Taking place in Middle Earth where orcs roam the lands, the Lord of the Rings franchise was always going to have some terrifying moments. While there is certainly some lighter spots, the vast majority of the series is dark by nature.
Because of that, many of the scenes within the three movies can be very scary, especially for younger viewers. With different hideous creatures roaming the lands and plenty of brutal battles, there’s plenty to be scared of.
Thankfully, the comedic moments throughout bring a nice balance to this franchise and stop it from becoming a full-on terrifying experience. But within this list, we will be focusing on the scary scenes, taking a look at the 10 scariest moments.
Galadriel Snaps
Throughout the story, Frodo Baggins often tries to get rid of the ring to various people, and one of those attempts creates a truly terrifying moment. When he hands the ring to Galadriel, most people expect her to calmly reject it, but instead, she completely switches, showing her true powers.
The reason this is so scary is that nobody expects her to act like this. She comes across incredibly kind and sweet, but in reality, her powers are immense and she knows that with the ring, that would be dangerous. Scaring the life out of Frodo, as well as everyone watching, this is a truly terrifying moment.
Becoming Gollum
The storyline of Smeagol and Gollum is one of the very best within Lord of the Rings. It brings out all the possible emotions. From heartbreak to fear, there is a lot going on with this complex individual and the scene where we are shown exactly what happens to him is one of the scariest.
Going from a very normal person enjoying some fishing, to a complete and utter maniac, the transformation is shocking to watch. Seeing him gnaw away on the fish is just horrible to watch, as it becomes clear that he is transforming into something totally different.
Army Of The Dead
In Return of the King, the franchise brings the army of the dead to the forefront of the film for the first time, and they are certainly very creepy. While their appearance to save the day isn’t particularly scary, it is the moment that Aragorn decides to go looking for them that has people terrified.
Slowly heading into the castle, it is clear from the fact that the horses bolt that it isn’t an area you want to go. The tension is set up perfectly and everything builds great, with the army proving to be untouchable as the trio quickly become worried for their lives.
The Witch-King Arrives
Throughout Lord of the Rings, there are plenty of different creatures that bring utter fear, but few do it better than the Witch-King himself. Every scene involving him brings an element of fear simply due to the presence and power that he brings with him.
He’s teased heavily early on, and when he eventually arrives it certainly lives up to the hype. Creating nothing but fear amongst everyone else around them, there are few moments scarier than when the Witch-King decides to arrive.
Balin’s Tomb
This is a moment that is terrifying in both the book and the movie as the fellowship seek refuge from the storm inside Balin’s Tomb. However, that decision proves to be an unwise one and leads the group into even more danger as they bump into orcs, and a troll.
The entire scene has fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish and certainly has people scared. The fact they’re in a tomb is creepy enough, but when you add in the orcs and the troll, it really creates a truly terrifying environment.
Bilbo Jump Scare
Jump scares are commonplace in horror movies, and they are terrifying when done correctly. Something happening totally randomly, whether it be a loud noise, something popping out of nowhere or a random kill. However, nobody expected to have one in Lord of the Rings.
However, that is exactly what happens with Bilbo Baggins when he sees the ring one more time. Bilbo seems like an innocent old man, but when he sees the ring, he totally snaps and almost acts like a goblin. It shows the power of the ring and the impact it has, but most of all, it leaves people absolutely terrified.
Lurtz Creation
This is just an absolutely vile scene to watch take place, in what is effectively the birth of an orc. Lurtz is the leader of the orc army and is an absolute beast who is not to be messed with. That’s why it was important for the movie to show his creation process, no matter how disgusting it is.
Seeing him burst his way out of the slime that is stuck to him as he roars like an animal is a horrible scene to watch. While it doesn’t make people jump or cover their eyes in fear, it is simply horrifying to see the exact process take place.
Ringwraiths Chase
One of the scariest moments from Lord of the Rings comes very early on in the franchise when the Ringwraiths make their presence known. As soon as Frodo and the rest of the hobbits leave the Shire, they immediately sense them and start the chase.
It is an incredible intense start to the journey with the ring for Frodo as they hunt him down on their horses. Eventually slipping down a hill and hiding under the roots of a tree, the intense moment of whether or not he will get caught is incredibly scary to watch.
The Mouth of Sauron
The mouth of Sauron is something that nobody ever really wanted to see, but Lord of the Rings gave us it anyway. The main reason for putting this scene into the extended cuts seemingly is just to create pure nightmares for those who watched.
As if Sauron wasn’t a creepy enough looking individual in the first place. Did they really need to add this hideous mouth to the mix as well? It’s created a monster that would not look out of place in a horror movie and is certainly one of the scariest moments in the franchise.
Shelob’s Lair
The fear of spiders is something that a large number of people have, therefore it’s no surprise that the scenes involving Shelob are the scariest in the franchise. There is pure terror to be had when the giant spider appears, creepily popping up in the shadows with his scuttering legs.
The moment Frodo works out he’s in trouble is a truly scary one. Getting entangled in the webs, unable to break free which leaves the audience terrified. That only gets worse when Shelob actually gets him, wrapping him up in a cocoon in what is a truly nightmarish scene.
