Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is an incredibly action-heavy movie in comparison to the first film, but that responsibility was handled excellently by Peter Jackson. The film proved to be just as popular, if not more so, and once again Jackson made sure that this project was as close to the novel as possible.

Of course, as with any movie, there is easter eggs and small details that many people missed out on, but that is what makes it so rewatchable for diehard fans. While some moments are nods to the books, others are totally random details that you really have to look out for.

Some might be obvious, such as cameos and appearances that you can look for, while others are a little less obvious that you may have never noticed. Here are 10 hidden details from The Two Towers that you may not have known about.

Keeping Boromir Alive

The end of Fellowship of the Ring is an incredibly emotional one as Boromir is killed. It leaves fans stunned and heartbroken, but even though the memory of the popular character lives on in the group, there is a subtle Easter Egg that keeps him alive even more.

When his body is set off in the boat following his death, you will notice that his wrist guards are missing from his body. The reason for that is because Aragorn has them. He continues to wear them in The Two Towers to keep Boromir’s legacy alive, ensuring he is never truly forgotten and that he completes the journey with them.

Peter Jackson Cameo

Peter Jackson is the mad genius behind all the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, directing them perfectly and helping to bring the world of Middle-Earth to life in the best way possible. He did an amazing job with directing the big Hollywood names, but couldn’t help putting himself into the movies.

Jackson actually appeared in all of the movies in a brief little role, not taking too much screentime during the films. Within The Two Towers, you can find Jackson during the Battle of Helms Deep, where he plays a soldier on the battlements.

Gandalf’s Accent

When you listen to Gandalf speak, you just think nothing of it. While it is a very grand voice that Ian McKellan brings to the part, most people just presume that was the talented actor putting on a voice to make the wizard seme as powerful as possible.

However, the truth behind it is that McKellan was actually putting on a very serious actor. He actually based his accent on J.R.R. Tolkien himself, the man who was the creator of Middle-Earth itself. It’s a fun little detail, but one that not many people are aware of.

Wizard Of Oz

Speaking of wizards… in The Two Towers, there is a very noticeable nod to the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz. In that movie, the Lio, Tin Man, and Scarecrow are led to the Witch’s fortress where they see the army marching through the gates. They steal the uniforms and get inside.

During The Two Towers, Frodo and Sam actually arrive at the black gate. Seemingly having the chance to end the series before the final movie. While that doesn’t actually happen, they do also steal the orcs uniform, giving another nod to this film.

Changing Eyes

The character of Smeagol/Gollum is one of the most complex and interesting in the Lord of the Rings franchise, and within The Two Towers, there is a small detail that many people miss. When he talks, the pupils of his eyes actually change depending on which version of this complicated character is talking.

Smeagol’s pupils are wide-eyed, almost childlike. This is because that character is hopeful and still full of life, whereas Gollum’s are much smaller. This is due to the toll that the ring has taken on him, making him meaner and more aggressive.

Chanting

The Battle of Helm’s Deep is arguably the most memorable moment from the entire trilogy, and there are many different things about this particular battle scene that people aren’t aware of. One of those comes from the chants that the Uruk-hai army provide.

While you hear it and believe the chants to be coming from the Uruk, who are clearly doing a war cry, that isn’t actually the case. The chants are not even coming from the tons of extras who play them, they are actually from a stadium of New Zealand cricket fans.

Mouthwash

Another brilliant detail about this movie is from the Orcs. They have black blood, which is seen plenty throughout the franchise when they are stabbed. However, because of this fact, the decision was made to turn the insides of their mouths black as well.

Not wanting them to have pink mouths and then black blood, they tried to stay as consistent as possible. So in order to achieve the black mouths, each actor had to swill a licorice-based mouthwash prior to their scenes.

Andy Serkis’ performance as Gollum is truly unforgettable within this movie, with this arguably being the best of the lot. From the way he performed the lines to the small little mannerisms that Gollum would do on the odd occasion if you kept your eye on him, he was so fun to watch.

The reason for this was because Serkis actually based the desperation of the character to someone who is suffering withdrawals from heroin. A true addict who can’t get away from the drug, which is what the One Ring was to him.

Screaming Hell

Injuries are commonplace on the set of movies, especially ones that involve a lot of action like The Two Towers. That’s why it won’t come as a huge surprise that Viggo Mortensen suffered an injury on the set. However, the way he suffers the injury might.

During the moment Aragorn lets out a huge scream in the movie after kicking a helmet when he finds the burnt corpses, whom he believes to be Pippin and Merry, Mortensen actually broke two of his toes. The organic reaction was so good that they simply had to keep it within the movie.

Beards Galore

One very clever hidden detail that many people will not have picked up on within this movie takes place when the Riders of Rohan make their appearance. These soldiers are all supposed to be men, and the makeup team did a great job of making that seem to be the case because many of them are actually women!

The casting call was put out for horse riders, who were asked to bring their own horse. The majority of the people who turned up just so happened to be women. Because they were trained riders and had plenty of horses, the crew opted to use them and just put on prosthetic beards to make them appear as men.