The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
Fanghorn level
Successfully complete the game with all characters to unlock the Fanghorn level.
Helm’s Deep level
Kill at least 2,000 enemies with any single character (not a total between several characters) to unlock the Helm’s Deep level.
Moria level
Successfully complete the game with any character to unlock the Moria level.
Weathertop level
Successfully complete the game with all artifacts collected to unlock the Weathertop level.
Play as Smeagol
Successfully complete the game with at least two characters to unlock Smeagol in the Helm’s Deep or Moria levels. He can also be selected in multi-player mode.
Play as Sam
Use a link cable to connect to a GameCube and play its version of The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King . Sam will be unlocked in multi-player or bonus maps as a selectable character.
Ancient Artifacts
Use a link cable to connect to a GameCube and play its version of The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King . Ancient Artifacts that can be sold for extra gems can now be found.
Duplicate items
In multi-player mode, have one player give an item to the other. Then, have the receiving player save the while the sender does not. Next, have both players quit. If done correctly, both players should now have all the items.
Hidden Quest
When you reach Anduin River, Corsair Camp with Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli there will be a woman looking for her brother. To find, her go to the top of the screen when you first enter the level. Find her brother and lead him back to her to get an item.
Secret areas
There is a secret cave containing a Rune Forge and a Rangers’ Hollow in the level of tunnels where you see Shelob (but cannot yet fight her). It is located at the far south in the center, in one of four cave entrances. The others are unusable.
When you reach Ithilien, North with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, or Gandalf, go to the waterfall and walk upwards. You will enter a secret village, with a Ranger Hollow, a Forge, and a couple of houses. Talk to the village elder to get the Elf Rune II- Nimblefoot for free.
In the Ice Caves that Eowyn visits, there are three secret caves. The first two are in the far west walls. The first contains a Troll. The second contains a Troll, Spiders, a Trunk, and a Rune Forge. The third cave is near the exit. There is a partition wall separating the exit tunnel from another tunnel to the east. It is at the bottom of the eastern tunnel that there is an entry to another secret cave.
When you play as Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli, you will go through a path in the mountains where you will meet a man who speaks of Goblins and the fact that they do not allow their treasures to remain unguarded for long. To the northeast of this man, there is a secret cave with many Trunks filled with treasure. When you exit this cave, note the appearance of many Crebain and make certain to kill them to avoid corruption.
Additional Runes
At Ithilien, the Rune given by the old man in the hidden village will be different each time you play; if you save, quit, then play again. This is true of all of the Runes that are given in various levels throughout the game.
At Ithilien, North, when you go through the waterfall near the beginning of the level, the soldier in the hidden village will give you a different rune each time. If you talk to him, get the Rune if you want it, then save and quit the game. Load the game from the same level and talk to him again. He will give you different rune each time. Repeat this as many times as desired.
When you are at a campsite, keep buying a Rune until you cannot get another one. Do not leave the campsite yet. Instead, save and quit the game. Go to a bonus map and play for awhile until you have enough gems for a Rune. Then, save and quit the game. Load the game at the campsite and you will then be able to buy another Rune that you could not get before. Repeat this as many times as desired.
When at the White Mountains: SE Mountains Edge, towards the bottom and end of the map, you can find a random Rune beneath some trees. Pick it up, save the game, then quit. Reload the same level and you can find a different Rune. Keep doing this as many times as desired. It is possible to pick up all of the Runes there.
At the end of the last Moria level, after killing the Troll and a multitude of reappearing Orcs, when you go down the last tunnel towards the exit, you will see two Runes, one on either side of the door. These Runes will be different each time you play. Another Rune is available in the Moria level before this last level; when you open the second gate (to reach the two Trolls), there is a cask to the right of the gate. Smash it to find a Rune. Note: Smashing casks and crates does not always lead to treasure and herbs. There are some nasty surprises at times. A cask in one of the Moria levels is a multiple cask containing one of the arm-flailing corruption-giving drummer Orcs. There is another cask that contains a drummer Orc in one of the Aragorn’s/Legolas’/Gimli’s White Mountain levels.
Get all the Runes desired and carve them on weapons. Put that weapon in a Ranger Hollow. Quit the game and go to a character without that rune. Retrieve that weapon from a Ranger Hollow, and it will still have the Rune carved, even though you have not obtained the Rune yet.
Deagol’s Skull artifact
As Frodo in the Slopes Of Mount Doom level, go up the nearest set of several stairs and kill the standard bearer at the top. Open the chest. Walk back to the beginning and go east until you reach Gollum. Open the chest to find the artifact, Deagol’s Skull.
Feather Of Gwaihir artifact
With Gandalf at the level where you have to light the two beacons, go through and light the east beacon. Then, go back to the starting level and go all the way to the upper left. The feather will be there.
Galadriel’s Lock artifact
In the North Ithilian level, kill all the Orcs. You may need to go back and forth a lot to find all of them. As soon as you kill all the Orcs, go to the ledge with the waterfall then go right. You will see about thirty butterflies flocking the tree at the dead end. The artifact is near the tree. Do not enter the waterfall or you will have to start the process again.
Saruman’s Palantir artifact
When you face Saruman with Gandalf, go to the top of the map. Break the vases and open the chest to find it.
Shelob’s Stinger artifact
After you defeat Shelob as Sam, go straight up to find a barrel. Smash the barrel to find the stinger. You can also find this artifact in multi-player more. Note: If you find an artifact in multi-player mode, both players will get it.
There And Back Again artifact
After you save the girl’s brother in the Corsair Camp, return to the beginning of the level. A group of Orcs will be mobbing a woman. Save the woman by killing the Orcs. She will take you to a barn and open the door. Walk through the barn. Talk to the little boy. He will tell you he lost many possessions, including the book. Smash all the barrels in the area to find the artifact.
Respawning enemies warning
When taking Frodo’s path, in the level before you have to face Shelob and fight her as Sam, there is a cave guarded by two orange-garbed Orcs. That cave contains treasure without any enemies, but when you exit, you will find that you have to go through the level all over again, killing every enemy you killed before entering the cave. The waterfall cave in Ithilien is like that as well. When you exit it, you will find that every enemy you killed has come alive again and you have to play the level all over again. Note: Some of the Health Pools act as triggers for the appearance of new enemies. For example, in the Anduin level before you reach the Corsair ship, there is a health pool near a ruined tower. When you drink from it, you trigger the appearance of a cave troll and a number of Orcs.
Making sure Uruk-Hai are dead
Listen carefully when an Uruk-Hai falls down. You should hear it scream. If you do not hear it, then it is not dead.
Defeating Denethor
To defeat Denethor, you need to block his torches. The easiest way to defeat him is to use the Shield skill and stand in front of him. Do not stand too close or he will knock you down and immediately destroy your shield. Another way to defeat him is to use the Blinding Aura to stun the Gondorian soldiers. This is difficult because you need to position the soldiers directly in front of Denethor. You can only defeat him by blocking his torches; do not waste your Spirit Points.
Defeating the Witch King
The quickest and easiest way to killing the Witch King is to lead him into the fire. When he is directly on it, hit him once. Do not worry if his armor resisted the blow. The Kitch King will use a power surge and the fire will drain his life. Repeat this until his life meter is almost gone, then begin using your sword to attack him. After you defeat him, go to the man who was killed at the beginning of the level. Search him to get the Witch King’s Crown, which is an Artifact.