The Lord of the Rings movies are considered to be one of the best film trilogies of all time. They manage to tell a huge story without sacrificing too much of what made the books so special. However, as with any epic movie of this size and this length, there was always going to be footage that was shot that didn’t quite make it into the final version of the films.
The Lord of the Rings is lucky to have been given a director's cut, which has extended scenes that didn’t even make it into the cinematic version, but even then, there is only so much that can be squeezed in before the films become unwatchable. That means that some of the best character interactions from the books didn't manage to make it into the final cuts, which is a shame, as some of them are truly special.
Legolas and Arwen in Rivendell
These two elves aren’t actually seen together at any point in the trilogy, but they do in fact have a strong sense of kinship, which can be seen in one of these unused clips where Legolas arrives in Rivendell and Arwen and a host of other elves are there to meet him. The two place a hand on their chest and then on each other’s faces as a symbol of their shared love and respect for one another.
Ganadalf and Legolas
Considering that Legolas is one of the main members of the fellowship, he has surprisingly few interactions with the other characters, other than Gimli and Aragorn. This unseen clip shows him walking through a mountain pass alongside Gandalf, and they appear to be discussing something. Whether it is general conversation, or discussing the perils that they are about to face in the journey ahead is unclear.
Saruman introducing Grima to some orcs
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Before the famous scene in which Saruman says that he is going to take the stronghold of Helms Deep and Grima suggests “There is no such great army” strong enough, at which point Saruman shows him the thousands of Orcs surrounding Isengard, there was a short scene filmed of Saruman walking Grima among a few orcs in the armory. It is guessed that the purpose of this was for Saruman to demonstrate his Uruk Hai’s sheers size, strength and muscle.
Elrond and Galadriel in Lothlorien
As can be seen in the teaser trailer and posters for the Rings of Power series coming soon to Amazon, Galadriel and Elrond have long held a sacred friendship. As two of the oldest elves in Middle Earth, they have had each other's backs since the early ages of the world. It is in many ways a shame that we never get to see these two characters interact throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but there was actually a scene filmed which shows Elrond visiting Galadriel in Lothlorien, to warn her of the impending doom and the quest being sent forth to destroy the one ring.
Fellowship defending Lothlorien from invading orcs
There was also a scene shot in Lothlorien of the fellowship helping to defend the woodland realm from a group of invading orcs. This scene happens in the books, not long after they arrive in Lothlorien, and is a part of the reason why the elves are so willing to trust them, and to welcome them into their home.
Elven maids running through the trees in Lothlorien
Part of the beauty and the joy of Lorien is the peace with which those who abode there live. This was demonstrated in one of the cut scenes by some elven maidens running past Legolas through the trees, showing the joy and the beauty of the simple life that they have, before the threat of the war has really reached them. It also concisely demonstrates the elves' love of the trees as their home, despite their longing for the sea. This love of the woodland is also shown in a very short clip of Legolas walking through fallen leaves in Ithilien.
Pippin with a wounded Merry on the battlefield
In the final edition, Pippin finds Merry on the battlefield at Pelennor after the war has been won by the army of the dead. But in this unseen scene, Pippin can be seen holding a wounded Merry who is crying out in pain in the middle of the battle, with Pippin looking around in horror at the devastation that is happening. Pippin has no way of defending his fallen comrade, but he is by Merry’s side motherless.
Gimli examining gems in the glittering Caves
During the Battle of Helm’s Deep, Gimli and some of the other Rohan soldiers (including Eomer) get trapped in the Glittering Caves below the stronghold. They end up having to battle their way out against an army of orcs, but in that time spent inside, Gimli falls in love with the beautiful gems of the caves. He vows to come back after the war and care for them, and fills the halls with beauty, which he does, creating a new dwarven civilization that he is lord of until he passes into the west with Legolas.
Gil-galad’s death
Gil-galad is another character who is set to feature heavily in the Rings of Power series coming up, and many fans are excited to learn more of their character’s journey throughout the First and Second Ages of Middle Earth. But there was a scene originally meant to be included in the prologue of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in which Gil-galad can be seen being stabbed on the battlefield of the Last Alliance.
Arwen with Galadriel in Lothlorien
The final scene is of Galadriel advising Arwen, with a hand on her shoulder as she sits in the halls of Lothlorien. Galadriel is in fact Arwen’s grandmother, and they spent many years together in the forests of Lorien before Arwen went back to live with her father in Rivendell, where she soon met Aragorn and started on a very different path in her life than what she expected.