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| “ | I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way… | „ |
| ~ Frodo, at the Council of Elrond, in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of the novel The Lord of the Rings. |
| “ | How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand… there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold. | „ |
| ~ Frodo lamenting on his quest with the One Ring. |
Frodo Baggins is one of the main protagonists of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's epic novel, The Lord of the Rings and its adaptations.
Frodo was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited the One Ring from his uncle Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom with the assistance of the Fellowship of the Ring.
In the live-action Lord of the Rings films, he was portrayed by Elijah Wood, who also portrayed Huckleberry Finn in the 1993 film adaptation of The Adventures of Huck Finn, Mark Evans in The Good Son, Stu Simmons in The War, Jones Dillion in Try Seventeen/All I Want, Spyro in The Legend of Spyro 2006 version series, Mumble in Happy Feet, the title character in 9, Clint Hadson in Cooties, and Wirt in Over the Garden Wall. In the 1978 animated Lord of the Rings film, Frodo was voiced by Christopher Guard. In the 1980 animated Return of the King film, Frodo was voiced by the late Orson Bean, who also voiced Bilbo Baggins in the 1977 animated film adaptation of The Hobbit. In the Japanese dub of the live-action trilogy, he was voiced by Daisuke Namikawa.
In J.R.R. Tolkien's novels
The Lord of the Rings
Part 1, The Fellowship of the Ring
The 1st volume of the novel, The Fellowship of the Ring, opens as Frodo came of age (at 33 years old) and Bilbo left the Shire for good on his 111th birthday. Frodo inherited Bag End and Bilbo's magic ring that was introduced in The Hobbit. Gandalf, at this time, was not certain about the origin of the Ring, so he warned Frodo to avoid using it and to keep it secret. Frodo kept the Ring hidden for 17 years until Gandalf returned to tell him that it was the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, who desired to use it to conquer Middle-earth.
Realizing that he was a danger to the Shire as long as he remained there with the Ring, Frodo decided to leave his home and take the Ring to Rivendell, home of Elrond, a mighty Elf-lord. He left the Shire with three companions: his gardener and best friend Samwise Gamgee and his cousins Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. They escaped just in time, for Sauron's most powerful servants, the Nine Nazgûl, had entered the Shire as Black Riders, looking for the Ring. They followed Frodo's trail across the Shire and nearly intercepted him.
At the Inn of the Prancing Pony in the village of Bree, Frodo met Aragorn, also called Strider, a Ranger of the North, who became the hobbits' guide while journeying through the wilderness towards Rivendell. The One Ring slipped onto Frodo's finger inadvertently in the Prancing Pony's common room, turning Frodo invisible. This attracted the attention of Sauron's agents, who ransacked the hobbits' rooms in the night. The group, under Aragorn's guidance, quickly fled through the Midgewater Marshes and again escaped the Black Riders.
While encamped at Amon Sûl, they were found and attacked by five Nazgûl. The chief of the Nazgûl, known as the Witch-king of Angmar, stabbed Frodo with a Morgul-blade before Aragorn routed all five of them. A piece of this blade remained in Frodo's shoulder and, working its way towards his heart, threatened to turn him into a wraith under the control of the Witch-king. With the help of his companions and Glorfindel, Frodo was able to evade the remaining Ringwraiths and reach Rivendell. Although almost overcome by his wound, once there he was healed over time by Elrond himself; it was said and later seen that the wound would never completely heal, however, as it was as much spiritual as physical.
In Rivendell, the Council of Elrond met and resolved to destroy the Ring by casting it into Mount Doom in Mordor, the realm of Sauron. Frodo, realizing that he was destined for this task, stepped forward to be the Ring-bearer. A Fellowship of nine companions was formed to guide and protect him: the hobbits, Gandalf, Aragorn, the dwarf Gimli, the elf Legolas of Mirkwood, and Boromir, a man of Gondor. Together they set out from Rivendell. Frodo was armed with Sting, Bilbo's Elvish blade, and wore Bilbo's coat of Dwarven chainmail made of mithril. The company, seeking to find a way over the Misty Mountains, first tried the Pass of Caradhras but abandoned it in favor of the mines of Moria. In Moria, Frodo is stabbed by an Orc-spear, but his coat of mail saves his life. They were led by Gandalf, until he fell in Moria battling a Balrog, and then by Aragorn. Frodo and many others were heartbroken by Gandalf's apparent demise as the company continued to Lothlórien. There Galadriel, the Lady of the Woods, gave him an Elven cloak and a vial carrying the Light of Eärendil to aid him on his dangerous quest.
Having then traveled some miles down the Anduin by boat, the Fellowship reached Parth Galen. There, Boromir, having fallen to the lure of the Ring, tried to take it by force from Frodo. Frodo escaped only by becoming invisible by again donning the Ring. This event broke the Fellowship; Boromir was later slain defending Merry and Pippin from invading Orcs, who captured the two hobbits. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas set out after the two hobbits. Frodo chose to continue the quest alone, but Sam followed him, joining him on the journey to Mordor.
Part 2, The Two Towers
Frodo and Sam made their way through Emyn Muil, followed by the creature Gollum, who had been tracking the Fellowship since Moria, seeking to reclaim the Ring he had possessed for centuries. After Gollum attacked the hobbits, Frodo subdued him with Sting. He then took pity on Gollum, and spared his life (just as Bilbo had once done), instead of binding him to a promise to help the hobbits. Frodo demanded he guides them through the Dead Marshes to the Black Gate, which Gollum did. Gollum said that there was "another way" into Mordor, and Frodo, over Sam's objections, allowed him to lead them south into Ithilien. It was there that Frodo and Sam saw an Oliphaunt with a company of Haradrim. They met Faramir, the younger brother of Boromir, who took them to Henneth Annûn. There Frodo allowed Gollum to be captured by Faramir, saving Gollum's life but leaving him feeling betrayed by his "master". After giving them provisions, Faramir allowed the two hobbits and Gollum to go on their way but warned Frodo of Gollum's treachery.
The three of them passed near to Minas Morgul, where the pull of the Ring became almost unbearable. After hiding, they witnessed a great Orc army leave under the command of the Witch-king. They began the long climb up the Endless Stair, and at the top entered the tunnel, not knowing it was the home of the giant spider Shelob. Gollum, having never actually said whether the pass was inhabited or not, hoped to deliver the Hobbits to her and retake the Ring from her leavings. Shelob stung Frodo, knocking him unconscious, but Sam drove her off with Sting and the Phial of Galadriel. After attempting unsuccessfully to wake Frodo, Sam concluded that he was dead and after much grieving, decided that his only option was to take the Ring in order to continue the quest. However, Orcs from Cirith Ungol soon found Frodo's body and knew that he was not dead. Planning to interrogate him after his awakening, they carried him into the tower at the head of the pass.
Part 3, The Return of the King
Sam rescued Frodo from the Orcs of Cirith Ungol and restored to him Sting and the Ring. The two of them, dressed in scavenged Orc-armour, set off for Mount Doom, trailed by Gollum. They witnessed the plains of Gorgoroth empty at the approach of the Armies of the West, but at one point they barely escaped being drafted into an Orc-band. With the Ring getting closer to its master, Frodo became progressively weaker as its influence grew. After running out of water, they left all unnecessary baggage behind to travel light.
As they finally reached Mount Doom, Gollum reappeared and attacked Frodo, who beat him back. He continued on while Sam fought with Gollum. Having finally reached the Sammath Naur, or Crack of Doom, however, Frodo lost the will to destroy the Ring, and instead put it on, claiming it for himself. Gollum got past Sam and attacked the invisible Frodo, biting off his finger, and finally regained his "precious". As he danced around in elation, Gollum lost his balance and fell with the Ring into the lava. The Ring was thus destroyed, Sauron's power was lost and his realm ended. Frodo and Sam were rescued by Great Eagles as Mount Doom erupted.
After reuniting with the Fellowship and attending Aragorn's coronation, the four hobbits returned to the Shire to find it taken over by a gang of ruffians, led initially by Frodo's cousin Lotho Sackville-Baggins, and then by the fallen wizard Saruman. The four travelers roused their fellow Hobbits and led them in driving the ruffians out. There they witnessed the deaths of both Saruman and his henchman Gríma. Frodo's part in the fighting was mainly to ensure that the ruffians who surrendered were taken alive.
Frodo never completely recovered from the physical, emotional, and psychological wounds he suffered during the War of the Ring. He was taken ill on the anniversaries of his wounding on Weathertop and his poisoning by Shelob. He briefly served as Deputy Mayor of the Shire but spent most of his time writing the tale of his travels. Two years after the Ring was destroyed, Frodo and Bilbo as Ring-bearers were granted passage to Valinor — where Frodo might find peace. They boarded a ship at the Grey Havens and together with Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel, the Keepers of the Three Rings, they passed over the sea and departed Middle-earth. Having no children of his own, Frodo left his estate, along with the Red Book of Westmarch, to Sam.
The Appendixes
According to Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo’s birthday was made a festival in Minas Tirith.
In Peter Jackson's films
The Hobbit trilogy
Frodo briefly appears in the first installment of the trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, when he asks his uncle, Bilbo, about what he is working on and tells him that he is going to see Gandalf, leading into The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy
There are several differences between Peter Jackson's film trilogy and the books. In the movies, Frodo seems to have owned the Ring for only a few days or perhaps a few months before Gandalf returned, as opposed to the seventeen years of the book. Frodo never sells Bag End but sets out early the next morning with Sam. Merry and Pippin run into the pair at the farm of Farmer Maggot and are pulled into the journey. The Hobbits are pursued by the Black Riders all the way to Bucklebury Ferry on the borders of Buckland. There the Black Riders are forced to ride to the Brandywine Bridge while the Hobbits make for Bree. The movies remove several parts of the journey as well. These include their encounters with the High Elves, Farmer Maggot, and Tom Bombadil, as well as their visit to Buckland, the Old Forest, and the Barrow-downs.
Arwen, Elrond's daughter, leads Frodo to Rivendell instead of Glorfindel. The Cave troll inflicts the wound on Frodo in Moria, instead of the orc captain. In the novel, Faramir declared right from the first that he wanted no part of the One Ring, but in the films, Faramir at first follows what he believes is his duty to bring the Ring back to Minas Tirith. But while traveling with Frodo, Sam, and Gollum through the city of Osgiliath, the city is attacked by a Nazgûl and the forces of Mordor, and Faramir realizes he should not take the Ring after he sees the effect it has on Frodo.
Other Media
Frodo is unplayable character in the Lego Dimensions, playing supporting role in the plot. When Gandalf falls into the abyss with balrog, a multi-dimensional rift appears and Batman in his batmobile appears. Batman tries to ask Gandalf about Robin's location and eventually saves the wizard, as he uses his grapple gun and both return to the bridge. Frodo tries to run towards both, but gets captured by another rift (created by Lord Vortech in order to steal One Ring - foundation element), so Batman and Gandalf run in too, leaving the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring confused. Eventually Frodo gets imprisoned by Vortech in Foundation Prime along with Robin and MetalBeard, witnessing how Lord Vortech hires villains for other dimensions to find more elements (succeeding at first, but eventually failing due to Batman's, Gandalf's and Wyldstyle's presence).
When the trio reaches the Foundation Prime, Lord Vortech orders Joker to get elements (which were found by the trio) and eventually fuses all foundation elements to make the Foundation of all dimensions (green baseplate), taking control of the multiverse. To make matters worse, Lord Vortech decides to "keep them apart" by fusing Robin, Frodo and MetalBeard into the Tri in order to kill them. However soon, trio encounters Tri again and defeat them by freeing all their components (three enslaved members) and destroying Vortech's piece. Eventually, Frodo and other prisoners greet their saviors and all make the team with heroes from other dimensions (and GLaDOS) and defeat Vortech, banishing him into the endless rift.
Portrayals
Films
- In Ralph Bakshi's animated film, he was voiced by Christopher Guard.
- In Rankin/Bass Return of the King, he was voiced by the late Orson Bean, who previously voiced Bilbo Baggins in the animated Hobbit film.
- In the Peter Jackson trilogy, he was portrayed by Elijah Wood, who also played Mark Evans in The Good Son, Huckleberry Finn in The Adventures of Huck Finn, Stu Simmons in The War, Clint Hadson in Cooties, and voiced 9 in the titular animated film, Spyro in The Legend of Spyro, Wirt in Over the Garden Wall.
Television
- In the 1991 teleplay Khraniteli, he was played by Valery Dyachenko.
- In the 1993 Finnish miniseries Hobitit, he was played by Taneli Mäkelä.
Video Games
- In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, he was voiced by Steve Staley, who also voiced Neji Hyūga in the Naruto series.
- In The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, he was voiced by Yuri Lowenthal, who voices Spider-Man in the Marvel's Spider-Man series, and also voiced Goku in the English dub of Dragon Ball Z, Ben Tennyson in Ben 10: Alien Force, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and Ben 10: Omniverse, Sir Galleth Cooper in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Joseph Oda in The Evil Within, and Neil in Camp Camp.
- Lowenthal reprised his voice for the character in The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.
- In Lego Lord of the Rings: The Video Game, Lego The Hobbit and Lego Dimensions, he was once again portrayed by Elijah Wood.
- the 1955 radio series, he was voiced by Oliver Burt.
- In the 1979 radio series, he was voiced by James Arrington.
- In the 1981 BBC radio serial, The Lord of the Rings, he was voiced by the late Ian Holm, who also played Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy.
- In the 1992 German radio series, he was voiced by Matthias Haase.
- In Tales from the Perilous Realm, he was voiced by Nigel Planer.
Stage
- James Loyle and Joe Sofranko played the character on stage.
Trivia
- The character was originally named Bingo Bolger-Baggins, but the name was changed when the story became more serious.
- A scene cut from The Two Towers but not featured on the extended version was Faramir having a vision of Frodo becoming like Gollum should the One-Ring corrupt him in the future.
External Links
- Frodo Baggins on the Pure Good Wiki
- Frodo Baggins on the Lord of the Rings Wiki
