25 Years Later, I Still Can't Believe Gandalf's Most Iconic LOTR Movie Quote Wasn't In The Books

2 weeks ago 17

Published Aug 26, 2026, 8:13 PM EDT

Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.

Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."

The Lord of the Rings continues to be one of the most iconic fantasy universes to date, and in Peter Jackson's movie trilogy, Gandalf had several memorable lines, and it will always be shocking to remember that perhaps his best quote was not from the original novels. The Lord of the Rings is one of the many fantasy book adaptations to find success.

In recent years, that trend has continued mainly through George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones and its spinoff shows at HBO, but also with projects like Netflix's The Witcher, HBO's His Dark Materials, and it is something that HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV show, which will reboot the franchise after eight movies, also hopes to achieve.

Not counting other additions to the wider Middle-earth franchise, Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies came up with many remarkable fantasy quotes. One of the characters with the most iconic lines in those films was the powerful Gandalf, who was helped not only by the films' fantastic dialogue, but also by the expert delivery of Ian McKellen.

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Across the Harry Potter films, the boy wizard is rarely without his loyal companion — a snowy owl gifted to him by Hagrid on his eleventh birthday. What is the owl’s name?

AHedwig BErrol CPigwidgeon DCrookshanks

✓ Correct! Hedwig — the snowy owl Harry receives in The Philosopher’s Stone — becomes one of his most beloved companions. Errol is the Weasleys’ ancient, accident-prone owl; Pigwidgeon is Ron’s tiny hyperactive owl; and Crookshanks is Hermione’s ginger cat — not an owl at all.

✗ Not quite! The answer is Hedwig. Errol is the Weasleys’ clumsy family owl, Pigwidgeon is Ron’s tiny owl from later books, and Crookshanks is Hermione’s cat. Hedwig is the snowy owl Hagrid buys Harry for his birthday — even getting her own leitmotif from composer John Williams.

In Rob Reiner’s 1987 cult classic The Princess Bride, the farm boy Westley answers Buttercup’s every demand with the same three words — which she comes to realize actually mean “I love you.” What does he say?

A“As you wish” B“Inconceivable!” C“My only love” D“Anything for you”

✓ Correct! “As you wish” is Westley’s signature line — and the film’s emotional core. “Inconceivable!” is Vizzini’s catchphrase (prompting Inigo’s famous “You keep using that word…”). The other two were never in William Goldman’s script — the whole point is that three plain words carry all the meaning.

✗ Not quite! The answer is “As you wish.” “Inconceivable!” belongs to the Sicilian Vizzini. Buttercup slowly realizes that Westley’s endlessly repeated “As you wish” is really his way of saying “I love you” — one of the most quoted lines in fantasy cinema.

The 2006 Spanish-language masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth blends a fascist-era fairy tale with the grim reality of post-Civil War Spain, featuring the nightmarish Pale Man. Which director created this dark fantasy?

AAlfonso Cuarón BGuillermo del Toro CPedro Almodóvar DRobert Rodriguez

✓ Correct! Guillermo del Toro wrote and directed Pan’s Labyrinth, designing the Faun and the eyeless Pale Man himself. He’d later win Best Director and Best Picture for The Shape of Water. Cuarón directed Prisoner of Azkaban; Almodóvar is Spain’s great melodramatist; Rodriguez is del Toro’s close friend but made Sin City and Spy Kids.

✗ Not quite! The answer is Guillermo del Toro. Alfonso Cuarón (a fellow “Three Amigos” of Mexican cinema) directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Pedro Almodóvar makes Spanish melodramas, and Robert Rodriguez made Sin City. Del Toro’s creature designs in Pan’s Labyrinth are now iconic.

In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), the four Pevensie children first stumble into the snowy land of Narnia by passing through what object?

AA magic mirror BA wardrobe CA painting DA wishing well

✓ Correct! It’s a wardrobe — it’s right there in the title. Lucy hides inside during a game and finds the snow and lamppost of Narnia beyond the fur coats. A magical painting actually appears in the sequel, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; the mirror and well are red herrings from other fantasy tales.

✗ Not quite! The answer is a wardrobe — literally named in the title. Lucy Pevensie pushes past the coats and steps out into snowy Narnia by the lamppost. (A magical painting does pull the children into the sea in the later film The Voyage of the Dawn Treader — but not here.)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) made Oscar history as the first fantasy film to win Best Picture, sweeping every category it was nominated in. How many Academy Awards did it take home?

A4 B7 C9 D11

✓ Correct! Return of the King won all 11 of its nominations — tying Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997) for the all-time record, and becoming the first (and so far only) fantasy film to win Best Picture. Remarkably, it earned zero acting nominations yet still swept the board clean.

✗ Not quite! The answer is 11 — a perfect clean sweep. Return of the King tied Ben-Hur and Titanic for the most Oscar wins ever and broke fantasy’s long Best Picture drought. Fellowship of the Ring won 4 and The Two Towers won 2; the finale took everything it was nominated for.

In the swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean films, Johnny Depp earned an Oscar nomination playing a swaggering, kohl-eyed pirate captain reportedly inspired by Keith Richards. What is the character’s name?

AWill Turner BDavy Jones CCaptain Jack Sparrow DHector Barbossa

✓ Correct! Captain Jack Sparrow — Depp’s loose-limbed, rum-soaked performance earned a surprise Best Actor nomination for The Curse of the Black Pearl. Will Turner is the blacksmith hero (Orlando Bloom), Davy Jones is the tentacle-faced villain (Bill Nighy), and Hector Barbossa is the mutinous rival captain (Geoffrey Rush).

✗ Not quite! The answer is Captain Jack Sparrow. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) is the earnest blacksmith, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) is the squid-faced sea villain, and Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is the cursed rival. It was Depp’s Sparrow — modeled partly on Keith Richards — who earned the Oscar nod.

Jim Henson’s 1986 musical fantasy Labyrinth features a teenage Jennifer Connelly navigating a maze to rescue her baby brother from the flamboyant, wild-haired Goblin King Jareth. Which rock legend played Jareth?

ADavid Bowie BTim Curry CMick Jagger DSting

✓ Correct! David Bowie played Jareth, writing and performing the film’s songs including “Magic Dance” and “As the World Falls Down.” Tim Curry famously played the demon Darkness in another Ridley Scott fantasy, Legend (also 1985-86). Jagger and Sting are rock icons but never donned Jareth’s glittering cape and wild wig.

✗ Not quite! The answer is David Bowie. Tim Curry played the towering devil Darkness in the rival fantasy Legend around the same time. Bowie not only starred as Jareth the Goblin King but composed and sang the soundtrack — “Magic Dance” remains the film’s signature number.

In the 1984 classic The NeverEnding Story, the young warrior Atreyu journeys across the dying realm of Fantasia and befriends a furry, dog-faced luckdragon who carries him through the skies. What is the luckdragon’s name?

AArtax BFalkor CGmork DBastian

✓ Correct! Falkor (Falkor the luckdragon) is the friendly, scale-and-fur covered dragon who aids Atreyu and Bastian. Artax is Atreyu’s horse, lost heartbreakingly in the Swamp of Sadness; Gmork is the wolf-like servant of The Nothing; and Bastian is the real-world boy reading the story who is ultimately drawn into it.

✗ Not quite! The answer is Falkor. Artax is Atreyu’s beloved horse (the Swamp of Sadness scene scarred a generation), Gmork is the menacing wolf-beast serving The Nothing, and Bastian is the bullied boy reading the book. Falkor is the soaring luckdragon — one of fantasy cinema’s most cherished creatures.

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While McKellen would deliver many exciting lines throughout the entire trilogy, his best might be from the first The Lord of the Rings movie. That would be The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which was released 25 years ago, in 2021. While there is one line in that film from Gandalf himself that might be more popular, his most iconic was not in the books.

Gandalf's "A Wizard Is Never Late" Line Isn't In The Lord Of The Rings Books

When many fans think of Gandalf's role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first quote from the character that tends to come to mind is the epic war cry "You shall not pass!" That quote comes from the moment where Gandalf gets ready to take extreme measures against the Balrog. Not only is it iconic because of Gandalf's sacrifice, but it was also a slight change from the J.R.R. Tolkien book, as Gandalf originally said, "You cannot pass!" That said, Gandalf's best quote from that film takes this one step further.

The character's greatest line in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is actually from a quieter moment in the high fantasy movie. When Gandalf greets Frodo, who is mad about the wizard being late, McKellen perfectly delivers a witty response, saying, "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." It is always surprising to remember that this iconic quote is fully original to the movie version of the franchise, not existing in any of The Lord of the Rings books, because it feels distinctly Tolkien-like.

Why Gandalf's "Wizard" Quote Is A Perfect LOTR Movie Line

The line is so memorable because it comes quite early in the movie, and it perfectly encapsulates who Gandalf is. After that moment, not only is he known for being late — or just on time, according to him — but audiences are instantly taken by his charming demeanor and the character's eccentric persona. As such, it is the perfect line to start Gandalf's quest in the present as he approaches the Shire, as well as change the mood of the movie after Galadriel's explanation of Sauron's dark quest.

Additionally, there is also a hidden meaning to the quote. By saying that "A Wizard Is Never Late," Gandalf is also nodding to his fate as one of the Istari. Gandalf will always be there when history needs him to. That is why he is at peace with his choices, no matter how hard they might be, different from Saruman, as McKellen's character knows that every action is part of a greater plan. Due to how that Gandalf quote perfectly sums up the character to his core, I will forever be shocked by the fact that it did not come from The Lord of the Rings books.

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.