Coming back Quote by George R. R. Martin
“I always felt like Gandalf should have stayed dead. That was such an incredible sequence in Fellowship of the Ring when he faces the Balrog on the Khazad-dûm and he falls into the gulf, and his last words are, ‘Fly, you fools’. What power that had, how that grabbed me. And then he comes back as Gandalf the White, and if anything he's sort of improved. I never liked Gandalf the White as much as Gandalf the Grey, and I never liked him coming back. I think it would have been an even stronger story if Tolkien had left him dead.”
About This Quote
Gandalf’s death and return in Tolkien’s story feels forced; keeping him dead might have made the narrative stronger.
In simple terms: Gandalf’s resurrection seems unnecessary; death could have been more powerful.
Key Takeaway
Question the necessity of resurrecting characters.
Themes
storytelling
character arcs
death vs. resurrection
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
literary
thematic
When to use this quote
- literary analysis
- fan discussions
- writing workshops
Key Concepts
narrative tension
heroic sacrifice
Questions to Reflect On
- Would the story be stronger without Gandalf’s return?
- How does resurrection affect character development?
A Different Perspective
Resurrection can dilute original impact.
![“The best writing advice I had was [in] ‘Heinlein’s Rules for Writers’ by (American science fiction author) Robert A. Heinlein. His first rule is that you must write, and I was already doing that, but his second rule is, ‘You must finish what you write,’ and that had a big impact on me.” quote by George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/14d/george-r-r-martin-2-926_advice_the-best-writing-advice-i-had-was-in-hei_51395.jpg)
