This script is written and edited by me, with a little help from various other people. The elvish is from Gwaith-i-Phethdain. It’s posted here to share with everyone, but don’t claim the script for your own or reproduce it and make changes without my permission.
This hasn’t any stage directions, only subtitles, mostly because I’m too lazy to write them in, but also because I figure if you care about this you’ll have seen the movie and know what’s going on.
This file is now in two parts, due to the large size. The second part is at RotK SEE2.html.
I’ve gone over this a million times, and watched the movie a million times, and this is as accurate a script as you’re likely to find. Still, everyone makes typos, so if you spot a mistake please email me at tar_irene@comcast.net, because I do want this as accurate as possible.
Subtitles (or english translations) are indented.
The normal lines are black.
Voiceovers are dark gray.
Elvish lines are green. (The language is specified in the translation.)
Voiceovers in elvish lines are dark green.
The new lines are in blue.
Voiceovers in new lines are in dark blue.
Elvish new lines are light blue.
Oh! Sméagol! I've got one, ha - I've got a fish, Sme- Sméagol!
SMÉAGOL
Come on, go on, go on, pull it in!
DÉAGOL
Aaaah!
SMÉAGOL
Déagol? Déagol! Déagol. Give us that Déagol, my love.
DÉAGOL
Why?
SMÉAGOL
Because... it's my birthday and I wants it.
RING
...gimbatul. Ash nazg gimbatul...
SMÉAGOL
My Precious.
SMÉAGOL
They cursed us... Murderer... "Murderer" they called us. They cursed us and drove us away.
GOLLUM
Gollum, GOLLUM.
SMÉAGOL
And we wept, precious. We wept, to be so alone. --and cool, so nice for feet, and we only wish to catch a fish, so juicy sweeet. And we forgot the taste of bread, the sound of trees, the softness of the wind. We even forgot our own name. My Precious.
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, sleepies, we must go, yes, we must go at once.
SAM
Haven't you had any sleep, Mr. Frodo? I've gone and had too much. Must be getting late.
FRODO
No. It isn't. It isn't midday yet. The days are growing darker.
GOLLUM
Come on! Must go, no time!
SAM
Not before Mr.Frodo's had somethin' to eat.
GOLLUM
No time to lose, silly!
SAM
Here.
FRODO
What about you?
SAM
Oh no, I'm not hungry. Least ways not for lembas bread.
FRODO
Sam...
SAM
All right. We don't have that much left. We have to be careful or we're gonna run out. You go ahead and eat that, Mr.Frodo. I've rationed it. There should be enough.
FRODO
For what?
SAM
The journey home.
GOLLUM
Come, Hobbitses. Very close now, very close, to Mordor. No safe places here. Hurry!
It's good.
MERRY
Definitely from
the Shire. Longbottom Leaf.
I feel like I'm
back at the Green Dragon.
MERRY
Mmm! Green Dragon.
PIPPIN
A mug of ale in my hand. Putting my feet up on a settle after a hard day's work.
MERRY
Only, you've never done a hard day's work.
PIPPIN
Hahaha!
MERRY
Welcome, my lords, to Isengard!
GIMLI
You young rascals! A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you, feasting and... and smoking!
PIPPIN
We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good.
GIMLI
Salted pork?
GANDALF
Hobbits.
MERRY
We're under orders, from Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard.
TREEBEARD
Young Master Gandalf. I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone, I can master. But there’s a Wizard to manage here. Locked in his tower.
Show yourself.
GANDALF
Be careful. Even
in defeat, Saruman is dangerous.
GIMLI
Well, let's just have his head and be done with it.
GANDALF
No. We need him alive. We need him to talk.
SARUMAN
You have fought
many wars and slain many men, Théoden King, and made peace afterwards. Can we
not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace,
you and I?
THÉODEN
We shall have
peace. We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold, and
the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the
soldeirs whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the
Hornburg are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own
crows, we shall have peace.
SARUMAN
Gibbets and crows?
Dotard! What do you want, Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess, the Key of Orthanc,
or perhaps the keys of Barad-dûr itself, along with the crowns of the seven
kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!
GANDALF
Your treachery has
already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save
them, Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel.
SARUMAN
So you have come
here for information. I have some for you. Something festers in the heart of
Missle-earth. Something that you have failed to see. But the Great Eye has seen
it. Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon. You are all
going to die. But you know this, don't you, Gandalf? You cannot think that this
Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the
shadows, will never be crowned king. Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice
those closest to him, those he professes to love. Tell me, what words of
comfort did you give the Halfling, before you sent him to his doom? The path
that you have set him on can only lead to death.
GIMLI
I've heard enough!
Shoot him. Stick an arrow in his gob.
GANDALF
No. Come down,
Saruman, and your life will be spared.
SARUMAN
Save your pity and your mercy. I have no use for it.
GANDALF
Saruman! Your
staff is broken.
THÉODEN
Gríma, you need
not follow him. You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of
Rohan. Come down.
SARUMAN
A man of Rohan?
What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek
and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helm's Deep
does not belong to you, Théoden Horse-Master. You are a lesser son of greater
sires.
THÉODEN
Gríma, come down.
Be free of him.
SARUMAN
Free? He will
never be free.
GRÍMA
No...
SARUMAN
Get down, cur!
GANDALF
Saruman! You were
deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!
SARUMAN
You withdraw your
guard, and I will tell you where your doom will be decided. I will not be held
prisoner here! Aah!
GANDALF
Send word to all
our allies, and to every corner of Middle-Earth that still stands free. The
enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike.
TREEBEARD
The filth of Saruman is washing away. Trees will come back to live here. Young trees, wild trees.
ARAGORN
Pippin!
TREEBEARD
Bless my bark!
GANDALF
Peregrin Took! I'll take that, my lad. Quickly now.
Tonight we
remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious
dead.
CROWD
Hail!
No pauses. No
spills.
GIMLI
And no
regurgitation.
LEGOLAS
So, it's a
drinking game?
GIMLI
Last one standing
wins.
MAN
What'll we drink
to?
MAN
Let's drink to
victory!
ALL
To victory!
ÉOWYN
Be thou Aragorn well. (Rohirric, or Old English)
THÉODEN
I am happy for you. He is an honorable man.
ÉOWYN
You are both honorable men.
THÉODEN
It was not
Théoden of Rohan who led our people to victory. Ah, don't listen to me. You are
young, And tonight is for you.
MAN
Here, here.
GIMLI
It's the Dwarves that
go swimming with little, hairy women.
LEGOLAS
I feel something.
A slight tingle in my fingers. I think it's affecting me.
GIMLI
What did I say? He can't hold his liquor.
LEGOLAS
Game over.
MERRY and PIPPIN
Oh you can search far and wide, /You can drink the whole town dry,
MERRY
But you'll never find a beer so brown,
PIPPIN
But you'll never find a beer so brown,
MERRY
As the one we drink in our hometown.
PIPPIN
As the one we drink in our hometown.
MERRY and PIPPIN
You can drink your fancy ales,
You can drink them by the flagon,
But the only brew
for the brave and true,
Pippin!
MERRY and PIPPIN
But the only brew for the brave and true,
Comes from The Green Dragon!
MERRY
Thank you! I win!
ARAGORN
No news of Frodo?
GANDALF
No word. Nothing.
ARAGORN
We have time. Every day, Frodo moves closer to Mordor.
GANDALF
Do we know that?
ARAGORN
What does your heart tell you?
GANDALF
That Frodo is alive. Yes. Yes, he's alive.
Too risky. Too risky. Thieves. They stole it from us. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them both. Noo!
GOLLUM
Shh! Quiet. Mustn't wake them. Mustn't ruin it now.
SMÉAGOL
But they knows. They knows. They suspects us.
GOLLUM
What's it saying, my precious, my love? Is Sméagol losing his nerve?
SMÉAGOL
No. Not. Never. Sméagol hates nasty Hobbitses. Sméagol wants to see them...dead.
GOLLUM
And we will. Sméagol did it once, he can do it again. It's ours. Ours!
SMÉAGOL
We must get the precious. We must get it back.
GOLLUM
Patience. Patience, my love. First we must lead them to her.
SMÉAGOL
We lead them to the Winding Stair.
GOLLUM
Yes, the stairs. And then?
SMÉAGOL
Up, up, up, up, up the stairs we go, until we come to...the tunnel.
GOLLUM
And when they go in, there's no coming out. She's always hungry. She always needs to feed. She must eat. All she gets is filthy Orcses.
SMÉAGOL
And they doesn't taste very nice, does they, precious?
GOLLUM
No. Not very nice at all, my love. She hungers for sweeter meats, Hobbit-meat. And when she throws away the bones and the empty clothes, then we will find it.
SMÉAGOL
And take it for me!
GOLLUM
For us.
SMÉAGOL
Y-yes, we meant for us.
GOLLUM
Gollum, gollum. The precious will be ours, once the Hobbitses are dead.
SAM
You treacherous little toad!
SMÉAGOL
No, no, Master!
FRODO
No, Sam! Leave him alone!
SAM
I heard it from his own mouth. He means to murder us!
SMÉAGOL
Never! Sméagol wouldn't hurt a fly! Aaah! He's a horrid, fat Hobbit who hates Sméagol and who makes up nasty lies!
SAM
You miserable little maggot! I'll stove your head in!
FRODO
Sam!
SAM
Call me a liar? You're a liar!
SMÉAGOL
Argh!
FRODO
You scare him off, we're lost!
SAM
I don't care! I can't do it, Mr.Frodo. I won't wait around for him to kill us.
FRODO
I'm not sending him away!
SAM
You don't see it, do you? He's a villain!
FRODO
We can't do this by ourselves, Sam. Not without a guide. I need you on my side.
SAM
I'm on your side, Mr.Frodo.
FRODO
I know, Sam. I know. Trust me. Come, Sméagol.
What time is it?
ARAGORN
Not yet dawn.
ÉOWYN
I dreamed I saw a
great wave, climbing over green lands and above the hills. I stood upon the brink.
It was utterly dark in the abyss before my feet. A light shone behind me, but I
could not turn. I could only stand there, waiting.
ARAGORN
Night changes many
thoughts. Sleep, Éowyn. Sleep, while you can.
The stars are veiled. Something stirs in the East...a sleepless malice. The Eye of the Enemy is moving.
MERRY
What are you doing? Pippin! Pippin? Pippin. What, are you mad?
PIPPIN
I just want to look at it. Just one more time.
MERRY
Put it back. Pippin! No. Pippin!!
LEGOLAS
He is here.
SAURON
I see you.
MERRY
Pippin!
SAURON
Ash nazg
durbatulûk...
MERRY
Help! Gandalf, help! Someone help him! Ah! Pippin!
GANDALF
Fool of a Took!
PIPPIN
Ah!
GANDALF:
Look at me.
PIPPIN
Oh, Gandalf, forgive me.
GANDALF
Look at me. What did you see?
PIPPIN
A tree. There was a white tree. In a courtyard of stone. It was dead! The city was burning.
GANDALF
Minas Tirith. Is that what you saw?
PIPPIN
I saw...I saw him! I could hear his voice in my head.
GANDALF
What did you tell him? Speak!
PIPPIN
He asked me my name. I didn't answer. He hurt me.
GANDALF
What did you tell
him about Frodo and the Ring?
GANDALF
There was no lie in Pippin's eyes. A fool, but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin saw in the palantír a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing. He knows the heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still, strength enough perhaps to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle-earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a king return to the throne of Men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war.
THÉODEN
Tell me, why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?
ARAGORN
I will go.
GANDALF
No.
ARAGORN
They must be warned.
GANDALF
They will be. You
must come to Minas Tirith by another road. Follow the river and look to the
black ships.
GANDALF
Understand this:
things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith. And I
won't be going alone.
GANDALF
Of all the inquisitive Hobbits, Peregrin Took, you are the worst! Hurry, hurry!
PIPPIN
Where are we going?
MERRY
Why did you look? Why do you always have to look?
PIPPIN
I don't know. I can't help it.
MERRY
You never can.
PIPPIN
I'm sorry, all right? I won't do it again.
MERRY
Don't you understand? The enemy thinks you have the Ring. He's going to be looking for you, Pip. They have to get you out of here.
PIPPIN
And you - you're coming with me? Merry?
MERRY
Come on!
PIPPIN
How far is Minas Tirith?
GANDALF
Three days' ride, as the Nazgûl flies. And you better hope we don't have one of those on our tail.
MERRY
Here, something for the road.
PIPPIN
The last of the Longbottom Leaf.
MERRY
I know you've run out. You smoke too much, Pip.
PIPPIN
But - but we'll see each other soon... won't we?
MERRY
I don't know... I don't know what's going to happen.
PIPPIN
Merry?
GANDALF
Run Shadowfax. Show us the meaning of haste!
PIPPIN
Merry!
ARAGORN
Merry!
MERRY
He's always followed
me, everywhere I went, since before we were tweens. I would get him into the
worst sort of trouble, but I was always there to get him out. Now he's gone.
Just like Frodo, and Sam.
ARAGORN
One thing I've
learned about Hobbits. They are a most hardy folk.
MERRY
Foolhardy, maybe.
He's a Took.
ELROND
Take her by the safest road. A ship lies anchored in the Grey Havens. It waits to carry her across the sea. The last journey of Arwen Undómiel.
ELROND
There is nothing for you here. Only death.
ELF
Lady Arwen, we cannot delay. My Lady!
ARWEN
Tell me what you have seen.
ELROND
Arwen.
ARWEN
You have the gift of foresight. What did you see?
ELROND
I looked into your future and I saw death.
ARWEN
But there is also life. You saw there was a child! You saw my son!
ELROND
That future is almost gone.
ARWEN
But it is not lost.
ELROND
Nothing is certain.
ARWEN
Some things are certain. If I leave him now, I will regret it forever. It is time.
ARWEN
From the ashes a fire shall be woken/ A light from the shadows shall spring/ Renewed shall be blade that was broken/ The crownless again shall be king.
ARWEN
Reforge the sword.
ARWEN
Father! (Sindarin)
ELROND
Your hands are cold. The life of the Eldar is leaving you.
ARWEN
This was my choice. Ada! Whether by your will or not, there is no ship now that can bear me hence.
We've just passed into the realm of Gondor. Minas Tirith, city of kings. Make way!
PIPPIN
It's the tree. Gandalf. Gandalf!
GANDALF
Yes, the White
Tree of Gondor. The Tree of the king. Lord Denethor, however, is not the king.
He is a steward, only. A caretaker of the throne.
GANDALF
Now, listen carefully. Lord Denethor is Boromir's father. To give him news of his beloved son's death would be most unwise. And do not mention Frodo, or the Ring. And say nothing of Aragorn, either. In fact, it's better if you don't speak at all, Peregrin Took.
GANDALF
Hail Denethor, son of Ecthelion, lord and steward of Gondor. I come with tidings in this dark hour, and with counsel.
DENETHOR
Perhaps you come to explain this. Perhaps you come to tell me why my son is dead.
PIPPIN
Boromir died to save us, my kinsman and me. He fell defending us from many foes.
GANDALF
Pippin!
PIPPIN
I offer you my service, such as it is, in payment of this debt.
This is my first
command to you. How did you escape, and my son did not, so might a man as he
was?
PIPPIN
The mightiest man
may be slain by one arrow, and Boromir was pierced by many.
GANDALF
Get up! My lord, there will be a time to grieve for Boromir. But it is not now. War is coming. The enemy is on your doorstep! As steward, you are charged with the defense of this city! Where are Gondor's armies? You still have friends. You are not alone in this fight. Send word to Théoden of Rohan. Light the beacons.
DENETHOR
You think you are wise, Mithrandir, yet for all your subtleties you have not wisdom. Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know. With your left hand you would use me as a shield against Mordor, and with your right you would seek to supplant me. I know who rides with Théoden of Rohan. Oh yes, word has reached my ears of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and I tell you now I will not bow to this Ranger from the North, last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship.
GANDALF
Authority is not given you to deny the return of the king, steward!
DENETHOR
The rule of Gondor is mine, and no other's!
GANDALF
Come. All has turned
to vain ambition. He would even use his grief as a cloak. A thousand years this
city has stood. Now, at the whim of a madman, it will fall. And the White Tree,
the tree of the King, will never bloom again.
PIPPIN
Why are they still
guarding it?
GANDALF
They guard it because they have hope. A faint and fading hope that
one day it will flower. That a king will come and this city will be as it once
was, before it fell into decay. The old wisdom borne out of the West was
forsaken. Kings made tombs more splendid than the houses of the living, and
counted the old names of their descent dearer than the names of their sons.
Childless lords sat in aged halls, musing on heraldry, or in high, cold towers,
asking questions of the stars. And so the people of Gondor fell into ruin. The
line of Kings failed. The White Tree withered. The rule of Gondor was given
over to lesser men.
PIPPIN
Mordor.
GANDALF
Yes, there it lies. This city has dwelt ever in the sight of its
shadow.
PIPPIN
A storm is coming.
GANDALF
This is not the weather of the world. This is a device of Saruon's
making. A broil of fume he sends ahead of his host. The Orcs of Mordor have no
love of daylight, so he covers the face of the sun to ease their passage along
the road to war. When the Shadow of Mordor reaches this city, it will begin.
PIPPIN
Well, Minas Tirith, very impressive. So where are we off to next?
GANDALF
Oh, it's too late for that, Peregrin. There's no leaving this city.
Help must come to us.
It must be getting near teatime. Leastways, it would be in decent
places where there is still teatime.
GOLLUM
We're not in decent places.
SAM
Mr. Frodo? What is it?
FRODO
It's just a feeling. I don't think I'll be coming back.
SAM
Yes you will. Of course you will. That's just morbid thinking.
We're going there and back again, just like Mr. Bilbo. You'll see.
FRODO
I think these lands were once part of the kingdom of Gondor. Long
ago, when there was a king.
SAM
Mr. Frodo, look. The king has got a crown again.
GOLLUM
Come on, Hobbits! Mustn't stop now. This way.
So I imagine this is just a ceremonial position. I mean, they don't actually expect me to do any fighting. Do they?
GANDALF
You're in the service of the steward now. You'll have to do as you're told. Peregrin Took. Ridiculous Hobbit, Guard of the Citadel. Thank you.
PIPPIN
There's no more
stars. Is it time?
GANDALF
Yes.
PIPPIN
It's so quiet.
GANDALF
It's the deep breath before the plunge.
PIPPIN
I don't want to be in a battle, but waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse. Is there any hope, Gandalf, for Frodo and Sam?
GANDALF
There never was much hope. Just a fool's hope. Our enemy is ready. His full strength’s gathered. Not only Orcs, but Men as well. Legions of Haradrim from the south. Mercenaries from the coast. All will answer Mordor's call.
CAPTAIN
Come on!
GANDALF
This will be the end of Gondor as we know it. Here the hammer-stroke will fall hardest. If the river is taken, if the garrison at Osgiliath falls, the last defense of this city will be gone.
PIPPIN
But we have the White Wizard, that's got to count for something. Gandalf?
GANDALF
Sauron has yet to reveal his deadliest servant. The one who will lead Mordor's armies in war. The one they say no living Man can kill. The Witch-king of Angmar. You've met him before. He stabbed Frodo on Weathertop. He is the lord of the Nazgûl, the greatest of the Nine. Minas Morgul is his lair.
The Dead City. Very nasty place. Full of enemies. Quick, quick! They will see, they will see. Come away, come away. Look, we have found it...the way into Mordor! The secret stair. Climb.
SAM
No! Mr.Frodo!
GOLLUM
Not that way!
GOLLUM
What's it doing?
SAM
No!
FRODO
They're calling me.
SAM
No.
SMÉAGOL
Hide, hide!
FRODO
I can feel his blade.
GANDALF
We come to it at last. The great battle of our time.
GOLLUM
Come away, Hobbits. We climb, we must climb.
The board is set.
The pieces are moving.
Up, up, up the
stairs we go. And then it's into the tunnel...
SAM
Hey, what's in
this tunnel? You listen to me, and you listen good and proper. Anything happens
to him, you have me to answer to. One sniff that something's not right, one hair
stands up on the back of my head, it's over. No more slinker. No more stinker.
You're gone. Got it? I'm watching you.
FRODO
What was that
about?
SAM
Nothin'. Just clearin' somethin' up.
GANDALF
Peregrin Took, my lad, there is a task now to be done. Another opportunity for one of the Shire-folk to prove their great worth. You must not fail me.
It's been very
quiet across the river. The Orcs are lying low. The garrison may have moved
out. We've sent scouts to Cair Andros. If the Orcs attack from the North, we'll
have some warning.
GOTHMOG
Quiet.
SOLDIER
We need ten more.
GOTHMOG
Kill him!
FARAMIR
They're not coming from the north. To the river. Quick, quick!
SOLDIER
Go, come on!
GOTHMOG
Faster. Draw swords.
FARAMIR:
Aah!
SOLDIER:
Hold, hold!
What?
GANDALF
Amon Dîn.
GAURD
The beacon, the beacon of Amon Dîn is lit!
GANDALF
Hope is kindled.
The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid.
THÉODEN
And Rohan will
answer! Muster the Rohirrim!
THÉODEN
Assemble the men at Dunharrow, as many men as can be found. You have two days. On the third, we ride for Gondor...and war.
CAPTAIN
Forward!
SOLDIER
Very good sir.
THÉODEN
Gamling!
GAMLING
My lord?
THÉODEN
Make haste across the Riddermark. Summon every able-bodied man to Dunharrow.
GAMLING
I will.
ARAGORN
Will you ride with us?
ÉOWYN
Just to the
encampment. It's tradition for the women of the court to farewell the men.
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