From Gandalf chastising Pippin for his foolishness to the banter that flows between Elves and Dwarves on Middle-earth, there were moments in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy when characters didn't hold back. One of the delights of Tolkien's world is the archaic dialogue that makes every insult memorable, and the upcoming Rings of Power series could win over a lot of fans if it nails that aspect of the franchise.
Since there are so many great insults from the Peter Jackson trilogy, it was down to the Lord of the Rings fans of Ranker to vote on which were their favorites. With thousands having cast their vote, these are the most beloved insults from the movies.
Gollum
"Stupid, fat hobbit."
It may not have been a particularly clever insult but the venom with which Gollum spits the words at Sam in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers makes this one of the most memorable insults from the movies. After Gollum manages to lay his hands on some actual meat, his excitement to eat soon turns to despair as Sam begins turning it into a stew.
Whilst culinary tensions perhaps aren't enough of a justification for the insults, it's easy to feel for Gollum in this scene as he is portrayed as sincerely trying to be helpful to the only people who have shown him kindness in a long time. Nevertheless, he serves up one of the simplest and most brutal putdowns.
Legolas
"You look terrible."
Aragorn's heroic moments are some of the best scenes in the Lord of the Rings movies and this includes his hero's return to Helm's Deep after apparently suffering a fatal fall in their battle against Warg-riders. With so many pleased to see him striding through the doors, Legolas is no exception but that doesn't stop him from making a brief jibe at his expense.
Though Aragorn looks about as well as could be excepted given his brush with almost-certain death and subsequent journey home, Legolas briefly makes fun of his unkempt appearance, and the two laugh heartily as close friends.
Gimli
"Nobody tosses a dwarf!"
The moment that Aragorn and Gimli come to a gap that the gruff Dwarf has no way of crossing on his own is considered the funniest scene in the Lord of the Rings movies and with good reason. Gimli's absolute disgust and shame at being thrown coupled with his refusal to back down from the fight highlights what makes the Dwarf so great.
Aragorn barely needs to hint at the idea before Gimli begins complaining and reassuring him that not even the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor is worthy of throwing a fully grown Dwarf. Unfortunately for Gimli, complaining is all he can do as his desire to be a part of the battle wins over.
Samwise Gamgee
"Po-Tay-Toes! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew."
Samwise Gamgee may just be a humble gardener out on a quest far bigger than he ever imagined but his absolute confidence in himself meant that he was surprisingly one of the coolest characters in the Lord of the Rings movies. This confidence extends to the culinary world, where he expects others to share his taste for civilized hobbit cuisine.
This explains why he loses his patience with the uneducated Gollum and his lack of knowledge when it comes to a staple of the hobbit diet. In his most patronizing voice, Sam spells out the uses of the versatile root vegetable to their unconvinced companion.
Gimli
"42? That's not bad for a pointy-eared Elvish princeling."
Whilst battles in movies can end up dragging on and getting tedious after a while, the Lord of the Rings movies did a lot to keep the big conflicts interesting. One of the best things they did to make things lively was having a constant banter between Legolas and Gimli as they tried to outdo each other in combat.
A single axe and limited mobility put the Dwarf at a disadvantage when it came to their competition to kill the most orcs but that didn't dissuade him. Instead, he continues to try to keep his long-eared companion in his place though he can't help but be impressed at his feats.
Gandalf
"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took, and if that does not shatter them and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words."
After finding the mountain route impossible thanks to the meddling of the powerful Saruman, there are some understandable tensions in the fellowship as they make their way to Moria. Unfortunately for Pippin, he is an easy target due to his talkative nature as well as being out of his depth in a world of doors locked by mystical puzzles.
Gandalf gets frustrated at the hobbit and, not for the last time, puts him in his place with an insult that's as well thought out as one would expect from an old wizard.
Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck
"Anyways, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... quest... thing. Well, that rules you out Pip."
If the band of hobbits had a voice of reason in the movies before they took on a quest to save the world from far more powerful enemies, then it would have been Merry. Whilst trying to convince the others that there are people more suited to the task than them, Merry doesn't miss an opportunity to insult his good friend.
Though his insult isn't particularly clever, it highlights the playfulness at the heart of the hobbits' close connection, and seeing Pippin's reaction to being insulted is always hilarious.
Bilbo Baggins
"I don't know half of you as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you as well as you deserve."
Bilbo's fondness for riddles comes out as he makes a speech to the guests who gathered for his eleventy-first birthday party and he delivers a line that requires some unraveling by both the audience and the confused guests. Though the first part is unambiguously a compliment, the second half is more open to interpretation
By saying he likes less than half of the guests as much as they deserved, he is acknowledging that some of them didn't deserve any more love from him than they got. Nevertheless, the twinkle in his eye as he says it suggests that Bilbo is mostly just trying to harmlessly confuse the guests rather than outright insult them.
Gandalf
"Fool of a took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"
It's easy to have sympathy for Pippin in the Lord of the Rings movies as he frequently ends up being the butt of insults both from his fellow hobbits and from the rest of the fellowship. However, when he draws Gandalf's ire in The Fellowship of the Ring, it is not uncalled for as the Hobbit's clumsiness gives away their position to a legion of hungry foes.
Accompanied by a smack with the wizard's staff, Gandalf impresses on the young hobbit that their quest could have gone a lot smoother if not for his mistake. Though Pippin may not have needed reminding, it is hard to blame the frustrated Gandalf who, despite being one of the strongest characters in the trilogy, has his plans undone by simple clumsiness.
Éomer
"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."
When Éomer first encounters the unusual party of a man, an Elf, and a Dwarf, he is automatically suspicious of their reason for being in the Riddermark. Gimli escalates tensions by asking to know Éomer's name before he gives him any information, leading the leader of the Riders of Rohan's retort.
It may be just a short joke, but the clever way of using it as a threat as well as Éomer's unforgettable delivery means the line sticks in the memory long after the movie ends. It's also helped by the fact that tensions de-escalate quickly after, and so the insult is remembered more as a friendly provocation than a serious one.