The third film in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, The Return of the King, is filled with action-packed battles and fight sequences. The most memorable, and the longest sequence of the 3 ½ hour film, takes place at Pelennor Fields. Easterlings, Haradrim, oliphaunts, and orcs battled against Gondorians and Rohirrim in an attempt to wipe out the race of Men. They might even have succeeded, if not for the ace up Aragorn’s sleeve - the Army of the Dead.

Known as the Dead Men of Dunharrow in the book, the King of the Dead and his army were spectral wraiths, cursed to never rest after they broke their oath to Isildur during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Being Isildur’s heir, Aragorn was the only one who could lead them, and so turned the tide of the battle.

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Immediately after their victory, Aragorn decides to set them free. This was considered by some Lord of the Rings fans to be a questionable move. Why not take the Army of the Dead to Mordor to clean up the last of Sauron’s forces? It might seem like this would have made the final battle a lot easier, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Aragorn Could Not Break His Oath to the Army of the Dead

As we see in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Aragorn is not a man who desires power. He knows that he is the rightful king of Gondor, but he doesn’t want the job. He was reluctant to enter the Paths of the Dead in The Return of the King, even knowing the Dead Army would answer his call. It was the duty that drove Aragorn to walk the haunted path, and duty made him step up to wear the crown.

After the Dead Men aided Aragorn in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, the King of the Dead had to ask to be released. It was not possible for him to just say, “We’ve done our part, so we’re square.” They needed Isildur’s heir to actually set them free. Aragorn could have very well said that he still needed them and could have forced them to accompany their armies to Mordor. Yet his sense of honor would not let him. The oath that the Dead Men had originally sworn was to aid Gondor, and they had done just that. If Aragorn had not set them free, he would have been no better than the oathbreakers.

Sauron Might Have Corrupted The Army of the Dead

Before they were the Dead Men of Dunharrow, the king and his army were known as the Men of the Mountains. They lived in the White Mountains between Rohan and Gondor, and were indigenous to the area long before the Númenóreans came to Middle-earth. During the Second Age, Sauron’s initial rise to power prompted great fear in the Men of the Mountains. They chose to worship him rather than stand against him, which would explain why they broke their oath to Isildur during the Last Alliance.

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The history of the Men of the Mountains would have presented a big problem had Aragorn brought the Dead Army to Mordor. Even while they were bound by their oath to Isildur’s Heir, Sauron’s influence would likely have a hold on them. Not only that, but Sauron had abilities that might have corrupted the Dead Men. It was mentioned in some of Tolkien’s works that Sauron could speak to the dead or sometimes influence them and bend them to his will. Imagine if Aragorn had brought an invincible ghost army to fight against the enemy, only to have them turn against him and his allies.

The Army of the Dead Didn’t Fight In The Books

In Peter Jackson’s The Return of the King, the Army of the Dead is an unstoppable force that lays waste on everything in their path. They hack and slash their way through Sauron’s army at Pelennor Fields like they are paper dolls and devour a toppled oliphaunt like ants on a lump of sugar. To be honest, the invincible ghost warriors come dangerously close to being an over-powered deus ex machina in Jackson’s version.

Tolkien’s version of the Dead Men, however, was a different story. When they swore themselves into Aragorn’s service, the King and his army didn’t go around with swords and spears killing every enemy in sight. They didn’t have to. The armies of Sauron took one look at the Dead Army and fled out of fear.

In the book, after leaving the Paths of the Dead, Aragorn led the Dead Men to Pelagir, a Gondorian city along the Anduin River. There, they found the Corsair ships on their way to Minas Tirith to join Sauron’s army. The Army of the Dead emptied the ships by scaring away the Corsairs, and afterwards, Aragorn set them free. Then he, Legolas, and Gimli took one of the ships and rowed it to Minas Tirith.

So, while the Army of the Dead still had an important part to play in the book, it was not nearly as action-packed as in The Return of the King movie. The Army of the Dead never reached Pelennor Fields, and they didn’t fight against Sauron’s armies. It would have been completely acceptable for the movie's writers not to include the Dead Men at all - but then, fans wouldn't have had those awesome special effects to appreciate, either.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.

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