Frodo Baggins isn't the typical hero. The iconic hobbit in Lord of the Rings is armed only with a small sword, and lacks other tropes that might include a white steed and shining armor. Other characters like Aragorn have that covered in this narrative. Frodo is definitely one of the main characters in The Lord of the Rings, and there are times when he's more courageous than the most majestic elf or knight.
In the book version of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo is always aloof. Although the film version of him is more likable, both made some of the same mistakes. A few of these missteps were real accidents, but other times Frodo was just being a jerk. No hero is perfect, after all.
7 The Brat Pack Of Buckland
Book readers will know more about this, especially the details regarding Frodo's family background. This isn't to paint all kids that come from a privileged background with the same brush, but Frodo was born into money and an old family name, and in his younger days he didn't have a very good reputation.
He and his equally entitled friends were shameless pranksters and thieves, and even though they were well off in Brandywine Hall they stole from Farmer Maggot regularly. That's why Frodo is afraid of Maggot and his dogs when they're traveling through Buckland; because the farmer caught him stealing once and gave him a solid thrashing before letting him go.
6 Waits Too Long To Leave Bag End
This is one of those mistakes that didn't start with Frodo, but it could have ended with him if he hadn't been so complacent. He knew who his uncle Bilbo was, and he knew that Gandalf was worried about that ring. Even though he never heard from Bree, he should have hit the road sooner.
In the book, some of this delay makes more sense because Frodo was pretending to move and had to pack carts, crates, and boxes to be shipped to his new house in Crickhollow, and it took weeks. In the movies, the timeline seems to be sped up, and Peter Jackson gives Frodo an excuse by sending Gandalf back before he gets caught by Saruman.
5 Leaves Fatty Bolger In Crickhollow
This character appears in the film and TV adaptations, but has yet to be named in any of them. Only book readers know about this incident, which must have scarred poor Fatty Bolger for life.
Fatty Bolger was the hobbit chosen to stay behind in the new house and distract any pursuers. They joke about how he got the better part of the deal, as his toughest job just wearing certain hat and pretending to be Frodo. However, it only takes a day for the servants of Sauron to track him down. Luckily, he survives the attack when his identity is discovered, but it must have been a harrowing experience.
4 Tries To Go To Mordor Alone
Some see it as the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, others might see it as foolish resignation and overwhelming self-pity. Gandalf might not have planned every detail of the trip, but that doesn't mean he wanted this. Survival is the issue here. How can Frodo destroy the ring if he dies on the way to Mordor?
It's a good thing that someone was thinking, and Sam's compulsive action to follow Frodo saved the whole quest. It's not likely that Frodo would have lasted long in the wild all by himself, and he must have understood that.
3 Helps Faramir Capture Gollum
In both the movies and the books, Faramir presents Frodo with the same choice: capture Gollum or kill him. In the film adaptation, Faramir is depicted as a much harder person, so it's easy to feel that Frodo had no other choice. Book Faramir was kinder and more understanding, so there must have been another solution to this problem.
The only thing Gollum was doing was taking fish out of a pool too close to where Faramir's soldiers were hiding. Gollum hadn't found them, so why this cruel trick on an already vulnerable character? Frodo agonizes over the choice, but it still seems like he took the path of least resistance.
2 Keeps Trying To Give Away The Ring
The first thing that Frodo does when he inherits the ring is to try and give it away. The resulting scene, nicknamed by some as "Gandalf's Temptation," is one of the best and most immersive moments in the whole film trilogy.
In the books, this is even worse. In addition to trying to give it to Gandalf and later Galadriel, Frodo also tries to unload the ring on Aragorn. When the son of Arathorn and the heir of Isildur identifies himself at the Council of Elrond, Frodo concludes that the Ring belongs to Aragorn and tries to return it.
1 Decides To Keep The Ring
After spending months trekking across Middle-Earth, dodging orcs and spiders, Frodo almost ruins it for everyone. Considering how well he had already stood against the power of the Ring and tried to give it to almost everyone he met, it was a surprise when his spirit failed him.
Not only did Frodo decide to keep the ring, but he also put it on, and in doing so alerted Sauron to his presence. This put Sam at risk and also made the sacrifice of Aragorn's forces in the nearby Field of Cormallen a useless exercise. It was lucky that Gandalf was right about Gollum, who might be the real hero of this story after all.