"Even better was the fact that Jackson was able to resist some of the temptations (and even directives) he was faced with during the course of production—notably, the fact that he actually shot an Aragorn vs. Sauron combat scene in a physical battle before the Black Gates at the end of Return of the King, before realizing that such a literal good-vs-evil showdown was more the stuff of bad Y.A. fiction than Tolkien’s vision. This quote from Jackson, in the ROTK bonus features, truly demonstrates his instincts for and understanding of these characters: “We realized it was actually totally demeaning to what Aragorn was doing … Aragorn’s heroism is not a one-on-one duel with a big villain. His heroism is his attempt to put his own life on the line in the vague hope that it somehow may give Frodo and Sam that little opportunity.”"