A moment from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is recreated in lifelike toy photography. Released in 2002, the second installment in Peter Jackson’s beloved fantasy trilogy continues the story of Frodo’s (Elijah Wood) quest to destroy the One Ring. Characters like Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) get their own storyline as they travel to Rohan, culminating with a battle against Saruman’s Uruk-hai armies at Helm’s Deep during The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers‘ ending.

Toy photography shared by Robert Day on Instagram now recreates one key moment from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers‘ Battle of Helm’s Deep. Check out the art below:

The image features the Uruk-hai responsible for actually detonating the outer defenses of Helm’s Deep, complete with the torch that he uses to ignite the keg of gunpowder. The image also, however, adds a dark spin to the event, showing dead bodies and skeletons at the Uruk-hai’s feat, as well as what appears to be Aragorn’s sword, Anduril, and Gimli’s ax.

The Battle Of Helm’s Deep Remains A Highlight Of The Lord Of The Rings

What Sets The Two Towers’ Sequence Apart

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King features another great battle in the Siege of Gondor, but the Battle of Helm’s Deep arguably remains the most iconic fortress-based fights the trilogy has to offer. After an intense skirmish at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, the Battle of Helm’s Deep is really the first large-scale battle that Jackson depicts. Using a mix of miniatures, practical effects, and VFX, the sequence still looks incredible today from a visual standpoint.

One reason why the Battle of Helm’s Deep remains such a high is because of the Lord of the Rings characters involved. Unlike the Siege of Gondor, which features Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli arriving towards the end with the Army of the Dead, these three heroes play a crucial role throughout the entire siege in The Two Towers. Each one gets their own unique character beats and fight scenes, and it’s their chemistry that really elevates the sequence.

The rainy, nighttime setting contributes to the Battle of Helm’s Deep’s atmosphere, and the sequence where the fortress’s wall is blown up remains one of the most stunning the trilogy has to offer. Gandalf’s arrival to save the day at the end is also a cheer-worthy, triumphant moment. While there are certainly scenes and sequences throughout the trilogy that may top the Battle of Helm’s Deep, the toy photography above suggests that the battle sequence from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers remains a beloved part of the trilogy today even 22 years later.

Source: @97_parsecs_photography