Frodo Baggins

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Elijah Wood portrays Frodo in Motion Picture Trilogy.

Frodo Baggins

Biographical information

Other names

Mr. Underhill

Titles

Bearer of the One Ring, Frodo of the Nine Fingers

Date of birth

22 September, TA 2968

Year ascended to the throne

Date of death

Unknown (Last sighting 29 September, TA 3021)

Realms ruled

Spouse

Weapon

Sting, & Barrow-blade

Physical description

Race

Hobbit

Culture

Shire-hobbit

Gender

Male

Height

Hair color

Eye color

Peter Jackson's Film Trilogy

Actor

Elijah Wood

Voice

Character

"I will take it. I will take the Ring to Mordor...though I do not know the way."

—Frodo, at the Council of Elrond

Frodo Baggins was a Hobbit of the Third Age, the most famous of all Hobbits in the histories for his leading role in the Quest of the Ring. During this epic quest, he bore the One Ring to Mount Doom and there destroyed it, giving him renown like no other Hobbit throughout Middle-earth. He is also peculiar for being, as a Ring-bearer, one of the three Hobbits who sailed from Middle-earth to Aman, there to die in peace.

[edit] Biographical Details

[edit] Childhood

Much of Frodo's youth was spent at Brandy Hall in Buckland, the home of the Brandybuck family, including his mother (Primula Brandybuck). Frodo was known to be somewhat of a rascal and he would often steal mushrooms from Farmer Maggot.

In TA 2980, when Frodo was only 12 years old, his parents were involved in a boating accident on the Brandywine River and drowned. As Frodo had no siblings, he stayed alone in Brandy Hall until his uncle, Bilbo Baggins, adopted him in TA 2989 and decided to make the child his heir. Subsequently, Bilbo took Frodo to live with him in his home of Bag End.

On 22 September TA 3001, a Birthday Party was held to celebrate the shared birthday of Bilbo and Frodo. Bilbo was 111 years old and Frodo was 33, the age at which a Hobbit is considered to become an adult.

[edit] Leaving the Shire with the Ring

"Never put it on. For the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember, Frodo: the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found."

—Gandalf warning Frodo before the quest

After the birthday celebrations, Bilbo left the Shire and began a journey to Rivendell, leaving a magic Ring in Frodo's care. Gandalf, who was unsure whether the object was a Ring of Power, told Frodo to keep the Ring in a secret place and warned him not to use it.

For the next seventeen years, Frodo complied with the wizard's request and hid the Ring in a safe place. However, on 12 April TA 3018, Gandalf returned to Bag End and warned Frodo that the Ring was actually the One Ring, which the evil lord Sauron needed to rule over Middle-earth. Although Frodo wanted to take the Ring to Mount Orodruin, the only place that it could be destroyed, to save the Shire, neither he nor Gandalf believed that he was ready. Realizing that Sauron would be looking for the Ring, Gandalf advised the Hobbit to secretly follow Bilbo's journey to Rivendell.

After Frodo's discussion with Gandalf, a rumour started that he was running out of money. Meriadoc Brandybuck helped Frodo to choose and buy a small house at Crickhollow. With the exception of his gardener, Samwise Gamgee, who had agreed to accompany him to Rivendell, Frodo told the other Hobbits of the Shire that he intended to move to Buckland.

He sold his home to the Sackville-Baggins family and, on 23 September TA 3018, the day after his fiftieth birthday, Frodo left from Bag End.

By the time he arrived in Bree, Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took were with him. Along the road, he had encountered both Elves and mysterious Black Riders upon horses.

These events occur in a different sequence in the novel, "The Fellowship of the Ring", than in the movie. Also, Frodo meets Gildor Inglorion, Farmer Maggot, Tom Bombadil and Goldberry in the novel but doesn't in the movie.

[edit] Aragorn

At the ancient colony of Bree, the Hobbits booked accommodation in The Prancing Pony, an old inn. Frodo went by the name of Mr. Underhill, attempting to raise as little suspicion as possible. When he noticed a mysterious cloaked Man sitting near a wall and smoking a long-stemmed pipe, Frodo asked the innkeeper, Barliman Butterbur, who the Man was. The innkeeper referred to the Man, a Ranger, as Strider, although his birth name was Aragorn.

Soon, Frodo realized that Pippin Took was overly enjoying the attention of an audience and was talking about the Baggins family. Frodo tried to distract the crowd, singing and dancing on a table, but he jumped and fell and the Ring slipped on his finger. Consequently, the Hobbit disappeared into thin air. When he reappeared, Aragorn spoke to him and warned him that he was drawing too much attention to himself.

That night, the Black Riders arrived in Bree and attacked the inn, but Strider managed to hide the Hobbits from them. Frodo learned more about the riders, also called Nazgûl or Ringwraiths, from Aragorn. With a pony named Bill that the Hobbits had acquired at Bree, Strider led Frodo and his companions into the Wild.

[edit] First wound

On the night of 6 October, the Hobbits were attacked by five of the nine Ringwraiths at the hill of Weathertop. In the presence of the Nazgûl, Frodo made the mistake of putting on the Ring. Although he was able to resist their attempt to take him by drawing his sword and invoking the name of one of the Valar, Elbereth Gilthoniel, the leader of the Nazgûl, the Witch-king of Angmar, stabbed Frodo in the shoulder with a Morgul-blade. If it had caught him in the heart, Frodo would have become like the Nazgûl, only weaker and under their control. The Ringwraiths were driven away when Strider appeared with flaming brands.

Though Aragorn was a skilled healer, he could not heal Frodo's wound. A fragment of the Ringwraith's blade remained in Frodo's flesh, where it continued to move towards his heart. Near death, Frodo was rescued by Glorfindel, an Elf-lord, who took the injured Hobbit upon his horse, named Asfaloth. Continually pursued by the Nazgûl, Asfaloth carried Glorfindel and Frodo to the Ford of Bruinen, at the entrance to the valley of Rivendell. Once they had crossed the River Bruinen, Frodo turned and saw the nine Ringwraiths on the other side. They ordered him to give up the Ring, but Frodo refused. Subsequently, the Ringwraiths were washed away in a flood created by Gandalf and Elrond, Lord of Rivendell.

In the movie, Arwen rescues Frodo and creates the flood.

On 24 October, Frodo awoke in Rivendell and was reunited with Bilbo, Gandalf, Aragorn, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Although Elrond had healed his wound, it continued to bother him for as long as he lived in Middle-earth.

[edit] Council of Elrond

The following day, Frodo was summoned to a Council that Elrond had organized. Representatives of all the Free Peoples of Middle-earth discussed the history of the Rings of Power and decided that the One Ring should be destroyed. Frodo bravely volunteered to take the Ring to Mordor and destroy it in Mount Orodruin, also known as Mount Doom. Some members of the Council, including Gandalf, Elrond, Gimli, Glorfindel, Gloin, Aragorn, Galdor, and Legolas (Boromir also came to the council but he was originally uninvited), offered to accompany Frodo, and the Fellowship of the Ring was formed.

Before they left Rivendell, Bilbo gave Frodo a coat of mithril mail and his sword Sting, that glowed blue when Orcs were near. On 25 December, the Fellowship of the Ring left Rivendell and headed south.

[edit] Moria

On 11 January 3019, the Fellowship were unable to cross the Misty Mountains due to a snowstorm, so they traveled through the underground city of Moria instead. Moria had been built by Dwarves, who had later deserted it when they had discovered a Balrog, known only as Durin's Bane, beneath the city, and had been defeated by Orcs and Trolls.

When they entered the Chamber of Mazarbul, the Fellowship was attacked by Orcs and a Cave-troll. Frodo helped to defeat the Troll before he was stabbed by an Orc, although his mithril shirt saved him from the deadly blow. The Fellowship ran through Moria to the Bridge of Khazad-dum, where Gandalf fell into a chasm while confronting Durin's Bane.

In the film, Frodo is stabbed by the Cave-troll, using a large war-spear, not an Orc.

[edit] Lothlórien

Deeply upset by their loss, the Fellowship journeyed to the Elven kingdom of Lothlórien, where they met Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Galadriel showed Frodo a vision of the future in her Mirror. Frodo offered her the One Ring, but she resisted the temptation to take it. Before the Fellowship departed from Lothlórien, Galadriel gave each member a gift. To Frodo, she gave a phial with the light of the star Eärendil captured inside.

[edit] The Fellowship Divides

The Fellowship continued their journey south to Amon Hen. There, Boromir, a Man of Gondor and a member of the Fellowship, attempted to convince Frodo to bring the Ring to Minas Tirith and regroup from there. When the Hobbit asked for an hour alone to consider his options, Boromir followed him. Seeing that Frodo did not intend to take the suggested course of action, Boromir tried to take the Ring from him by force.

Frodo put on the Ring and escaped to the Seat of Seeing, where he watched as war brewed across Middle-earth and the Eye of Sauron searched for him.

Taking off the Ring, he decided to take the item to Mordor alone, without telling the other members of the Fellowship. However, he found great difficulty in leaving Sam Gamgee, Frodo's bodyguard as instructed by Gandalf, behind. When his faithful servant caught up with him and insisted on coming with him, Frodo accepted the company and continued his journey south.

[edit] The Emyn Muil

After leaving the Fellowship at Amon Hen, Frodo and Sam tried to navigate through the winding paths of the Emyn Muil. After getting lost several times, they were found by Gollum who at first tried to take the One Ring, but was captured by Sam (with Frodo's help) and tied up with the Elven Rope.

Gollum then led them out of the maze and into the Dead Marshes

[edit] The Dead Marshes

The Dead Marshes was a part of the journey that didn't last very long. Gollum led Frodo and Sam through. Frodo became interested in the dead bodies in the water, and almost drowned, but Gollum saved him.

[edit] Ithilien and Osgiliath

Gollum led the two Hobbits to the Black Gate of Mordor, but stopped the Hobbits going through, because it was too dangerous. He then explained about a secret way into Mordor, 'Up the stair and through the tunnel' so the Hobbits again found themselves being led by Gollum. After venturing into Ithilien, they were found by Gondorian captain Faramir and his Rangers who were assaulting a group of Haradrim, when the assault was over Faramir questioned Frodo on what he and Sam were doing in Ithilien and then took them back to the Rangers hideout at Henneth Annun where Sam accidentally revealed that Frodo carried the Ring of Power but Faramir refused the power of the Ring contrary to his brother Boromir. Later Gollum was captured and the 3 stayed in the company of Faramir and his Rangers for the night leaving for Minas Morgul the next morning.In the movie adaption, Faramir yeilds to the power of the Ring and takes Frodo, Sam and Gollum to the city of Osgiliath. While they are there, Osgiliath was attacked by the Nazgul and the forces of Mordor. Sam, Frodo, and Gollum were forced to flee through the sewers.

[edit] Minas Morgul and Shelob's Lair

Gollum led the Hobbits past the lair of the Witch-King of Angmar, Minas Morgul, and up the stairs to 'The Tunnel'. When they arrived at the top though, they were abandoned by Gollum. They cautiously travelled through the tunnel, and managed to get to the end only to find their way barred by Shelobs great web, whilst attempting to cut through the webbing Frodo bravely stood up to Shelob the great spider and forced her back further into the tunnels giving him and Sam time enough to hack through the threads and escape. Once they got out the other end however Frodo was ambushed by Shelob as he frantically ran from her tunnels. Frodo was jabbed by Shelob's poison, but Sam managed to send her back into her tunnels by mortally wounding her with Sting and the Phial of Galadriel. He then grievingly left Frodo, believing him to be dead and thus it was his job to finish off the task of destroying the Ring.

[edit] Cirith Ungol

Sam carried on up the path to Mordor when all of a sudden a band of Orcs from the nearby tower found Frodo at the mouth of the tunnel. He overheard them saying that Frodo was still alive, and Shelob had only paralyzed him. Sam then made up his mind to rescue his master, and followed the orcs. When he reached the tower of Cirith Ungol, he found little guard. Most of the Orcs and Uruk-Hai had been killed during a dispute. He rushed up to the top tower, where a light was on, and slaying the last few orcs, saved his master. The two Hobbits then continued on to Mordor.

[edit] Mordor and Mount Doom

Frodo and Sam carried on through the empty plains of Mordor (the orcs had been sent to the Black Gate to stop the Men of the West's army) and, after falling in (and out) with a company of Orcs, started to climb Mount Doom. It was then that Gollum decided to reappear. After a brief struggle, Sam cut Gollum on the stomach, and Frodo fled up the mountain. Frodo then had the chance to destroy the One Ring, but he hesitated. Sam caught up to him, and tried to convince him to throw it into the mountain. Frodo didn't listen though, and claimed the ring as his own. It was then that Gollum arrived, he disposed of Sam by hitting him over the head with a rock, and moved onto Frodo, who had the ring on.

Gollum bit off Frodo's finger, and took it along with the ring that was on it. Gollum finally had the ring back, he jumped for joy. Frodo, though, wasn't out of it yet. He started to try and get the ring back, and both Frodo and Gollum fell off the edge. Gollum plunged into the fire, destroying the ring with him. Frodo, however, had managed to grab onto the edge, and he was rescued by a now conscious Sam. The Hobbits fled from the erupting mountain, and rested on a rock, protected from the lava. They were rescued by Gandalf and Gwaihir the Windlord, along with the other Great Eagles.

[edit] The Scouring of the Shire

After resting in Minas Tirith, Frodo and Sam (along with Merry and Pippin) Returned to the Shire. When they arrived though, they found it under the control of someone named Sharkey (Later revealed to be Saruman) and his forces. Saruman was ruling the Shire from Bag End, although he was later murdered by Grima Wormtoungue. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin however, started to gather all the Shirrifs and towns folk in the Shire, and they successfully defeated the ruffians employed by Sharkey at the Battle of Bywater. Frodo was not involved in the fighting at the battle of Bywater instead making sure that no Hobbits were harmed (saying that no Hobbit had ever intentionally harmed another in the Shire and that it was not going to begin there) and also made sure that any ruffians that surrendered were not harmed.

[edit] The Fourth Age

Frodo briefly served as Deputy Mayor of the Shire, but soon realized that he still bore the wounds of his quest and retired. On 22 September SR 1421 (Fourth Age), Frodo joined Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, and Cirdan aboard an Elven ship. He was allowed passage across the sea to the Undying Lands because Arwen had given up her place to stay at Aragorns side, so her gift to Frodo was her space upon the ship. At 52 years of age, Frodo departed from Middle-earth on 29 September in the hope of finding peace within himself.

Frodo is the main character of The Lord of the Rings.

[edit] Characteristics

Frodo, as described by Gandalf, was "taller than some and fairer than most, [with] a cleft in his chin: perky chap with a bright eye." (The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 10, "Strider".) He had thick, curly brown hair like most other hobbits, and had lighter-than-usual skin due to his Fallohide ancestry through his Brandybuck mother. Frodo is described as appearing thirty-three, even when he is fifty, due to the influence of the Ring. Bilbo and Frodo shared a common birthday on September 22, but Bilbo was 78 years Frodo's senior. At the opening of The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and Bilbo were celebrating their thirty-third and eleventy-first (111th) birthdays, respectively. Frodo, like Bilbo, was considered by many others in Hobbiton to be a little odd. His interests in the outside world, fascination with Elves and faraway places (like those to which Bilbo travelled in The Hobbit) did not fit the general content personality of most Hobbits. This curiosity was also attributed to his Took ancestry.

[edit] Weapons and Attire

Frodo was dressed in typical Hobbit-fashion when he left the Shire: knee-breeches, shirt, waistcoat, jacket, cloak. Colours such as bright green and yellow were typical for Shire-folk. He was unarmed, save for a pocket-knife. When his little group was waylaid by Barrow-wights, he lost his summer-weight clothing and was wearing a burial shrift when rescued by Tom Bombadil. When their pack-ponies returned, he was forced to put on heavier woollen clothing intended for colder weather. The Hobbits found several long Dúnedain daggers in the wight's treasure. These served as short-swords for the Hobbits, but Frodo's was broken when he resisted the Witch-king at Weathertop. Later, his Uncle Bilbo gave him both Sting, a magic Elven dagger, and a coat of mithril chain mail. The mail saved his life when it deflected a spear-point in the Mines of Moria. As with the other members of the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo received a special cloak from Galadriel in Lórien which allowed him to blend in with natural surroundings. Upon being betrayed by Gollum and captured by Orcs at Cirith Ungol, Frodo lost all of his clothing (save for the pants in the movies), and most of his possessions. Sam Gamgee saved Sting, however. After the two tribes of Orcs had slain each other in the tower of Cirith Ungol, Frodo dressed himself in Orc-garb. This successfully fooled the Mordor-Orcs they encountered, but he dropped the Orc mail and helmet as he and Sam approached Mount Doom.

[edit] Combat

[edit] Sword

Frodo uses Bilbo's famed short sword Sting for melee combat in the movies as well as the video games. It is also put to great use as it warns him of nearby Orcs.

[edit] Throwing Weapons

In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (video game), he uses throwing knives and in The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, he uses bombs. In the Battle For Middle-Earth series Frodo throws rocks as all the other Hobbits do