Fans of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’s epic final battle are only just discovering that there was meant to be an enormous showdown between Aragorn and Sauron.
Despite his looming presence in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sauron is rarely physically present for the events in the films. He is briefly shown in a prologue sequence, but is mostly depicted as a glowing, disembodied eye.
However, it was not intended to happen like that, as was disclosed on the DVD extended version of The Return of the King. Peter Jackson had initially included a final battle between Aragorn and Sauron in his filming.
Ultimately, Jackson chose not to include a scene that was not originally part of Tolkien’s novel. He believed it deviated too much from the source material and instead focused on Sam and Frodo’s journey to destroy the One Ring. Fans on the Lord of the Rings subreddit are currently discussing Jackson’s decision.
Peter Jackson filmed scenes of Sauron appearing in the battle at the Black Gate and fighting Aragorn. Jackson cut this scene because he realized that the real climax was Frodo and Sam destroying the Ring, not a duel between Aragorn and Sauron. Do you agree or disagree with Jackson’s decision? byu/tamaraallenr inlotr
Thankfully, there is little disagreement on the matter. The majority of fans are in complete awe that Jackson even thought of including the scene, but are relieved that he decided to remove it from the final version.
“One fan argued that adding this scene would have been unwise since Sauron’s absence in The Lord of the Rings serves a purpose.”
“Another fan expressed their thoughts, stating that the third film is already filled with nonsensical elements, and having Sauron randomly appear would only add to the confusion.”
“I completely agree. The troll scene was also excessive,”another fan commented, acknowledging the film’s correction. Although the fight still appears in The Return of the King, Sauron has been digitally replaced so that Aragorn battles a troll instead.
According to one fan, the troll was included as a cgi substitute for Sauron, which is why there is a significant emphasis on the duel and its intense nature. Keeping this in mind while rewatching will reveal that the portrayal of Aragorn vs the Troll may be a bit exaggerated.
This is yet another instance of how the movies successfully straddled the line between staying true to the source material and evolving into its own unique entity.
For those craving more of The Lord of the Rings, there is plenty to discover about the highly anticipated second season of The Rings of Power.
We also provide information on the missing character of Rings of Power, the Season 2 trailer, and the surprisingly low salary of Cate Blanchett for LOTR.
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