The Lord of the Rings trilogy introduced millions of people to the concept of Middle-earth. In addition, it also allowed longtime fans to see the characters, situations, and locations they’d envisioned for so long come to life on the big screen. Continued with three movies based on The Hobbit, these new entries in the series were not so well received, but also have a great deal of merit.

No matter how good the movies are, the fact of the matter is that most films have problems with consistency. When you create such a wide-ranging story, it's bound to happen. This has led us to pick up on these issues, despite loving the tales of this magical universe. We've been inspired to put together this list of twenty Lord of the Rings memes that prove the movies make no sense.

We define a meme as a single image or a series of images that tell the viewer something simple and easily digestible. The image also needs to feature something associated with the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit movies in one way or another. Finally, we graded the memes on how enlightening and amusing we think they are and placed them on the list accordingly.

Here are 20 Lord Of The Rings Memes That Prove The Movies Make No Sense.

20. Mount Doom….Seriously?

J. R. R. Tolkien was notoriously obsessed with language, prior to creating the world of Middle-earth, he worked on a translation of Beowulf that he never published. Due to his passion, he would spend hours on end creating the languages that are spoken throughout his world. More than that, when it came to Elvish, he not only invented words and an alphabet, but he also published grammar rules for it.

Yet, as this meme points out, despite the level of detail he put into the language, he was also incredibly lazy when he named Mt. Doom. The type of name you’d expect to find a mountain have in the pages of a Dr. Seuss book. Though it's known he originally wrote The Hobbit for younger people, it's still disappointing.

19. Elves Aren’t All they're Cracked Up to Be

When we first hear about the Elves in The Fellowship of the Ring, they are described as this angelic race of beings that are above most characteristics that define humanity. Though they're considered the fairest and wisest of all beings, it is abundantly clear that they are not likely to take part in the battles of man, dwarves, and hobbits.

We're then introduced to some of them, namely Thranduil, Legolas, Tauriel, Arwen, and Elrond. We realize these Elves are simply not as advertised - fully capable of anger, pettiness, bitterness, and back-biting, they are typically well intentioned, but let their emotions get the best of them. Of course, we all know that descriptions can be deceiving and Elves tend to stick to their own, but it isn’t like other beings haven't interacted with them. The word about their true nature should have spread.

18. Samwise Doesn’t Get Credit

Samwise Gamgee, right-hand man and loyal friend of Lord of the Rings’ lead character Frodo Baggins, is the only member of the fellowship that continues to follow him. Initially seeming like a hinderance to the task Frodo takes on, Sam rises to the occasion in difficult situations.

Ultimately responsible for the actions listed in this meme, like carrying equipment, saving his pal from many dangers, and so much more, Sam also gives the ringbearer much of his emotional strength. Despite being the biggest hero of the bunch, he isn’t nearly as celebrated as he should be at the end of the film. Sure, Frodo clearly appreciates Sam, but his actions elevate him to the status of legend in the eyes of fans.

17. Pippin Doesn’t Listen

As a race of beings at the center of this entire story, hobbits are a fascinating bunch. Most of them prefer to hole up in places like The Shire where they can lead a simpler life, while a select few have a mischievous and adventurous spirit. One such hobbit, Peregrin “Pippin” Took, is seen early on stealing produce from a farmer and enjoying a drink with his family and friends.

However, once he sets off on the path alongside Frodo, he enters a whole new world of dangers he could never have imagined. Ultimately proving to be quite brave, he is an integral part of the story, even if he often has to conquer his fears. Due to that, when Gandalf tells him to keep his mouth shut around Denethor, Pippin just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

16. Go Home Sam

Earlier on this list, we touched on the fact that Frodo allowed Samwise to accompany him on his adventures. As such, they end up taking on a seemingly endless path which leads them through Middle-earth for longer than we could've ever fathomed. In fact, how far they walk is never stated, but there is a credible theory out there that posits that they traveled 1350 miles to make it to Mount Doom.

Despite a figure like that, near the end of their journey, Frodo sends Samwise away because he supposedly ate some of their food. Though it is ludicrous at face value that Sam could just turn around and go back, Frodo insists on Sam leaving - even if he earlier forgave Gollum for attacking him.

15. Witch King’s Horrible Luck

A group of cloaked beings corrupted by the power of the rings they were given by Sauron, the Nazgûl are simply terrifying. First introduced in a scene where even the smallest insects are frightened by their presence, they give the impression our heroes are in severe peril. Their leader, the Witch King, is even more frightening than the rest of his brethren.

Due to all of that build up, the excitement to see him in battle is palpable. When he finally enters the fray, he wreaks havoc with ease only to be killed swiftly by Éowyn - a triumphant moment. Considering he can’t be done away with by men, the young woman Éowyn is the only one that can dispatch him. That is why we find it hard to stomach that he comes into battle with her almost instantly.

14. Great Leader Aragorn’s Demoralizing Statement

Introduced early on, the man we come to know as Aragorn initially has no interest in taking on the mantle of leadership. Over the runtime of the three Lord of the Rings films, we see his character slowly embrace his role as the only person that can unite men. By the end of Return of the King, he gives a rousing speech that rallies beaten down warriors to fight against all odds - proving he's evolved into a king and leader.

Despite that, after privately speaking with Legolas during the Battle of Helm’s Deep, he shouts in English that he will die alongside everyone that is present. It's inspiring in one way, since the leader will pay the ultimate price too if he must. On the other hand, he is also telling his men that they are about to be perish.

13. Smaug Knows Too Much

We couldn’t get enough of Smaug, and seeing the massive Benedict Cumberbatch voiced dragon on the big screen was a dream come true. Revealed over the three Hobbit movies to have overtaken a mountain kingdom inhabited by dwarves, the beast not only stole their lair, but their massive quantities of gold as well.

A group of travelers then find their way to Smaug's adopted home. At the behest of Gandalf, Bilbo is tasked with stealing one of his many treasures. Bilbo is discovered by Smaug, and they confront one another. Smaug reveals that he is aware of many of the current events in Middle-earth. This makes no sense since he never leaves his mountain and isn’t visited - it isn’t like Smaug can go online to follow the news.

12. Théoden and Gondor

At one point in the series, it seems like the good forces in Middle-earth will never prevail, since the various races struggle to come together in defiance of the evil that befalls them. Worse yet, as Sauron and Saruman build their armies, even the various divisions of human beings fail to work together.

As such, one of the major questions is whether or not the forces of Gondor and Rohan will come to one another’s aid. It is tough to hear Théoden question whether he will march his forces in defense of Gondor. Referring to the fact that the kingdom of Rohan fought alone when they were under attack initially seems understandable. However, once you realize he never sent out word he needed help, his position becomes nonsensical.

11. Adapting One Book into Three Movies

A very difficult task indeed, adapting a book into a movie is something that has been happening for decades at this point. It's often an exercise in editing; having to take several hundred pages of text and turn it into a movie short enough to be easily viewed means some elements are left out.

However, when the decision was made to adapt J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the director went the other direction. A novel that has never exceeded four hundred pages, was the inspiration for not one, but three movies. These films totaled more than seven hours in length. As such, the filmmakers had to add new material and stretch out what was already in the book, which is a major part in the resulting movies being so poorly received.

10. Endless Arrows

One of the most popular characters to appear in the Lord of the Rings movies, Legolas, is extremely graceful, has incredible senses - to say nothing of his most entertaining ability, his archery. The thing that makes him so remarkable in the films is how incredibly adept he is at taking the lives of villainous creatures and characters alike.

In fact, there is very little we enjoy more than seeing him kill his enemies with a precisely fired arrow. Due to how much we dig seeing that happen, we are far too forgiving of his supply of arrows being unlimited. It's especially unrealistic considering that, in various scenes, we see there is a limited amount of arrows on his back.

9. Sneaky Trolls

When we are introduced to the trolls in the Hobbit movies they are quite entertaining: three massive creatures that come to grips with Bilbo Baggins and his dwarf traveling partners. A trio prone to arguing with one another, yet motivated by their instincts, they seem to see every living creature as a potential meal.

These massive beings are far from coordinated, as we come to find out during their main scene. They also don’t seem to have very good eyesight. Despite all of that, we are supposed to believe that they are able to steal two ponies that stand nearby without the dwarves or Bilbo noticing at the time. We even see one of them carrying the ponies while making loads of noise as he travels, which makes no sense at all.

8. Hobbits Sneak Up on Elrond

The Lord of Rivendell, one of the few living beings in the Lord of the Rings who grappled with Sauron during his first reign of terror, Elrond is among the most powerful rulers in Middle-earth. When Frodo is stabbed by one of the Nazgûl and needs the assistance of the elves in order to survive, Arwen sees that he is taken to Elrond.

The ultimate proof of his power as a leader is when he brings together representatives of many races, in order to discuss what to do with the One Ring. In a scene that results in the creation of the fellowship, Elrond is surprised to learn this high-level meeting is being observed by three hobbits. However, we have no idea how that comes to be, considering elves have such strong senses and Elrond is so immensely powerful.

7. Samwise Stays the Same Size

If you love the Tolkien films, but know people who don’t feel the same way, you’ve probably heard one of the most common criticisms of the series: it is boring to watch people endlessly walking. As a take on the films that doesn’t take into account all of the intrigue it creates, there is so much more going on than simply walking.

Yet, this statement does underline one of the main things the characters in the movie do an awful lot: walk. Frodo, Gollum, and Sam, the group that travels by far the greatest distance aside from resting and stopping to eat, spend their days walking. On top of that, it is abundantly clear that they have meager food rations.

As a result, we do see their bodies suffer, but somehow Sam never seems to drop a pound, which is extremely unlikely - as this meme points out.

6. Taking Gimli but Leaving Their Packs

In the final moments of the serie's 2001 film debut, Frodo and Sam leave the fellowship as Merry and Pippin are taken against their will by the Uruk-hai. On top of that, Boromir has also perished, which leaves Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli to wonder how best to fight the forces of evil. Deciding they must take off to save Merry and Pippin from their captors, they leave behind almost everything they’ve brought with them to “travel light” for speed's sake.

Sadly, if Aragorn and Legolas really wanted to ensure they could save their little companions, the biggest impediment to them catching up would be the very slow Gimli. It's understandable that they wouldn’t leave their companion behind, but it still feels as though Aragorn and Legolas carrying everything would be faster than taking Gimli with them .

5. Gandalf and His Great Eagles

When Gandalf needs to be saved from the clutches of Saruman, he summons birds that appear to save the day more than once over the series. Also able to appear at various other points, their most notable moment comes when they grasp Sam and Frodo in their clutches after the One ring has been destroyed.

When this moment takes place, it is only understandable to start wondering why the birds didn't show up earlier. It may have put the birds at risk, as there were great defenses in place, but these are super intelligent birds that don’t just mindlessly take orders. However, it does seem like they could have at least dropped the group off a lot closer to their destination without Sauron taking note.

4. Thranduil Brings His Army Not to Fight

The leader of a group of elves, Thranduil has to be the most despised elf we are introduced to in the movies. Someone that often comes across as self-serving and petty, he puts his own ego and anger above almost all else. On top of that, his motivations also seem to be the result of long-held feuds, including the hatred between him and Thorin Oakenshield.

As a result, it isn’t shocking when Thranduil declines to fight alongside Thorin until his hand is forced in The Battle of the Five Armies. What makes no sense, however, is that he travels to the battlefield flanked by his army only to refuse to fight despite how serious the consequences could be. No matter how angered Thorin's selfishness makes him, Thranduil should have known all too well how dangerous Azog and his legions could be.

3. Gandalf Powerless Against Gravity

Portrayed as one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth, Gandalf pulls off various magical feats throughout this series. However, we do come to understand that he does not see his supernatural abilities as the go-to answer for every problem.

That is why he often chooses to help motivate the various people of Middle-earth to defend themselves, instead of doing everything for them. However, when he battles the Balrog, he stops at nothing to defeat such a destructive force and uses magic ever so briefly. We were then totally bewildered when he seemed to lack the ability to pull himself up while hanging over a chasm. If he wasn’t powerful enough to do a pull up before the Balrog’s whip grabbed his leg, his magic should have been somewhat helpful.

2. Gandalf Gives His Robber a Glowing Sword

This time around we are looking at the sometimes questionable abilities that Gandalf has as a leader. As he's one of the most beloved figures in the series, it's totally understandable why Frodo and Bilbo both follow Gandalf's lead. Proving himself to be quite wise, he shepherds the forces of good through some extremely troublesome times.

That doesn’t make him infallible, however, and at one point Saruman even directly suggests his love for the halflings has clouded his mind. Still, we find it hard to fathom that after choosing Bilbo, because hobbits are evasive enough to avoid their foes, Gandalf gives him a beacon for those creatures to follow. Bilbo's sword, Sting, glows blue whenever orcs or goblins are nearby, which serves as a good warning system for enemies looking out for short, sneaky hobbits.

1. Legolas Ages Backwards

Considering it is the more cinematic story of the two, it made perfect sense to adapt Lord of the Rings into live-action movies before tackling The Hobbit. However, the story of Bilbo and his dwarf buddies traveling to the Lonely Mountain takes place years prior to the story of Lord of the Rings, making The Hobbit movies prequels. Opting to write Legolas into the prequels was a way to give fans another recognizable character to root for.

The problem is that many years had passed since the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed and Orlando Bloom, the actor who plays Legolas, had gotten older. Playing a character who is meant to age extremely slowly would be a problem even if the Hobbit movies were sequels, but it makes even less sense in this case, as this meme points out.

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What did you think made the least sense about The Lord of the Rings? Let us know in the comments!