Throughout The Lord of the Rings and the history of Middle-earth, there are nine ring-bearers of the One Ring. Sauron forged the One Ring during Middle-earth’s Second Age, but the Ring’s ownership fluctuated after Sauron’s defeat at the end of the Second Age. The One Ring existed for almost 5,000 years, spanning from the Second Age of Middle-earth to the War of the Ring, during which it was finally destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.

During that time, different characters possessed the One Ring, with some holding onto it much longer than others. The length of time each ring-bearer had the Ring impacted their ability to resist it, but there were other factors at play. Some races of Middle-earth proved more susceptible to its influence, and the characters’ individual personalities and desires also elicited different responses. These details explain why some Lord of the Rings characters were more resistant to the object’s influence than others.

9

Déagol

Possessed The One Ring For A Few Minutes

The One Ring was missing for hundreds of years when Déagol found the object while fishing in the Gladden Fields on his friend’s birthday. Déagol was very excited about his discovery and even reveled in it for a few moments. However, his ownership of the One Ring did not last very long. When his friend and companion, Sméagol, asked for the Ring but Déagol refused, Sméagol killed him, ending Déagol’s time with the One Ring just as it started.

Since Déagol only had a few minutes with the One Ring, it is difficult to discern how the object would have affected him over time. However, J.R.R. Tolkien’s companion letters revealed that Déagol was not a good person, suggesting he could have easily fallen prey the Ring’s corruption. Furthermore, being under the One Ring’s influence for a few moments already turned Déagol into a terrible version of himself, valuing an object over his friendship with Sméagol. Chances are the One Ring would have turned Déagol into a hollow version of himself, just like it did with Gollum.

8

Gollum (Sméagol)

Possessed The One Ring For Almost 500 Years

Gollum acquired the One Ring by killing his friend Déagol, who found the Ring after it was lost for hundreds of years. Gollum, then known as Sméagol, strangled his friend after Déagol refused to give him the One Ring. The magical object essentially destroyed Gollum’s soul. He immediately began using the One Ring for treacherous reasons, exerting its powers of invisibility and becoming incresingly more corrupt. Eventually, Gollum could not even tolerate sunlight, and he moved to the Misty Mountains.

Gollum could not resist the power of the One Ring from the beginning; it unnaturally transformed his body and mind. The One Ring had so much power over Gollum that he even died while attempting to take it back from Frodo, biting off his finger to obtain it. Clearly, Gollum was among the ring-bearers most affected by the object. Although the One Ring does not fully corrupt Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings, Gollum’s kind were closer to Men than Frodo’s, which could explain his susceptibility. It could also be attributed to his already treacherous nature.

7

Isildur

Possessed The One Ring For Two Years

After the Elves and Men defeated Sauron in the War of the Last Alliance, Isildur took the One Ring for himself and Gondor. Although Elrond and Círdan resisted the Ring and urged Isildur to do the same, he ultimately could not. Instead, he kept it as repayment for all that he lost during the fight against Sauron. Isildur held on to the One Ring for two years until he lost it in the Anduin river, and it wasn’t found again until Déagol stumbled upon it.

Isildur never fully turned to the darkness, but he attempted to make the Ring do his bidding. This didn’t work, and he eventually agreed to give the Ring to Elrond, as it was negatively impacting his mind. Unfortunately, he never made it that far — and Isildur’s death was, ultimately, because of the One Ring. He and his men were attacked by Orcs on the way to Elrond. Isildur was stronger than Gollum, as he realized the effects the Ring was having on him and agreed to part with it. Sadly, he wasn’t strong enough to resist it in the first place.

6

Gandalf

Possessed The One Ring For A Few Seconds

Gandalf did not keep the One Ring for very long; in fact, he only had it for a few seconds before throwing it into Frodo’s fireplace to illustrate what it was. Although his time with the One Ring was significantly shorter than other characters’, Gandalf was still considered a ring-bearer. And while Gandalf suspected the Ring would corrupt him, he resisted it better than Gollum, Déagol, and Isildur, which was why it never got the chance to.

Gandalf knew he would have been corrupted by the Ring, so he ensured he wasn’t in possession of it, giving it to Frodo for safekeeping. Gandalf could not carry the One Ring for other reasons too, but he was wise enough to avoid its dark power. While Gollum and Déagol didn’t have knowledge of what it was, Isildur knew it was an object of Sauron’s and chose to claim it anyway. The fact that Gandalf had a stronger resolve upon coming into contact with it speaks volumes, even if he wouldn’t have fared well wearing it.

5

Samwise Gamgee

Possessed The One Ring For Around Two Days

Samwise Gamgee’s resistance to the One Ring was pretty impressive. Samwise only had the One Ring for two days in The Lord of the Rings, but he was mostly able to resist its power. There were points during this period during which Sam felt the One Ring’s influence, but he ultimately prevailed, because Hobbits are much more resistant to the Ring than Men or Elves. Hobbits do not care for the pursuit of power like other races of Middle-earth, and Sauron was never invested in Hobbits the way he was in Men, Dwarves, and Elves.

Furthermore, Samwise, in particular, could resist the One Ring because he was disinterested in the power it granted. Portrayed as a gardener with simple desires, Sam only wanted to live out his days in the Shire alongside other Hobbits. Although Samwise was not one of the most powerful characters in The Lord of the Rings, he demonstrated a different, more admirable power: his good heart. However, the two days Samwise had the One Ring did illustrate that even the purest hearts could be tempted by it. But he overcame that temptation better than several other ring-bearers.

4

Frodo Baggins

Possessed The One Ring For Around 17 Years

Frodo was one of the most powerful resisters of the One Ring. He held onto it for 17 years and traveled across Middle-earth to destroy the object. Although the One Ring tempted Frodo several times, he resisted it until the very end of his journey. During the 17 years he had it, Frodo endured many trials and tribulations while possessing the One Ring, but he prevailed. Time and again, Frodo proved he was perfect to destroy the One Ring because of his Hobbit background, his supportive friends, and his exemplary character.

However, even Frodo caved in at the very end, though the circumstances were unique. After 17 years, the One Ring’s influence overpowered Frodo, but not because he was incapable of resisting it. Frodo had just spent months trekking from the Shire to Mordor. During this time, he endured torture, starvation, and exhaustion. Furthermore, the One Ring reached its maximum power at the Cracks of Doom. Frodo succumbed to the One Ring’s influence because of his sheer exhaustion, even though he’d put up a strong fight against it prior to that point.

3

Bilbo Baggins

Possessed The One Ring For 60 Years

Bilbo Baggins has a slight edge over his cousin Frodo when resisting the One Ring. In reality, the One Ring did not affect Bilbo the way it affected Frodo. Bilbo accidentally discovered the One Ring under the Misty Mountains and escaped with it. Afterward, Bilbo held on to the object for 60 years. During this time, he benefited from some of the One Ring’s powers, aging incredibly slowly and using its invisibility to disappear. Although Bilbo did not succumb to the One Ring’s corruption, he was still affected by it.

As time pᴀssed, Bilbo became more enamored and obsessed with the One Ring. Bilbo became anxious if he could not immediately place the One Ring’s location and became preoccupied with holding it. However, for the most part, Bilbo resisted the One Ring significantly well. When it came time for Bilbo to give it up, he struggled and only relented because of Gandalf’s persuasion. Nevertheless, Bilbo became the first ring-bearer to willingly give up the One Ring, even if it was difficult for him to do it.

2

Tom Bombadil

Possessed The One Ring For A Few Minutes

Tom Bombadil was resistant to the One Ring’s influence, so much so that, when he wore the Ring for a few minutes, he was seemingly unaffected by it. However, the reason for this remains one of the greatest mysteries of Tolkien’s world. Of course, there are many questions still unanswered about Tom Bombadil, one of Tolkien’s most mysterious and fascinating figures. Tolkien never provided a reason for his apparent immunity to the Ring’s influence, but the theories that Tom Bombadil is Eru Ilúvatar or one of the Valar could explain his response.

Gandalf implied that Tom could not understand the complexities of good and evil, but that is not an adequate explanation for his ability to resist the One Ring’s power. Regardless, Tom Bombadil’s immunity to the object makes him one of its strongest resisters. There’s only one person with more control over it, and that’s because he’s the one who crafted the object.

1

Sauron

Possessed The One Ring For 1850 Years

No one could master the One Ring’s influence the way its creator could. Sauron forged the One Ring with the intention of being the only ring-bearer. He wore his creation for 1,850 years until the Last Alliance of Elves and Men defeated him. Sauron never wore the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings, but he was still its strongest bearer. Sauron was already corrupt and evil before forging the One Ring; the object is corrupt because of him. When Sauron wore the One Ring, it functioned the way he designed it to.