Frodo never got married in The Lord of the Rings like Sam, and there are a good many reasons for that. Frodo is one of Lord of the Rings’ strongest members of the Fellowship, despite seeming relatively useless in the movies. He isn’t a knight in shining armor like Aragorn or a mage like Gandalf — his power is moral. Frodo’s resistance to the One Ring outshone everyone else’s as his heart was particularly hard to corrupt. When heroism is justly rewarded in Lord of the Rings, it confuses some to find Frodo seeming so lonely toward the end of the story.
Frodo succeeds in his quest and returns home to the Shire, which he says “has been saved, but not for me.” He is surrounded by his friends and family but feels alone. Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King‘s ending adapted this beautifully, seeing Frodo sail off at the end, just like he did in the book. This perfect ending encapsulates Frodo’s character, destiny, and journey, including its contrast with the life of his best friend, Samwise Gamgee. Merry and Pippin married, like Sam. Frodo, however, was seriously struggling with trauma by the end of Lord of the Rings.
Why Frodo Didn’t Get Married After The Lord Of The Rings (Even Though Sam Did)
Frodo Had PTSD In The Lord Of The Rings
Although human psychology isn’t typically applied to inhuman creatures in fantasy worlds, Frodo clearly has PTSD by the end of the story, more so than his friends who also fought in the war. Frodo spoke to Tolkien’s own trauma from fighting in WWI. Frodo’s bachelorhood could reflect his isolation, alienation, and guilt in the wake of his quest to destroy the One Ring. But he also may not have wanted a relationship at all. He inherited Bilbo’s spirit of adventure, which lent itself to singleness. A queer reading, whereby Frodo loved Sam, is possible but was likely not Tolkien’s intention.
Frodo Wasn’t In The Shire Long Enough To Start A New Life After LOTR
Frodo Left The Shire Before He Could Find A Hobbit Spouse
Frodo went home after Sauron was defeated in Lord of the Rings, but didn’t stay for all too long, not giving him much of a chance to start a new life with a partner or family. Between the War of the Ring and sailing to the Undying Lands, Frodo only gave himself a couple of years to settle in and find meaning. Like Bilbo, Frodo was a Ring-bearer of significance, and too damaged to be able to heal in Middle-earth. Perhaps, knowing this deep down inside, Frodo kept himself away from romance or having children.
But Bilbo’s adventurous soul held him from family life from the very beginning, even before he encountered Lord of the Rings’ One Ring. Gandalf, in Unfinished Tales, “guessed that he wanted to remain ‘unattached’… to be free to go when the chance came.” Ultimately, trauma notwithstanding, it was probably this exact same spirit that made Frodo independent. Frodo is the heir to Bilbo’s estate and destiny. He is married to his mission, to the road, an eternal wanderer who may yet find peace in Valinor in The Lord of the Rings.
