Drip by slow drip, more and more information on the new Amazon Prime series Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is coming to light. A new piece in Empire magazine has given Tolkien fans another small glimpse, in advance of what is rumored to be a new trailer coming to San Diego Comic-Con in July. The new preview gives an enticing look at the show's halfling characters, called Harfoots.
Until then, however, fans must content themselves with the much-beloved Peter Jackson trilogy to tide them over. The films are full of heroism and sacrifice, and perhaps no one is called upon more in tough moments than the Hobbit characters. "Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere," wrote Tolkien, and the characters brought to the screen by Jackson certainly bear this out.
Refusing To Be Left Behind
As Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn all volunteer to accompany Frodo on his quest to Mordor, the other Hobbits hide off-screen. Having not been invited to the Council, they stay quiet as long as they can before loudly insisting that they must be allowed to accompany Frodo as well.
Though this action is a catalyst for the heroic deeds they will all accomplish in the course of their adventures, it stands out as heroic in its own right. These Hobbits have never ventured into the wider world before now, and the potential horrors that await would give pause to anyone. But they do not flinch, choosing friendship and ensuring themselves a place in some of the greatest events in the history of Middle-Earth.
Taking The Ring At The Council Of Elrond
At the Council of Elrond, the debate over what to do with the Ring causes dark divisions between the representatives of the Free People. In a moment many fans tout as the reason for naming him the best Hobbit in the Lord of the Rings, Frodo volunteers to continue bearing the Ring, and take it to Mordor to destroy it.
This action saves not only the of the Fellowship but everyone else too. By taking on a burden that rightfully belonged to others, Frodo ensured the Ring would not fall into the hands of Men, who would be most easily corrupted. Hobbits' natural resistance to the evils of the Ring made them the ideal choice to bear it, but Frodo's choice is an incredibly noble sacrifice that he knows will probably end in his death.
Speak "Friend" And Enter
The Fellowship is stuck outside the walls of Moria, unsure of how to enter the closed gate. Frodo jumps up suddenly, realizing the inscription on the gate is a riddle, and the is the Elvish word for "friend", which grants the company entry to the Mines.
Though it causes Gandalf's fall, gaining entrance to Moria was critical for the Fellowship. There was no other way over, around or under the Misty Mountains they could try. If they hadn't gone through Moria, they would have had to attempt to sneak past Saruman at the Gap of Rohan, which almost certainly would have lead to the capture of the Ring.
The Breaking Of The Fellowship
After leaving Lothlorien, the Fellowship travels down the river to the Falls of Rauros to debate which way they should turn. Attacked by Orcs, Frodo and Sam depart for Mordor while Merry and Pippin are captured and taken toward Isengard.
Merry and Pippin drawing the Orcs away from Frodo not only allows him to flee, but allows Boromir to redeem himself after trying to take the Ring by force. It would never have been feasible for every member that set out with the Fellowship to go all the way to Mordor. Selflessness is an unmistakable Baggins trait, and Frodo and Sam's willingness to go alone preserves the secrecy of the quest, and spares the other for the important deeds they still have to perform in the War of the Ring.
Rousing The Ents
After escaping from the clutches of the marauding Orcs, Merry and Pippin find themselves in the hands of Treebeard, an Ent of Fangorn Forest. The two Hobbits are shocked by the Ents complacency, and show Treebeard firsthand the harm that a victory by Saruman or Sauron will bring, which finally convinces him to act.
By rousing the power of the Ents against Isengard, the Hobbits ensure that Saruman can no longer be a serious threat to the Free People. His armories and Orc breeding pits are completely destroyed, and he is trapped in his tower until Gandalf arrives to break his staff and cast him from the order of the Istari.
Saving The Palantir...
After a tense confrontation, Wormtongue stabs Saruman in the back, causing him to fall from the tower of Orthanc and be impaled on his own machinery. Pippin notices a large, dark stone fall as Saruman's body sinks into the water and fishes it out, only to have it snatched by Gandalf.
Pippin's attentiveness at this moment is a stroke of luck. As the stone is a Palantir, having it fall into the hands of an enemy, or even a friend who did not know of its power would have been incredibly dangerous. This is especially true because it was so accustomed to communing with Mordor, and any but the strongest wills that used it would be drawn immediately to the dark land.
...And Then Looking In It
The lure of the Palantir proves too much for Pippin, as he sneaks it away from Gandalf in his sleep. Pippin looks into the stone but is immediately caught and questioned by Sauron himself. Gandalf is roused by Merry and quickly learns what Pippin told the Dark Lord.
Though at first blush this would seem to be a grave error, Pippin's actions prove to be quite beneficial. Making Sauron think that Saruman has potentially captured the Ring itself forces Sauron to move faster than originally intended. His attack on Gondor is pressed before his full strength is ready, and he reveals these plans to Pippin, which allows Gandalf and the Riders of Rohan to prepare.
Saving Gandalf
As the siege of Minas Tirith rages, Pippin (now in the service of Gondor) is called out to defend the walls of the city. An Orc rushes toward Gandalf as his back is turned, but Pippin swiftly steps between and stabs the Orc seconds before it can dispatch the wizard. Pippin may not be the of the Ring, but his willingness to act is crucial.
Pippin essentially saves the entire cause of the good guys here. Gandalf is the most important leader of the Free People, and without his power and courage the battle would have been lost. Had Minas Tirith fallen, the Dark Lord would have been free to continue his search for the Ring undistracted, and would certainly have found it.
Stabbing The Witch-King
The Rohirrim arrive to help turn the tide of the battle, but the Nazgul lord attacks King Theoden, and his niece Eowyn fiercely defends the wounded king until she is gravely injured herself. Unnoticed by all, Merry proves his friendship with Eowyn is one of the series' best by crawling up behind the Nazgul and stabbing him in the back of the knee.
This blow, which allows Eowyn to finish him off once and for all, is one of the most important blows struck by any member of the Fellowship during their quest. The Witch-King was Sauron's deadliest servant and chief lieutenant, and if he had survived the battle could have had a very different outcome, even with the arrival of Aragorn and the Army of the Dead.
Destroying The Ring
Sam and Frodo have toiled through the dark confines of Mordor and are at last in the heart of Mount Doom. Frodo, however, finally succumbs to the evil will of the Ring. Gollum attacks, and the two topple off the edge. Frodo grabs it, but Gollum falls into the fire below with the Ring.
Simply getting the Ring to the Cracks of Doom in the first place was a feat that no other being (without the assistance of the Eagles) could have accomplished. Every step forward was itself an act of heroism, and though in the end they could not finish the quest without Gollum, the Hobbits ultimate triumph saved the Fellowship and everyone else in Middle-Earth.
