Highlights
- The Lord of the Rings features emotional character deaths, highlighting the greater evils of Middle-earth.
- Gollum, Haldir, Gandalf, Theoden, and Boromir are among the most memorable characters who sacrificed themselves for the greater good.
- Each character’s death evokes strong emotions, showcasing the depth of their relationships and the impact of their sacrifices.
Despite The Lord of the Rings being inherently hopeful for what mankind can achieve in Middle-earth, it also features stories filled with death and sacrifice. The Lord of the Rings is an iconic trilogy for a few reasons, and the deaths of some memorable characters lead to many emotional moments shared by the audience and characters alike, bringing forth tragedy that provides a lens into greater evils.
The saddest deaths in The Lord of the Rings evoke strong emotions, either through the fleeting last moments of the character, or the implications that they left behind. Plenty of grandiose characters have given their life to stop Sauron, providing the ultimate sacrifice for Frodo to cast the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom.
5 Gollum/Smeagol
Died With His Precious In The Fires Of Mt. Doom
- Portrayed by: Andy Serkis
- Died in: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Gollum and Smeagol are entwined as individual personalities in one body. The duo is the embodiment of the One Ring’s evil, and the dark hold that it can have on someone. Throughout The Lord of the Rings, Gollum attempts to reclaim his Precious by placing seeds of doubt and mistrust in the friendship of Sam and Frodo, which culminates with a showdown in Mt. Doom.
Unable to let his Precious be lost to another ringbearer, or to the fires below, Gollum falls to his death, clutching the One Ring till the very last moment. Whilst Gollum is rather antagonistic, he is a victim of the ring, and his fate could have been different if Smeagol was not abused.
4 Haldir
Murdered By Uruks At The Battle Of Helm’s Deep
- Portrayed by: Craig Parker
- Died in: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Haldir was one of the few Elves to respect man, and he had developed a great friendship with Aragorn. A loyal friend to the Fellowship and especially Aragorn, Haldir would bring an elvish army to their aid at Helms Deep, bringing forth a new war where mankind will not enter battle alone against Sauron’s forces.
Sadly, Helm’s Deep would be Haldir’s final resting place, as he was killed by Uruks when he was attempting to help the Rohirrim and Elves retreat deeper into the Keep. Haldir had to die without knowing the fate of his Elvish warriors and sacrificed his immortality to try and stop Sauron’s forces from overwhelming Middle-earth.
3 Gandalf The Gray
Died Fighting The Balrog After Helping The Fellowship Escape Khazad-dum
- Portrayed by: Sir Ian McKellen
- Died in: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring felt nigh unstoppable with the wisdom and strength of Gandalf, a wizard with the knowledge and experience of men of countless lifetimes. Gandalf was funny, wise, and above all else, caring to all living beings. Frodo and the other Hobbits felt at their safest with Gandalf, so with his loss, it was more than just 8 hearts that broke.
The loss of Gandalf was felt throughout Middle-earth, and what made his death even sadder was the sacrifice itself. Gandalf told the Fellowship “Fly you fools.” Before slipping down the depths of Khazad-dum, where he would fight the Balrog through fire and water. Whilst Gandalf returned as the White, his initial death was heartbreaking.
2 Theoden
Crushed By His Horse By The Witch-King At The Battle Of The Pelennor Fields
- Portrayed by: Bernard Hill
- Died in: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The honorable Theoden acts as a considerate leader who wants to keep the kingdom of Rohan safe above all else. Theoden is a man of the people, respectable and loved, but he craves purpose. Theoden wishes to die honorably, becoming not just a standard king, but someone worthy of remembrance for what he did for his people. This was a wish that would be granted, even if others wished it were not so.
Theoden led the charge at the battle of the Pelennor Fields, providing a rousing speech for the Rohirrim as they charge against the orc armies that await them in a clash of death. Despite the onslaught, Theoden would be crushed by his own horse due to the Witch-King, and Theoden’s last moments are one of pride when he witnessed his own niece kill the Witch-King. It’s emotional to see a shared moment between niece and uncle, but Theoden died knowing there was hope for Middle-earth and his niece.
1 Boromir
Pelted With Uruk-hai Arrows Whilst Defending Merry And Pippin
Portrayed by: Sean Bean
Died in: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Boromir highlights the strengths and weaknesses of man and provides the Fellowship with a brave and skilled warrior who hears the seductive whispers of the One Ring. Whilst Boromir is a truthful hero, he can barely restrain himself from the pull of the ring and attempts to take it from Frodo. When he came to his senses, Frodo was gone, and Uruk-hai had amassed onto the Fellowship, ensuring a tiresome battle.
Boromir would fight with every breath he could muster, killing piles of Uruk-hai in an attempt to save Merry and Pippin and seek forgiveness in himself for what he had tried to do with Frodo. Alas, the armies were too many, and Boromir found himself riddled with arrows. Even in this state, Boromir fought on until he could no longer stand. Boromir passes on in the arms of Aragorn, where he apologizes for what he has done. To lose yet another member of the Fellowship, and give him the burial he deserves, is a true tearjerker indeed.
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