's strong ensemble, Sean Bean's character Boromir delivers enough memorable lines to support his own list of famous quotes. But it's his terrifyingly detailed description of Mordor – including everything from "evil that does not sleep" to unbreathable air – that strikes fear in both the Fellowship and first-time viewers. By the time he wraps up his dire warning with, "Not with 10,000 men could you do this," his famous "One does not simply walk into Mordor" opening sounds like a gross understatement.
"One ring to rule them all. One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness to bind them." – Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
The quote, "One ring to rule them all" has become synonymous with the series, working as an all-encompassing tagline to reference the fantasy trilogy. Of course, the line – and the words that follow it – carry much more weight in the movie when ominously delivered by Gandalf upon realizing just how dangerously powerful the engraved band is.
"Death is just another path, one that we all must take." – Gandalf, Return of the King
Beneath all the epic battles and fantasy-fueled lore, The Lord of the Rings is really about its complex characters and their evolving relationships. There's no greater example of this than Gandalf and Pippin's complicated friendship. As demonstrated by the previously-mentioned "Fool of a Took!" quote, the latter spends much of the journey fraying the former's last nerve.
But over the course of their epic adventure, a bond forms between them , ultimately leading Gandalf to comfort the scared hobbit with, "Death is just another path, one that we all must take." The quote is one of many from the wise, philosophizing wizard, but it also perfectly encapsulates the films' themes of friendship, loyalty and putting differences aside to pursue a greater good.
Bonus quote: “We’ve had one, yes, but what about second breakfast?” – Pippin, The Fellowship of the Ring
Many of the Lord of the Rings trilogy's funniest lines spawn from the clueless exchanges between hobbit cousins Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin. One such conversation results in the latter wondering when the Fellowship will take a break so he can enjoy his next morning meal: “We’ve had one, yes, but what about second breakfast?” His befuddled reaction to not having his usual second breakfast is hilarious, but the fact this extra feast is apparently a real part of the hairy-footed duo's regular routine might be even funnier.
