Meaning
What does Return of the King mean?
Return of the King is a popular reaction image macro format, using a screenshot from the opening scenes of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, presenting the title over the landscapes of Fangorn and Misty Mountains.
The reaction image is predominantly used to react to the return of something celebrated or widely approved in a humorous manner.
via MEME
Origin
What's the origin of Return of the King?
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was first premiered in the United States on December 3rd, 2003.
Following the Gollum story, the opening scenes of the film present the company of Gandalf and Aragorn riding to Isengard, as the camera elevates over the woods, revealing the film title.
While the exact origin of the image macro is not known, an early example of the template was uploaded to Imgur on November 22nd, 2018.
Spread & Usage
How did Return of the King spread?
“Return of the King” would start spreading as a reaction image on Reddit in 2019, appearing in the r/dankmemes subreddit, later spreading on to other subreddits.
It is also used on Twitter, as well as other social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram.
External resources
- Reddit – r/lotrmemes