With the season finale of Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power having aired, both old fans and new are being drawn to one of the best fantasy franchises in history, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. In revisiting these movies, many people will both discover and rediscover their incredible intricacy and absolutely iconic characters. What makes these characters so fantastic of course, is that Tolkien imbued his own heart into them, and in many cases his own brilliant mind.
Of course, not everyone in Middle-Earth is the sharpest tool in the shed. It’s a living and breathing world, full of people of all different backgrounds and attitudes. Sometimes, in times of desperation, people will let just about anyone save the world. For the most part, though, there are people of intelligence on these sorts of missions, quests, or things.
Gimli, Son of Gloin
When the free peoples of Middle-Earth faced certain doom at the hands of the Dark Lord Sauron, the Fellowship of the Ring was created to combat this threat. As it affected all of them, the Fellowship consisted of members from each race, one of which was Gimli son of Gloin.
Known as a skilled and powerful fighter, Gimli’s main strength was that of a physical nature. He was also shown to be a cunning tracker and, like many dwarves, possessed an extensive knowledge of stonework. However, as is also common with dwarves, his passion and stubbornness often overtook his reasoning, resulting in a brash attitude that was quicker to act than think.
Peregrin 'Pippin' Took
Peregrin Took, otherwise called Pippin, was one of the four hobbits to embark on the quest of the Fellowship of the Ring. Being cousins with Frodo Baggins, the ringbearer, Pippin joined the mission to help in any way he could, without fully knowing what he signed up for.
Due to his easygoing and comedic nature, Pippin has an unfortunate tendency to mess up a lot of the time. He often doesn’t think about what he’s doing or saying, and caused the Fellowship no small amount of strife. However, he plays his part just like everyone else and does cause a few decisive victories when it comes down to it.
Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck
Although Pippin does cause several unfortunate events, he isn’t always acting alone. Found alongside him more often than not is his cousin Meriadoc Brandybuck, or Merry for short. These hobbits share a jovial disposition, loyalty to their friends, and a true love for pipeweed.
Like Pippin, Merry certainly is a troublemaker. Out of the two of them, though, Merry is the more level-headed one. Once the time comes for them to step up, he doesn’t shy away from what needs to be done and proves to be competent in the plight of good.
Frodo Baggins
In the quest to destroy the Ring of Power, the most crucial role was the person carrying it to Mount Doom. As fate would have it, this ringbearer turned out to be the hobbit, Frodo Baggins. Although he doesn’t understand why the ring came to him, he perseveres and fulfills his duty, even at the cost of himself.
Although Frodo is a bit more learned than other hobbits might be, he isn’t without his blind spots. While in the books, Frodo is a pretty confident and rational hero, Peter Jackson’s movies treat him a bit differently. This is especially true when it comes to Gollum, as he takes a step further than pity and ends up falling for the creature’s tricks.
Samwise Gamgee
After Sam is caught listening to Frodo and the wizard Gandalf speaking in secret, he is coerced into helping them out. Of course, it doesn’t take too much persuasion, as he is endlessly devoted to Frodo, his employer and best friend. By the end, Sam proves himself to be one of the best sidekicks in fiction.
Like many of the characters in The Lord of the Rings, Sam seems to only be involved by happenstance at first but becomes an integral part of the story as it unfolds. His movie version is far less bumbling than the books initially make him out to be, and he sees through Gollum’s facade from the beginning.
Boromir, Son of Denethor
When news arrives that a secret council is being summoned, Lord Denethor of Gondor correctly guesses that the Ring of Power has been found. To secure the Ring, and eventually Gondor’s safety, he sends his eldest son Boromir as his representative. After volunteering for the Fellowship as well, Boromir journeys with the ringbearer until he meets his end.
Boromir does show his quality in the end, displaying true remorse and protecting Merry and Pippin for as long as he can. However, this isn’t before he tries to take the Ring from Frodo. While his actions at this moment are due to the Ring’s influence, the feelings behind them are his own. He truly believes that the best chance is for the Ring to go to Gondor, ignoring how corrupt his father has become and warnings from others.
Legolas Greenleaf
Representing the Elven race in the Fellowship was Legolas, son of King Thranduil, of the Woodland Realm. He would prove to be an invaluable asset to the team, as he was able to do things far greater than any mere mortal.
While Tolkien’s works don’t specify when Legolas was born, the writers of Peter Jackson’s movies placed him as almost 3000 years old. After all that time, it’s only natural that he would have learned everything he could, and become very intelligent. Although his character doesn’t play as big of a part as others, he is still one of the best Elves in the series, and is shown to be a cunning warrior and tracker.
Bilbo Baggins
Frodo is the one who destroyed the Ring of Power, but he wasn’t the first hobbit to be a ringbearer. Bilbo Baggins, Frodo’s uncle, left The Shire to help a group of dwarves reclaim their homeland. During the adventure, he found the Ring in the possession of the creature Gollum, and took it from him. He would later pass the Ring on to Frodo, and begin the story of The Lord of the Rings.
While others in The Shire aren’t too interested in their, or any other’s history, Bilbo spends much of his time studying and is extremely well-read. Time and time again he thinks his way out of difficult situations, and he eventually becomes a very accomplished storyteller.
Gandalf
Originally from the Undying Lands, Gandalf was sent along with four others to Middle-Earth to aid in the fight against Sauron. Although he spent most of his time giving council to the elves and men, he found a particular fondness for the hobbits and their way of life. As one of his final acts of servitude, he helped guide Frodo in the quest to destroy the Ring, and gave hope to all the free people.
While Gandalf was eventually shown to be the wisest of his order, wisdom is not the same as intelligence. Still, like many of the other immortal beings, his extremely long life has given him the opportunity to study the world and its peoples. He is the definition of a great teacher and remains the only wizard confirmed to have succeeded in his task.
Aragorn, Son of Arathorn
Aragorn, son of Arathorn, is the last in the line of Isildur, and as such he is heir to the throne of Gondor. Growing up in secrecy, and raised by the elves, he would eventually join the Fellowship and lead them in Gandalf’s stead. More than that, he became a King that the men of the west looked to in their battles against Sauron.
Aragorn is a character with many facets, and he proves to be extremely intelligent throughout The Lord of the Rings. He is shown many times to be the best tracker of the Fellowship, and his knowledge of how the world works is as great as you might expect from his teachings in Rivendell. Not to mention his strategic brilliance is incomparable. There are even a few times in the series where he is the one to reassure Gandalf, and when it came down to it, he was able to successfully trick Sauron.