Who's the real hero of "Lord of the Rings"?

[BeardofPants]

I never said I thought he was a hero, Nolendil, I just said that Tolkien thought that he COULD have redeemed himself.

[The Lady of Ithilien]

Even if he chose not to destroy the Ring in the end, I would not call his quest a failure. He withstood the power of the Ring for a long time, longer than anyone else would have done.

Yes. Certainly the power of the Ring had already started to work on him before the quest, as he actually put it back in his pocket when he tried to throw it away. As he went on, it just got worse and worse, and finally at the feet of the Emyn Muil it really grabbed him, when he first used it without putting it on in order to control Gollum (according to Sam's vision). As you say, most anyone else would have quickly fallen after that, but he carried it all the way to Mount Doom.

[Archbob the Elder]

Everything points to frodo as the "true" hero although some might say Arargorn. But in reality, it really is melkor.

[Entlover]

I am torn. In his letters somewhere Tolkien says it is Samwise, but I can't accept that. It has to be Frodo. That probably says more about me than the story, though. It's just that in the beginning Frodo knows what he's doing, and Sam just goes along out of loyalty and duty. I go with Frodo.
Aragorn, Gandalf, and others all had their essential parts to play, so it's true that it was a team effort. But the story is Frodo's.

[Ñólendil]

I never said I thought he was a hero, Nolendil, I just said that Tolkien thought that he COULD have redeemed himself.

And I never said that he could not be redeemed, but only that he wasn't a or the hero. So our points don't cross.

[hama1]

I AM TELLING YOU...IT IS BOB THE FERRET....

[katya]

i would have to say frodo. after all he is the ring bearer. but there were a lot of people who did really heroic things. that i suppose is the difference. frodo is also my personal hero because of other reasons. and hey anyone as boring as frodo might seem has to be the hero right?

[The Lady of Ithilien]

In his letters somewhere Tolkien says it is Samwise

Well, he did get the last line of the book, as well as Bag End, his very own mallorn, the office of mayor for as long as he wanted, good health and large family, lived happily ever until Rosie passed on, at which point he got to go to Valinor. Not bad.

Given the theme of service that runs through the book that just might be the answer.

[Sicirus]

I think that almost everyone who was invlved with the war and destruction of the ring are heros cause one person could not do it alon. it took practicly the whole of Middle earth to battle. One person could not of fought all the armies of evil. So i believe that almost everyone was a hero.

[Nilvasaien]

Thanks to the many of you who have responded.
Some of my friends continue to have a running battle trying to answer this question. The most contention seems to be between the "Frodo friends" and the "Sam supporters".
Interestingly enough I've never seen anyone try to make the argument that the title character is the hero of the story.
I've come to the conclusion that there is no one hero; the defeat of Sauron and the destruction of the Ring was due to the actions of more than one individual. Of course, that's just my opinion. I always enjoy the insights of others. Please continue the debate!

[Sween]

i dont think this question has an answer. I think a better question who was the least hero? Myt vote goes to either legolas and gimli

[barrelrider110]

In strictest terms the hero of the story is Frodo, but Sam is Frodo's hero.

[Sminty_Smeagol]

WELL SAID BARRELRIDER!

Everyone seems to consider Sam the hero... but for some reason I don't really... "Fate" chose Frodo for a reason! **I'm sure Sam couldn't have done any better if HE had carried the ring that long.*** I think Frodo is more of a leader, but Sam is a very essential sidekick.

-~*Sminty*~-

[barrelrider110]

Sminty_Smeagol, Thank you.
Your compliment does me great honor.

[Spock]

We are. Just for reading the entire works as many times as we all have.

[barrelrider110]

For that matter, I would add Rayner Unwin to the list. He's the boy whose report encouraged his father to publish The Hobbit, and afterward suggested to Tolkien to write a "second Hobbit."

[Spock]

Yes indeed. He was included in one of the tv special included on the DVD I have. He passed away shortly after his interview. Hear, Hear for Unwin!!

[The Lady of Ithilien]

Have thought of another reason in support of the "Sam As Hero" school of thought: Up until the moment he handed the Ring back to Frodo, Bilbo had been the only individual in history (who had worn it) to give it up of his own free will, and even so he had needed all of Gandalf's help just in his own home far from Mordor. And here's Sam, in Mordor, on the wrong side of the Watchers at the gate, too, with a Nazgul overhead (though this isn't known to him at the time), and facing a hopeless task, and he just hands the Ring over to Frodo and never thinks of it again (and so neither do we--took more decades than I care to admit for that to dawn on me).

Wow! Have changed my mind -- it's Samwise Gamgee, definitely.

[Ñólendil]

I don't there is a "real" hero. Every hero in the Lord of the Rings is a hero and that's that.

[Artanis]

Oh come on Ñólendil , you must think that some of the characters in LoTR achieved more than the others. Ok, the good guys were all heroes in some way, but some of them were more heroic than others.