One Sam Line From Fellowship Of The Ring Foreshadowed His Entire Lord Of The Rings Arc

One line in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring foreshadows Samwise Gamgee’s character arc through the franchise, particularly his evolution into a brave warrior. The Hobbit character is beloved for his trademark timidness and perpetual loyalty to those he trusts, especially Frodo Baggins. While there are many hidden details in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings that add to the overall quality of the franchise, one significant line from Sam in the first movie is something that even the most ardent fans of the series miss.

Based on the novel of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is rife with otherworldly settings and quirky characters as it tells an endearing story about friendship and overcoming insurmountable odds. Chiefly among the characters meant to express the author’s themes of friendship, loyalty, and trust, is the perpetually optimistic Sam. While there are differences between Sam in The Lord of the Rings book and the movies, his fierce loyalty and unwavering positivity are constants. As for how he changes from the film trilogy’s earliest moments to its last, one Sam line perfectly sets up his character arc.

Sam Threatens Aragorn At The Beginning Of The Fellowship Of The Ring

His line represents his loyalty to Frodo while hinting at his later bravery.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and Aragorn discuss the One Ring. When Sam, Merry, and Pippin barge in on their conversation, Sam assumes the worst because Aragorn is not a Hobbit, and he threatens the man’s life. Specifically, Sam declares to Aragon, “Let him go! Or I’ll have you, Longshanks!“ While the threat is bold considering Sam has no practical combat experience at this point, and it seemingly comes out of nowhere, this is also one of the quotes that perfectly shows Sam’s loyalty to Frodo, and it hints early on at the kind of character Sam will grow into.

Sam Takes On Many Threats For Frodo’s Sake Throughout The Lord Of The Rings

Sam’s personality change is believable because of his threat to Aragorn in the first movie.

In addition to his unexpected bout of fearlessness on display against Aragorn early in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sam continues to show an increased level of bravery throughout the movies, cementing his status as Frodo’s best friend. One display of such bravery occurs in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring during the Council of Elrond scene where Sam asserts to the council, “Mr. Frodo’s not going anywhere without me!“ While the scene possesses a humorous tone, it shows that not even a place with the intimidating name Mount Doom is enough to deter Sam from protecting Frodo.

Additionally, Sam nearly drowns on account of following Frodo as he embarks on his journey to destroy the One Ring. The scene is one of the franchise’s most powerful moments, because even Frodo, who at this point in the movie is committed to destroying the One Ring alone, is compelled to acknowledge Sam’s bravery and loyalty, thus saving him from drowning. Furthermore, in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Sam compares the struggles that he and Frodo have endured together to those of history’s previous great warriors with his “It’s only a passing thing, this shadow” speech. The moment is poetic while reinforcing Sam’s character development.

“Let Him Go” Is What Sam Tells Shelob In Return Of The King

The repeated line marks a full-circle moment for the Lord of the Rings character.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King features Sam’s greatest display of bravery, as he stands up to the giant spider, Shelob. While it’s cocooning Frodo, Sam approaches the creature while wielding his sword and the Phial of Galadriel and exclaims, “Let go of him, you filth,“ before engaging it in combat. This line mirrors Sam’s threat to Aragorn, and despite his fear, he fights with an impressive display of courage while earning the distinction of being the only being to ever harm Shelob. This cements Sam as one of the franchise’s bravest characters, as foreshadowed in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.