There are several small Easter eggs hidden in Peter Jackson’s trilogy, adapted from the work of JRR Tolkien. But have you noticed what Aragorn’s breastplate refers to at the end of The Return of the King?
Just like JRR Tolkien in his books adapted for cinema in the early 2000s, Peter Jackson never stopped cultivating a real sense of detail throughout the three parts of his saga. Easter eggs and hidden references line the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
But one of those little winks that manifests itself in the final minutes of The Return of the King – the third installment in the famous franchise – is of particular importance to the character of Aragorn.
To watch it you have to press the “Pause” button on your remote control exactly after 2 hours, 55 minutes and 28 seconds of the film (or after 3 hours, 44 minutes and 45 seconds if you ever prefer the length version) .
After the destruction of the One Ring and the final defeat of Sauron, the kingdom of Gondor celebrates the return to its rightful ruler, and on Minas Tirith, Aragorn is crowned king by the hand of Gandalf.
Addressing his subjects in a beautiful elven song, the former ranger, heir to Elendil and Isildur, cuts through the crowd and approaches his beloved Arwen. As he walks, we can see that the details of the breastplate he’s wearing aren’t any old ones.
Metropolitan Film Export
In fact, the piece of armor is entirely identical to that worn by Elendil, the former King of Gondor, in the prologue of the trilogy at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. At the head of the great army of Men and Elves, the Sovereign had faced Sauron on the plains of Dagorlad and had been defeated by the Lord of Mordor before his son Isildur avenged his death.
Therefore, more than three millennia after the king’s death, his heir takes up the torch and wears the very same breastplate as he begins his new reign. Quite symbolic for the Free Peoples of Middle-earth who have finally done away with their worst enemy, but also for fans of the trilogy who will surely not have missed this little hidden detail.
(Re)discover all the other references of the film…