Highlights
- Some unsung heroes of The Lord of the Rings played crucial roles in the success of the Fellowship's quest.
- Characters like Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger and Farmer Maggot made significant contributions despite their minimal appearances in the books.
- Balin's legacy in Moria and the trolls' unintentional assistance to Thorin and Company showcase the impact overlooked characters can make.
Stories are written and songs are sung about the brave adventurers of the Fellowship of the Ring, referencing the iconic Lord of the Rings heroes who took on a perilous quest to rid the world of the One Ring and defeat the forces of Sauron. Sadly, fewer texts are written about the beasts of burden, the faithful servants, and the friends who stayed behind, but it's hard to deny that the Fellowship's quest wouldn't have succeeded without some of them.
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Many of the unsung heroes of The Lord of the Rings are easy to overlook because they only appear briefly and get little or no introduction in the books. Some of them don't even appear in the movies, which pushes them even further into obscurity. Still, though some of these individuals don't get their deserved time in the spotlight, certain characters still manage to impact the overall story thanks to their heroic actions.
6 Bill the Pony
Repaid His Previous Owner With A Kick
- Bill never forgot Sam, the hobbit who rescued him twice.
It was the kindhearted Sam who took a scraggy pony out of a dirty stable and brought him on the road. Instead of shirking the hardship of wilderness travel, Bill seemed to actually benefit from it and enjoyed the outdoor air, hearty meals, and the kind attention he received from the considerate hobbits.
When the decision was made to go through the Mines of Moria, however, Bill was sent home by himself. By then, even Aragorn recognized his contribution and was sad to see him leave. It was a perilous journey, but Bill the Pony did make it back, and it was a joyous reunion when Sam found him again on the way home. He even participated in the Battle of Bywater, where he attacked his former master who had sided with Saruman.
5 Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger
Played A Major Role In The Original Escape Plan
- Disguised himself as Frodo in Crickhollow.
Fredegar's appearances in Peter Jackson's trilogy are limited to a few throwaway lines and a scene or two in the Extended Editions. In the book, however, he was an important part of the plan to spirit Frodo out of the Shire without arousing suspicion from the locals.
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He was the one who moved into the new house in Crickhollow and pretended to be Frodo, at least for a time, while the real Frodo was on the road with Pippin, Sam, and Merry. Unfortunately for Fatty, the plan worked, and the Nine mistook him for Frodo and descended on the house where they thought the Ring-bearing hobbit was residing. Luckily, Fatty was able to escape the initial attack, and after he was revealed as an imposter, the Riders left him alone. He never really recovered from the experience, however, which serves as an echo of Frodo's wound that never healed.
4 Farmer Maggot
Told The Black Riders Exactly Where To Go
- Was friends with Tom Bombadil and gave the hobbits sanctuary.
In the movies, Farmer Maggot only gets a couple of scenes, and they're less than flattering. He tells one of the black riders where he can find the Bagginses and is obviously terrified during the encounter. Later, Maggot's timid nature vanishes, and he chases Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin out of his field with a scythe.
His role in the books is one of an unsung hero. He stood his ground against the Rider that came to his door, refused to give him any useful information, and gave the hobbits a chance to stay when they were on the run. Considering that the hobbits had been stealing from Farmer Maggot since they were kids, it's surprising how kindly he treated them when they needed help, especially since doing so put his life at risk. If not for Maggot, Frodo's journey may have ended much sooner than what was intended.
3 Balin
Cleared A Path In Moria
- His legacy endured with the Fellowship's passing.
Balin was one of the dwarves in Thorin's Company that survived the re-taking of Erebor, only to fall trying to retake Moria. Gimli even held on to the possibility that he was still alive and holding at least a portion of the mines in relative safety, and considering the tenacity of the Dwarves, this very well could have been a possibility.
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Gimli's hopes were dashed when the Fellowship came upon Balin's final resting place in Moria, and anyone who has read The Hobbit will understand the dwarf's grief during this scene even more. Even though Balin and his companions didn't retake Moria, they cleared enough of a path for the Fellowship to make it part of the way through, which allowed them to continue their journey and eventually save Middle-earth.
2 Bilbo's Trolls
Though Not Intentional, These Trolls Provided Thorin And Company With Useful Tools
- Donated some handy weapons and provided a landmark to guide future travelers.
The Trolls in The Hobbit served as Biblo's first real test as a burglar, and the endeavor didn't go as smoothly as Thorin's Company would have preferred. Luckily, Gandalf showed up to remedy the situation when all looked lost, turning the creatures to stone and opening up a nice stash of supplies and spoils.
This is the point when Bilbo is gifted Sting, and the swords Glamdring and Foe-hammer are also a part of this hoard. The statues endured for generations, and years later, Aragorn and the Hobbits were able to use them as a shelter and landmark when they were on their way to Rivendell.
1 Quickbeam
His Hastiness Saved The Day
- He isn't named in the movies, but he does appear during the Last March of the Ents.
The movie Ents are stubbornly neutral and have to be prompted by the destruction of the forest before attacking the tower of Orthanc and the machines scattered throughout Isengard. In the book, however, the Ents had decided to attack Saruman but decided to hold an Entmoot first and form a plan, and Quickbeam was in attendance at said meeting.
Quickbeam gets more attention in the books as the "hasty" younger Ent who wants to get the attack underway. The movie leans into the slow-moving Ents a lot more, but they needed some prompting in the book, too, and fans have Quickbeam to thank for that.
The Lord of the Rings
- Created by
- J. R. R. Tolkien
- Current Series
- The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Where to watch
- HBO Max
