In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, what does Gandalf shout on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm?

In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf shouts “You shall not pass!” on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm.

The line occurs in Moria, when the Fellowship is confronted by a Balrog, a powerful fire-and-shadow creature from Tolkien’s mythology. Gandalf stands on the narrow bridge while the others escape, using his staff and sword to block the monster’s advance.

The quotation is associated with Gandalf’s authority and sacrifice, although the scene does not end his story. The Balrog breaks the bridge, and Gandalf falls with it into the abyss before later returning in transformed form as Gandalf the White.

Peter Jackson’s 2001 film made the line one of cinema’s most recognizable fantasy quotations. A common mix-up is the wording: the film says “You shall not pass!” rather than “You cannot pass!” The sequence is adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1954 novel The Fellowship of the Ring.