The Fellowship of the Ring Major Characters

Bilbo Baggins : The main character of The Hobbit, Bilbo is the person who rediscovered the lost Ring of Power. He kept it for many years and no one knew what it really was. All he knew was that it made him invisible when he slipped it on. It did have some sisde effects: Bilbo did not age and he did not want to be apart from it. He releases his claim to the ring and goes off into the world ending up at Rivendell where he finally begins to age. There he writes poetry and thinks about his memoirs.

Frodo Baggins : The young cousin of Bilbo. Frodo inherits the ring from his uncle. He has no idea what he is truly inheriting when he accepts it. He finds out from Gandalf how dangerous the ring is and must make the trip to distant Rivendell to decide the fate of the cursed item. He volunteers to bear it all the way into Mordor where it can finally be destroyed. This brave deed brings him many hardships:injuries, winter storms, and the loss of his companions. When it finally becomes apparent that he cannot make the journey with his present companions, he presses on alone with Sam Gamgee.

Sam Gamgee: Sam is the son of Bilbo’s gardener. He gets involved in the Quest to destroy the ring; he, Merry, and Pippin formed a conspiracy to see what was going on between Gandalf and Frodo. The three hobbits end up beginning on the path to far-away Mordor seeing more danger and action than they ever believed possible. Sam is, on many occasions, Frodo’s only strength. He is the only one who departs with Frodo on the final leg of his Quest.

Gandalf: Gandalf is a powerful wizard. His most potent power is his wisdom. Because of the rising threat of Sauron, a necromancer he tried to overthrow with others in The Hobbit, Gandalf tries to figure out the secret of Bilbo’s ring. When he does, he knows it must be destroyed. He introduces the hobbits to companion travelers and rejoins them after he escapes his own captivity. When the band leaves to journey towards Mordor, he leads them and sacrifices himself along the way.

Aragorn (Strider): Aragorn is part of a group called the Dunedain, a wide-ranging brotherhood of Rangers. They descend from the royal race of Numenor. The king of these men was Isildur, the man who lost the Ring of Power. Aragorn is his direct descendant. He is respected by elves greatly and has been groomed to return to the Kingship by Gandalf. His sword, Elendil, is broken and represents a dormant power that is re-forged. When Gandalf disappears, Aragorn becomes the leader and must guide the Company as far as he can. He is strong and wise.

Minor Characters

Saruman the White: Saruman is a wise master of lore and leader of a council of wizards. He begins to stray from the good, however, when he contemplates the true power of the ring. He thinks that he can rule like Sauron and lead in his place. He begins to raise his own armies. When Gandalf will not provide him with the clue to find the ring, he imprisons his fellow wizard.

Sauron: Sauron is the embodiment of evil throughout The Lord of the Rings. He was once a great leader of evil many generations before when he forged the Ring of Power to control the other rings of Middle Earth. He was overthrown by an alliance of Elves and Men. Years after, he reappeared in Mirkwood and then returned to Mordor to rebuild his kingdom. His lieutenants search endlessly for the ring so that Sauron may rule again. Without it, he cannot fight the good of the Earth and with it he cannot be defeated. His lust for it and hope it will be found pushes his campaign.

Pippin: One of Frodo’s nephews who conspires with Merry and Sam to find out what Frodo and Gandalf are up to so they can join the adventure.

Merry: Another of Frodo’s nephews who conspires to force Frodo to let him join the adventure.

Maggot, the farmer: The farmer who helps Frodo and the traveling band across his farm and to the ferry.

Fatty Bolger: The Hobbit that stays behind and watches Frodo’s home.

Tom Bombadil: He is the master of the forest. All things within it, plant and animal obey him. He has been there since men came to the earth. He helps Frodo and the others escape from the Willow and the Barrow-wight. In between the two dangers he gives them food and shelter in his home.

Goldberry: Tom Bombadil’s wife. She is a daughter of a river. She makes wonderful meals and sings beautiful songs to the hobbits.

Barliman: The innkeeper and owner of the Prancing Pony in the town of Bree. He is holding a letter for Frodo from Gandalf that the wizard gave to him almost three months before. When the hobbits’ ponies are stolen, he does his best to find them at least one new beast of burden.

Glorfindel: The elf who comes to help the company when Frodo is wounded. He puts Frodo on his horse and hurries them on the way toward Rivendell. He is one of the few elves who still knows how to fight the powers of evil.

Elrond: The keeper of Rivendell, Elrond is an ancient and wise elf who heads the Council of The Ring with Gandalf. He is friends with Bilbo and Aragorn and father of Arwen.

Arwen: The daughter of Elrond. She is a very beautiful woman with whom Aragorn is in love.

Gloin: An emissary from the dwarves on the other side of Mirkwood. He is one of the dwarves that went on the journey with Bilbo in The Hobbit.

Boromir: The son of the Steward of Minas Tirith. He goes on the Quest to destroy the ring but is against destroying it. His desire for the ring makes Frodo decide that he must go to Mordor alone.

Isildur: The ancestor of Aragorn who took the ring and lost it.

Gollum (Smeagol): The Hobbit-creature who originally discovered the Ring after it was lost. Bilbo got the ring from him in The Hobbit. Aragorn captured him and Gandalf learned much about the ring from him. He escapes and begins to hunt for the ring again.

Legolas: The elf from Mirkwood who accompanies Frodo on his quest. He becomes friends with Gimli even though there is enmity between their races.

Gimli: The dwarf companion of the group that sets out to seek the destruction of the ring. He becomes fast friends with Legolas. In Lothlorien, he will not submit to being the only one blindfolded. He falls for Galadriel.

Balin: A dwarf from The Hobbit. He led a failed attempt to resettle Moria. They find his tomb.

Haldir: The elf in Lothlorien who first offers to help them and shows them the way to Galadriel.

Lady Galadriel: The bearer of an elfish ring and the rule of Lothlorien. She is the reason it stays young and lush. She gives gifts to all of the travelers and shows Frodo and Sam her mirror. She resists the temptation to take the ring.

Celeborn: Lady Galadriel’s husband. He advises the company on the safest way to make it to Mordor.