Frodo Baggins’ journey across Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings would have been perilous under any circumstances, but it was especially dangerous because he carried the One Ring, an ancient artifact imbued with the power of the Dark Lord Sauron. The Ring attempted to corrupt its bearer to return to its master. Frodo resisted the temptation long enough to bring the Ring to Mount Doom, where fate intervened and caused its ultimate destruction.
According to one of Tolkien’s letters, there were “few others, possibly no others” who could have done as well on the quest as Frodo. However, he was not the only one affected by the Ring. Both in the novel and in Peter Jackson’s trilogy of film adaptations, all those in its vicinity felt its influence. While some, like Boromir, gave in to temptation and paid the ultimate price, others had the willpower necessary to reject the Ring. But who, aside from Frodo, was least swayed by Sauron’s creation?
Bilbo Baggins Resisted the One Ring For Decades
The One Ring’s aura of corruption certainly took a toll on Bilbo Baggins. In his old age, he grew increasingly possessive of the Ring, even believing that his dear friend Gandalf was trying to steal it from him. Later, when he saw Frodo wearing the Ring, he felt a desire to take it for himself, which Jackson’s films frighteningly exaggerated. Yet the context of Bilbo’s story is important to remember when judging his resistance to the Ring.
By the start of The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo had owned the Ring for 60 years. Compared to Sméagol, who flew into a murderous rage within moments of first seeing the Ring, Bilbo was hardly affected. Further, even though Bilbo was reluctant to part with the Ring, he eventually took Gandalf’s advice and left it behind for Frodo, becoming the first of only two Ring-bearers to ever willingly surrender it.
The Films Changed Faramir’s Reaction to the One Ring
One of the biggest and most controversial differences between The Lord of the Rings novel and the film adaptations regarded the characterization of Faramir. In Jackson’s version of the story, he was clearly tempted by the One Ring, even dragging Frodo and his companions to Gondor to present the prize to his father. In Tolkien’s tale, however, Faramir wanted nothing to do with the Ring.
In the chapter “The Window on the West” from The Two Towers, Faramir assured Frodo, “I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her.” His restraint stood in stark contrast to his brother, Boromir. However, unlike some other characters, Faramir did not spend much time around the Ring, nor was he directly offered it. He later told Frodo that he did “not wish to see it, or touch it, or know more of it” for fear that he would be unable to stay true to his word.
Overcoming the One Ring Was Galadriel’s Greatest Trial
Both in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring film and in the chapter “The Mirror of Galadriel” from the corresponding novel, Frodo offered the One Ring to the Lady of Lothórien. Galadriel was strongly tempted, giving a memorable speech about how she could use the Ring to become a “beautiful and terrible” queen of Middle-earth, claiming, “All shall love me and despair!”
As an ancient Elf, Galadriel would have been far more powerful while wielding the Ring than mortals like Frodo, Bilbo, and Faramir, but she resisted the temptation, which she referred to as “pass[ing] the test.” This was an important character moment for Galadriel, who had once desired power. Her refusal of the Ring proved that she was worthy of returning to the Undying Lands.
Gandalf Feared What He Would Do With the One Ring
Gandalf’s experience with the One Ring was similar to that of Galadriel, as Frodo offered it to him in Bag End before the adventure began. Gandalf demanded that Frodo not tempt him so, because he knew that the Ring would eventually twist his desire to help Middle-earth, possibly turning him into a tyrant even worse than the Dark Lord. Gandalf was a Maia like Sauron, and he was wise enough to know that a being of his power should not act as Ring-bearer.
Two factors made Gandalf’s rejection of the Ring slightly more impressive than Galadriel’s. First, Gandalf spent time alone with the Ring between Bilbo’s departure and Frodo’s arrival, during which he had ample opportunity to claim it unopposed. Second, Gandalf physically touched the Ring, albeit only for a moment, which usually made its influence even stronger.
The Films Gave Aragorn a Heroic Moment With the One Ring
In the novel, there was no specific scene in which Aragorn resisted the One Ring, but Jackson added such a moment to his version of The Fellowship of the Ring. Just before the Uruk-hai arrived, Aragorn spoke with Frodo at Amon Hen. Frodo was wary since Boromir had just attacked him in an attempt to take the Ring, so he held it out to Aragorn and asked if he would destroy it given the chance.
Sauron’s voice could be heard whispering Aragorn’s name, but the Ranger did not give in to temptation. He closed Frodo’s hand around the Ring, saying, “I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor.” Unlike when Galadriel and Gandalf were offered the Ring, Aragorn remained calm. He was confident in his resolve, an early sign that he was fit to one day rule Gondor.
Samwise Gamgee’s Loyalty Was Stronger Than the One Ring’s Power
After Frodo was paralyzed by Shelob and captured by the Orcs of Cirith Ungol, it fell to his faithful companion Samwise “Sam” Gamgee to carry the One Ring. As described in the chapter “The Tower of Cirith Ungol” from The Return of the King, the Ring attempted to corrupt Sam with a vision of himself as “Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age,” overthrowing Sauron and transforming the desolate wasteland of Mordor into a beautiful garden.
Despite this, “the love of his master” and “his plain hobbit sense” allowed Sam to see through the Ring’s illusion. Upon rescuing Frodo, he willingly surrendered the Ring, becoming the second and final Ring-bearer to do so. Sam’s resilience was especially impressive since he did all of this in Mordor, where the One Ring was empowered by its proximity to the Dark Lord.
Tom Bombadil Was Completely Immune to the One Ring
The most famous The Lord of the Rings character excluded from the films was Tom Bombadil, an eccentric and mysterious fellow whom the hobbits met in the Old Forest outside the Shire. Tom defied many of the established rules of Middle-earth, and that included being entirely unaffected by the One Ring. He treated it like any other piece of jewelry, even using it to perform a sleight-of-hand trick, much to Frodo’s annoyance.
At the Council of Elrond, one of the Elves suggested making Tom the Ring-bearer since there was no risk of him being corrupted, though Gandalf believed that Tom would be poorly suited to the task. Still, his ability to ignore an object that drove so many others to madness and death was a truly incredible feat. While resisting the Ring took immense willpower for everyone else, Tom made it seem effortless.
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