Arise, arise Riders of Theoden! Fell deeds awake; fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield shall be splintered! A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Rise now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!

My now-wife had never seen LOTR until I dated her. After Theoden's epic speech in this scene she started crying. I paused it and asked her why she was crying and she replied that the riders were cheering death. They knew they were going to die but they were still making an an effort to destroy evil instead of preserving themselves and that was the most honorable thing they could do. Now I have two children with that woman. She's a keeper.

Greatest scene in cinematic history. Not to sound lame but literally brings me to tears every time i see it.

I teared when Theoden said "I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed." What a man.

Gamling: "Too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor." Theoden: "No we cannot. But we will meet them in battle nonetheless."

In the book, Tolkien states that following Minas Tirith's rescue by the Rohirim, Pippen can never again hear a horn without weeping. I think Jackson captured that sentiment brilliantly in the movie. When all is lost, suddenly that beautiful horn cuts through all other sounds, just like the Rohirim do to the orcs. The sound of it speaks to my soul in a really profound way.

The scene in the book is also arguably one of the greatest scenes in written fiction.

An enemy host shouting "Death!" is such a terrifying thing because it can mean two things: That they are ready to deliver death, and/or they are ready to accept it. An enemy with such a conviction is scary indeed.

This scene will never not give me goosebumps. 20 years later, and it still does.

I will do the same comment again. To quote CS Lewis in The Horse and His Boy: "A King must be first in every desperate attack, last in every desperate retreat and when there's hunger in the land to laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in his kingdom." Theoden is this, he is what a king, a leader should be. He acts in spite of his fear, he is a great man, but a man nonetheless. This is Bravery, not fearlessness, but acting in spite of fear.

So good! Brings me to tears every time. So does “I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company, I shall not now feel ashamed” 😢

Another thing that makes this scene great, is Peter put only the extras who had read the books and got the importance of this charge in front during the charge, all the extras they focus on were fans of the novel. That speaks volumes on peters priorities and it shows. You can feel the love for the novel and Tolkien in it.

The ride of the Rohirrim epitomize the humanity’s willingess to fight in this cruel world.

Theoden's character arc is, in my opinion, the most compelling arc in the entire story. Hands down, my favorite character in the movies.

With that he seized a great horn from Guthlaf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And straightway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains. _ Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor! _ Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Eomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first eored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Theoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was born up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Orome the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. ================================= ...Theoden was the real Epic one. Rather than a decrepit, old man (when we first met him), or as he is claimed by Saruman "..A lesser son of greater sires," His character arc reaches true fulfillment. ...And yet, even for a moment, he hesitated. For a moment, we were reminded that he was human. Just a human, before he rose to be a hero, a king, and a leader to his people. *He* was young again. For one last act to go out in a true blaze of glory. R.I.P. Theoden son of Thengel.

2:45 I love this part, about how death was a gift from Iluvatar but Melkor had worked hard to corrupt men’s understanding of it so that they feared death. But moments before they charge they chant “death” defiantly in the face of evil before they meet their fate. Very cool.

This scene resonates with us because it embraces two of the oldest tropes in history and fiction. The Doomed Last Stand and Facing Your Death Unafraid. This is the glorious battle that our ancestors fought throughout the generations. A cause worth dying for alongside your friends and companions. Even without the whole lore angle it is inherently inspiring because it speaks to us like the stories of our ancestors The change of the light brigade, the defenders of Malta, the ride of the Rohirm, all classic cases

Personally, my favorite part of Theoden's speech before the charge is the part that seems most often overlooked: "Ride now! Ride now! Ride for Ruin, and the World's ending!" I get serious Ragnarok vibes from it, and it gives my inner Norseman chills every time I watch the movie.

I’ve never been able to watch this scene without tearing up. It’s like Rohan is saying “ok, you want to kill the world of men? Fine! Here we are…ALL of us… let’s do this…” as they ride to meet their fair head on. It’s beautiful!

This is also the first time in the trilogy that the Rohirrim theme is played in its completion, everything was leading to this moment. Always a guaranteed watch when someone talks about this scene

My family used to watch the lord of the rings trilogy every year, and I often didn’t want to watch ROTK because it felt so hopeless and dark, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized it is an incredibly hopeful movie. Every time the characters are brought to the brink of despair something comes along to help them. When Frodo is captured, Sam comes to his rescue, when all hope seems lost in the battle of Gondor, the Rohirrim crest the battlefield to join the fight. The movie does an incredible job of giving the audience the hope they need for the characters right as the characters troubles seem unsermountable, and it really is a credit to how great of an author Tolkien was

Théoden's speech was incredible. It was barely even a speech, it was just his confidence made into noise. His inspiring words and his shouting turned fear into bravery simply by telling them that their spears will break and shields will splinter, then he just fuckin yells and everyone is on board. He told them they're gonna die, but made that comment into something to be proud of rather than something to fear. Comparing to Aragorn's amazing speech at the black gate, I still think Théoden's speech had a greater impact.

Best scene, without a doubt. I love how it completes Theoden’s transformation from enslaved and weak-minded to courageous and free, from a follower to a great leader. It shows the pinnacle of one’s freedom from enslavement by those like Grima is not a freedom from danger, but rather to go into it with head held high.

In the movies, you could surmise Aragorn was coming with the unkillable Dead Army anyway, so they were going to win in the end regardless. In the books it's even more epic, because Aragorn does NOT come with the Dead, he just uses them to free up the South. So literally all would be lost without the Ride of the Rohirrim, which was inspired by the greatest cavalry charge in history, the Winged Hussars at the Battle of Vienna.

Oddly enough, part of the speech Theoden gives to inspire his army is transposed from another character. In the novel, Eomer, finding Theoden dead and his sister Eowyn mortally wounded (during a pause in the battle) cries out for "Death! Ride, ride to ruin and the world's ending!" Peter Jackson and his co-writers must have thought that worked better at the end of Theoden's speech, most of which was given just as the Rohirrim arrive at Pelennor Fields, but no matter. Eomer's anguished cry rallies them, and they are then calling out for death, to mete out death and face it bravely themselves.

I remember in the book it explicitly states that the Riders, as they charged into battle, burst into song and “Sang as they Slew”. I realize the scene would have been near impossible to shoot but it gives me shivers whenever I read that passage.

"To be brave is not to be without fear, but to act in spite of it." I don't know who said that, or where I heard it, but it has stayed with me. And when I see the Charge of the Rohirrim, I remember that line, always.

Nobody seems to take any notice of how great Bernard Hill was in these movies, The battle speech before the ride of the Rohirrum delivered by Bernard is one of my very favourite scenes in movies, Bernard was also great as Yosser Hughes in a show called The Boys From The Blackstuff that is quite an old show now but was just great and only Brits would know about that.

The video where Tolkien himself is reading this scene into a recorder gives me chills like nothing else can.

My favourite parts of that scene: Every single second. It's beautiful. If I had to choose though I'd say: - The music, since the Rohirrim score is my absolute favourite in the whole trilogy and maybe one of my favourite movie tracks of all time. It simply captures everything: Hope, Sadness, impending doom and valor despite certain death. - Theoden's part in it, specifically the build-up in his story. Theoden is one of my favourite characters in LotR. He feels like a normal man, plagued by the same emotions and flaws that we all are. Gandalf, Aragorn and so on are these awesome larger-than-life heroes, you just know they will keep fighting and do the right thing in the end. But Theoden is one of the most complex characters. He had to go through a whole character arc. He despaired in the face of death, then was reminded to keep on fighting and never lose hope. Then he had to make the decision to help Gondor, knowing the odds are against them. Then he saw the orc army and knew they had basically no chance to win. But he *chose* to not give up anymore. To give his life to keep his people and the world safe, to focus on his honor and just say "Damn this all, let's just get on with it! Death!" Theoden *chose* to be a hero.

The Rohan scenes starting with Aragorn announcing the beacon of Amon Din is lit to theodens death is the peak of emotion in the movie for me. Theoden is the perfect example of a normal, yet good, man. He is in my opinion the most human emotion-wise in the series. Rohan shall answer. The charge of the Rohirrim. His final words. All beautiful and differently emotional. Rage, courage, fear, hope, serenity. All of it. Man it works me up thinking about it all combined.

When the crescendo reaches its height and the Rohirrim theme gets onto full swing I get the goosebumbs every time. I’ve watched the trilogy atleast 50 times and it is such a momentuos occasion every time. Edit: works without music too, got goosebumbs watching this vid at the moment they start charging.

This film was one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my life, if not THE greatest 😊

I love what you said about fantasy and fiction. We don't want it to reflect our world. We want it to inspire us, lift us, and give us hope that somehow, we can be better than we are. And our future can be brighter than it is now.

I think Jackson’s choice to add Faramir’s failed charge is important when viewing this scene. It shows the lethality of the orc volleys and really shows just how valiant this charge is.

The fact that Tolkien took inspiration from the The Winged Hussars when he created the Rohirrim and the Battle of Vienna (1683) when he created the Battle for Helms Deep and Pelennor Fields makes it all the more epic in my eyes at least. 😄

This scene always makes me cry of pure catharsis. The whole battle of the Pelennor fields is a masterpiece and I love it much more than the battle of Helm's deep. There is this amazing scene, followed by a similar when they reform the line to meet the mumakils head on, and then the passing of Théoden. That is an other cry worthy scene. I love Théoden so much!

One of the best moments from the book isn’t in the film. Eomer looks out on the black ships and believes it’s over. There is an excellent passage where he comes to terms with it and raises his sword to defy them. My favorite Tolkien passage.

"For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and the darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City."

That Horn of Rohan blast ALWAYS sends chills down my spine!! Plus, Eowyn was destined to fulfil a part of the Prophecy about the Witch-King of Angmar!!

*To this day…with my speakers on FULL BLAST. I STILL get goosebumps and tear up watching this scene. All hope seems lost and even in the face of certain death…these men rode to their destiny! Not to mention the absolutely PERFECT symphony composed by Howard Shore. Truly one of the most amazing scenes in cinematic history, I’m tearing up just thinking about it now.🙏🏼😭*

Theoden is my favorite character in LOTR books and movies. He knew before he left to go to Gondor that he had too few men. Yet he went anyway. They arrived at the darkest hour, when needed most. This scene by far the best in the movie and in the book.

This scene gives me chills! Just as the lighting of the beacons gives me chills. Howard Shore’s themes are perfect

I've been reading Tolkien since '76 and your brief presentation has brought a new light to this epic episode for me and for that I must be thankful.

Seeing this rereleased in theaters was the most epic and inspiring scene to ever grace the screen. You could feel the hoofs hitting the ground, pounding as if your heart. It was beautiful and if there was any movie I would watch again for the first time, it would be this.

I’ve always loved how theoden leveraged death not the death of the enemy but the death of themselves, he turns their fear of death into their driver, death is what pushes them into the battle not victory, they ride for the end of all things

Having read the books well before the movies this was the moment that I looked forward to the most. When I first heard Howard Shore's Rohan motif/theme in The Two Towers, it gave me all sorts of feels. And when this moment came, it did not disappoint.

The death of Boromir and the coronation of Aragorn are two other scene that tears me up. "I would have followed you, my brother; my captain; my king."😢 "My friends. You bow to no one." 😢

The Ride of the Rohirrim makes me tear up in all it's forms, book, film and especially J.R.R. Tolkien reading it. The passion in his voice when he reads it is inspiring.

not only does this scene stand among the greatest scenes in cinematic history, but your narration and comments stand among the greatest, too.

Gives me chills every time I watch the Rohirrim ride out, no matter how many times I've seen it.

Whether in the book, or in the movie, truly one of the great moments in all of story telling. Great literature shows us the best, and worst, we can be. The greatest theme in The Lord Of The Rings is that each one must stand up and do their part in the fight for good, no matter how hopeless it seems.

This scene makes me, a grown man, cry every time. This and the sacrifice of Boromir are my favorite scenes in the trilogy.

I get chills when the music swells and the overhead shot reveals the rising sunlight and the entire host of the Rohirrim.

It's also the horses, horses add an element of bravery and goodness and just epicness that can't be obtained otherwise. Horses combine kindness, beauty and force like no other creature can. The perfect contrast with the evil of Mordor. The whole scene is just stunning. The Rohirrim stand for hope and human resilience, they are not superhuman so recognizable. They show the best of human nature. An example to admire even if its fantasy.

i've watched the return of the king half a dozen times or so over the last 20 years and whether as a nerdy kid back then or as a grizzled old cynic now, i could never keep myself from sweating from the eyes to the ride of the rohirrim.

Well done with the narration.. a perfect scene. It is a good day to die. So like being a Viking There will never be a moment like this in cinema ever again.

It's so hard to convey how epic this was to see in theaters in 2003, but like other commentators, I still tear up every time.

I have to admit that I almost cried near the end of this video. It's such a powerful scene and has such potent symbolism. I firmly agree with you that this is the absolute apex of cinnematic history in terms of inspiring moments and will go down as a classic for the ages. I've never seen anything that hits the same way since and with the state of modern Hollywood I never will again, but thats fine because we have this perfect transcendent moment that perfectly captures and enhances the original literary work. This is Tolkien at its finest.

One of the only scenes I would rank up this in cinematic history is the "La Marseillaise" scene from Casablanca, and in its own way it pulls at the same emotions as the Ride of the Rohirrim.

"And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City." An amazing scene of cinema, from the greatest work of literature of the 20th century.

You forgot to mention that the Rohirrim have nowhere else to go. Going back to Rohan would only mean delaying the defeat. They are at the end of the road. The only way out is to fight and take as many as they can with them before they die.

It's near impossible to put into words how this scene makes me feel. But you, sir, managed to do it. Thank you.

Just here to add my tears to the ever growing pool. I saw Return of the King in theaters on my 13th birthday and it broke my brain. This scene was the first time I cried at a movie in theaters. So good.

Dude, your analysis of this scene is absolutely epic

To me, there is only one scene in Lord of the Rings that can match this and/or surpass it. That would be Sam's speech about the great stories. That scene is so powerful. You see two hobbits at the end of their rope losing hope, but reflect on the stories of old, and thinking back to the heroes who stood against the darkness. Even though there was no telling of what would happen. Then Sam utters those beautiful words that I quote to myself when I'm in a dark place. " A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those are the stores that stay with you. That means something even if you were too small to understand why."

This is perhaps the greatest scene of its kind -- but it is a member of a small, elite club, not a singleton on its own. That said, it still sends a shiver down my spine, and I can easily watch it multiple times in a row without losing my sense of awe and amazement.

As a life long Tolkien-file it was with great joy and amazement to witness the ride of the Rohirrim into battle. The digital expertise of Jacksons recreation of the battle of Palenor field brought to visual life what Tolkien had intended. And that wasn't the only time in the movie. Nearly the entire movie was replete with the recreation of his books. Peter Jackson, thank you for your vision and boundless energy; it is a seminal work.

This scene defines epic. It's one of the two in the movie (perhaps even the whole trilogy) that will always captivate me and have me hold my breath ; the other on being that moment toward the end when Frodo and Sam have both collapsed from exhaustion at the foot of Mount Doom and Frodo attempts to gather whatever strength he has left to keep crawling forward, highlighted by a simple yet beautiful score.

Excellent review, beautifully written. Captures the spirit, the bravery, the fear and triumph of the whole episode.

I know you mentioned Howard shore but man.... the music that plays, goosebumps aren't close enough to what you actually feel, the build up to this moment starting in the Two Towers and then the pay off. It is out of this world.

Theoden’s grunt / muffled “hyah” to his horse before he calls out “Take your Èored down the left flank” is beyond perfection. Just a moment of us focusing on Theoden making the decision to shove away personal fear in order to be the king he needs to be for the fate of man. And then in an instant he is just that 👌

this scene gives me goosebumbs every time

Tolkien was inspired by the Hussars' charge in Vienna in 1683 - the Battle of Vienna, led by King Jan III Sobieski. He also rode with his cavalry down a mountain. Like king Theoden, Sobieski was honoring his obligations to a treaty- Treaty of Warsaw. It was the largest cavalry charge in history -18,000 horsemen charged down the hills ( with 3,000 Polish heavy lancers, the "Winged Hussars" at the head of that charge).

"And they sang as they slew." One of my favorite lines in the book

your description, voice and delivery is as epic as the battle before us

In Tolkien's world, there is a specific purpose for men. Elves and even the Valar don't know Illuvitar's will and special purpose he has reserved for the souls of men.

This is not only my favourite scene in the LOTR trilogy, it is my favourite scene of any movie I have ever seen, and I have been a movie fan now for over 40 years. I still get chills when Theoden calls to sound the charge - "Forth Eorlingas!" Edit: Oh, and Theoden is my favourite character in LOTR!

Totally Agree! From the first time I read of this scene in the Return of the King book, I envisioned it to be one of the most glorious cavalry charges in verse or history. I am forever grateful to Peter Jackson, the actors, and Howard Shore for creating THE MOST EPIC scene in literary, movie, and actual history! I have watched this charge two to three dozen times ... and it still gives me goosebumps. I love it!

“Courage, Merry”. This is true bravery. To be afraid, yet go forward nevertheless, and to give strength and encouragement to others while doing it.

This is as good as it gets in story telling. I legitimately can’t think of a better scene. I was getting emotional just watching your breakdown 😂

I agree 1000% I watched hundreds of movies over the years few pump me up or excite me as much as this, but even then they still don't match the sheer scale and beauty of this scene and the music is the very definition of epic, it never fails to given me chills no matter how many times I re-watch this scene, especially when the Rohirrim shout "DEATH!" Goosebumps ever time

You have perfectly summarized this scene, and the reasons it is so meaningful and powerful. I watch this scene a lot, precisely because it is inspiring in the face of overwhelming odds. Thanks.

Do what you have to, not what you want. Do the right thing, not the smart thing. It was the greatest lesson in my life and i think it was this scene that taught me that.

Every so often, I'll replay this scene in my head while I'm going about my day. It's been almost 20 years since I first saw this movie in theaters, and I've rewatched many times since then, and still, every time I've ever replayed this scene in my head --literally *100%* of the time I've ever done it--I've gotten goosebumps. Easy call for me as my favorite movie scene of all time.

Something I've always loved about this scene that you touched on a little bit is the sounds of it all. The chanting of Orc, the cheers of 'death', the thundours sound of horn and hoof, and the sound of the clash where all glory is removed and the devastating sounds of pain and death are all we hear. This scene offers so much.

Theoden gives by far and without any doubt the most inspirational call to battle ever recorded/written.

Yes. This is indeed the point of fantasy. It is above contemporary shallowness that not even a billion dollar budget could polish. I read The trilogy when I was a 19 year old college student in 1996. I keep coming back to it. Thank you for your videos. Subbed :-)

I love Theoden. He does what he knows is right, and what he needs to do, and he's willing to accept that this may cost him his life, and that it is better to die than to be alive with the compromised ethos.

"I go to my fathers. And even in their mighty company I shall not now be ashamed." RIP Bernard Hill.

I especially admire the Horns sounding in unison. Not only do the Rohirrim embrace the Halls of Mandos with their cry of "Death," but they answer the call with the Horns of Orome, the Great Rider. The sign of a great leader is not one that hides behind his Vanguard and sends them forth. The sign of a great leader is one that leads the Vanguard, with a voice of conviction. Responsibility of the people he sends to War. "Go forth and fear no Darkness!"

Genuinely made me *more* emotional than I usually get with this scene, which I didn't think was possible. You lent so much power and meaning to what was happening beyond the already brain-melting epicness. As a life-long fan of LOTR, bravo.

Hoo, gave me the feels. I haven't watched these in a while, maybe I should pop the old DVD in and go over this part again.

I feel like the ghost army ending up saving the day really undermines this moment

Still get goosebumps and chills at this scene

Definitely my favorite scene. And there are a LOT of amazing scenes between the 3 movies.

I first read TLOTR when I was about ten years old. Of course back then, I took it for a grand adventure novel but the deeper appreciation for it took many years and many subsequent readings. In these readings, I found this was my favorite part of the book. I memorized it line for line and could visualize the scene in my mind. It was a powerful image. The words and the images they created were simple but so inspiring. To this day, I actually get choaked up when I read or listen to it. The film pulled this scene off as if they had drawn it straight out of my head. It was perfect in every way and seeing the images from my mind brought to life exactly how I envisioned them nearly brought me to tears. No movie and no scene has to me come close to this. Jackson took a few artistic liberties with the film that only a true fan will notice but this, they got absolutely perfect. The other two scenes which resonated with me and gave me a feeling similar to this were Aragorn's speech at the Black Gate and the confrontation between Gandalf and the Lord of the Nazgul. This last one was not replicated as well in the movie and I much prefer the books version but it was still well done. A movie which inspires and promotes the virtues of honor, courage, sacrifice, loyalty, friendship and honesty are hard to find. Those simple virtues are lacking in our world today and I guess the books take me back to a simpler time when those things were expected, respected and taught. Thank you for a wonderful video on what is, and always will be, my favorite scene in any film.

Such a great philosophical reflection and review of one the greatest scenes in cinematic history and probably my favorite scene of all time. I've watched it so many times and it has never lost it's power to me. The line "The Rohirrim will ride...Into the end of all things" just invokes so much emotion in me. Many other movies have similar scenes but none seem to have had the same power to me. As an example, the Avengers Assemble at the final battle in End Game was great, but it just doesn't have the same effect on me. They were all individual super beings, where the Rohirrim, while battle hardened and brave, are but men. Death has a more profound effect and consequence for them. This scene is so powerful because of everything that was said in this video. Seriously, well done.

The rattling of Theoden's sword on the line of spears was a great touch. Gets me every time.

This video is beautifully written and read. Glad I clicked. Thank you.