The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King spoilers explained

What is the main twist in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King?

At the Cracks of Doom, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) succumbs to the Ring's power and claims it for himself, putting it on his finger and vanishing from Samwise Gamgee's (Sean Astin) sight. Gollum (Andy Serkis), who has followed them into the Sammath Naur, attacks the invisible Frodo, bites off his finger to reclaim the Ring, and in his triumph dances backward over the precipice, falling into the lava with the Ring — destroying it and Sauron's power through his own greed rather than any heroic act.

What happens in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King?

The film opens with a flashback to Sméagol (Andy Serkis) and his cousin Déagol fishing in the Gladden Fields. Déagol finds the One Ring in the riverbed; Sméagol strangles him for it, retreats into the Misty Mountains, and over centuries transforms into Gollum. In the present, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) ride Shadowfax to Minas Tirith after Pippin looks into the palantír and reveals himself to Sauron. Gandalf warns Denethor (John Noble), Steward of Gondor, of the coming siege. Denethor, despairing and maddened by grief over his son Boromir's death and the palantír's visions, refuses to call for aid from Rohan.

Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) take the Paths of the Dead beneath the White Mountains. Aragorn summons the Dead Men of Dunharrow, oathbreakers cursed by Isildur, offering them release if they fight for the King of Gondor. They emerge at Pelargir and destroy the Corsair fleet. Meanwhile, Théoden (Bernard Hill) answers the beacon signal and rides the Rohirrim to Minas Tirith, leaving Éowyn (Miranda Otto) behind — though she disguises herself as a man and rides with Merry (Dominic Monaghan).

Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) continue toward Mordor with Gollum as guide. Gollum frames Sam for eating the last of the lembas bread, driving a wedge between the hobbits. Frodo sends Sam away. Gollum leads Frodo into Shelob's Lair in Cirith Ungol. Shelob paralyzes Frodo; Sam, having realized Gollum's treachery and returned, wounds Shelob with Sting and the Phial of Galadriel, driving her off. Believing Frodo dead, Sam takes the Ring and the quest upon himself, but orcs find Frodo's body and carry him to the tower. Sam follows, rescues Frodo from the orcs — who have mostly slaughtered each other over Frodo's mithril coat — and they press on toward Mount Doom.

At Minas Tirith, Denethor orders Faramir (David Wenham) on a suicide mission to retake Osgiliath. Faramir returns gravely wounded. Denethor, believing his son dead, prepares to burn himself and Faramir alive on a pyre. Gandalf intervenes, but Denethor immolates himself and leaps from the citadel. The Witch-king of Angmar breaches the gates. Théoden leads the Rohirrim charge across the Pelennor Fields. The Witch-king mortally wounds Théoden and confronts Éowyn. She reveals her identity — "I am no man" — and with Merry's blade (a Barrow-wight dagger) striking the Witch-king's leg, she drives her sword into his face, destroying him. Théoden dies in her arms.

Aragorn arrives with the Army of the Dead, sweeping the battlefield. He releases them from their oath. He then leads the combined forces of Gondor and Rohan to the Black Gate as a diversion, marching six thousand men to certain death to draw Sauron's Eye from Frodo and Sam. At the Gate, the Mouth of Sauron displays Frodo's mithril coat, claiming the spy has been captured and tortured. Aragorn beheads him and the battle begins. Trolls and orcs surround the army.

Inside Mount Doom, Frodo collapses on the slopes. Sam carries him the final distance. At the Cracks of Doom, Frodo claims the Ring. Gollum attacks, bites off Frodo's finger, and falls into the fire. The Ring is unmade. Sauron's tower collapses; the Nazgûl are consumed in the eruption. Frodo and Sam survive on a rock island as lava flows around them. Gandalf arrives on Gwaihir the Eagle with his brothers and rescues them.

In Minas Tirith, Aragorn is crowned by Gandalf. He bows to the hobbits, saying "My friends, you bow to no one." The assembled armies kneel. Aragorn reunites with Arwen. The hobbits journey home. The Shire is unchanged (the Scouring of the Shire occurs only in the extended edition). Sam marries Rosie. Frodo writes his memoir, "There and Back Again," but remains wounded in spirit. At the Grey Havens, Frodo bids farewell to Sam, Merry, and Pippin. He boards the white ship with Gandalf, Bilbo, Elrond, and Galadriel. The ship passes into the light of the Undying Lands. Sam returns to Bag End, where Rosie and their daughter Elanor await. He sits, takes a breath, and says, "Well, I'm backNOT_AVAILABLE

Quick, non-spoiler context

As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.​