The Lord of the Ringsfranchise features some truly wonderful and endearing characters throughout each of its stories. Every one of its main characters needs to go on a journey to overcome a particular obstacle, but their ventures across Middle-earth will often be wrought with dangers.
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Navigating throughthe twists and turns of Middle-earthcan be quite difficult, especially with so many foes blocking one’s path. A great deal of skill and confidence is required to venture out into the world ofThe Lord of the Rings, but the most necessary trait a character requires is bravery.The Lord of the Ringsis bursting with brave characters, but some are arguably braver than others.
8Thorin Oakenshield
Having lost his home tothe last great dragon to reside on Middle-earth, Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield becomes a shell of his former self. He retreats into himself and becomes a vengeful and bitter ruler who devotes the remainder of his life to reclaiming what was once his.
Though his reason for returning home was somewhat questionable, there is no use in denying the level of bravery required if one hoped to accomplish even half of the feats Thorin has. His lust for vengeance has blinded him from the dangers he faces, allowing him to approach each of his encounters with a sense of ease. Upon reclaiming his home, Thorin’s true personality begins to return, painting him as a noble and honorable warrior who never runs from a battle.
7Boromir
Boromir’s introduction inThe Fellowship of the Ringsets to portray him as a greedy king’s son whose obsession with honoring Gondor leads him astray. As a man, he is easily corrupted by the Ring’s power and will often forget himself when in its presence.
He tries to attack Frodo in the hope of claiming the Ring for his own, but his attempt fails. Realizing the error of his ways, Boromir devotes his final moments todefending Merry and Pippin from the Uruk-hai. He achieves redemption by the end of the narrative when Aragorn forgives him and commends him for his bravery.
6Legolas
Legolas is arguably one of the bravest characters in the entireLord of the Ringsuniverse. As an elf, he is capable of performing some truly amazing feats, but it is likely fans of the franchise will remember him for his skills in battle above everything else.
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No matter how high the odds are stacked against him, Legolas is always more than willing to leap directly into danger. Whether he is gliding down a stairway on a shield while firing arrows at his enemies or single-handedly taking down an Oliphaunt, all of his actions are firm reminders of exactly how brave he is.
5Gimli
Gimli’s bark is, for the most part, a great deal deadlier than his bite. He has been caught multiple times boasting about his abilities but, when push comes to shove, he is still more than capable of holding his own in a fight.
Gimli’s bravery shines brightly, however, during the battle for Helm’s Deep where he devoteshis entire beingto stopping Saruman’s army. His noblest action sees him asking Aragorn to “toss” him to the keep’s entrance, so he can deter his enemies from breaching the castle’s gate. Most warriors would regard leaping into this much danger as a death sentence, but Gimli cares not if it means protecting his comrades.
4Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo sets out on a journey to the Lonely Mountain after Gandalf offers the hobbit’s services to a group of dwarves. Prior to this, Bilbo lived a mostly carefree life and never did anything out of the ordinary, but his time with the dwarves molded him into an entirely new person.
Bilbo’s purpose among the dwarves' ranks is to act as a burglar who can steal their way inside the Lonely Mountain and confront Smaug, a dragon that drove the dwarves away from their home. Given that even the dwarves were unwilling to do this at first, the fact that Bilbo complies with their demands is one of the bravest actions performed in the whole franchise.
3Aragorn II Elessar
Aragorn is first introduced inThe Fellowship of the Ringas an elusive rider with a mysterious past. The hobbits eventually discover he isthe destined ruler of Gondorbut, until then, they regard him as a gifted yet secretive ranger.
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Aragorn takes it upon himself to ensure the young hobbits make it to Rivendell. He travels many nights alongside his new companions until, one night, the Nazgûl attack. The hobbits are no match for the towering Ringwraiths but, thankfully, Aragorn is. He jumps into the battle wielding nothing more than a torch and a sword and forces the dark entities to retreat. The battle seemed unwinnable at first, but Aragorn refused to allow any harm to befall his new comrades.
2Samwise Gamgee
The Lord of the Ringsis chock-full of somebafflingly brave characters, with Samwise Gamgee being one of the most surprising examples. Throughout his journey to Mordor, Sam spends most of his time assisting Frodo by offering him guidance and preparing his meals.
However,The Return of the Kingsees him dual-wielding both his and Frodo’s swords and infiltrating one of the many orc towers scattered throughout Mordor. Not many characters in this universe would be willing to take on such large numbers alone, but Sam doesn’t careso long as he can protect his friend.
1Frodo Baggins
Given that most hobbits despise the thought of adventure, it’s surprising that Frodo embarked onhis quest to Mordorso willingly. The beginning of his journey sees him surrounded by allies who devote themselves to assisting him in his ventures, but the climax ofThe Fellowship of the Ringsees the group dividing up.
After witnessing the Ring corrupting Boromir’s mind, Frodo decides to continue his journey alone. Sam refuses to let this happen and pursues Frodo, but it is hard to deny Frodo’s bravery during this moment. He was ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of Middle-earth and all those who live there. He wouldn’t have survived the trip, but his willingness to go anyway cements him as one of the bravestLord of the Ringscharacters in existence.
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