Friendship is one of the most important themes in The Lord of the Rings, even if certain friends may be a little annoying sometimes. That’s what the relationship between Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) is all about, really. What begins as a running gag of wizardly exasperation and Hobbit mischief gradually deepens into one of the saga’s most quietly affecting friendships. Although it’s never his intention, Pippin and his shenanigans are always hindering Gandalf’s plans, resulting in some of the best moments in the saga.
They are usually something that Pippin does by mistake, but, every once in a while, there’s also a tender moment thrown in for good measure—after all, cranky as he may be, everyone knows Gandalf has a soft spot for Hobbits. Thankfully for the wizard, he does get some respite from Pippin in The Two Towers, so here are the seven best moments between these two unlikely frenemies in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King.
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Pippin sets off the dragon fireworks during Bilbo’s birthday party with Merry in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
Pippin’s mischief is usually carried out with the help of his faithful companion, Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and the very first time they get on Gandalf’s nerves in the movies happens during Bilbo’s (Ian Holm) 111th birthday party, when they sneak into Gandalf’s stash of fireworks and set off the biggest one, a dragon that nearly sets the whole Shire on fire. “Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. I might’ve known,” says Gandalf, as he lifts the two young Hobbits by their ears immediately afterward.
This scene is a perfect mix of whimsy and wrath, establishing Pippin’s knack for trouble and Gandalf’s short supply of patience. As punishment, the wizard has the dynamic Hobbit duo wash the dishes for the party, which, frankly, feels more like a slap on the wrist despite his relentless, serious watch. It really sets the whole tone for the love-hate rhythm that will define their journey together.
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Gandalf loses his temper with Pippin at the gates of Moria in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
After the Fellowship fails to cross the Pass of Caradhras, Frodo (Elijah Wood) chooses the Mines of Moria as their next route. Unfortunately, Gandalf has forgotten the password that opens the Doors of Durin and gets quite frustrated when he fails his first attempt. That’s when Pippin asks: “What are you going to do, then?” The wizard’s answer is as swift as a slap on the face: “Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that doesn’t shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words.”
Granted, Pippin and his never-ending curiosity and impatience can be annoying, but the poor Hobbit’s question sounds more like he’s eager to see what Gandalf will do next than a challenge. We love Gandalf, of course, but here he proves our point of having an especially short fuse with Pippin, as Merry asks a similar question mere seconds before Pippin’s. The wizard was under pressure, but did he have to answer like that? Probably not.
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Pippin and Merry awaken the Watcher in the Water in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
As Gandalf struggles to open the Doors of Durin, Pippin and Merry are idly tossing stones into the still waters in front of the gates of Moria, unaware of the tentacled terror that lurks beneath. When Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) tells Pippin to “not disturb the water,” it’s already too late, as the Watcher in the Water comes out just as Gandalf finally remembers the password (“Mellon!”), and nearly eats Frodo for dinner.
This sequence underscores how Pippin’s impatience and innocence repeatedly clashes with the harshness of the world beyond the Shire. Throwing rocks in a lake may be fine back home, but who knows what nameless things one might awaken in unknown waters? If you can’t see what’s beneath them, it might be better not to throw anything in it. Unfortunately, this isn’t the last (nor the worst) time Pippin endangers everyone because of this.
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Pippin drops a skeleton down a well in Moria ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
The quintessential Gandalf-Pippin moment happens in the Chamber of Mazarbul in Moria, as the Fellowship finds the tomb of Balin (Ken Stott). As always, Pippin’s nervous curiosity gets the better of him as he nudges a skeleton into a bottomless well for no particular reason. The clatter echoes throughout the dark mines, and its sound only loses to the daggers everyone stares at the young Hobbit. Gandalf’s face all but spells: “You’ve got to be kidding.” He then makes this thought clear by delivering the iconic line: “Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!“
The chain of events unleashed by this is as epic as it is disastrous. When the echo finally stops reverberating, the sound of drums fills the dark, with an endless horde of Orcs and even a Troll showing up to fight. Even the Balrog of Moria wakes up to chase the Fellowship to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, resulting in Gandalf’s apparent death following his confrontation with the demon. Once the Fellowship makes it out of the mountains, all Hobbits are crying, but one can imagine how Pippin, in particular, must be feeling. It’s hard to even get mad.
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Pippin peers into the Palantír in ‘The Return of the King’
Pippin and Gandalf finally reunite in The Return of the King, but the young Hobbit’s shenanigans are back in full force. He retrieves the Palantír from the inundated Isengard and Gandalf immediately seizes it, knowing how dangerous the seeing-stone is. So, naturally, Pippin decides to peek into it while Gandalf is asleep later that night, inadvertently opening a direct line between his and Sauron’s mind.
Not much harm was done, however, as Pippin has arguably the haziest mind of all the Hobbits and knows next to nothing of the Fellowship’s actual plans. It even helped a bit, making Sauron think the One Ring is with the Fellowship. Still, after that, Gandalf decides to take Pippin with him to Gondor to keep a close eye on the young Took—who knows what he might do next, right?
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Pippin pledges himself to Denethor’s service in ‘The Return of the King’
After the incident with the Palantír, Pippin significantly improves, even though he still disobeys Gandalf one last time when they meet Denethor (John Noble), Boromir’s (Sean Bean) father, in Minas Tirith. Gandalf had warned him about not speaking about Boromir’s death (“In fact, it’s better if you do not speak at all, Peregrin Took.”), but the sight of a grieving father was too much for Pippin, who confesses that Boromir died protecting him and pledges his service to Gondor to make amends. It might have been unwise, but one can hardly blame Pippin for his decision at that moment. Also, in the end, it worked out for the best, as it made the young Took a key figure in the Battle of Minas Tirith the following day.
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Gandalf comforts Pippin as Minas Morgul activates in ‘The Return of the King’
Gandalf is still annoyed at Pippin for becoming Denethor’s servant later that night, and makes it clear (“You’re in the service of the steward now. You’ll have to do as you’re told, Peregrin Took.”), but their conversation on the balcony is the turning point in their relationship. Far away, the fortress of Minas Morgul makes a glaring display of power as the Witch-king of Angmar leads his armies to Minas Tirith for the battle the following day, and all of Gondor watches in terror. Noticing Pippin’s shock, Gandalf gently places his hand on the Hobbit’s shoulder, calming him. It’s a small gesture that speaks volumes about how fond Gandalf actually is of Pippin, despite his countless shenanigans.
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Gandalf comforts Pippin during the Battle of Minas Tirith in ‘The Return of the King’
In the most tender exchange between the two, Pippin despairs as Minas Tirith burns and death feels certain. Gandalf, facing his own doubts, kneels beside him and offers one of the trilogy’s most beautiful and comforting speeches: “Death is just another path, one that we all must take.” He then describes what happens, and Pippin doesn’t find it so bad, especially in the face of certain death. Thankfully, it doesn’t come to that, but it is a heartfelt moment that is among the best in the trilogy.
The emotional weight here stems from everything they’ve been through together. Pippin, once a source of mischief, has become someone Gandalf genuinely cherishes. The wizard’s words aren’t just consolation, but a promise, a benediction from a friend and mentor who’s learned to love the foolish Hobbit who never stopped asking questions. Their journey ends not with a reprimand, but with peace—an affirmation that even the smallest friendship can stand against the darkness of the world.
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