The True Hero of The Lord of the Rings

[Corwyn Celesil]

I have heard all manner of opinions on the subject of who the hero of LoTR is: some say Aragorn, who is certainly a very central figure of the last two books at least; some say the faithful Sam emerges as the hero; and some say that obviously it is Frodo, the character with whom the books (mostly) start and who has the most important task. On my part, I see that Frodo is certainly the most central character at the beginning but that gradually other characters emerge to share a good deal of the limelight, but I am curious to know your opinions.

I have always thought that Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, etc. all played very important parts but I think that the true hero is Gandalf. If not for Gandalf the quest would have surely failed, how many other members of the fellowship do you think could have saved them from the Balrog. Also, without Gandalf, the hobbits never would have met Aragorn and they would have died in Bree.

[Corwyn Celesil]

I had thought about Gandalf, but I realized that nothing is ever told from his point of view. He is a very important character, but he is always seen through another's eyes.

[Kaiserin]

Hmmm... It probably depends on what you mean by "hero". [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

In terms of plot, Frodo was definitely the central, focal character.
In terms of theme, Aragorn is the focus.
Gandalf made significant contributions and certain things definitely would not have been possible without him. He sort of "holds the story together" and serves somewhat as a link to the past.
When speaking of heroic deeds, it was Merry and Eowyn who slew the Witch-King [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
But overall, the story was about the Ring itself.

In my opinion, the true hero in Lord of the Rings does not exist.
Think about what a hero means. He or she must be without any failures, maybe supernatural, and never ordinary. So how can for example Frodo be a hero?
Of course, central characters exist, for me it is Gandalf standig for the good, and Saruman for the evil. Both are very powerful, think about their origin! Gandalf and Saruman are the central characters, until the end of the "two towers".

In "The Return of the King" I can't find any main or central characters at all. There are only the two big armies, lead by some characters who might be important, but you cannot find any central chars. This book shows, for me, the typical black and white scheme in the exteme ( no real main chars, just a big battle with many, shortly described characters).

so what do you think?

What is a hero? If you save some people's life and you are killed, they will call you a hero. But would you say, Boromir was a hero? If you have a huge duty to carry and to fullfill and you fail, you won't be a hero. So could Frodo be a hero?
So what is a hero? A hero is a person, setting himself an aim to reach and to try it with all means neccessary and who never is lead into temptation and who never changes his mind. Well, let's only take a look at the central characters. Aragorn, he got into temptation at Amon Hen for a short moment, Merry looked into the Palantir, Pippin was frightened and wanted to go back home at Isengard, Gandalf was a Maiar, Sam had illusions and saw himself as the kind of Middle-Earth in Mordor, Arwen had almost sailed to Valinor, Legolas and Gimli were afraid of the One Ring, Frodo got his little Hobbit finger bit off because he couldn't destroy the ring, Gollum, well Gollum always only wanted to get his ring back and that's what happened in the end, but well, he died. And Sauron, Suron might be a candidate for the title of a hero, but he also failed and got his *** kicked. So I think you got a great amount of heroes in LOTR but no one HERO, if you know what I mean. They all got their qualities and it's great that way.

Only my opinion, Brishtog

[lindil]

The LotR is unique in that it expresses the hero role through numerous characters and in many levels, as Brishtog has pointed out [welcome to the downs!].

At different moments virtually all of the members of the fellowship are heroic, and at moments central. Gimli and Legolas being the least reperesentative of this. But for their races they nonetheless undoubtedly returned to the mountains and the wood to a hero's welcome. Acually I will upon a sudden thought revise what I said, Legolas and Gimili are hero's in that they manage to transcend their ethnic biases against each other and to a degree open themselves to seeing the world through each others eyes. No small thing.

Anyway, back to the original point.

As has often been pointed out, Aragorn, Frodo, Sam and Gandalf all claim a peice of centrality, but all in different ways and on different levels.

Gandalf the angelic: he passed the test of maintaing spiritual purity and purpose in a fallen and divided world over some two thousand years.

Aragorn: the quintessential 'Elf-man', he in his person [and with his wife] bridges the 1st three ages and the new age to come. He brings as much elven culture into the life of men as is possible, he also is the discple of Gandalf, though this only became crystal clear to me upon a few reads and more life experience. He is the human warrior polymath par excellence: healer, warrior, loremaster, Elf-friend, captain-general, ranger, spy, diplomat, etc... He is human potential and ideal incarnate, and he gets the girl!

Frodo: the sacrificial hero. He loses the most and has to go beyond the edge of endurance and must push his soul into the realm of Sauron even as his body journeys there. He had no hope of resisting the ring at Sammath Naur, but faith and persistence brought him through, along of course with ...

Sam: the mundane hero. Earthy, practical, dogged to the end. Devoted to Frodo as virtually no one in this day and age could be without falling either into homosexuality or pathology. Sam is perhaps the most important hero for us, as his sacrifice is much closer to what many of us will be called tomake in our real lives. Putting family/duty before personal consideration. Trusting in our teachers/elders ( if we are fortunate enough to have real ones) to make the big choices and plot the big picture for us, and then seeing the tasks through to the end, even when our authority figures drop away, fail momentarily [or otherwise] due to weakness or circumstance. He is the humble bumpkin and while we may not have his earthy psychological type, we will all need his steadfastness and practicality.

As for the other members, they become hero's in their own minor way. Pippin through saving the Shire and Faramir, and truly learning from the Palantir fiasco. Merry through the witch-King battle and the Shire-rousing and finally Boromir, through seeing into his own [and of course his father's] weakness and repenting and atoning for it.

Also of note is galadriel's heroic rejection of the temptation to have her cake and eat it too. Had she had the ring, she could possibly have rallied the Elves of M-E [and the Men ] defeated Sauron and then pulled back to Lothlorien and weilding her time stopping pseudo-valinor creating ring. The ultimate embalmment, all with out the Valar.

So imo Tolkien triumphs by altogether disregarding the generic hero sterotypes and presents a heroic tale that occurs on all levels from the world of nature through the various elemental types of 'man' [Elf=air/wood , hobbit=earth, dwarf=metal, man as water,
wizards = fire] to the angelic.

The true hero is he who finds his path in life, and in the LotR many do.

[ August 29, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]

[Elentári]

Wow, the amazing thing about this forum is you can find so many things out about all kinds of things that you never even imagined...ok, I'll stop babbling...

I thought of Aragorn being a hero, Faramir being a hero, and Sam being a hero in his own quiet way. Frodo was great before Mount Doom and after, but failed at the crucial moment.

Ooh yes...and when did Arwen nearly go to Valinor? I thought that was only in the film?

[ August 29, 2003: Message edited by: Elentári ]

[lindil]

"Ooh yes...and when did Arwen nearly go to Valinor? I thought that was only in the film?"

never, it is a PJ'ization.

[Gorwingel]

For me the true hero of the books has always been Frodo, but maybe that is just because he has always been my favorite. The other charaters are also heros, but Frodo faces the most difficult task and comes so far (but this would not have been if it had not been for Sam). But he still has to face the most difficult physcological challenges of everyone in the story. LOTR to me is a tale full of heros, each of them overcomes difficulties and accomplishes something major in the end.

[Frodo2968thewhite]

I think the Frodo is DEFINATELY the Hero. If you think about it, If it wasn't for Frodo, Everything that Aragorn, Boromir, Gandalf, Sam, Legolas, Gimli, etc. etc. etc. did would have been for nothing!

[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.

That would almost certainly be Aragorn

A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.

These are Boromir's and Theoden's parts. Gandalf also falls into this category in some degree, but also into the next.

A person noted for special achievement in a particular field.

A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person.

All of the Fellowship fall into this category, most of all Frodo because of the remarkability of his actions. (It's more surprising that a little Hobbit took the ring to Mt. Doom than if somebody like Aragorn had been selected).

A man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength.

Everyone in the Fellowship had their moment of exceptional courage and nobility and strength.

Someone who fights for a cause.

Again everyone in the Fellowship fights for the salvation of the free peoples of Middle Earth.

A being of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits; often the offspring of a mortal and a god.

Aragorn again, his ancestry being one and the same as Elrond's and of lineage of Melian the Maia, a demigod, and many great men and elves.

All of the members of the Fellowship, and those very important people that befriended them (Theoden, Eomer, Eowyn, Imrahil or Faramir), were definable as heroes, though not always in the same regard, or for in the same specific category of hero. However, as far as the classical three heros, they are fairly obvious out of the Fellowship itself.

The Tragic Hero: Boromir, who succumbs to a flaw in himself, but overpowers it in the end, before his death.

The Befated Hero: Aragorn, who was born to rise above evil and was given powers beyond those of lesser men to do this task.

The Reluctant Hero: Frodo, the true symbol of virtue and nobility, he undertook a task that seemed impossible and overcame the odds to succeed, where others had failed, even if he didn't want to do it.

Well that's my two cents.

[Arothir]

according to ROTK, Merry and Pippin were mostly remembered as heroes in the Shire, while no one really knew about the others, probably because they both helped the armies, not the Quest of the Fiery Mountain. They also showed skill at the Battle of Bywater.

[Dancing_Hobbit]

as several people have said, the great thing about Tolkien is that there is not one single hero, there are many of them. a hero is someone who is willing to do whatever they have to for what they believe in (although to consider them a hero one must agree with what it was they believed in). a hero must be able to overcome obstacles and temptations, so in order to be a hero, they must encounter these things. a hero can be perfectly ordinary to begin with. in some ways that makes them all the more heroic; they did what others could not without the aid of special powers (although having special powers does not preclude one from being a hero). a hero must fail once i a while. otherwise they are perfect, which is impossible. a hero must seem real, and thus imperfect. being able to redeem oneself and put the past behind after a failure is a major part of being a hero.

heroism is not a constant. an action that is heroic for one person would not be for another. to perform a heroic act a person must be able to overcome something within themself, usually a fear. then they can overcome whatever they have to outside of themself, but the true act of heroism is overcomeing the internal barrier.

that's why so many of Tolkien's characters are heros.

[FingolfintheBold]

For one thing. the hero of a tale can never be described simply by the part he played in the all-important mission. Each character leans upon the other. Gandalf can't simply be called the book's hero because without him the quest would have failed, since the same can be said of Aragorn, Sam, Frodo, Faramir, Gollum and countless others, reaching back into the depths of time. Without them the task could never have been completed...and that is part of what makes the history of ME so amazing.

So I think one must define who the hero of any tale is based on previous bias. A amn from Gondor, such as Beregond, would certainly say that Aragorn was the hero. And yet little Bergil might say proudly that his father was the hero. The wisest of elves would call Gandalf the true hero, as would Aragorn, since his works were so humble and yet so great, stretching back into the mists of time. To a hobbit from the shire, Merry or Pippin would be the hero, since that is all they know.

So as to picking one central character that is THE HERO of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, it really cant be done. There are many, they are all important and completley indispensible when viewed from certain eyes: as i think this thread so far clearly shows. Different people like different characters right from the start, and that is there hero. Mine would certainly be the King in Exile, Mighty 39th Heir of Elindil.

[Corwyn Celesil]

Fingolfin the Bold, I loved your comments about each character being necessary to all the others. Of all I have read on the heros of LoTR, you seem to come the closest to Tolkien's (perhaps unconscious) theme.

[Mister Underhill]

Wow -- I caught up with it late, but I just have to say, lindil -- buddy -- that is one outstanding post. A very articulate and precise analysis of the heroic qualities of some of the book's heroes and heroic themes. You need to skulk out of the (very worthy!) Silm Project more often. Nicely done.

[Cinderella]

I think the Frodo is DEFINATELY the Hero. If you think about it, If it wasn't for Frodo, Everything that Aragorn, Boromir, Gandalf, Sam, Legolas, Gimli, etc. etc. etc. did would have been for nothing!

I have to disagree strongly with this. Each character did their part, there can be no "one great hero." Each of these charachters would have failed indefintely if they had been alone in their task, if there was no one on their side to help them achieve their ultimate goal.
I think Frodo is clearly deserving of his title as hero, but Sam is equally deserving, he is no less importatn than frodo in my eyes becasue without Sam by his side to help him to the end, Frodo would have failed early on. And in the reverse Sam cod have never carried the ring without Frodo's help. His love for Frodo was the only thing that made it possible for Sam to carry the ring in those dark hours in Mordor. It's quite clear also that all four hobbits wouldn't have made it v. ar out of Bree without Aragorn, and Aragorn could not have ever become king and done all the great things he did if frodo and Sam had not made it to Mt. Doom. Frodo ultimately failed in the end, every hero has his shortcomings. However these shortcoming can only be defeated by help from others. A hero can only be a hero with a little help from his friends.

[Esgallhugwen]

To be a hero isn't to have superpowers or be uncorruptable and have a fixed mind about the choices that they make(like many of us have come to believe). To be a hero and to have courage in my opinion is to do things even if you are afraid and uncertain of the outcome. Frodo took it upon himself to be the Ringbearer even though he whould have much rather returned to the Shire, Boromir was a valiant man, though later corrupted by the Ring I feel he did his best to redeem himself by trying to protect the Hobbits to his end.
Aragorn though he seems resolute in his decisions had a very hard time trying to lead the remainings of the Fellowship. He is human and he has weaknesses. They all do, including Gandalf, they can't be heroes without facing their weaknesses or having some.

well that all i can say for now seeing as i have to go for the moment. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Cuthalion]

Without question..Gollum...he is the only one who fulfilled the purpose of the Quest, to destroy the Ring. Therefore, in my opinion, he is the unintentional hero of the story.

[Cinderella]

Haha, in just two sentences Cuthalion gets his point across, I'm convinced, Gollum is the official hero! (And contrary to my above argument he did it alone!) [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Arothir]

Come on, if Gollum had the Ring again he'd become ruler of Endor. Just read his conversation with himself in the Two Towers.

[Olorin]

I don't think that there's one "true" hero. It's more of a culmination of several people's herioc acts. So many people had a heroic part in the LotR. For instance:

• Boromir was heroic in his defence of the Hobbits when the orcs attacked at the end of the Fellowship.
• Gandalf sacrificed himself to the balrog in Moria.
• Aragorn travels the Path of the Dead and saves the day.
• Eowyn and Merry march off to battle and slay the witch-king.
• Pippin goes to battle and saves someone's (his name I can't remember at the moment) life.
• Frodo bears the ring to the fiery casms of Mt Doom.
• Sam saves Frodo on several occasions.
• Legolas and Gimli try track Merry and Pippin in an attempt to save them.
• Theoden fights bravely to help Gondor.
• Faramir resists the temptation of the ring and allows Frodo to continue his task.
• So many others that I can't think of right now.

Hence, no one person was the "true" hero per say, it was many people that worked together to complete the monumental task.

[Cuthalion]

Certainly I agree that many people played their parts and played them to great effect, yet it was the single-minded obsessive lust of Gollum for the Ring that proved to be Sauron's downfall. He was determined to let no one, least of all Sauron ever retain possession of it. Gandalf, ever the visionary, said it best when he told Frodo that Gollum have a part to play. And so he did. He was in the right place at the right time, for Frodo had finally succumbed to the Ring and, being invisible, Sam couldn't have stopped him. All would have been lost had not Gollum taken back his Precious.

Thank the Valar he never took dancing lessons!

[Corwyn Celesil]

Let me put my question in a slightly different way: who do you think is the main character of LoTR? Being the hero and being the main character may or may not be two different things. What do you think?

[Cuthalion]

Does that not then lead us to the question of who is the Lord of the Rings?

[Earendil Halfelven]

I say that everyone turns out to be a hero because they all overcome their trials and temptations that the ring throws at them. I'd even go as far to say that Gollum is a hero in a small way, even if he didn't mean to be. In the end, Frodo gives into the temptation to claim the ring as his own and he refuses to destroy it. If Gollum hadn't have bitten of Frodo's finger and then fallen off into the Cracks of Doom, the ring wouldn't have been destroyed because the Nazgul were on their way to reclaim it.

[elfling]

to pick one hero is impossible. JRRT presented us with many heros (all with faults) who overcame fear, greed, ect to do what had to be done. This what a hero is to say a hero has no faults is to miss one of the more inspirational ideas of the trilogy and that is that all of us can make a difference even the smallest of us. I'm not so sure i can see Gollum as a hero, only unintentional. there were only brief moments when he could put aside his lust for the ring and honestly help Frodo. Though this is partly not his fault due to the corruption of hisself by the ring.

[arianrod]

These are some wonderful replies! I don't think my post is worthy to be among these, but I'll add it nonetheless. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I do completely agree that there is no ONE hero in LotR (which is what makes the story so magnificant!), but I do have my opinion on a 'central character'.

In most respects, I think the books were loosely centered around Sam. Now, hear me out before you start disagreeing with me. Sam was the one character that I believe most of us can relate to. If I may quote lindil's inspirational post:

Sam is perhaps the most important hero for us, as his sacrifice is much closer to what many of us will be called tomake in our real lives. Putting family/duty before personal consideration. Trusting in our teachers/elders ( if we are fortunate enough to have real ones) to make the big choices and plot the big picture for us, and then seeing the tasks through to the end, even when our authority figures drop away, fail momentarily [or otherwise] due to weakness or circumstance. He is the humble bumpkin and while we may not have his earthy psychological type, we will all need his steadfastness and practicality.

Sam is simple. Sam doesn't suffer from the obscure temptations of the Ring that Frodo feels; when Sam is hurt or sad we know why because his character's emotions reflect some we've felt ourselves. We can't imagine what it would feel like to be a Ringbearer. We can't imagine what it would feel like to reclaim kingship over your country. We can't imagine what it would feel like to defeat an anceint foe and be reborn with new power and strength. We can, however, imagine what dark thoughts must have run through Sam's head when he saw his 'dead' master on the floor of Shelob's lair. We can imagine Sam's love and devotion to his master. We can understand Sam, because what his character experiences can reach within us and pull at past experiences and emotions we've had.

As far as literature goes, Sam was one of the first characters you met in the book. In fact, you met Sam before you became aquainted with Frodo or Bilbo. Sam's the last character you read about in the book (excluding the Appendices), and the book ends at the beginning of Sam's new life, not at the end of Frodo's past one. It seemed to me that the story followed Sam throughout the journey, from start to finish, and emphasized his reactions to the happenings around him. In the chapters of TTT and RotK that deal with Frodo and Sam, it's always Sam's point of view thats displayed in the book. Not Frodo's, not Gollum's, but Sam's. Even in parts of the Fellowship you saw Frodo through Sam's eyes.

Sam gave Frodo the strength he needed to continue, both before and after the Quest was completed. You may not agree with me when I say that he's the focal character, but at least agree that he was indeed a hero.

I sure hope at least *some* of that made *some* sense, and thank you for your time.

[Lyta_Underhill]

In most respects, I think the books were loosely centered around Sam. Now, hear me out before you start disagreeing with me. Sam was the one character that I believe most of us can relate to.

So, arianrod, you believe that Lord of the Rings is about Sam and some other people? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Sam is quite reachable, but I find other characters reachable in this way as well, including the earlier Frodo. Didn't Billy Boyd say the books were all about Pippin and some other people? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I suppose it is all in your point of view. I do believe that Tolkien drew Sam to be a viewpoint character, one that is down-to-Earth and accessible to most readers, and he is also a hero. But the story is really focused on Frodo and his journey with the Ring to its destruction. Everything else grows out of it. Frodo was made to be the central focus, which is why Aragorn's character seems more sketchy and incomplete or one-dimensional to many readers. He is also a hero, but he is not the main focus. And Sam is only the focus when Frodo has gone so far "out there" that we cannot follow him. In the last parts of the story, the viewpoint shifts to Sam because, if we were to remain in Frodo's mind, all we would see would be the "wheel of fire" all the time...no landscape, no reality, nothing we can hold on to. We would be lost; Tolkien cannot take us to the end through Frodo's eyes; he must have Sam to tell it in a way we can follow.

This is not to say that Frodo is the only hero; but he is the main one, the focus of the story on an overall level. He has a supporting cast of thousands, but in the end, he is alone and called upon to do the most impossible thing in Middle Earth. Those who say he failed, I must cordially disagree with. For none could throw the Ring into Mount Doom of their own volition; the heroism of Frodo is that he maintains a pure heart and pure purpose through every trial and he is saved by grace in the end. Gollum is the instrument of grace, but he is not saved and ends in "persistent wickedness" following the concept of "evil will will evil mar." His actions are motivated by evil intent but turn to the good.

I enjoy a good debate, and all my views could be biased by the fact that I adore Frodo and won't hear a word against him! Feel free to argue my points though! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Cheers,
Lyta

[samrohan]

I could not agree more with you about Sam, he is a strong character though seemingly playing a supporting role to Frodo, he is a hidden force and is one of the main reasons why the ending ended in that way.
I would not call him the Lord of the Rings, especially not to his face. He would certainly disapprove and become all shy.

The true Lord of the Rings is without doubt Sauron and the true hero is none other than the nine members of the fellowship, as they all have character and participate in their different way to the good of the trilogy.

I think however that Tolkien painted Frodo as the true hero of the story and so be it....

[Lyta_Underhill]

I would not call him (Frodo) the Lord of the Rings, especially not to his face. He would certainly disapprove and become all shy.

Neither would I, samrohan! Strike me dead if I ever say a thing like that! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] (Or just shush me like Gandalf to Pippin in Rivendell--that would be easier on my constitution!) [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] No, Sauron is most definitely the Lord of the Rings and I hope I posted nothing to make anyone think I thought this title to be Frodo's! Far from it!

Incidentally, does anyone know a little boy who, at a wedding, when he is designated "Ringbearer" who takes the ring from the little pillow and puts it on his finger and disappears? Just wondering! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Or can you picture Frodo with a little pink pillow and the Ring on top of it, walking behind Arwen and Aragorn...? OK, that was silly! Thanks for your indulgence!

Cheers,
Lyta

[Alakhriveion TMA]

So determining that there is no "hero", per se, who is the main character? Sauron, the anti-hero, is the Ring, and, as mentioned before, the Ring is the central point of the book. Doesn't that make Sauron, regardless of his lack of page-time, the main character?

[Lyta_Underhill]

So determining that there is no "hero", per se, who is the main character? Sauron, the anti-hero, is the Ring, and, as mentioned before, the Ring is the central point of the book.

Actually, I always thought of the Ring as more of the object focus, rather than a character--a talisman that drives the characters of the story, rather than the main point. Without subjects to influence, Sauron and the Ring would disappear or fade back into the nothingness that Morgoth inhabits currently. No, I'll stick with Frodo! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Also, I wouldn't say there are no heroes in LOTR but that there are too many to count, from the unlikely Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, who undergoes her own journey through hardship to come out with a new understanding to the last of the Rohirrim on the road to the Pelennor Fields, to Pippin skewering the troll at the Gate of Morannon to save his friend Beregond to the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the Elves of Lothlorien staving off the attacks from Dol Guldur that we don't even hear much about...Middle Earth is full of heroes at the end of the Third Age, but their fates all revolve around what Frodo does. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Cheers,
Lyta

[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

It's true, Faramir just refused it. I kind of draw a parallel to real life, Faramir is a kind of a 'One Ring' Straight-Edge. Noble, very noble. It takes some willpower to overcome the temptation especially when others are falling for it left and right. He just refused it point blank, that's impressive to say the least.

[Finwe]

I don't think that there was one true hero of the Lord of the Rings, each and every character in those books was a hero.

Frodo was a hero because he overcame his fear, and went on a Quest that he knew he might not return from. He knew that this Quest would consume his life, and that he didn't necessarily have to take upon himself the burden of carrying the Ring, but he did. He knew that he didn't have to speak up that moment, at the Council of Elrond, and volunteer to take the Ring, but he did. He knew that he didn't have to fight Boromir for the Ring, but he did. Frodo realized that some sacrifices would have to be made for a greater good, and overcame his very human fears, and made those sacrifices. That is what makes him a hero.

Sam is a hero because he was steadfast, loyal, and a true friend to Frodo when all lights seemed to go out. If it weren't for Sam, Frodo wouldn't have made it to Mount Doom. It takes a lot to be devoted to a person that much, and to protect them wholeheartedly, and Sam did that. He didn't have to volunteer to go with Frodo from Bag End, but he did. He didn't have to make Elrond let him go along with Frodo after the Council, but he did, out of his wholehearted love for Frodo. Sam sacrificed a lot for the Quest, and he also knew the personal risks that he suffered. He could have remained behind with Rosie, and let Frodo go by himself, I daresay that Frodo wouldn't have minded. But Sam gave up his momentary happiness, and made his own sacrifices for the greater good, and that is what makes him a hero.

Merry and Pippin are heroes because, most of all the Hobbits, they overcame their close-mindedness and their fear, and went on to become two of the most pivotal characters in the book. If the Witch-king had survived to confront Aragorn, and Faramir had died, what story would we have had? What chance would the Free Peoples have had against Sauron? It was thanks to these two young, courageous souls that Gondor and Rohan were saved, and that is what made them heroes. In the books, we watch them mature from playful lads to serious, grave, men. It took a lot for both of them to leave the comfort of the Shire and travel along with Frodo. In the Two Towers movie, Merry sums it up eloquently in one sentence. "The fires of Isengard will spread. And the woods of Tuckborough and Buckland will burn. And... and all that was once green and good in this world will be gone. There won’t be a Shire, Pippin." That was the reason they nearly gave up their lives, that was what they were fighting for, their home, their Shire, and that was why they were heroes.

Aragorn was a hero because, well, what can I say, he was a hero! He could have stayed in Rivendell, in comfort, and no one would have said anything. He was a hero for risking his life like that for Frodo and the Hobbits, when he knew he could have remained in Rivendell or some other place in (relative) safety. He risked his life so many times for his principles, and that made him a hero. He was a true friend to Frodo, to the Fellowship, to even Boromir, and that was why he was a hero. Aragorn was also a born ruler, compassionate, kind, loving, and caring. Besides being the courageous warrior who led the Host of the West to Barad-dur, he was also the wonderful, loving Man that Arwen, Lady of Rivendell, fell head over heels in love with, and that is also why he is a hero.

Gandalf was a hero because without his timely advice, the four Hobbits, much less the Fellowship wouldn't have gotten even to Bree. Without him, Frodo would have been cut down in his sleep, and the Ring taken back to Sauron. It was Gandalf's foresight that saved all of Middle-earth, and that is what makes him a hero. He didn't have to dash back across that needle-thin bridge to buy some time for the Fellowship, but yet, he did. Like Aragorn, the reasons that Gandalf is a hero are so many that I couldn't possibly fit them all here. He was a surrogate father to the Fellowship, and was always there to comfort the frightened Frodo, and that is also what makes him a hero.

Legolas and Gimli were heroes because they also risked their life for the greater good, and showed such remarkable friendship, trust, and devotion to each other, and the Fellowship, that the latter wouldn't have been able to get very far without them. They were also heroes because they overcame their personal differences, and mended a rift that had existed between their races from the First Age onward. They became so close that Gimli even sailed with Legolas to Aman, the second non-Elf to do so. They were heroes because they overcame their prejudices toward each other, and learned how to work with each other.

Boromir, especially, was a hero, because he realized the true meaning of repentance. He could have remained chasing after Frodo, but he didn't. He realized the ghastly mistake that he made, and in an instant, realized what he had to do to repent of that mistake. He didn't have to sacrifice himself to try and save Merry and Pippin, but he did. It was that repentance that made him a hero, for it is a quality that is not often found in men like him. It took a lot of strength for him to realize that he had made an awful mistake in trying to take the Ring from Frodo, and it was that, in my eyes, that made him most a hero.

Eowyn was a hero because she nearly gave up her life to save her kingdom, and no matter how glamorous that seems, that does take strength. It also took a great deal of strength to hold together her family, after Theoden became corrupted. Her cousin Theodred was dead, her brother Eomer had been banished (movie-canon), her parents were dead, and her uncle was so corrupted that he was nearly an animal. It would take all our strength just to live in such a situation as that, yet she found the courage to overcome it, and that is what makes her a hero.

I could go on forever on what makes each character in Lord of the Rings a hero, but I will leave that to you, my readers. It does indeed take a lot to become a hero, but I think that each and every one of us can find the hero within, and call it out. Who knows? Some day we might each have our own Quest for Mount Doom to journey on, and our own Fellowship to protect? Who can say what life holds in store for us?

[Lord of Angmar]

Very well put, Finwe! I could not have said it better myself.

The Lord of the Rings is an epic about good vs. evil, and as thus all of the good characters can be categorized as heroes in their own rites (even Boromir and, perhaps, Gollum). There is no one hero, but each character represents a piece or several pieces of the quintessence of what we consider a hero.

I do not mean to suggest that he is a bigger hero than anyone else, but certainly in my mind Samwise played a huge and heroic role in the destruction of the Ring. If not for Sam, Frodo's journey to Mordor would almost certainly have proved fruitless. Gollum would have killed Frodo, or orcs would have found him, or he would have despaired and completely given up. Also, Sam rescued Frodo from the tower of Cirith Ungol, a huge feat in itself. It was his part more than any other character's that played the biggest role in the ultimate destruction of the Ring.

[samrohan]

In all our hearts lie different heroes.

Finwe, I love your list of the individual characters achievements but you forgot Good Old Tom without whom no fellowship would have ever taken place in the first place.

There are indeed too many heroes in the trilogy. This reason making the book so interesting for all and everyone to debate.
Would it not be boring if we all only had one main character to talk about....

[Finwe]

Dear samrohan, I didn't intend to leave out old Tom. If you read my last paragraph, I said that I didn't include a full list of characters, because that would be a small book in itself. I just mentioned a few key characters, and left the rest to your imagination. I most definitely didn't leave out dear Tom (even if Peter Jackson did).

[samrohan]

I did not mean to critisize your list just add to it really one character I am still sad not to have seen in the movies.