The 10 Most Memeable Moments in The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is an epic fantasy unlike all others. Beautifully directed, acted, and edited, and very faithful to J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works, the movies are beloved and timeless. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King are endlessly re-watchable (obviously only the extended editions) and never disappoint. But as the modern era shifts and humor changes, we also find a lot more silliness amid the seriousness of the adventure.

So fly, you fools, to find the most memeable moments from The Lord of the Rings trilogy below!

---

“One does not simply walk into Mordor.”

“One does not simply walk into Mordor” is perhaps the most popular and memorable LOTR meme of all time. Originally spoken by Boromir, the quote now lives on in pop culture with its immortal first half. “One does not simply…” comes first, then everyone fills in the blank. Go to the grocery store in a blizzard? Forget to buy all the new Lord of the Rings collectibles their heart desires? The possibilities are simply endless.

---

“They’re taking the Hobbits to Isengard!”

“They’re taking the Hobbits to Isengard!” is one of Legolas’ many dramatic lines throughout the movies, but it wasn’t catapulted to this level of fame until much later. In 2005, musician and photographer Erwin Beekveld created a two-minute cut and compilation of this scene that took the internet by storm. For fantasy fans, the year was defined by this video. And then in 2013, Peter Jackson posted a video with actor Orlando Bloom performing and dancing to the remix. Now that’s some legendary memeing.

---

“But it is not this day.”

While this can also be used as an inspirational quote, it’s more often memed than not. It’s usually presented in a format that juxtaposes some sort of ending such as, “One day I will stop using Lord of the Rings quotes in daily life.” Then, at the bottom, the text reads, “But it is not this day.” Aragorn’s powerful phrase is so popular that global superstars BTS even referenced it in their song “Not Today” with the lyrics, “All the underdogs in the world, a day may come when we lose. But it is not today. Today we fight!”

---

“Alright, then. Keep your secrets.”

Is a news article locked behind a paywall? Is a movie trailer hinting, but not confirming, a special cameo? Perhaps your friend is just being super shady. Whatever the occasion, you can rely on Frodo Baggins’ fun jab at his mysterious wizard friend to express your feelings. It’s all good natured, though, so remember that context! Context is key.

---

“Looks like meat’s back on the menu, boys.”

Replace the word “meat” with just about anything, and you’ll know how to use this meme! In most instances, this phrase refers to something that may have been lost or not allowed that’s finally been regained. For example, the unaltered quote was also rather widely circulated on Tumblr when the website walked back its ban on certain NSFW content. We’ll let you sus out the innuendo for yourself.

---

“My precious.”

Lots of things about Gollum have crossed over into the meme sphere. From the way he delivers his lines to his overall demeanor, he’s a walking talking internet sensation. So while we can’t round up every single one of his memes, we can point to the most popular. “My precious” can be used to refer to anything you love dearly — especially to the point of self-destruction.

---

“After all, why not? Why shouldn’t I keep it?”

“Why shouldn’t I…?” Well, go on! Why shouldn’t you what? Depending on how you’re using this meme, you could keep it as is or change it for your purposes. You could be in a similar state as Bilbo Baggins, wanting to keep a prized possession. Or you could be talking yourself into a new purchase or experience. As always, we say treat yourself. Don’t follow the Hobbit’s advice — go for gold instead!

---

“So you have chosen death.”

Funnily enough, this meme is usually just left as is. “Death” is usually metaphorical, but the concept remains. Still, plenty of people have altered it over the years. Just replace the final word with something foreboding, frightening, or just plain silly. Saruman’s super sincere face will add the visual element that drives up the LOL factor.

---

“PO-TAY-TOES.”

This one doesn’t really have a larger context. Samwise Gamgee’s enthusiastic and sardonic delivery of the word “potatoes” simply lives rent free in all LOTR fans’ brains, especially if you’re a big fan of the root vegetable. After all, potatoes are tasty whether you “boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew,” fry ’em, bake ’em, or find some crispy ones to chew.”

---

“I have no memory of this place.”

Have you been to this blog before but you forgot? 👀 Just kidding — this blog is brand new! But this Gandalf meme is often used to express forgetting that you read something, watched a particular movie, left kudos on your favorite fanfiction, or even commented on a social post. Next time you lose track of your online activity, remember that this totally perplexed Gandalf the Grey gets you.

---

Honorable Mentions

Of course, there’s no way to cover all the memes in 11+ hours worth of movies. Perhaps we missed your favorite. It’s entirely possible. So just in case, we’re going to squeeze in a few honorable mentions.

Gimli’s Dwarf Jokes

Gimli is proud of his heritage. Still, he’s happy to poke fun at the differences between races. From “Never toss a Dwarf,” and “Don’t tell the Elf,” to “We Dwarves are natural sprinters,” we can’t get enough of his humor.

Aragorn Opening Doors

Elissar likes to make an entrance. Whenever you’d like to express that you’re breaking down doors to get to something, there’s probably an Aragorn GIF for that.

Éowyn’s “I am no man!”

Now, Éowyn’s line is incredibly powerful and should be taken seriously. However, it’s also fun to use her major moment to point out that you are indeed not a man, or whatever word with which you choose to fill in the blank.

Elrond and Legolas’ funny faces

Hugo Weaving and Orlando Bloom make some awesome, realistic acting choices in the movies. They aren’t concerned with looking beautiful all the time. Needless to say, these screenshots are excellent reaction meme fodder.

---

What are your favorite Lord of the Rings memes? Share the laughs at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!