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meowskywalker t1_jeel8i4 wrote

They’re ghosts specifically because they refused the commands of the King of Gondor. The fact that a new guy is the King of Gondor isn’t going to be a big selling point, in fact since they’ve spent 3000 years being pissed off at a King of Gondor for making them shitty ghosts, it’s probably the opposite of a selling point.

Now the deeper question of “why wouldn’t the ghosts leap at the chance provided by damn near anyone who offers them a chance to stop being ghosts, especially when they’re ghosts and cannot be harmed?” I dunno. Why don’t the eagles pitch in more? Why do the ents need to be tricked into caring? Why are the elves just fucking bailing? There’s a lot of beings in this world that seem to need to be dragged kicking and screaming into defending their own world.

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zjm555 t1_jeem065 wrote

> There’s a lot of beings in this world that seem to need to be dragged kicking and screaming into defending their own world.

That's... the central theme. Overcoming the easy path of just letting things play out rather than fighting and sacrificing for good.

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meowskywalker t1_jeenzi9 wrote

Sure I’m not saying it’s a plot hole or anything, I’m just saying it happens a lot, so the ghosts are hardly unique in their stubbornness.

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verc1ngetor1x OP t1_jeemawd wrote

The film makes it pretty clear that noone can command the ghost army when Legolas shoots an arrow through a ghost. The ghost king revels in the fact that noone can command them except the king of Gondor. He laughs at Aragorn initially but is shocked when his ghost weapon is blocked by what can only be the sword of the King of Gondor right?

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meowskywalker t1_jeenpkw wrote

The King of Gondor is the only one who can command the ghosts. But they have free will. They’re options are “follow the King of Gondor like they should have 3000 years ago” or “just keep being ghosts.” But they’re cowards. They’re ghosts because they’re cowards and ran away 3000 years ago. Of course their initial response to “you wanna follow me into battle?” is gonna be no. Especially up against Sauron, who I don’t know with 100 percent certainty can’t hurt a ghost. He’s kind of a necromancer, kind of a Lich. He might know how to hurt ghosts, so those ghosts might not be an invulnerable as we think.

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