History Film / TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing

** Second: About 20 Mumakil show up to reinforce the then-routed orcs.

** First: GondorCallsForAid. Rohan "answers" with an army consisting entirely of ''literal'' horse-riding cavalrymen.
** Second: About 20 oliphaunts show up to reinforce the then-routed orcs.
** Finally: Aragorn shows up with '''countless'' [[CavalryOfTheDead spectral soldiers]], which engulf the orcs in the field like a spectral ''tsunami'', then surge their way through the city and eliminate the invading orcs, putting an end to the battle there and then.

** The next Rohirrim cavalry charge, head-on at the giant Oliphaunts while swatting at their legs, goes exactly as one would expect. However, this was due more to real-life considerations than artistic license. According to the DVD commentaries, going by the book -- ''shooting the Oliphaunts in the eyes'' -- was deemed too gruesome and reminiscent of animal cruelty toward real elephants to be filmed.

* HopeSpot: The first half of the battle for Pelennor Fields has the [[TheCavalry Rohirrim]] absolutely [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] the Orc legions. Just as Théoden proclaims that they'll drive them back and retake Minas Tirith, the [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Oliphaunts arrive]].

*** The arrival of the Rohirrim at Minas Tirith where they see just how huge the orc army is, and then when it seems they've actually won, the Oliphaunts arrive.

** The whole Battle of Minas Tirith is really a series of alternating Oh Crap moments for both sides. Denethor's FreakOut. The gate getting knocked down by Grond, the Rohirrim's arrival followed by the Oliphaunts. Gandalf nearly getting killed by the Witch-King, and then the latter getting destroyed by Éowyn and Merry. And of course Aragorn bringing a [[BigDamnHeroes big damn]] [[TheCavalry undead army]] to clean up the place.

* TheCavalry: Minas Tirith is about to be overwhelmed by an enormous horde of Orcs—and then the Rohirrim appear at the top of the hill, blowing their horns.

** Composer Music/HowardShore plays one of the Rohirrim seen in the background when Gimli and Legolas have their drinking contest.

* CreatorCameo: Jackson, Acevedo, Weta Workshop head Richard Taylor, director of photography Andrew Lesnie, and co-producer Rick Porras play the Corsairs of Umbar. [[DeathByCameo Jackson's Corsair is shot by Legolas, and the rest are killed by a cannonball.]]

!!''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' contains examples of:

[[folder:Tropes A to C]]

[[folder:Tropes D to I]]

* EvolutionaryRetCon: By this entry, Creator/PeterJackson had decided he wasn't a fan of the "witch noses" on certain orcs in the previous films. As a result, none of ''Return of the King'''s orcs sported long, pointy noses.
** Possibly {{Justified}} in-universe in that most of the orcs we see in the first two films are from either Moria or Isengard, whereas those in ROTK are almost exclusively of Mordor stock. It's not inconceivable that there may be some regional variation in appearance.

** In the first few frames of the movie, while Sméagol is holding and watching a worm, the worm is coiled like a ''ring''.

* HollywoodDensity: Gollum sinking into the lava. Lava may be molten rock, but it is still rock, and quite capable of floating very dense items. There are several reasons for this; It might have been difficult to maintain a PG-13 rating while showing Gollum lying on the lava slowly being burned alive, audiences might believe that liquid is liquid and RealityIsUnrealistic, or it might be simply chalked up to RuleOfCool, and no-one can deny that the shot of Gollum vanishing into the lava with a smile on his face is very effective.

[[folder:Tropes J to P]]

-->'''Madril''': We can't hold them. The city is lost.\\
'''Faramir''': Tell the men to break cover. We ride for Minas Tirith!

*** Also implied when Sauron suddenly realizes that the ring is inside Mt. Doom, one step away from being destroyed. The Eye instantly turns towards Mt. Doom, and the Nazgul are immediately pulled from battle to try and keep Frodo from fulfilling his task. ''("As Frodo put on the Ring...the Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him...and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him...")''
* OffscreenRebuilding:
** Minas Tirith looks spiffy when Aragorn is crowned at the end.
** Aragorn himself does too. HeCleansUpNicely.

** When Tolkien commented on ideas for a film version by Forest J. Ackerman, he said they should probably skip the Hornburg entirely so that the final battle would look that much more impressive. (We’re all glad the filmmakers didn’t take him up on that.)

* ProhibitedHeroSavesTheDay: Much as in the book heroes who were told or asked to stay at home and out of harms way are integral to the defeat of Sauron and his forces.

[[folder:Tropes Q to Z]]

* RewatchBonus: When the armies of Mordor break down the gates to Minas Tirith, some Easterling soldiers can be glimpsed among the orcs.

* StayInTheKitchen: Éomer and Éowyn get into an argument about Merry's decision to participate in the war, which quickly turns into a thinly-veiled argument about Éowyn's wish to fight. Éomer goes into chilling detail about the sorts of things that happen in war and says that anyone who flees from that would be right to do so.
-->'''Éomer''': War is the province of men.

[[FromBadToWorse Making the situation more difficult]] for the heroes of Middle-earth are the lunacy, despair, apathy, and sheer cowardliness of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor (the father of Boromir and Faramir) who's sitting on the throne in Minas Tirith, as well as Gollum's resurfacing traitorous side, and a giant spider.

* ManOnFire: [[spoiler:After Denethor becomes convinced that Faramir is dead ([[NotQuiteDead he isn't]]) and goes mad(der) with grief, he orders his men to prepare a pyre so that the two can burn together. Thanks to Pippin, Gandalf arrives just in time to save Faramir's life, but during the struggle Denethor is knocked into the burning pyre. He has enough seconds of lucidity to see Faramir open his eyes before he is consumed by the fire, after which he runs off screaming and falls off the cliff overlooking the city.]]

* ManOnFire: [[spoiler:The Steward of Gondor and nearly Faramir.]]

** Frodo and Sam have to get into Mordor. How? By climbing up hundreds of "stairs" on an almost vertical mountain and crawling through a giant spider's lair. Because they obviously can't use the front gate.

->''"Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes: the same fear that would take the heart of ''me''. A day may come, when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship -- but it is not ''this'' day! An hour of wars, and shattered shields, when the age of Men comes crashing down -- but it is not this day! This day we '''fight'''! By all that you hold dear, on this good Earth, I bid you '''stand! Men of the West'''!"''

The film cleaned house at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, winning eleven Oscars including [[[[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestPicture Best Picture]], tying the record with 1959's ''[[Film/BenHur1959 Ben-Hur]]'' and 1997's ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}'', becoming the first fantasy film to win the top honor, and setting the record for the biggest sweep by a single film (as it won every award it was nominated for). Such victory was felt more as a crowning for the entire trilogy rather than just for this film alone.

The film cleaned house at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, winning eleven Oscars including Best Picture, tying the record with 1959's ''[[Film/BenHur1959 Ben-Hur]]'' and 1997's ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}'', becoming the first fantasy film to win the top honor, and setting the record for the biggest sweep by a single film (as it won every award it was nominated for). Such victory was felt more as a crowning for the entire trilogy rather than just for this film alone.

!!''The Return of the King'' provides examples of:

-->'''Faramir''': You wish now that our places had been exchanged. That I had died and Boromir had lived.\\
'''Denethor''': [[BrutalHonesty ...Yes. I wish that.]]

----

The film cleaned house at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, winning eleven Oscars including Best Picture, tying the record with 1959's ''[[Film/BenHur1959 Ben-Hur]]'' and 1997's ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}'', becoming the first fantasy film to win the top honor, and setting the record for the biggest sweep by a single film (as it won every award it was nominated for). Such victory was felt more as a crowning for the entire trilogy rather than just for this film in itself.

[[FromBadToWorse Making the situation more difficult]] for the heroes of Middle-earth are the lunacy, despair, apathy, and sheer cowardliness of the Steward of Gondor Denethor (the father of Boromir and Faramir) who's sitting on the throne in Minas Tirith, as well as Gollum's resurfacing traitorous side, and a giant spider.

Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee are finally reaching the end of their perilous journey and enter the dreaded lands of Mordor to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom, and destroy Sauron once and for all with it. Meanwhile, following their great victory against Saruman, the other remaining heroes of the former Fellowship of the Ring and the cavalry of the kingdom of Rohan do everything in their power to help defend Minas Tirith, the citadel and capital city of the human kingdom of Gondor, against Sauron's humongous forces in a battle for the fate of the entire Middle-earth. And all throughout the battles, Aragorn proves himself worthy of claiming the crown of Gondor.

-->'''Gandalf:''' [[spoiler: "It is time, Frodo."]]
-->'''Sam:''' [[spoiler: ''[To Frodo]'' "What does he mean?"]]
-->'''Frodo:''' [[spoiler: "We set out to save the Shire, Sam. And it has been saved... [[ButNowIMustGo but not for me]]."]]

-->'''Sam:''': [[spoiler: ''[To Frodo]'' "What does he mean?"]]
-->'''Frodo:''' [[spoiler: "We set out to save the Shire, Sam. And it has been saved... [[ButNowIMustGo but not for me]]"]]

->'''Aragorn''': Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes: the same fear that would take the heart of ''me''. A day may come, when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship -- but it is not ''this'' day! An hour of wars, and shattered shields, when the age of Men comes crashing down -- ''but it is not this day!'' ''This day we '''fight'''!'' By all that you hold dear, on this good Earth, ''I bid you '''stand! Men of the West'''!''

** Faramir attempts to beseige Osgiliath after losing it to the orcs, but ends up losing as the SoleSurvivor.

->'''Aragorn''': Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come, when the courage of men fails, and we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship -- but that is not ''this'' day! A hour of wolves, and shattered shields, as the age of Men comes crashing down -- ''but it is not this day!'' ''This day we '''fight'''!'' By all that you hold dear, on this good earth, ''I bid you '''Stand! Men of the West'''!''

[[FromBadToWorse Making the situation more difficult]] for the heroes of Middle-earth are the lunacy, despair, apathy, and sheer cowardice of the Steward of Gondor Denethor (the father of Boromir and Faramir) who's sitting on the throne in Minas Tirith, as well as Gollum's resurfacing treacherous side, and a giant spider.

Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee are finally reaching the end of their perilous journey and enter the dreaded lands of Mordor to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom, and destroy Sauron once and for all with it. Meanwhile, following their great victory against Saruman, the other remaining heroes of the former Fellowship of the Ring and the cavalry of the kingdom of Rohan do everything in their power to help defend Minas Tirith, the citadel and capital city of the human kingdom of Gondor, against Sauron's humongous forces in a battle for the fate of the entire Middle-earth. And all throughout the battles Aragorn proves himself worthy of claiming the crown of Gondor.

[[FromBadToWorse Making the situation worse]] for the heroes of Middle-earth are the lunacy, despair, apathy, and sheer cowardice of the Steward of Gondor Denethor (the father of Boromir and Faramir) who's sitting on the throne in Minas Tirith, as well as Gollum's resurfacing treacherous side, and a giant spider.

The film cleaned house at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, winning eleven Oscars including Best Picture, tying the record with 1959's ''[[Film/BenHur1959 Ben-Hur]]'' and 1997's ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}'', becoming the first fantasy film to win the top honor, and setting the record for the biggest sweep by a single film (as it won every award it was nominated for). Such victory was felt more as a crowning for the entire trilogy rather than just for this film itself.