At the end of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo and Bilbo left the Shire for the last time and headed to the Undying Lands, but what happened to their home at Bag End? Back in The Hobbit, it was established that Bilbo Baggins’ home was a prime piece of real estate by the Hobbits’ standard. Bilbo knew that many of his relatives were waiting for their chance to move into Bag End, and they did precisely that while he was away on his adventure (though he successfully took it back). Then, in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo left the place to his nephew, Frodo Baggins.

Though the Lord of the Rings movies made it seem as if Frodo wasn’t the sole owner of Bag End for long before his own journey, the books reveal that he lived there alone for nearly 20 years before Gandalf sent him off with the One Ring. When Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin returned to the Shire in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, they found that Saruman’s lackeys had taken over the place. Bag End itself was occupied by Lotho Sackville-Baggins, who had fallen in with the villains. Frodo ultimately took his home back and attempted to settle in at the Shire—but what happened next?

Sam & Rosie Lived With Frodo In Bag End After The Lord Of The Rings

Frodo Wanted To Help His Friend In His Happiness

Frodo had technically sold Bag End to the Sackville-Bagginses before he left the Shire in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, but his extended family ultimately ceded the place back to him after the Scouring of the Shire. After everything he had gone through, living alone didn’t suit Frodo, so he moved Samwise Gamgee in (though his name was changed to Samwise Gardner) upon his marriage to Rosie Cotton. Though Frodo suffered both mentally and physically following the destruction of the One Ring, it’s implied that he found some peace in living with Sam and Rosie.

The Gardeners welcomed their first child, Elanor, while Frodo still lived at and was the owner of Bag End. Frodo loved this child greatly and took joy in seeing her raised in his home. However, the hero of The Lord of the Rings was unable to find complete peace even with his dear loved ones at Bag End. He ultimately chose to travel to the Undying Lands with Bilbo, an honor both Hobbits were granted as a thanks for carrying the burden of Sauron’s One Ring. As Frodo prepared to leave, he made Sam his heir, leaving everything he owned to this most loyal friend.

Sam Inherits Bag End After Frodo & Bilbo Leave For The Undying Lands

It Only Made Sense That Sam & Rosie Would Keep Bag End

It only made sense that Sam would inherit Bag End when the Bagginses left the Shire for good. He was already living in Frodo’s home, and Frodo certainly wouldn’t have kicked them out to sell the place to someone else. Additionally, the Shire’s most coveted Hobbit hole was a fitting home for Sam, who became mayor of the Shire—a position he held for seven terms of seven years each (a total of 49 years).

Sam and Rosie Gardner went on to have a total of 13 children, and each of them was raised in Bilbo and Frodo’s old home. In addition to Bag End, Sam had inherited the book in which Bilbo and Frodo had recorded their adventures. This book came to be known as the Red Book of Westmarch, and after adding to it considerably, Sam pᴀssed it on to his oldest, Elanor. The day eventually came (after Rosie’s death) that Sam decided to head for the Undying Lands as well. When he did, he left Bag End to his second child and oldest son, whose name was, quite fittingly, Frodo.

Bag End’s Fate Adds Another Hopeful Layer To The Lord Of The Rings’ Ending

The End Of Frodo’s Story Was Only The Beginning Of Sam’s

Frodo leaving Bag End to Sam and his family may seem negligible in the grand scheme of The Lord of the Rings‘ ending. However, this detail is profoundly important to the conclusion of Frodo’s story. Tolkien’s breathtaking adventure has a rather melancholic ending, and Frodo’s decision to say goodbye to Sam and head for the Undying Lands is truly heartbreaking. We all wish that this hero of Middle-earth could have found complete peace and happiness living at Bag End with Sam, Rosie, and their children, but that simply wasn’t possible for him. Still, Frodo’s journey was never about securing a happy ending for himself.

Everything that Frodo did in The Lord of the Rings was for the good of others. Sam recognized this and, in turn, gave everything he possibly had to offer over to Frodo. These two Hobbits represent the beauty of love and giving, and their ending perfectly reflects this. Frodo gave over Bag End, and Sam took this blessing, pᴀssed it on to his children, and used his good fortune to better the lives of the people of the Shire. Happiness in Middle-earth may have been beyond Frodo’s reach, but the knowledge that he had made peace possible for Sam at the end of The Lord of the Rings was the best possible alternative.

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

<ʙuттon type="ʙuттon" class="show-more-new icon i-chevron-down-solid">Expand