Published Jul 2, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT
Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy.
Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).
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The three Lord of the Rings movies are absolutely packed full of excellent quotes, but nothing surpasses Samwise Gamgee's big moment. There's been no question over the last two decades that Sean Astin was the perfect Sam. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a deeply lovable character in his books, and with the help of Peter Jackson, Astin put him right before our eyes. Frodo may stand at the center of The Lord of the Rings, but Sam was the true hero of the tale—the one Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, and all the rest couldn't have done it without.
Part of what makes Sam so spectacular is that he doesn't try to be much more than simple-minded. He sees the beauty of the word and is wholly content with it. Still, we know that, before he got swept away in Frodo's adventure, Samwise Gamgee dreamed of Bilbo's stories. He wondered if he had what it would take to face the shadow rather than turn back. When the moment came for Sam to prove himself, he didn't disappoint. Time and time again, he stayed by Frodo's side, and in 2002's The Two Towers, Sam delivered the best speech of the franchise:
"By rights we shouldn’t even be here, but we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. 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 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, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t because they were holding on to something—that there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."
Sam Gamgee Is The Very Heart Of The Lord Of The Rings (& His Quote Proves It)
Sam Gamgee's monologue in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is unique to the films. Tolkien wrote the character a similar quote, but with some significant differences. These sorts of changes are often controversial, but I'd wager that Tolkien himself wouldn't mind this one. With much less time to get this character's inherent goodness across to viewers, Jackson's The Two Towers had to give Sam just a few lines to really pack a punch.
This was the most desperate part of the Hobbits' adventures so far, and Frodo was quickly losing his strength and resolve. Sam had done his best to be cheery around every corner, but in this moment, that's not what it was about. He told Frodo that their situation was terrible. They didn't deserve to be there. The ugliness of the world wasn't fair, and they had every justifiable reason to turn around and go home to their simple lives. However, Sam also reminded Frodo that the very best stories are those exactly like theirs—when the heroes could turn back, but don't.
This is, in essence, what The Lord of the Rings is all about. It's a simple but poignant declaration. In a world of destruction, war, and greed, it's those who lack ambition and instead see the simple beauties of the world that know what is worth fighting for. Hobbits, and Sam more than most, lost the earth, a garden, good food, a smoke, and some friends beyond any other sort of personal gain. It's a goodness Sauron couldn't understand, and one he never saw coming.
Other Lord Of The Rings Movie Quotes That Perfectly Capture The Heart Of The Story
As sure as I am that Sam's Two Towers monologue is the very best of the film franchise, that doesn't mean it was an easy choice. There's little doubt that Sam is the true hero, heart, and soul of The Lord of the Rings, but a fellowship is a group of people, and Sam was never alone. Each character brings something beautiful—something worth fighting for—to the story. So, each member of the Fellowship of the Ring delivers a quote that captures the central theme of The Lord of the Rings perfectly.
|
Character |
Quote |
|
Gandalf |
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." |
|
Aragorn |
"A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day!" |
|
Legolas |
"We have trusted you this far. You have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair." |
|
Boromir |
"I would have followed you, my brother... my captain... my king." |
|
Gimli |
"Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf." |
|
Merry |
"I know I can't save Middle-earth. I just want to help my friends." |
|
Pippin |
"Where are we going?" |
|
Frodo |
"I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam." |
Movie(s) The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Created by J.R.R. Tolkien
First Film The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Cast Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt
TV Show(s) The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Character(s) Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
English (US) ·