Tolkien Tuesday: The Best Lord of the Rings Memes This Week (October 20, 2026)

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Oct 20, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

What is the most iconic meme format to have emerged from The Lord of the Rings?

Even those who have never seen any of the movies or read any of the books can probably recognize a lot of them if they spend enough time on the internet. Tolkien has had that much of an overarching influence on meme culture. There is the old-school classic of One Does Not Simply Walk Into Mordor, an icon of the advice animal era that introduced a generation of chronically online people to the wisdom of Boromir. Around the same time, Gandalf got his own moment in the spotlight with You Shall Not Pass.

As memes developed, so did the internet's relationship with all things LOTR, and many of the memes became less grandiose and more silly. Bilbo asking Why Shouldn't I Keep It? became the motto for anyone chasing a little more whimsy in their day-to-day lives, and Frodo telling us to Keep Your Secrets celebrated the bliss of simply not knowing things from time to time.

Even some of the most serious moments of the whole LOTR franchise have been a candidate for the meme treatment, with Aye, I Could Do That turning Gimli and Legolas's admission of friendship on the battlefield into a celebration of alliances both unlikely and nonsensical. One thing about Tolkien fans is that they can make a joke out of any part of their beloved series, even when it seems like the humor is lacking. It is a real skill.

01
They Managed The Most With The Least

via lotrhumour
02
Just Want To Enjoy Some Peace And Quiet

via lotrhumour
It is a labor of love that the LOTR fandom has spent so much time promoting the good cause of Middle-earth via internet humor for all of these years. They may have turned more people into fans of Tolkien's world than we know. The great thing about being able to take a lighthearted attitude about these epic stories is that we get an endless stream of silly content that only further elevates the fandom. It's a win-win situation.
There is no telling what random line or scene may next get the viral meme treatment, but in the meantime, there are plenty of random LOTR memes to enjoy. That is the overwhelming power of the One Ring for you.
03
They Are Obscured In The Depths

via lotrmania
04
The Ents Are Understanding

via lotrmania
05
The Gothest Of Them All

via lotrmania
06
That's Gonna Be A Lot To Unpack In Therapy

via lotrmania
07
Pippin Had The Intel

via lotrmania
08
I Dare You Ask Again

via lotrmania
09
Best Example Of The Genre

via lotrmania
10
Who Said That

via lotrmania
11
That's Me In The Corner

via lotrmania
12
The Plot Twist Nobody Saw Coming

via TheNerdFromGWN
13
What's Happening Here

via thesilentwizard
14
The Anti-Work Pope

via SatoruGojo232
15
Feeling A Little Left Out

via floweiss34
16
An Old Internet Classic

via DarkMatterLuigi
17
Who Needs AI When You Have Wizards

via Wheretheheckisjason
18
The Party To End All Parties

via Wheretheheckisjason
19
A Strict Do Not Disturb Policy

via Wheretheheckisjason
20
Get A Clue For Once

via Wheretheheckisjason
21
Establishing The Lay Of The Land

via oeco123
22
And It Deserves It Every Time

via wheretheheckisjason
23
How Could They Betray Us

via Wheretheheckisjason
24
That Would Be A Trip

via FrankTheTnkk
25
What On Earth Is Happening Here

via a-rather-dry-sob