A small toy soldier crossing a thin plank above a dark gap, with a red die at one end.

Original artwork, not a still

Gimli

Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?

— The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King • 2003

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A bleak tally turned into a rallying cry. Death is certain and the odds of success are slim, and the speaker's answer isn't to retreat but to ask why anyone is hesitating. The dark humour comes from treating hopeless odds as a reason to go.

Context reviewed

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