Bilbo Baggins leaves the Shire at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings series, and there’s a particular reason why he chose to do so at this point in time. Bilbo might not be the central hero of The Lord of the Rings books, but he’s an integral character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s world due to his influence on the events of The Hobbit and for being the one who pᴀssed the One Ring down to Frodo. At the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo leaves his home behind for his own journey, separate from Frodo’s.

Aside from the War of the Ring, the Hobbits rarely had an impact on the history of Middle-earth, which is a huge component of what makes Bilbo and Frodo so spectacular. The pair of them and Samwise Gamgee were the writers of the Red Book of Westmarch, which is the in-world book that recounts the Quest of Erebor and the Quest of the Ring. As expansive and fruitful as Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies are, there are some fascinating details that are either left out or that might be foggy to new viewers.

Bilbo Leaves The Shire On His 111th Birthday To Stay With The Elves In Rivendell

Bilbo Returned To Rivendell To Finish His Book & Live Among Elves

The inciting incident of The Fellowship of the Ring is Bilbo Baggins’ 111th Birthday, for which the aging Hobbit throws a lavish event, inviting Gandalf to return to the Shire after many years. At the party’s conclusion, Bilbo gave a speech and vanished using the power of the One Ring, then snuck off and departed for Rivendell, returning to the Elven stronghold he had visited on his journey to and from Erebor, once again meeting Lord Elrond. He remained in Rivendell until the end of the Third Age.

In the books, there are seventeen years before Bilbo’s departure from the Shire and Frodo’s arrival at Rivendell, and Bilbo attends the Council of Elrond, at which the Fellowship is formed. Bilbo’s time at Rivendell was peaceful and fulfilling, with him finally completing his book, There and Back Again. It’s also notable that, with distance from the One Ring, Bilbo finally began aging, hence the change in his appearance between Fellowship and The Return of the King.

Why Bilbo Decides To Leave Home In The Lord Of The Rings

The One Ring Was Weighing On Bilbo’s Spirit

Bilbo spends many years in the Shire after the Quest of Erebor, no longer aging after turning 50. He spent most of his time writing and only occasionally left for more adventures, though nothing as notable as his experience in The Hobbit. Though he wasn’t physically changing, Bilbo began suffering more and more from the influence of the One Ring. The following line from Bilbo perfectly captures his feelings as he explains them to Gandalf before his departure:

“I am old, Gandalf. I don’t look it, but I am beginning to feel it in my heart of hearts. Well-preserved indeed! Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like ʙuттer that has been scraped over too much bread. That can’t be right. I need a change, or something.”

Though Bilbo never faced the threats Frodo would when he carried the One Ring, the influence of the Dark Lord Sauron was still strenuous. The ring occupied much of his mind, with him growing increasingly paranoid and isolated. Possessing the ring led him to constantly feel as if he was being watched, and he began to grow tired and weary of the stress and pain of being a Ring-bearer, though it would eventually allow him to travel to the Undying Lands.

Bilbo Was Restless For Another Adventure After His Journey In The Hobbit

Bilbo Baggins Longed For Journey After The Quest Of Erebor

The Hobbit isn’t a fantasy epic like The Lord of the Rings; it’s a tale of courage and transformation through leaving one’s home and comfort zone. Bilbo may have lived a quaint and peaceful life in the Shire, outside the ring business, but once he had gotten a taste for adventure, he always longed for more. Bilbo’s journey in The Hobbit turned him from a recluse who wasn’t interested in doing anything outside his norms into a genuine hero who’d accomplished more than most of his species.

Though he may have grown to be 111 and was worn from carrying the Ring of Power, Bilbo Baggins always kept the spirit of the young Hobbit who outsmarted trolls and a dragon. Bilbo’s journey away from the Shire gave way for Frodo to carry the One Ring to Mordor, but it was also Bilbo’s last opportunity to adventure through Middle-earth, reliving the wonders of his old days prior to The Lord of the Rings.

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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