It’s a common joke amongst The Lord of the Rings fans that the film adaptation of The Return of the King has multiple endings before the credits actually roll. This is definitely a major criticism that reviewers had with the movie, but in the film’s defence, there were a lot of things that needed to be said in order to deliver a proper conclusion. The film trilogy is a broad, complex story, and multiple things needed to be addressed before letting it go.
In total, there are five endings, from the moment the One Ring is destroyed to the instant the credits appear on screen. The reason they’re called endings is because, well, they really do feel like it. The camera pans out, leaves the audience with a wide shot and fades to black before coming right back in again. Even if there are multiple endings, so to speak, it’s still one of the greatest conclusions in a fantasy film. Not all of the endings in this movie are created equal, however, so this list will serve as the definitive ranking as how they stack up against each other.
5
The Fellowship Reunites
Ending Number 2
The second ending occurs when Frodo (Elijah Wood) wakes up back in Rivendell, and is greeted by the surviving members of the Fellowship, whom he hadn’t seen in months. Well, all except for Boromir (Sean Bean), at least, considering he didn’t survive into the second film. From his hobbit pals to Gandalf the White (Sir Ian McKellen), who Frodo previously thought was dead, it’s a merry gathering where the Fellowship get to see each other again.
Though this slo-mo, dream-like moment is wonderful and super happy, it’s really not the most exciting or impactful of the endings. That and the fact that rolling the credits after this scene would definitely be the weirdest time to do it out of all of them. Many may consider it one of the movie’s many endings, but it’d still be strange to leave the story off right there, as the audience probably would have wanted to see the Fellowship have just a little bit more time together after spending so many weeks apart.
4
Sam Returns Home
Ending Number 5
The final ending of the film is also the shortest. It follows Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) as he finally returns home to the Shire, with Frodo having left him his ancestral home of Bag End on top of the hill, since he won’t be needing it anymore. Sam marries Rosie Cotton (Sarah McLeod), and the two are shown several years later with a couple of kids, blissfully entering their spacious home, with the round green door of Bag End closing on the camera one last time.
It’s great to end the movie off with Sam, as he is widely coonsidered to be the true hero of the story, and the door closing really does feel like the story is over, and that the movie is done. It’s the one that definitely feels most like a proper ending. However, its relatively meagre length along with the minimal dialogue don’t really make it the most emotional or impactful, though it does give the viewers some answers as to what happened to the characters after the story.
3
The Grey Havens
Ending Number 4
Upon returning to the Rivendell, Frodo brings his uncle, Bilbo (Ian Holm) to the port of Lindon, from which Bilbo intends to set sail on a voyage to Aman, also known as the Undying Lands, where the Valar and Maiar reside. It’s essentially a heaven-on-earth in The Lord of the Rings‘ universe. But at the last second, Frodo reveals to his hobbit friends that he is growing tired of Middle-Earth, and that he, too, intends to depart for Aman.
This leads to a tearful farewell and some wise words from Gandalf about how it’s okay to cry, especially considering the fact that the friends may never see each other again. That said, the story behind the scene kind of softens the departure a bit. The actors reveal in the appendices of the film that this scene was an absolute nightmare to film, with multiple retakes involving continuity errors, the camera being out of focus, and the difficulty of producing tears for the camera, all shot over multiple 12-hour days. Knowing that, it doesn’t make the scene hit as hard as it should. But even not knowing that, the scene is good, but not as good as the others.
2
Sauron Defeated
Ending Number 1
The first ending of the film is when Frodo and Sam escape from the erupting Mount Doom following the Ring’s destruction. Sauron’s forces are defeated, and the Dark Lord’s fortress collapses, with Frodo and Sam taking shelter on a raised rock in the middle of a river of lava. Both share a touching moment with some heartfelt quotes, with Frodo stating “I’m glad you’re with me, Samwise Gamgee. Here, at the end of all things.” Both wait on the rock until their death approaches, but are rescued by Gandalf and the Great Eagles.
This first ending has some of the finest soundtrack in the films, producing moments of triumph and victory that really resonates with the audience combined with the bittersweet sorrow at knowing the two hobbits probably aren’t going to make it out alive. This, combined with the ethereal vocals when the Eagles rescue them make for some beautiful moments. The film could have ended here, but it chose not to, which is probably for the best. Even though it would have been a little odd to end the film right there and then, it’s still fantastic.
1
Aragorn’s Coronation
Ending Number 3
Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) taking his rightful place on the throne of Gondor is by far the best and most memorable ending in the film, occurring right in the middle of the others. It starts with Aragorn having the crown placed upon his head, followed by the new king singing a quiet lament in one of Tolkien’s many made-up languages. In the procession at Minas Tirith, one can see that Faramir (David Wenham) and Éowyn (Miranda Otto) have happily married, and that peace has finally come to Middle-Earth.
All four hobbits are also in attendance, with Aragorn taking time to personally greet them. They bow to him out of respect, but he reassures them that they don’t need to bow to him, and he promptly bows to them, in a moment of true humility and acknowledgement of the sacrifices the hobbits made, followed by everyone else in attendance bowing to them. Aside from being the best quote in the movie, it’s a beautiful moment, and ends on a gorgeous pan away from the city. Many feel that this is where the film should have properly ended, with the credits coming right after. It’s easily the most unforgettable part of the ending sequence.
