160+ J.R.R. Tolkien Quotes From The World's Most Famous Fantasy Writer

There are very few in today's world who do not recognize the name, J. R. R. Tolkien.

A writer, poet, academic, philologist, and author of over 45 major publications, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was best known for writing his epic fantasy works, 'The Lord Of The Rings' and 'The Hobbit'.

Born on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, JRRT as he was fondly known, is a versatile writer and linguist. As someone who had a natural flair for languages, Tolkien created over 15 new fictional languages with incredible detailing, all the way to the dialects in each language.

Tolkien was famous for his lines from his various works, including "Not all those who wander are lost." and "All that is gold does not glitter." He had a flair for the dramatic, and being a respected academic and instructor at Oxford University didn't stop him.

Tolkien's work gained even more mileage after his death, with his books being adapted into a series of movies that became blockbuster hits. 'The Lord Of The Rings' trilogy was received worldwide with much excitement, spawning the adaptation of JRRT's other famed work: 'The Hobbit' trilogy.

The movies were made using some of the finest technology in terms of film and CGI at the time.

Here is the greatest collection of J. R. R. Tolkien quotes from across the internet. As you enjoy these, do also check out our [LOTR quotes] and [Hobbit quotes].

The Best 'Lord Of The Rings' Quotes

Here are some 'Lord Of The Rings' famous quotes, including 'LOTR' book quotes and the Gandalf time quote that everyone will recognize.

1. "From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring..."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

2. "I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

3. "Not all those who wander are lost."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

4. "For it is easier to shout 'Stop' than to do it."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

5. "The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

6. "You can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

7. "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

8. "Don't go where I can't follow!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

9. "Do not spoil the wonder with haste!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

10. "All that is gold does not glitter."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

11. "A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

12. "Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

13. "For the time comes of the dominion of men, and the Elder Kindred shall fade or depart."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

14. "End? No, the journey doesn't end here."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

15. "Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be King."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

16. "If this is victory, then our hands are too small to hold it."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

17. "It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations if you live near him."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

18. "A great storm is coming, but the tide has turned."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

19. "And so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

20. "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

Inspirational 'Lord Of The Rings' Quotes

Some of the most inspirational sayings from 'Lord Of The Rings', and the best Tolkien quotes.

21. "Fair speech may hide a foul heart."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

22. "It is useless to meet revenge with revenge; it will heal nothing."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

23. "Oft hope is born when all is forlorn."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

24. "Short cuts make long delays."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

25. "And I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

26. "Courage will now be your best defense against the storm that is at hand."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

27. "It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

28. "The wise speak only of what they know."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

29. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

30. "His grief he will not forget; but it will not darken his heart, it will teach him wisdom."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

31. "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

32. "And yet their wills did not yield, and they struggled on."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

33. "Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

34. "It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

35. "Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

36. "The world is full enough of hurts and mischances without wars to multiply them."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

37. "Courage is found in unlikely places."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

38. "He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

39. "You will have to be one and whole, for many years. You have so much to enjoy and to be, and to do."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

40. "Praise from the praiseworthy is beyond all rewards."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

JRR Tolkien Quotes About Hobbits

These fantastic 'The Hobbit' movie quotes include Gandalf quotes from 'The Hobbit' as well as the best Hobbit quotes from JRRT.

41. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

42. "Escaping goblins to be caught by wolves!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

43. "May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

44. "Trolls simply detest the very sight of dwarves (uncooked)."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

45. "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

46. "This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

47. "There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

48. "Out of the frying pan, into the fire."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

49. "Where there's life there's hope."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

50. "Is it nice, my precioussss? Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable?"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

51. "Even darkness must pass."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

52. "You may not like my burglar, but please don't damage him."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

53. "Already he was a very different hobbit from the one that had run out without a pocket-handkerchief from Bag End long ago."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

54. "I am fire, I am... Death."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

55. "'Good morning!' said Bilbo, and he meant it."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

56. "Only thing to do! On we go!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

57. "Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

58. "You ought not to be rude to an eagle when you are only the size of a hobbit."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

59. "He thought much, but said little."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

60. "The road goes ever on and on"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

Tolkien Quotes On Life And 'LOTR' Love Quotes

These Tolkien love quotes and Tolkien quotes on death and life are deep and insightful.

61. "I want to be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

62. "There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Letters Of J.R.R. Tolkien'.

63. "'I wished to be loved by another,' Éowyn answered. 'But I desire no man's pity.'"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

64. "Many are the strange chances of the world, and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the wise falter."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Silmarillion'.

65. "Dreadful as the storm and the lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

66. "The world is indeed full of peril, and in it, there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

67. "Love not too well the work of thy hands and the devices of thy heart."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Silmarillion'.

68. "His love for Frodo rose above all other thoughts, and forgetting his peril he cried aloud: 'I'm coming Mr. Frodo!'"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

69. "For we put the thought of all that we love into all that we make."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

70. "All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of the others."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Silmarillion'.

71. "I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

72. "I wish life was not so short. Languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lost Road And Other Writings'.

73. "Few other griefs amid the ill chances of this world have more bitterness and shame for a man's heart than to behold the love of a lady so fair and brave that cannot be returned."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

74. "Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Letters Of J.R.R. Tolkien'.

75. "You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you yourself keep it."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

76. "It is horrible being all alone."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

77. "But the real soulmate is the one you are actually married to."

-J.R.R. Tolkien.

78. "I have found that it is the small everyday deed of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

79. "What does your heart tell you?"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

80. "There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth, and more than that: death, by the divine paradox, that which ends life and demands the surrender of all."

-J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Best JRR Tolkien Quotes On Friendship

A few 'The Lord Of The Rings' quotes about friendship and Tolkien quotes about adventure just for you.

81. "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

82. "A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

83. "On the shores of the sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-Earth."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

84. "Maybe the paths that you each shall tread are already laid before your feet, though you do not see them."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

85. "If the Lady could hear me and give me one wish, I would wish to come back and find you again. Goodbye!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

86. "I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Return Of The King'.

87. "Goodbye, master, my dear!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

88. "There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it's worth fighting for."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

89. "The treacherous are ever distrustful."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Two Towers'.

90. "We are your friends, Frodo."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

91. "Today and tomorrow are yet to be said."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

92. "Don't adventures ever have an end? I suppose not."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

93. "How do you move on? You move on when your heart finally understands that there is no turning back."

-J.R.R. Tolkien.

94. "The chances, the changes are all yours to make."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

95. "A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities."

-J.R.R. Tolkien.

96. "Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Fellowship Of The Ring'.

97. "The greatest adventure is what lies ahead."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

98. "In these parts... we are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

99. "A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Children Of Hurin'.

100. "The mold of your life is in your hands to break."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Hobbit'.

Famous 'LOTR' Quotes And Lines From 'Lord Of The Rings'

These famous Gandalf quotes from 'The Lord Of The Rings' include select Bilbo Baggins quotes as well.

101. "The whole thing is quite hopeless, so it's no good worrying about tomorrow."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

102. "Someone else always has to carry on the story."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

103. "There is only one Lord of the Ring, only one who can bend it to his will. And he does not share power."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

104. "For even the very wise cannot see all ends."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

105. "Small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

106. "If you trust nothing else, trust this. Trust us."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

107. "So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

108. "I will not walk backward in life."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

109. "What weather they shall have is not ours to rule."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

110. "Well, you can go on looking forward. There may be many unexpected feasts ahead of you."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

111. "May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

112. "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

113. "There’s no knowing where you might be swept off to."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

114. "It is not our part to master all the tides of the world..."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

115. "No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

116. "It is not the strength of the body, but the strength of the spirit."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

117. "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

118. "Deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

119. "It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

120. "I warn you, if you bore me, I shall take my revenge."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

121. "The board is set, the pieces are moving."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

122. "And I come back to you now… at the turn of the tide."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

123. "Your time will come."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

124. "Do we let them stand alone?"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

125. "And he lives happily ever after."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

126. "There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men for this treachery."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

127. "I am Gandalf the White."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

128. "Bless you, laddie."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

129. "The Ring has awoken, it’s heard its master's call."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

130. "I thought up an ending for my book."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

131. "We swears, to serve the master of the Precious."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

132. "Let’s face it, Mr. Frodo, we’re lost."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

133. "You will face the same Evil, and you will defeat it."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

134. "Mordor. The one place in Middle-Earth we don’t want to see any closer."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

135. "If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

136. "It's the one place we’re trying to get to."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

137. "We come to it, at last, the great battle of our time."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

138. "For the time will soon come when Hobbits will shape the fortunes of all."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

139. "The burned hand teaches best."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

140. "I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the Ages of this world alone."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

The Essential 'LOTR' Quotes And Tolkien Sayings

Here are some of the lesser-known but most impactful lines from 'LOTR' and Tolkien.

141. "Go where you must go, and hope!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

142. "It is a lovely language."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

143. "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

144. "'Tis most of love they sing indeed."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

145. "Who knows? Have patience."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

146. "You are the luckiest, the canniest, and the most reckless man I ever knew."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

147. "It probably won't come."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

148. "Memory is not what the heart desires. That is only a mirror."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

149. "Here at last, dear friends."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

150. "But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

151. "Go in peace!"

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

152. "I don't think I ought to leave my friends like this."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

153. "After all we have gone through together..."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

154. "But to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

155. "It is best to love first what you are fitted to love."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

156. "After that advice about fire goes to the heart."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

157. "Forgive your Sam."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

158. "Torment in the dark was the danger that I feared, and it did not hold me back."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

159. "No onslaught more fierce was ever seen in the savage world..."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

160. "But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

161. "Uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Lord Of The Rings'.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 160+ J.R.R. Tolkien quotes, then why not take a look at these Gandalf quotes, or Bilbo Baggins quotes] too?

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