Lord of the Rings: Why Do Fans Prefer The Extended Editions?

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What's Different About The LOTR Extended Editions?

Why Do The Extended Editions Make LOTR Better?

Almost every person who considers themselves to be a massive Lord of the Rings fan would say that they prefer the Extended Editions of the Lord of the Rings movies over the theatrically released ones. It has been pretty much universally accepted among fans that the Extended Editions are better, despite (or perhaps because of, for some) the fact that they make the LOTR movies' already-long runtimes even longer. But what is it about the Extended Editions that make them so beloved to fans?

Is it the extra content? Is it the added lore and story elements that get to appear on-screen with the extra time given? Is it because these extended scenes give more fun character moments than are seen in the theatrical versions? The answer is a mix of all of these things, as the Extended Editions of Lord of the Rings actually provide a lot of value, especially for those who are craving more from Middle-earth. The movies work well without these scenes, but they work even better with them.

LOTR Extended Version VS Theatrical Release: Which Is Better For First Time Viewers?

LOTR fans will say the extended version is the best, but is the theatrical release better for first time viewers?

What's Different About The LOTR Extended Editions?

Frodo in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Each of the three Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies has their own unique changes that were made between the theatrical releases and the Extended Editions. The reason many of these scenes were cut in the first place was for time, which is understandable, as the LOTR movies are all about three hours long to begin with. However, a lot of these scenes are so iconic among LOTR fans that a lot of people forget that they aren't in the main theatrical releases. Here are all of the extra scenes that appear in the Extended Editions of each LOTR movie.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Dominic Monaghan as Merry. Elijah Wood as Frodo. Billy Boyd as Pippin. Sean Astin as Sam.

The extended scenes in The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition add an extra 30 minutes to the movie, making the total runtime 3 hours and 28 minutes long.

A "Concerning Hobbits" sequence where Bilbo supplies information about The Shire, Hobbits, and their culture.
Frodo visits the Green Dragon inn with Sam, which further builds out the world of The Shire.
On their first night in the woods, Frodo and Sam see a procession of Wood Elves on their way to the Undying Lands.
The Hobbits and Aragorn travel through the Midgewater Marshes; the Ranger sings the Lay of Lúthien as the Hobbits try to sleep.
Aragorn visits his mother's grave in Rivendell.
As the Fellowship prepares to leave Lothlórien, Lady Galadriel gives gifts to each member that prove useful later on.

The Two Towers

The Extended Edition of The Two Towers includes 44 minutes of extra content, making the total length of the film 3 hours and 43 minutes.

Frodo and Sam use the Elven rope that Sam got from Galadriel to make their way down a mountain.
Éomer finds the body of Théodred, son of Théoden, on the battlefield.
Treebeard sings the Song of the Entwives for Merry and Pippin, as he wistfully recounts how they have all gone missing.
Gandalf tells Aragorn that Saruman is aware he is the heir to the throne of Men and fears him because of it.
Pippin drinks the Ent Draft and grows taller, and he and Merry squabble about their heights.
The people of Rohan hold a funeral ceremony for Théodred and Eowyn sings a mourning tribute.
Aragorn soothes Brego the horse by speaking Elvish (Brego will, of course, later save Aragorn's life).
Grima Wormtongue arrives in Isildur and alerts Saruman of Aragorn, who he says is wearing the Ring of Isildur.
Eowyn makes a stew for Aragorn (that isn't very tasty) on their way to Helm's Deep, and he reveals his Dúnedain heritage.
Faramir has a flashback that reveals his relationship with his brother Boromir and his father Denethor, particularly how Denethor favored Boromir.
The Ents arrive at Helm's Deep to finish off the Orcs at the end of the battle.
Legolas and Gimli compare their final body counts after the battle is over.
Merry and Pippin find a large supply of food and pipeweed in the stores of Isengard.
Faramir leads Sam, Frodo, and Gollum out of Osgiliath.

The Return of the King

The Return of the King Extended Edition adds the most extra material, with an additional 51 minutes added to the runtime, making the total a whopping 4 hours and 11 minutes.

Gandalf speaks with the defeated Saruman at Isengard, who is then killed by Wormtongue.
Gandalf recounts the history of Gondor to Pippin.
Faramir returns to Minas Tirith from Osgiliath and reports to Denethor.
Faramir gives Pippin a set of armor that he wore as a child and makes him a part of the tower guard.
The Dead King leads his army to attack the Corsairs' ships at Aragorn's request.
Merry's courage inspires some hope in Eowyn before the Battle of Pelennor Fields.
Denethor finds Faramir unconscious and tells the rest of his guards to flee.
Gandalf faces off against the Witch King.
Éomer finds Eowyn on the battlefield after she defeats the Witch King.
Aragorn confronts Sauron through the Palantír.
Faramir comes to Eowyn and comforts her in the Houses of Healing.
Frodo and Sam are mistaken for Orcs in Mordor.
Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship meet with the Mouth of Sauron (who is Sauron's messenger), who claims that Frodo is dead.

Why Do The Extended Editions Make LOTR Better?

Sean Astin as Sam. Elijah Wood as Frodo.

While the original Lord of the Rings movies work well on their own and still tell a complete story, there's just something about the Extended Editions that makes them even better. The extra time allotted to scenes that weren't deemed "necessary" for the theatrical releases just allows for a fuller picture of Middle-earth and the characters the audience has been following within it. These extra scenes show quirky character beats, expand upon the history and lore of Middle-earth, and even develop relationships that aren't seen otherwise (such as that of Faramir and Eowyn).

In other words, these additional scenes are really fun for big LOTR fans because they provide added context about the world of Middle-earth and make the characters feel even more fully realized than the theatrical versions do. While they're not necessary for understanding the story, they certainly help flesh it out, and make the LOTR films feel that much more expansive. There are so many Extended Edition scenes that have become iconic, to the point where many fans forget that they weren't originally included in the films' initial release. This is a testament to how beloved these little moments are, and how they really add to the atmosphere of the films overall.

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.