Summary
Stories are written and songs are sung about the brave adventurers of the Fellowship of the Ring, referencing the iconicLord of the Ringsheroes who took on a perilous quest to rid the world of the One Ring and defeatthe 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.
Many of theunsung heroesofThe Lord of the Ringsare 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.
6Bill the Pony
Repaid His Previous Owner With A Kick
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, evenAragorn recognized his contributionand 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.
5Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger
Played A Major Role In The Original Escape Plan
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.
He was the one who moved into the new house in Crickhollow and pretended to be Frodo, at least for a time, whilethe real Frodowas 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.
4Farmer Maggot
Told The Black Riders Exactly Where To Go
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 againstthe 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.
3Balin
Cleared A Path In Moria
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.
Gimli’s hopes were dashed when the Fellowship came upon Balin’sfinal resting place in Moria, and anyone who has readThe Hobbitwill 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.
2Bilbo’s Trolls
Though Not Intentional, These Trolls Provided Thorin And Company With Useful Tools
The Trolls inThe Hobbitserved as Biblo’sfirst 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.
1Quickbeam
His Hastiness Saved The Day
The movie Ents are stubbornly neutral and have to be prompted by the destruction of the forest beforeattacking the tower of Orthancand 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.
