‘The Fellowship of the Ring‘ by J.R.R Tolkien is the first book in the Lord of the Rings series. The One Ring, long lost to the world after the defeat of its Master and its betrayal of Isildur on the Gladden Fields has been found by a Hobbit from the Shire. As the Dark lord Sauron regains his strength and resumes his attacks on the free peoples of Middle-earth, an unlikely band of companions must face dire perils to deliver the One Ring to Mount Doom, and there destroy it. ‘The Fellowship of the Ring‘ introduces us to a wide array of characters on whose actions the fate of the world ultimately lay.

Frodo Baggins

Frodo Baggins is one of the main protagonists of the book. After the death of his parents, he went to live with his cousin Bilbo Baggins in Bag End. As Bilbo was leaving the Shire for Rivendell, he left everything to Frodo, including the One Ring. At the insistence of Gandalf, he left the Shire for Rivendell with the One Ring, joined by his friends Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck, with the Nine Nazgul hot on their trail. The Hobbits met Aragorn in Bree, who joined them. On Weathertop, Frodo was stabbed by the Lord of the Nazgûl. Healed by Aragorn and the power of the Elves in Rivendell, he attended the Council of Elrond and volunteered to be the Ring-bearer. He began the journey to Mount Doom with the Companions of the Ring but parted ways at Amon Hen after Boromir attempted to kill him. Frodo and Sam continued their quest to Mordor alone.

Aragorn

Aragorn II Elessar was the 16th and last Chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North. His identity was kept secret, and he was raised in Rivendell and given the name Estel (meaning Hope in Sindarin) till Elrond revealed his lineage to him, and he was given the shards of Narsil and the Ring of Barahir. At this same time, Aragorn met Arwen in the woods of Imladris and fell deeply in love with her. Thirty years later, Aragorn visited Lórien and gave Arwen the Ring of Barahir. Aragorn healed Frodo after he was stabbed by the Witch King of Angmar, chief of the Nazgul.

Gandalf the Grey

Known by many names amongst the many races of the world, Mithrandir by the Elves and Gandalf by Men and Hobbits, Gandalf the Grey was one of the Istari, powerful spirit beings cloaked in human flesh who were sent by the Lords of Valinor to aid the free peoples of Middle-earth in their struggle against Sauron. As Gandalf the Grey, he was the second highest in the order of Wizards. Perhaps the biggest antagonist against Sauron, he worked relentlessly for over 2000 years to give Middle-earth the edge it needed to defeat him. He was wise and took an interest in Hobbit lore. He was part of the Fellowship of the Ring. He was dragged into a chasm by the Balrog of Moria after he destroyed the bridge to prevent its passing.

Samwise Gamgee

Samwise Gamgee was a Hobbit of the Shire and originally a gardener. He joined Frodo as he fled the Shire, and later became one of the Companions of the Ring. When Frodo parted ways with the Company in Parth Galen, Sam followed him.

Meriadoc Brandybuck

Known as Merry by his friends, he was a Hobbit of the Shire. He accompanied Frodo to Rivendell, where he became one of the Companions of the Ring. While on the quest, he and Pippin were captured by Orcs in Parth Galen.

Peregrin Took

Known to his friends as Pippin, he is portrayed as a curious and playful character who is initially somewhat naive and carefree. Pippin is known for his love of food and drink, as well as his sense of humor. In his inquisitiveness, he caused a bucket and chain to fall into a well in Moria, which alerted the goblins of their presence.

Bilbo Baggins

Bilbo Baggins was a Hobbit who lived in Bag-End in the Shire. He was a close friend of Gandalf and had gone on adventures with the Wizard and several Dwarves in the past. He was a Baggins in most aspects, but he had a Tookish air of adventure in him, coming from his Took mother. While lost during his adventures with the Dwarves and Gandalf, he found the One Ring in the tunnels of the Misty Mountains and later passed it on to his heir Frodo. He was the oldest Hobbit to ever live, having his lifespan unnaturally lengthened by the influence of the One Ring.

Legolas

A Sindarin Elf, Legolas was the son of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm. He attended the Council of Elrond and represented the Elves in the Companions of the Ring. He was a mighty archer and swordsman, proving indispensable in the battles fought by the Fellowship against orcs, goblins, and other fell creatures.

Gimli

Gimli was the son of Glóin and a Dwarf of Durin’s line. He was chosen to represent the Dwarves as part of the Fellowship of the Ring and was the guide through Khazad-dûm. He had no love for Elves due to an ancient feud between their races, but he fought fearlessly side by side with Legolas and other members of the Fellowship.

Boromir

Boromir was the older son of Denethor II, the last Ruling Steward of Gondor, and also the Captain of Gondor. Having already battled against the forces of Sauron in Osgiliath, Boromir went to Rivendell in search of the answer to a dream he and his younger brother Faramir had. He attended the Council of Elrond and unsuccessfully tried to convince them to use the One Ring in the defense of Gondor. The Council decided to destroy the Ring, and Boromir became one of the Companions of the Ring. The One Ring tempted him during the quest, finally proving too strong to resist on Amon Hen when he tried to kill Frodo to take the Ring. He came to his senses right away, but it proved the catalyst for Frodo’s decision to continue the journey alone. Frodo left the Company, followed by Sam, shortly before the rest of them were overrun by Orcs. Boromir died defending Merry and Pippin and was given a funeral and set adrift by Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.

Elrond Halfelven

Elrond was an Elf-lord and master of Rivendell. He was the son of the great mariner Earendil and the Elf maiden Elwing. He and his brother Elros were given a choice by the Valar to choose which race they want to belong to. He chose the Elves, while his brother chose Men. He was given the greatest of the Three Elven Rings by the High King Gil-galad and sent to help the Elves of Eregion in their fight against the forces of Sauron. After Eregion was destroyed, he founded Rivendell as a hidden refuge. He presided over the Council of Elrond, where it was decided to form a company to travel to Mordor to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.

Sauron

The antagonist and title character of ‘The Lord of the Rings.‘ Originally a servant of the dreaded Valar Morgoth, the Dark Lord Sauron took his master’s place after he was captured by the rest of the Valar in the last War of Wrath. The enormously powerful Sauron is never seen at any point in the novel; he is represented only by images of his Great Eye or the Dark Tower where he resides. He fervently desires the One Ring, which he created long ago and which holds a great portion of his power.

Saruman

Saruman the White was one of the five wizards that came to Middle-Earth in the Third Age. He had great knowledge and studied most of the ring lore. He was appointed the head of the White Council and led the attack against Sauron in Dol Guldor. He urged the other Wizards not to challenge Sauron’s growing power and used the Palantír of Orthanc, which weakened him and enslaved him to Sauron. He turned Isengard into a dark generator of Uruk-hai at the beginning of the War of the Ring and imprisoned Gandalf atop the tower of Orthanc after Gandalf refused to join him.

Arwen Undomiel

Arwen Undómiel was the daughter of Elrond and Celebrían. An Eldarin princess, she was called Undómiel or Evenstar by her people for her beauty which resembled Luthien’s. She met Aragorn, and they became lovers but did not become betrothed to him until 2980. Her father, Elrond, would not consent to the union until Aragorn was King.

The Nine Ringwraiths

The Nazgûl were known by many names, including Ringwraiths, the Black Riders, or the Nine Riders. They began as mortal kings to whom Sauron gave rings of power during the Second Age. The rings enslaved them to the service of the Dark Lord, and their bodies faded away reducing them to wraiths. Sauron ordered them to recover the One Ring, which was in The Shire under the care of Bilbo Baggins. During their pursuit of Frodo Baggins, the black horses they rode were swept away by the river Bruinen.

Gollum

A hunched, miserable creature who was once in possession of the One Ring, which corrupted and twisted him. Gollum maintained possession of the Ring until he lost it in the caves in the Misty Mountains, where Bilbo recovered it. He was the one who disclosed the location of the One Ring to Sauron and the Nazgul after he was tortured. He trailed the Fellowship hoping for the best opportunity to recover the Ring.

Durin’s Bane

Durin’s Bane was a Balrog of Morgoth who fled the Wars of Wrath and had hidden within the depths of Moria. Balrogs are powerful spiritual beings of fire who were corrupted by Morgoth into his service. It was awoken by the Dwarves of Durin’s kin during their deep mining activities in search of the precious metal mithril. It then laid waste to Durin’s realm, killing him in the process. It confronted Gandalf and ultimately dragged him into a chasm with its whip of fire after Gandalf destroyed the bridge it was standing on.

Galadriel

Galadriel, the daughter of Finarfin, was a Noldorin princess born in the First Age. The founder of Lothlórien and wife of Celeborn, she had one child, Celebrían, Arwen’s mother. She protected and hid Lórien from Sauron, and could defend it from all lesser attacking powers. She bore Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, one of the Three Elven Rings, with which she maintained the timelessness and beauty of her realm. When the Fellowship came to her for aid, she bestowed great gifts to the Companions. Frodo offered her the One Ring, and she refused it. Because of her refusal of the Ring and her untiring fight against Sauron, the Valar gave her the reward of returning to Valinor.

Celeborn

A Sindarin Elf from the kingdom Doriath in Beleriand, Celeborn was Galadriel’s husband. He greeted the Fellowship when they arrived at the majestic city of Lothlórien. Together with Thranduil and Galadriel, he destroyed Dol Guldur.

Gildor Inglorin

An Elf whose approach saves the hobbits from an encounter with one of the Black Riders. Gildor tells Frodo that the mysterious Black Riders are servants of the Enemy and must be avoided at all costs.

Glorfindel

An Elf-lord and friend of Aragorn. Glorfindel, who lives in Rivendell, attends the Council of Elrond, which is called to determine what should be done with the Ring.

Erestor

Another Elf-lord who attends the Council of Elrond. Erestor suggests that the Ring be given to Tom Bombadil, over whom it has no power; the others at the Council worry that even Bombadil could not single-handedly defeat Sauron.

Haldir

The leader of the group of Elves who halts the Fellowship’s entry into the forest of Lothlórien. Haldir then leads the Fellowship into the heart of the forest to meet Galadriel.

Tom Bombadil

A jovial, mysterious, and powerful being who dances around his small realm, singing songs in doggerel. Tom is extremely old, perhaps immortal, and his origins are unknown. He has great power and is deeply connected to the earth, but he is unconcerned with the world outside his realm.

Goldberry

Tom Bombadil’s wife. Goldberry has a presence that moves Frodo in a way similar to that of the Elves. She describes herself as the River-woman’s daughter. Her origins are shrouded in mystery.

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