Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuts this September and everyone will, no doubt, be comparing it to Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Fans will be eager to see how close it sticks to the source material. However, even Jackson didn't include everything from J.R.R. Tolkien's novels.
Among some of the things that were omitted were quotes from various characters. These quotes add depth and in some cases, keep character consistency between the novels and what is seen on screen. For instance, in The Two Towers novel, Gandalf remarks that "the treacherous are ever distrustful," thus emphasizing Gandalf's wisdom.
Aragorn In The Two Towers
"When the great fall, the less must lead."
In their pursuit of the Uruk-Hai that captured Merry and Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli come upon Eomer and the Riders of Rohan. A conversation ensues, referencing Gandalf's death.
In the quote, "the great" is referring to Gandalf, and "the less" is referring to Aragorn. When Gandalf died in the Mines of Moria, it fell to Aragorn to lead the fellowship. This quote speaks volumes about Aragorn's character. Even though he is destined to be king, he still feels lesser when compared to Gandalf.
Sam In The Fellowship Of The Ring
"It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish."
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Sam tells Frodo he wishes he could stay in Lothlorien with the elves, but stresses the need to press on and destroy the Ring.
Because of Sam's fascination with the elves, this quote has huge significance. It's about procrastination, certainly. More specifically, it's saying that waiting to put off a task will only make the dread greater and make it seem longer to complete. Sam realizes the urgency to destroy the Ring and is willing to sacrifice his love of the elves in order to save Middle-Earth.
Gimli In The Fellowship Of The Ring
"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens."
Before the fellowship leaves Rivendell, Elrond warns Gimli against sticking with Frodo for the entirety of the quest. He feels that the task of destroying the Ring is up to Frodo alone.
Gimli's response is profound. When times get tough, one must choose a side and commit to it, even when things go south. The fellowship was formed for one reason - to aid Frodo in his quest. Gimli swore his allegiance to Frodo and would've continued to honor it, had Frodo not left with Sam, resulting in the breaking of the fellowship.
Gildor In The Fellowship Of The Ring
"The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out."
An elf from the House of Finrod, Gildor meets the hobbits on the edge of the Shire after their encounter with the Ringwraiths. Gildor recognized Frodo due to his resemblance to Bilbo.
Frodo explains that he didn't expect evil to reach the Shire, referencing the Ringwraiths. Gildor presents the theme of good vs. evil that is seen throughout The Lord of the Rings. Because the Shire can't hide away forever, the evil Mordor presents will eventually reach it. Change must be embraced, and Frodo realizes that he must be the force of good to combat Sauron's evil.
Frodo In The Return Of The King
"It is useless to meet revenge with revenge; it will heal nothing."
In "The Scouring of the Shire" chapter in The Return of the King novel, the four hobbits return to the Shire after Sauron's destruction and discover Saruman has taken over. Frodo insists that Saruman not be hurt but leave in peace.
Frodo has learned much between the moment he left the Shire and the moment he returned. The most impactful event was being betrayed by Gollum and then being nearly killed as a result. Despite everything he has been through, Frodo still feels that revenge won't solve anything. Fire can't be fought with fire.
Aragorn In The Return Of The King
"Deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised."
In a scene that actually occurs in The Two Towers film, Eowyn voices her displeasure in governing the people of Rohan until King Theoden returns from war. She isn't content and wants to do more to fight for Middle-Earth.
Even though they don't end up together, Aragorn still consoles Eowyn. He explains to her that no deed, no matter the size, is important. She has a role to play, even if she doesn't see it. Even if others don't acknowledge Eowyn's efforts, that doesn't diminish the impact of them.
Haldir In The Fellowship Of The Ring
"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it, there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair..."
Similar to Frodo's worry about evil reaching the Shire, Merry wishes he hadn't left the Shire if he knew what the rest of the world was like.
While in Lothlorien, Haldir tries to convince Merry that there is good in the world, even if it's hard to find. Ironically, it is Merry that is trying to do the same towards Pippin in The Two Towers film. Haldir was killed at the Battle of Helm's Deep in the same film.
Gandalf In The Fellowship Of The Ring
"It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not!"
During the Council of Elrond, Gandalf retorts with this quote when Erestor, Elrond's chief counselor, says that the mission to Mount Doom is folly.
Gandalf is indeed powerful and perhaps the wisest character in The Lord of the Rings, and the other characters know it. A big reason why Gandalf was brought to Middle-Earth was to inspire hope, and that is exactly what he does. Even if things look bleak, it is crucial to keep pushing forward.
Faramir In The Two Towers
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."
After Faramir captures Frodo and Sam, he reminisces on the former glory of Gondor and its resulting fall. This quote perfectly sums up Faramir's character.
He is vastly loyal, going as far as risking his life for Minas Tirith and his country. Feeling the inevitability of conflict with Mordor, Faramir doesn't care about the intricacies of war, but rather what they represent.
J.R.R. Tolkien In The Fellowship Of The Ring
"All that is gold does not glitter. Not all who wander are lost."
Originally a poem written by Bilbo, titled "The Riddle of Strider," it pertained to Aragorn and was included in part of a letter Gandalf had written to Frodo in order to convince the hobbits to trust him.
Interestingly enough, the first line in this poem is similar to a poem in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice named "All that glitters is not gold." On the surface, Tolkien's quote shows that not everything is what it seems. This Ranger from the North (Aragorn) is actually heir to the throne of Gondor. Even if it seems as though one has no direction in life, that doesn't mean they have no purpose. This sums up one of the main The Lord of the Rings themes beautifully.