Lord Of The Rings: 10 Best Scenes NOT From The Books
9. Frodo Forces Samwise To Leave - Return Of The King
As Gollum becomes consumed by The One Ring's evil once more, he prepares to lead Frodo and Samwise into a deadly trap. He takes them to Torech Ungol under the pretence it's a shortcut, when in reality, it is the lair of the Ungoliant spider, Shelob. The giant arachnid manages to wound Frodo but is ultimately defeated by Sam.
Even though this is a major plotpoint in the story, the movie added in one major complication. Knowing that Sam doesn't trust him, Gollum convinces Frodo to abandon his best friend before entering the spider's lair.
Devastated, Sam leaves, forcing Frodo to finish his quest himself. But since he knows Gollum intends to murder Frodo, Sam turns back, rescues his friend, and defeats the sinister Shelob.
Even though Return of the King is the longest film in the trilogy, this added conflict felt essential since Sam and Frodo are mostly absent in the third novel.
Including these scenes wasn't just a good idea - it was necessary. This also makes Sam's confrontation with Shelob more satisfying since this is the first time we see him, not as Frodo's helper, but as a full-fledged hero.