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Perhaps one of the most memorable characters from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is Gollum, the poor creature whose life was destroyed by his yearning for the One Ring. His immense popularity is partly due to the stellar performance by actor Andy Serkis in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies. Yet more than that, Gollum is a complex character with many facets, causing fans to sympathize with him while psychoanalyzing his actions, good and bad.
Readers and movie buffs alike know the parts Gollum had to play in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but what about the span of time in between? What was Gollum doing for all those years, and whom did he meet? Here’s the answer to the riddle of what happened to Gollum during that time.
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Gollum Follows Bilbo’s Trail
As one might imagine, Gollum did not hide away and sulk when Bilbo Baggins stole the One Ring from him - at least, not for long. For two years he stayed hidden in the Misty Mountains, and his obsession grew over the loss of his Precious until he could not stand it any longer. He left to follow Bilbo, but by that time there was no trace left of the hobbit thief.
Although Gollum's desperation for the Ring never waned, not having it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. As he traveled in the shadows, Gollum found his strength returning. He picked up Bilbo’s trail in Mirkwood, then followed it to Lake-town and eventually to Dale. Spying from the shadows, he learned more about Bilbo’s adventures, likely from snippets of conversations among the townspeople. For some reason, he decided to retrace his steps and return to Mirkwood.
The woodland elves noted Gollum’s presence and kept a close watch on him. They reported to Gandalf that Gollum had been seen, but at the time, Gandalf was too busy to pay the news any mind. Gollum ate animals and bird eggs to survive, and snuck into the houses of Northmen living in Mirkwood. Gollum even resorted to drinking the blood of infants, and a rumor started that a blood-drinking ghost was preying on babies in their cradles.
Gollum Goes To Mordor
After wandering for 30 years, Gollum made his way to Mordor. While there, he discovered the secret stairs of Cirith Ungal, as well as the great spider, Shelob. Being the sneaky creature that he was, Gollum managed to stay hidden from Shelob and avoid her lair.
At that time, Sauron had openly announced his return and was actively searching for the One Ring. His minions found Gollum and captured him, and for many years, Gollum was tortured by the orcs and probed for information about the One Ring. Eventually, Gollum revealed that he had found the ring, only for it to be taken by a hobbit from the Shire. Shortly afterward, Gollum was set free, possibly because Sauron hoped he might draw the Ring out of hiding.
In the meantime, Gandalf had been searching for Gollum, suspecting that the ring Bilbo had found was actually the One Ring. He asked Aragorn for help, and the ranger found Gollum near the Dead Marshes. Aragorn then took Gollum to Gandalf, who interrogated him for information. At first, Gollum lied about the Ring, saying it was a birthday present from his grandmother. Eventually, after Gandalf threatened him, Gollum revealed the truth.
Gollum’s Capture & Escape From Mirkwood
After learning all he could from him, Gandalf turned Gollum over to Thranduil of the Woodland Realm for safekeeping. Gollum was a prisoner of the elves for about a year, but he managed to escape when an army of orcs attacked the wood-elves. It is likely that the orcs planned the attack specifically to free Gollum, so that he could lead Sauron to the Ring.
From there, Gollum made his way to Moria in the hopes of hiding from any pursuers. He was barred passage into the Dwarven kingdom thanks to the Doors of Durin. Frustrated, he waited outside Moria for months. At last, the Fellowship arrived, solving the riddle of the Doors of Durin and opening the way into Moria. Gollum used the opportunity to slip inside unnoticed. As he followed the Fellowship, he discovered that Frodo had the One Ring in his possession.
Gollum followed the group through Moria, and somehow found a way across the chasm after the Bridge of Khazad-dum was destroyed. He continued to trail them in secret, and when Frodo and Sam left the Fellowship at Emyn Muil, he went after them. Finally, Gollum made his move on the One Ring when the hobbits were alone, but was caught by Sam and Frodo, who convinced him to lead them into Mordor.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
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