The Lord of the Rings has long been the backbone of the fantasy genre, with nearly every book written in the last century based around the structure of J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece.
When that treasured story was adapted into a trilogy of films — and later three more based around The Hobbit — fans were pleasantly surprised. The movies aren’t perfect, they leave out plenty of fan-favorite elements, and occasionally miss the mark on highly-anticipated moments, but they’re also wonderfully heartfelt and brilliantly delivered. A big part of the trilogy’s success comes down to the stellar actors involved, and no one encapsulates their characters more than Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd, who play Merry and Pippin across the three-film epic.
Pippin and Merry were the lighthearted and wholesome relief in a story overflowing with death, war, and darkness, and its clear the actors behind them were a major factor in how the characters translated to the big screen. The same playful delight is present in their real-world conversations, and more than 20 years out from the final film’s release, they’re still thick as thieves.
They’re also close with other members of the cast — even sharing a tattoo with almost every other member of the Fellowship — but its the bond between Merry, Pippin, and Aragorn this duo is looking to immortalize in real life. A clip of them discussing their post-life plans is once again circulating on TikTok, and reminding everyone of why we love these characters — and these men — so much in the first place.
Revealing that, in the aftereffects of the war, the Scouring of the Shire, and the ultimate re-emergence of light in Middle Earth, Merry and Pippin reconnected with Aragorn, Dom makes a stellar pitch for the perfect full-circle moment.
“Merry and Pippin are actually buried with Aragorn,” Dom explains. “And we’ve been pitching to Viggo that, in our actual deaths, Billy and I would like to be just laid down next to him.”
According to Dom, “Billy and I are 100% in,” but Viggo, unfortunately, is closer to “12, 13% in.”
Joking that Viggo told them he’d agree to their plan “over my dead body,” the pair immediately note that that is actually exactly what they want. He apparently told the pair he’s “100% out,” but they’re really not concerned over his wants in the matter. “He’ll die WAY before us,” Dom jokes. “So he’ll have no idea.”
The charming video reeks of Merry and Pippin, something people were not shy to point out in the comments. Numerous people joked that Dom and Billy are actually just awful actors, and simply portrayed themselves in the movies, while others predicted Viggo’s final words, in the wake of their threats.
“Viggos final words: Don’t tell them where I’m buried,” one commenter joked. “Viggo will now buy an entire cemetery to be buried directly in the center …. away from everyone,” another added.
The most common comment, however, sees people everywhere praying that Dom and Billy get their wish. The opportunity to visit these three icons, who portrayed characters so important to so many of us, and pay our respects would mean the world to hundreds of fans. They’re crossing their fingers that Viggo gets on board, so we can all make a visit to the treasured trio at some point, deliver a broken sword and a few pints, and dream of white shores and a far green country under a swift sunrise.