24 years after he first uttered it on-screen, Samwise Gamgee’s best Lord of the Rings quote is still the greatest in the franchise’s history. The Lord of the Rings books are full of stunning prose, so it’s no surprise that Peter Jackson’s trilogy features many words of wisdom throughout. And despite how much the franchise’s on-screen offerings have grown — first with The Hobbit movies, and then with The Rings of Power and The War of the Rohirrim — one quote from the trilogy remains undefeated.
It comes from The Lord of the Rings‘ true hero (sorry, Frodo), and it captures the message of J.R.R. Tolkien’s story perfectly. Funnily enough, the quote doesn’t appear in the source material, at least not exactly as it does in the films. Yet The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers makes it feel like a natural addition to this story. It’s an uplifting sentiment for both viewers and Frodo. And it takes on a meta note, reminding us why stories like the one Frodo and Sam are at the heart of are so important.
Samwise’s Speech From ‘The Two Towers’ Is Still the Greatest ‘Lord of the Rings’ Quote
Samwise’s speech from The Two Towers is easily the best quote from that film, and I’d argue it’s the most hard-hitting from the entire Lord of the Rings franchise. Sam, Frodo, and Gollum find themselves in the midst of an attack on Osgiliath when Sam drops his best bit of wisdom. It’s just in time, too, as Frodo is close to giving up on their mission. Not only does he nearly put on the One Ring, but he lashes out at Sam, a testament to how much it’s affecting him. When he decides he “can’t do this,” Sam reminds him why they need to keep pushing forward. He likens their journey to “the great stories,” emphasizing that even the worst circumstances don’t go on forever:
“It’s like in the great stories, Mister Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But, I think Mister Frodo, I do understand. I know now. The folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding onto something.”
It’s the sort of speech that stays with you, just like those stories Sam mentions — and it helps that it arrives at such a climactic moment of the 2002 film. Although the people of Osgiliath are facing loss and destruction, the other members of the Fellowship are finally triumphing. As Sam speaks, we get flashes of Theoden, Gandalf, and Aragorn declaring victory at Helm’s Deep. We also see Treebeard, Merry, and Pippin celebrating a win against Saruman. These glimpses drive home Sam’s point in epic fashion, and his final line lands better because of it. When Frodo wonders what they’re holding onto, Sam makes a powerful case for carrying on: “That there’s some good in this world, Mister Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.“
Sam’s Speech Perfectly Captures the Themes of Tolkien’s World & Story
Gandalf has some great lines about small deeds and individual choice in the face of evil throughout the franchise, and Aragorn gives a motivating call to arms. However, none of the other Lord of the Rings characters capture the essence of Tolkien’s world and story quite so well in just one conversation. Sam’s words are a great rallying cry for anyone fighting for something that matters. They also sum up Tolkien’s adventure seamlessly, getting at the heart of his story.
Sam’s speech is based on a passage from The Two Towers, where Sam and Frodo talk about what “sort of a tale” they’ve fallen into, but the film adaptation condenses it to send a clearer message. It’s one that suits their journey, as well as Tolkien’s larger fantasy world. Middle-earth is a more hopeful place than somewhere like Westeros, and the characters that inhabit it tend to demonstrate clearer morals. That’s why threats like Morgoth and Sauron never last. Gandalf is right that the “everyday deeds of ordinary folk” keep such evils in check, and Sam’s quote connects back to that. There always seems to be some force of good at work in Middle-earth, and that makes it worth saving.
‘The Two Towers’ Quote Is for People Who Love Stories (Like ‘Lord of the Rings’)
In addition to highlighting the powerful message at the center of The Lord of the Rings, Sam’s speech resonates for another reason. Anyone investing in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies or the books they’re based on is likely a fan of storytelling. By using tales of adventure to get his point across, Sam is directly nodding to those of us who use such narratives to cope. Just as Sam looks to the stories he grew up on when he needs something to believe in, many fantasy lovers look to The Lord of the Rings and similar books for that boost in their own lives.
This adds another layer to Sam’s speech, which allows it to resonate in the context of the story and in real life. He nails why so many fans return to this journey again and again, speaking to them as much as to Frodo. And he does, indeed, earn his title of “Samwise the Brave.” It’s unlikely Frodo would have made it to Mordor without him and his ability to deliver a rousing speech.
Does Sam’s quote resonate with you when you watch The Lord of the Rings? Let us know in the comments below!
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
