Top 5 ‘Lord of the Rings’ moments from ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’

Lord of the Rings, much like Harry Potter, and Star Wars, has left an imprint upon pop culture that can never be remade or rebooted.

With the 20th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on the way, it’s only fair to look back on some of the most thrilling moments of the film.

Here is a comprehensive list of the best moments of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

(Disclaimer: This article reflects the viewpoints of the author)

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Top 5 moments from 'The Fellowship of the Ring'

5) The Weathertop Battle

Weathertop as depicted in the film (Image via Warner Bros.)

A moment in the film that proves to be exhilarating and shocking is when Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin are faced down by a horde of Nazgul. The hobbits seem to be at the end of their journey, and Aragorn is able to fend off the demented beings, but not before Frodo is fatally stabbed.

The scene is a frightening battle sequence that truly depicts how terrifying and formidable the Nazgul are. For a brief minute, the audience is almost convinced that Frodo is gone, but is eventually revived at Rivendell.

It serves as a wonderful introduction to who the ring wraiths were.

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4) Gandalf vs. Saruman

Christopher Lee as Saruman the White (Image via Warner Bros.)

A scene that really cemented the dynamic of good and evil was the fight between Gandalf and Saruman. Gandalf the Grey rides to Isengard to seek help and guidance from his old friend Saruman the White. Things go awry when Gandalf finds out that his old friend has become an agent for the evil Sauron.

The two wizards dish it out in the most hardcore wizard-on-wizard battle that hasn’t been matched since Harry Potter went up against Lord Voldemort.

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3) The Death of Boromir

Boromir as he appeared in 'The Lord of the Rings' series (Image via Warner Bros.)

Touching on more of an emotional side of the spectrum, the death of Boromir is one of the most memorable scenes from the film. At first, Boromir began to be easily tempted by the ring’s seductive nature. He was able to redeem himself by saving the other hobbits from an orc attack, but was himself killed in the process.

It’s almost heartbreaking to watch as the audience feels a glimmer of hope for the character thinking he will make it through. Despite being saved by Aragorn, Boromir succumbs to his wounds and falls victim to the orc attack.

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2) The Prologue that started began ‘The Lord of the Rings’

More eerie and ominous than the rest of the film, the prologue of The Lord of the Rings introduces fans to how each set of rings are made and divided among elves, dwarves and men. All hell breaks loose when Sauron decides to craft the master ring to rule all of Middle Earth.

What makes the opening scene of The Lord of the Rings so iconic is the fact that it details the entire gruesome history of the one ring while Cate Blanchett's angelic voice serenades the audience in subtle fashion.

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1) Gandalf vs. The Balrog

The Balrog in "The Lord of the Rings" series (Image via Warner Bros.)

Of course, one can't talk about The Lord of the Rings without mentioning the great Balrog sequence. Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Boromir, and the four hobbits are stuck in the mines of Moria to expedite the journey to destroy the one ring. Upon seeing an exit, Gandalf and his friends flee out of the mines, only to be followed by the devil-like Balrog.

That’s, of course, when Gandalf utters the famous line from The Lord of the Rings series:

“YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”

The wizard uses his powers to plunge the monster beneath the mines but his whip straddles Gandalf’s foot and he falls with the abominable creature.

To feel the true weight of the scene, one must look at Frodo’s reaction as he tried to run back and save his friend, but to no avail.