‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ Mistakes You’ll Never Be Able to Unsee

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Even a massive film like ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ has a few small mistakes that are easy to miss. These include minor inconsistencies and strange prop behavior, which happen amidst all the action in Rohan and at the battle of Helm’s Deep. Once you spot these errors, they’re hard to ignore on subsequent viewings. Here are some of the most discussed on-set blunders from the journey between the Riddermark and Isengard.

Legolas’s Changing Eye Color

Orlando Bloom used colored contact lenses to create Legolas’s distinctive eye color in ‘The Two Towers,’ but the shade isn’t consistent throughout the film. Sometimes his eyes look a bright, icy blue, while in other scenes they appear darker, even hazel. This inconsistency happened because of changes in lighting and the need to switch between different sets of lenses during filming. You can easily notice the difference when comparing scenes from the march to Helm’s Deep with those filmed inside the keep.

Gimli’s Height That Will Not Sit Still

John Rhys Davies, who played Gimli, filmed scenes using various techniques to create the illusion of different sizes. This sometimes led to inconsistencies – he’d appear chest-high to Aragorn in one shot, but much shorter next to the hobbits in another. Combining stand-ins, camera angles, and reshoots caused these slight differences, which are most noticeable in the large battle scenes at Helm’s Deep, especially around the causeway.

Pippin’s Restraints Switching

During the scene where the Uruk-hai are driving Merry and Pippin across the plains, there’s a noticeable mistake with Pippin’s ropes. They change position – sometimes he’s tied in front, and other times behind – due to quick cuts as the prisoners are being moved. This happened because the stunt team needed to adjust things during filming to get the shots they needed. You can spot this error during the nighttime chase right before the Rohirrim riders appear.

Treebeard’s Forest Loop

As Merry and Pippin travel through the Fangorn forest on Treebeard, they notice the scenery seems to repeat itself. A particular pattern of roots and moss keeps appearing, giving the impression they’re going in circles. This effect was created because the ride used the same filmed segments multiple times and had limited areas where the large, moving Treebeard figure could safely operate. It’s especially obvious during the scene where they discuss heading south and then north.

Éomer’s Riders Do A Headcount Shuffle

When Éomer first meets Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, the size of his group of riders appears to change depending on the camera angle. A long shot shows a large formation, but a following shot shows fewer horses. This happened because different camera crews filmed the scene on separate days, and added or re-shot parts. If you watch closely during the conversation about the bodies, you can see the changing size of the semicircle formed by Éomer’s warriors.

Aragorn’s Warg Cliff Fall Continuity

During the battle scene, Aragorn falls over a cliff, and you can clearly see his sword and equipment. However, when he’s washed up on the shore, the position of his scabbard and knife are different. Later, a shot shows these items back where they originally were, even though they were missing just moments before. These inconsistencies happened because his costume and wet clothes had to be adjusted multiple times, creating small errors. The clearest example of this can be seen when he’s recovered on the shoreline with the horse, Brego.

Helm’s Deep Rain And Hair Reset

The battle at Helm’s Deep was filmed over many nights, and the rain used for effect wasn’t always consistent. You can notice quick changes – hair might be soaking wet in one shot, then just damp in the next, and water droplets on armor appear and disappear. These inconsistencies happened because different camera crews were filming and the timing between shots wasn’t always perfect. If you watch Aragorn and Théoden on the wall as the ladders are being raised, you can clearly see these changes.

Ladders And Extras That Blink In And Out

When the Uruk ladders hit the walls, some details and fighters briefly change position between shots. For example, a ladder near Gimli disappears in a close-up, then reappears from a different view. These quick changes happened because of how shots were combined with real-world set adjustments during the action sequences. You can spot it by watching the quick cuts around the horn blowing and the charge across the causeway.

Legolas’s Shield From Surf To Nowhere

Okay, so everyone remembers that incredible shot of Legolas sliding down the stairs on a shield while firing arrows, right? But here’s a funny little filmmaking detail: that shield disappears almost immediately after. In the very next shots, he’s fighting without it, and it actually makes the action feel faster and more immediate. Turns out, the prop team was removing the shield between takes to give the stunt performers more room to work safely. If you watch the sequence, specifically from the gate to the inner wall, you’ll notice the shift – it’s a clear break in continuity, but one made for practical reasons.

Théoden’s Face Aging In Reverse Then Back Again

As a huge fan of The Two Towers, I’ve always noticed something interesting about Théoden’s transformation after Gandalf frees him. The makeup they used to show him regaining his strength was incredible, but if you watch closely, especially during quick cuts, it doesn’t quite match up perfectly. Sometimes the lines on his face, or even the darkness of his beard, look a little different from shot to shot. Apparently, they did some extra filming months later, and the makeup team had to do a few passes, which explains those subtle changes you can see. It’s most noticeable when he’s in the throne room, and especially when he walks out into the daylight – you can really see the slight shifts in the makeup then.

Tell us about a quick, easily missed moment from ‘The Two Towers’ that stuck with you – a scene you can’t forget! Share it in the comments.

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2025-10-28 22:15