There are a great number of heroes in The Lord of the Rings, but Samwise “Sam” Gamgee and Bilbo Baggins came off particularly well in the movies due to one big change. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies, released between 2001 and 2003, adapted one part of J. R. R. Tolkien’s landmark fantasy novel each. The Lord of the Rings novel was released in three parts between 1954 and 1955. The English author previously introduced Bilbo in The Hobbit, his 1937 children’s book. However, Jackson didn’t follow the books to the letter, and one of his changes glorified Sam (Sean Astin) and Bilbo (Elijah Wood) significantly.

Ranking the members of the Fellowship of the Ring is a hard task in reality, although the Fellowship is depicted in some kind of hero hierarchy by Peter Jackson. Frodo is portrayed as the main character, but Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) could be considered the protagonist, alternatively. The book presents each member on their own merit to a far greater degree than the movies. Conversely, Bilbo actually got far more screen time than he deserved, with Jackson amping up his one book into three whole movies. But one change to Jackson’s universe made Bilbo and Sam look better.

Without Tom Bombadil, The Lord Of The Rings Movies Make Sam & Bilbo Look More Impressive

Sam & Bilbo Don’t Have To Compare To Tom In The LOTR Movies

The Lord of the Rings’ Tom Bombadil was notoriously cut from the New Line Cinema Lord of the Rings movies, which actually made Sam and Bilbo look more heroic. Peter Jackson chose to cut Tom for many reasons, with the umbrella reason being pacing. It was hard for Jackson to trim Tolkien’s vast, sprawling story down enough to fit into three feature-length movies, so elements of it that didn’t help advance the plot were superfluous. Tom was one such element, although he resisted the One Ring masterfully. Thus, removing him made other characters’ time with the Ring more impressive.

The One Ring’s powers in The Lord of the Rings are mysterious but include an addictive hold over most who come near it. The Ring contains Sauron’s very essence, which he had poured into it to ensure his control over the other Rings of Power. This hold includes an irresistible urge to wear it, which renders wearers invisible in the Seen World and visible in the Unseen World. However, Tom is resistant to these powers in the book. Bilbo and Sam resist the Ring substantially in the movies, which appears far more accomplished without having to compare to Tom’s superior control.

How Sam & Bilbo Resisted The One Ring In The Lord Of The Rings

Sam & Bilbo Had Nature On Their Side In LOTR

Sam and Bilbo really both have monumental control over the One Ring, all said and done, which is down to a few key advantages. As Gandalf (Ian McKellen) elaborates on throughout The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien comments on in his letters, Hobbits are stout creatures. They can move through the wild as silently as a mouse, unlike Men, making them perfect burglars, as Bilbo discovers in The Hobbit. But they also live longer than most Men, and appear to have greater endurance or strength, whether physical, mental, or both.

Hobbits do not possess super strength like Lord of the Rings’ Sauron did when he was embodied. Yet, all the Hobbits who come into contact with the Ring display masterful control compared to the leaders of the Wizard or human variety. Even Aragorn and Gandalf wisely refrain from carrying it, knowing it would drive them to seek world domination. Bilbo and Sam did not just have nature on their side, but pure hearts. Sam, especially, had no desire for domination. As such, the Ring had very few footholds in either of them in The Lord of the Rings.