One of the more ambiguous elements of The Lord of the Rings movies was Legolas’ murder of Gríma Wormtongue, but Legolas had his reasons. Peter Jackson’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies were full of puzzling decisions, but most of them made sense in the long run. Jackson made directorial decisions geared mostly at condensing his source material into three feature-length movies. Adapting The Lord of the Rings, the masterwork of fantasy’s greatest writer, was no mean feat. J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel was a vast, sprawling epic and Jackson had to change a lot, including Wormtongue’s end.

But Wormtongue’s death in the trilogy was oft-disputed among fans. In Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie, Legolas sH๏τ Gríma Wormtongue with an arrow, and Wormtongue died at the top of Orthanc. This confused many fans as it seemed contrary to Legolas’ normal kindness, and the usual modus operandi of the Fellowship of the Ring, which was to spare lives when it could. Jackson’s movies may have glorified violence a touch more readily than Tolkien’s novel did, as products of modern Hollywood, but this decision-making still seemed out of sorts.

Legolas Likely Killed Wormtongue Because They Wanted More Information From Saruman

Saruman Was Still Useful To The Fellowship Of The Ring

Legolas sH๏τ Gríma Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to try and save Saruman’s life. Legolas was watching closely as Saruman goaded Wormtongue and Wormtongue finally reached the end of his tether. He saw Wormtongue as he made to stab Saruman and sH๏τ him in an attempt to save Saruman, but was a little too late. Legolas was clearly reluctant to kill Saruman, as he waited until Wormtongue had actually started attacking Saruman to shoot. In this sense, Jackson preserved the morality that seemed inherent to this key Third Age character.

Legolas knew that Saruman may have survived a few stab wounds, especially as he was one of the most powerful characters in The Lord of the Rings. So, he made the unfortunate call to end Gríma’s life, which could have preserved the life of a man who was still useful to the Fellowship. As Gandalf indicated, Saruman held vital information on Sauron. Having defected from the White Council and gone to Sauron, Saruman was in the know as to Sauron’s plans and possibly his technology or strategic advantages. Sadly, Saruman fell to his death anyway, and he perished along with Wormtongue.

Was Legolas Right To Kill Grima Wormtongue?

Legolas’ Decision Was Controversial Among Lord Of The Rings Fans

Legolas clearly ruminated on his choice to kill Wormtongue, but his presentation wasn’t totally clear in The Return of the King, leaving many to speculate. Legolas was one of the best characters in The Lord of the Rings, with or without his ᴀssᴀssination of Gríma. Perhaps, Return of the King could have made it more clear that Legolas was trying to avoid all deaths in this scenario. However, overall, the scene worked. Jackson had to find a way to kill off Wormtongue somehow, bearing in mind Wormtongue’s death was closely linked to Saruman’s death in the books.

Legolas was right to kill Wormtongue, as the Fellowship wanted Saruman alive. Both characters could have earned a second chance, but both failed to demonstrate how or why while atop Orthanc in their last moments. With Saruman’s death squeezed into a scene in the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King after originally being cut from The Two Towers, Jackson was not able to give Gríma a second more than he was worth. On all counts, it made sense for Legolas to execute Wormtongue for the greater good, even though he failed in his intention.

How Wormtongue Dies In The Lord Of The Rings Books

The Return Of The King Movie Changed Saruman And Gríma’s Deaths

Saruman and Wormtongue died toward the end of The Lord of the Rings books, but not on Orthanc. The Return of the King changed the book’s story in many places, but Saruman’s and Wormtongue’s deaths consтιтuted one of its biggest shifts. In both the book and the movie, Wormtongue ensured Saruman’s death with a knife and paid the price. While Legolas sH๏τ him in retaliation in The Return of the King movie, Hobbit archers sH๏τ him in the book. Saruman and Wormtongue were in Isengard when this happened in The Return of the King, but not in the book.

In the book, both Saruman and Wormtongue were in the Shire when they died, exiting, following their defeat in the Scouring of the Shire. Keeping Saruman and Wormtongue in Isengard for their deaths in The Return of the King made sense, since Warner Bros. decided to cut the Scouring of the Shire. Including the Scouring of the Shire would have made for strange pacing. The Return of the King movie ended with the defeat of Lord of the Rings’ Sauron as his tower crumbled dramatically. Tacking on the Hobbits’ less dramatic battle in the Shire after wouldn’t have worked.

Plus, putting Saruman and Wormtongue on the top of Orthanc for their death scene allowed Christopher Lee his iconic fall. Peter Jackson certainly lent the scene some visual gravity, so to speak. Saruman getting impaled on his own machinery was a totally appropriate coda to Gríma’s death. Gríma was a somewhat mysterious character in LotR, and he received a tragic ending in both the book and the movie. Saruman’s voice had an unworldly power, and one questions how much Wormtongue was ever able to resist. Regardless, his death felt earned in The Lord of the Rings’ final movie.