Bilbo Baggins leads a more exciting life than most Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings, and I believe he’s responsible for the franchise’s greatest feat of strength. Much of what happens in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, as well as The Lord of the Rings movies, wouldn’t be possible without Bilbo’s adventure in The Hobbit. Bilbo finding the One Ring in the caves under the Misty Mountains — and keeping it long after his encounter with Gollum — has huge consequences for the fate of Middle-earth, even if he doesn’t realize it at the time.

And Bilbo’s possession of the One Ring goes much more smoothly than most ring-bearers’ time with the object; Bilbo even marks a Lord of the Rings first by relinquishing it. Bilbo’s treatment of the One Ring differs from every other character’s, and I can’t help but admire his strength when it comes to Sauron’s greatest weapon. It certainly puts Bilbo in a positive light, reminding us that he’s one of Tolkien’s greatest heroes.

Bilbo Baggins Possessed The One Ring For Decades & Willingly Gave It Up

He’s The Only Lord Of The Rings Character To Accomplish Such A Feat

Despite possessing the One Ring for decades after finding it in The Hobbit, Bilbo willingly gives it up upon leaving the Shire in The Lord of the Rings. This isn’t without struggle, as Gandalf is forced to remind him to leave it behind. Even so, it’s incredibly impressive that Bilbo manages to let go of it as quickly as he does, especially after using the One Ring’s powers to turn invisible on multiple occasions. By all rights, he should be as attached to it as characters like Frodo or Gollum. But Bilbo resists the One Ring better than most ring-bearers.

In fact, he’s the only character in The Lord of the Rings to have the object for so long and still voluntarily part with it. Gandalf and Tom Bombadil both possess it, then let it go, but they hold it for a much shorter period of time — only a few moments each. The more long-term ring-bearers, like Frodo, Gollum, and Isildur, prove incapable of letting go of the One Ring the way Bilbo does. Isildur intends to get rid of it after realizing the toll it’s taking on him, but he perishes before he can do so.

Because Frodo and Gollum are also Hobbits, their experience with the One Ring is probably most comparable to Bilbo’s. However, both of them become far more attached to it for various reasons, ensuring that Bilbo remains the sole ring-bearer to relinquish it so easily. Samwise Gamgee returns it to Frodo after his two-day stint with it, but as Sam never wears the One Ring and doesn’t have it for very long, his resistance is less noteworthy than Bilbo’s.

How Bilbo Managed To Resist The One Ring More Than Other Lord Of The Rings Characters

Tolkien Offers Multiple Reasons For Bilbo’s Resistance

Bilbo responds better to the One Ring than most Lord of the Rings characters, and multiple factors contribute to that. For one, Bilbo is a Hobbit, and Hobbits are less susceptible to the One Ring’s corruption in The Lord of the Rings. This is because Sauron didn’t deem them worthy of notice when he was making plans to conquer Middle-earth. As Sauron didn’t target the Hobbits with the Ring’s influence, they’re able to resist its corruption more easily. Additionally, Hobbits tend to live simple lives and not have the ambition the One Ring amplifies.

Of course, Frodo and Gollum are also Hobbits, and they have stronger reactions to the object. Their circumstances are quite different from Bilbo’s, however. Part of the reason the One Ring doesn’t affect Bilbo the way it impacts Frodo is because Sauron’s power is growing when Frodo has it. His journey to destroy the object also forces him to form a closer connection to it, and the physical and emotional toll of that quest heightens Frodo’s vulnerability. Gandalf also notes that Bilbo’s mercy towards Gollum protects him:

“Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the Ring so. With Pity.”

As for why Bilbo doesn’t become like Gollum, it’s likely because he doesn’t have the One Ring for nearly as long. Gollum possesses it for 500 years, spending most of them in isolation with his “precious.” Bilbo only has it for 60 years, and he returns to the Shire and resumes his life, even as he keeps it close by. Gollum kills to acquire the Ring, putting him in direct opposition to Bilbo, who spares Gollum. It’s also worth noting that Gollum is a Stoor Hobbit, and being a different type of Hobbit may have made him more vulnerable.

Bilbo’s Amazing Feat Of Strength Shows Why He Deserved To Go To The Undying Lands

Bearing The Burden Of The One Ring Honorably Should Be Rewarded

Whatever the reasons for Bilbo’s resistance to the One Ring, giving it up is still an amazing feat of strength for the character. And it underscores how the Hobbit deserves his fate at the end of The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo accompanies Frodo to the Undying Lands after all is said and done; both Hobbits are welcome in Valinor because they’re former ring-bearers. Frodo’s reasons for departing from Middle-earth are obvious, as carrying the One Ring places a huge weight on him. But Bilbo likely needs the peace and rest Valinor offers as well.

After all, Bilbo carries the burden of the One Ring honorably, but it’s still a burden. Being a ring-bearer for 60 years is no easy feat, even for someone who resists it better than most, and Bilbo deserves to be rewarded and given time to heal. Plus, things could have gone much worse if Bilbo hadn’t given up the One Ring, with Middle-earth potentially ending up in a far more devastating situation.

What Might Have Happened To Bilbo Baggins If He Didn’t Give Up The One Ring

Sauron Likely Would Have Taken The Ring From Him

If Bilbo hadn’t been able to give up the One Ring after his birthday, The Lord of the Rings would have played out in a much bleaker manner. There’s a chance Bilbo would have been more corrupted by the object or even perished because of it. The latter would have been far more likely, as Sauron would have tracked it back to him after torturing Gollum. Bilbo wouldn’t have been able to make the journey that Frodo and Sam embarked on, and if he was unwilling to part with the Ring, it would likely have fallen into Sauron’s clutches.

Bilbo probably would have been killed so that Sauron could reclaim the object, making The Lord of the Rings a much quicker — and more depressing — fantasy story. Fortunately, that’s not how things play out, and it’s partly thanks to Bilbo’s strength and compᴀssion that good topples evil during the Third Age of Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings

Movie(s)

The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Created by

J.R.R. Tolkien

First Film

The Lord of the Rings (1978)

Cast

Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt

TV Show(s)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Character(s)

Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows

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