Lord of the Rings tells an epic story that desperately needs brave heroes. Whether in the books or the films – Tolkien himself knew who the bravest and most important hero in Middle-earth was.
What would Lord of the Rings be without the numerous heroic characters who, despite many hopeless situations, ultimately save the day? When you think of Middle-earth, the obvious names probably come to mind first.
Frodo, who carries the ring from the Shire to Mordor and suffers under the burden. Aragorn, who becomes king and leads entire armies into battle. Or Gandalf, the powerful wizard who leads the Fellowship and has a hand in everything in Middle-earth.
However, according to writer and Middle-earth inventor JRR Tolkien, another character is the real hero.
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Size isn’t everything after all
Who is the real hero? Anyone who has been paying attention to Lord of the Rings may already have guessed it. Of all the characters he created, Tolkien particularly singles out Frodo’s friend Samwise “Sam” Gamgee.
The hobbit stumbles into the great adventure rather unwillingly and travels with Frodo to Rivendell, and from there to Mordor – a bad, but perhaps not the worst place in Middle-earth. When the companions are separated from each other, the two hobbits are on their own.
Sam is loyal to Frodo and helps him as best he can. In difficult situations he even saves his life, just thinking about the situation with the spider Shelob. If Frodo weakens, Sam also motivates him with strong words. In the end he even carries it with his own hands to the fire of Mount Doom, where the One Ring is to be destroyed.
In short: It is questionable whether Frodo would have completed his mission without Sam at his side. Tolkien knew that too.
In the author’s letters, which can be read online at bibliothecaveneficae.com, he writes of Sam: “Sam Gamgee from my story is a highly heroic figure who is now beloved by many readers, even though he comes from a rural background. “
Where did the idea for Sam come from? The interesting thing is that Tolkien didn’t just make up Sam. He was inspired by his own dramatic experiences as an officer in the First World War. At that time he had a so-called officer’s boy at his side.
In other words, an assistant who supported his superior even in dangerous situations and showed great courage. And that despite the fact that he hardly received any recognition for it.
It is similar with Sam, who serves his master faithfully, but in the end does not emerge as a great, shining hero. However, Tolkien knew how important such a companion could be and incorporated his own experiences into the character.
Lord of the Rings fans have realized that Sam is incredibly strong – even though he’s just a hobbit from the Shire. What’s also interesting is that the films left out a 5th Hobbit that appeared in the books: There is actually a significant 5th Hobbit in the Lord of the Rings universe, but he doesn’t appear in the films