Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings is often considered to be one of the best trilogies of all time. Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnum opus of the same name, the fantasy film series is set in Middle-Earth and follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins’ journey to Mount Doom to destroy the ‘one ring’ as the Dark Lord Sauron begins to reform.
Since its theatrical release, the films have had extended editions released, which have included many more deleted scenes and storylines. One scene involving Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn and the Mouth of Sauron, which was omitted in the theatrical cut made sense, as it would have blemished Aragorn’s character arc.
Aragorn’s Confrontation With The Mouth Of Sauron In The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Was Initially Deleted
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is known for being a nearly faithful adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterful work. The filmmaker took on the monumental task of making the films from a series that was considered unadaptable. The volume of the work published by Tolkien resulted in the theatrical edition of the trilogy deleting many scenes for time.
However, the extended cuts of the films were released, bringing the runtimes of each film to at least three and a half hours. Many sequences and storylines were added back into these extended cuts and they have been considered the canon for the franchise. However, one scene involving Aragorn could have remained on the cutting room floor.
In The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, the Mouth of Sauron comes up to Aragorn, Gandalf, and the rest of the Fellowship to negotiate the terms of the war. The Mouth lies that Frodo was tortured and killed by Sauron’s army, leading the Fellowship to react emotionally. However, Aragorn promptly walks to the Mouth and swiftly beheads him.
The scene was deleted from the theatrical edition but can be seen in the extended cut. However, the scene’s deletion makes more sense to Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn being a noble hero and makes him all the more worthy of being a king. This swift and unpredictable act adds an impulsive layer to his character, which does not justify his destiny.
Aragorn Fights Sauron In A Deleted Scene In Lord of the Rings
While the Mouth of Sauron was the closest fans ever got to see a physical manifestation of the Dark Lord in the films (apart from his appearance in the opening scene of Fellowship of the Ring), one deleted scene reportedly actually saw him making an appearance in the final Battle at Mordor against the men of the West.
In fact, Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn is seen battling the Dark Lord during the war as Sauron easily thwarts him. The unfinished scene was reportedly set to be cut along with Frodo’s journey to Mount Doom and his destruction of the ring. In the original scene, Aragorn fatally stabs Sauron as the ring falls into Mount Doom.
The scene’s deletion also makes sense as Sauron has been established to have a deep connection with the ring, without which he cannot manifest into a physical form. The Mouth of Sauron is the closest the Fellowship ever comes to properly interacting with the Dark Lord and the sequence that ended up in the films makes more sense.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is currently streaming on Max.
