Summary
ThroughoutThe Lord Of The Rings, there are only a few characters who could ever hopeto bear the burden of the One Ring. While Frodo Baggins might be the most widely known figure to carry the ring, it should never be forgotten that Bilbo Baggins had the ring in his possession for a shockingly long time without ever becoming as corrupted as some other Hobbits. It’s this seeming immunity to the corruption of the ring that has someLord Of The Ringsfans wondering whether or not Bilbo could have been the one to destroy the One Ring.
Those who have experiencedThe Hobbitseries will also know that Bilbo isn’t exactly a confrontational person, though he is willing to do what is right. This means that, at least in his youth, Bilbo may have been a prime contender to carry the ring tothe fires of Mount Doom. Whether or not Bilbo would have succeeded in a journey like that is a totally different question, but neither is easy to answer.
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Was Bilbo Able To Resist The One Ring?
The thing aboutthe One Ringis that, technically, no one is able to resist it. An argument could be made that even Sauron himself is under the influence of the powerful ring, though in a different way from the average citizen of Middle Earth. Bilbo, like a few other hobbits, was capable of resisting the corruption of the ring to a certain extent. Additionally, Bilbo’s own unique personality helped to keep him safe from the more corrupting elements that befell the hobbit Smeagol.
It’s clear even inThe Fellowship Of The Ringthat Bilbo hasdifficulty resisting the pull of the One Ring, even if it didn’t corrupt him. Bilbo wasn’t ever the kind of person who would try to use the ring for evil purposes, and given his selfless nature, he’d probably only seek to use it in self-defense or to aid friends. He shares this admirable trait in common with someone like Samwise Gamgee, a vital part of Frodo’s quest to destroy the ring. It’s also not even entirely clear whether or not Bilbo is aware that the ring he holds is of such significance, at least initially.
While he didn’t becomea creature as vile as Gollum, Bilbo did clearly have a desire to take the ring for himself. This is easy to see just before he willingly gives up the ring at the beginning ofThe Fellowship Of The Ring, and later on in Rivendell when Bilbo and Frodo speak. These events make it clear that Bilbo couldn’t resist the One Ring, but it also shows that he was stronger than the vast majority of other figures inThe Lord Of The Ringsuniverse since he was able to choose to give up the ring even after spending years with it.
Could Bilbo Have Destroyed The One Ring?
The fact that Bilbo had the One Ring in his possession for such a long time is something that has led many to ask whether or not he could have been the one todestroy the ring instead of Frodo. While that is an interesting idea to think about, the answer is likely far darker than most people would expect. The truth is, Bilbo likely would have failed to destroy the ring whether he had set out on the journey to destroy the ring when he first found it or whether he was the ring bearer for the fellowship.
It is true that Bilbo suffered far less corruption from the ring than others despite keeping it for so long, but he was both far from the fires of Mordor and far from great conflict. He did see conflict inhis adventure duringThe Hobbit, but even the events of that film trilogy play out quite differently than they do in the original works. Realistically, there weren’t many ways for the ring to pull Bilbo to darkness, thanks to a lack of being in situations where an evil side of the Hobbit could crop up. Had he begun on a journey to destory the ring, Bilbo would have gone through just as much as Frodo did, and it’s possible that he could have faired even worse.
Even ifBilbo managed to have a similar journey to Frodo, it’s important to keep in mind that the influence of the ring only grows stronger the closer it gets to its place of origin. Bilbo has shown that he is at least capable of lashing out with violence for the ring, even if he can stop himself, making him a potentially much more sinister person to be carrying the ring. If he were traveling with companions, it’s not impossible to think that Bilbo could have taken them out if he felt that they were a threat to him keeping the ring. This additionally means that when it came time to cast the ring into Mount Doom, Bilbo would have failed, especially if there was no one to intervene.
Could Anyone Have Destroyed The One Ring?
When recalling exactly how the One Ring was ultimately destroyed, it becomes clear that no one ended up intentionally destroying it. With the likes of Frodo, Sam, or even Bilbo beingthe best possible candidates to carry and destroy the ring, it can make one wonder whether or not anyone would be capable of destroying the ring. With all the available evidence, it reality does seem like anyone who stepped up to destroy the ring, no matter how virtuous, would have ultimately failed, Baggins or not.
It’s made clear right from the beginning of the trilogy that Men are not strong-willed enough to resist the pull of the ring, even after holding it for a few minutes or being around it on a journey. It’s additionally known that the other races would fall victim to the pull of the ring in a variety of ways rather quickly as well.This is why Frodo was chosento bear the ring, as Hobbits were the least likely to be corrupted quickly due to their docile and generally selfless nature. Some may disagree, but Frodo was actually the best possible option to get the ring to Mordor, but he too was doomed to fail from the start.
The real reason the ring was destroyed wasthe interference and foolishness of Gollum. Without his selfishness and delight at reclaiming the ring, it never would have been destroyed. Had Gollum not been around, the only hope would have been for someone like Frodo or Bilbo to have enough inner strength to throw themselves into Mount Doom with the ring in hand, but even that is unlikely.
The Lord Of The Ringsis available to stream on Amazon Prime Video
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