Bilbo Baggins

Template:Infobox Character**Bilbo Baggins** is the titular protagonist of *The Hobbit* and a supporting character in *The Lord of the Rings*

## Character

### Personality

As a child, Bilbo was very adventurous, and determined. He had been interested in Gandalf's stories about the outside world and one day, wished to see it. Most people would say he had more of his mother's Took blood within him instead of his father's Most of the time, he stayed out late after dark, looking for elves in the woods. However, when he was a young man and inherited Bag End after the death of his parents, Bilbo became a highly respectable hobbit throughout the Shire, but still retained his desire for adventure.

In the very beginning of the trilogy, Bilbo didn't want to have any adventures, especially to Gandalf's cause when the wizard first approached him. During their first meeting, Bilbo was very stressed out when the dwarves came piling in and ruining his things. He was very protective of his parents and grandfather's possessions because they are the only things he has left of his parents. His adventurous, took side got the better of him, as Bilbo immediately changed his mind the next morning. The first time, he didn't sign the contract out of fear of never coming back home, but Bilbo couldn't help but answer to the dwarves' plight of no longer having a home, feeling pity on them for not having a home like he did. The hobbit even once told Lord Elrond that most of the company didn't think Bilbo should be on their quest. However, after Bilbo saved Thorin, he began feeling a part of their group. Though being initially annoyed with the dwarves, Bilbo came to see them as his friends and was going to great lengths to save them if he could.

Bilbo had a strained relationship with Thorin when they were getting to know each other and was easily annoyed when the dwarves threw around his dishes. Bilbo even saved them numerous times, first by stalling the trolls all night, saving Thorin from Azog the Defiler, freeing them from the Spiders and the Elves, etc. During the second and third films, Bilbo was determined to help the Dwarves reclaim Erebor because he pitied them when they could not have a home of their own.

Over time, Bilbo became close to the dwarves, especially to Thorin, Balin and Bofur. However, Balin and Bofur were the only ones initially friendly to Bilbo before he saved their king's life. Bofur showed excessive fondness for Bilbo, especially pointing out Bilbo's disappearance to Thorin. Fili and Kíli often played pranks on Bilbo, but they grew rather fond of each other and was very sadden by losing his two friends. Shown to be honest and down to earth, Bilbo was unable to tell a very good lie. For example, Bilbo failed to lie to the Trolls and even the deadly Smaug himself and Gandalf as well. They were all able to see through. Bilbo even points out that he is "burglar but likes to think [he] is an honest one." Bilbo had no knowledge of the outside world and no knowledge of how to use a weapon. However, Bilbo was aware of the tales surrounding the fall of Erebor and knew perfectly what a dragon was. However, when they were out travelling for the first time, Bilbo was mortified of the unknown and was easily scared. (i.e. Fili and Kíli teasing him on how an Orc would kill everyone and when Bofur mentioned Smaug would burn Bilbo to a crisp causing Bilbo to faint.

Despite appearances, Bilbo is actually skilled and can make his way in this world. He is often quick witted, such as stalling the trolls and also saving his friends from the Elves. Bilbo also used his wit against Smaug and could plan how to get out of situations. He was able to be quite clever and often manipulated his enemies, showing he uses manipulation out of survival than out of malice. For example, Bilbo easily manipulated the Trolls into arguing all night up until Gandalf came and turned them to stone. He was later able to manipulate Gollum into playing a game of riddles. However, Bilbo's manipulations could be seen through most people, especially Smaug, probably due to Bilbo's good nature. Bilbo was horrified when he starts killing others, most notably his first victims, the Warg, he stares out in terror. However, Bilbo was brutal when it came to enemies. He showed no remorse in killing the Orc that almost executed Thorin and killed a baby spider over the Ring. (However, to be fair, Bilbo was under the Ring's influence). Bilbo also nearly killed Gollum, but decided against it, feeling pity for the creature.

Unlike the dwarves, who use their weapons to get themselves out of tricky situations, Bilbo used his wits and thoughts to get himself and others out of trouble. For instance, he was able to stall Smaug for a very long time, being able to keep a long conversation with him. Bilbo only uses weapons when necessary when dealing with an unreasonable individual. He was also very resourceful and very inspirational, even among his Dwarven friends. Bilbo had leadership skills among his friends, who willingly followed his lead on several occasions.

Overall, Bilbo was a very brave hobbit and proved to be very friendly and caring towards friends but merciless towards enemies.

#### **Self-Confidence**

At the beginning of the series, Bilbo was very skeptical of himself being on the journey in the first place, similar to what the other dwarves thought of. However, Gandalf had confidence that his Hobbit friend was more capable than they thought including himself. Bilbo eventually had a self-confidence as the series went on, proving to be quite more resourceful than they he let on. It's especially at the end that Bilbo proves his resourcefulness when he helps save his friends, for example, saving Thorin from beheading from Azog's Executioner, showing his self-confidence accelerated even further. As he returned home, Bilbo's confidence had been better, as he strongly stood up against the Sackville-Bagginses when he returned home.

#### **Took vs. Baggins**

Throughout all the series, Bilbo found himself struggling between the Baggins half as well as his Took half.

On terms of the Took side of his family, Bilbo inherited most of his mother's adventurous nature. For example, he wished of a life outside of a shire and even as a child, would stay past his curfew to look for elves and also ask Gandalf about the outside world, even on his disappeared uncle. Even in adulthood and letting his father's side get over him, Bilbo still longed for adventure, as the Dwarves' singing about the Lonely Mountain moved him. He stroked an opportunity on adventures when the dwarves came and couldn't help but feel their plight. Eventually, Bilbo made it his goal to get the dwarves their homeland after realizing they had no home to go to like Bilbo did rather than out of adventure.

On the terms of his Baggins side of the family, Bilbo was raised to a gentle-hobbit, just like his father. Growing up, Bilbo grew to love the comfortable life in Bag End but always found he was deep down his mother's son rather than his father's. He was very protective of his family's possessions and found it absurd that Gandalf was looking for someone (i.e. him) for an adventure. However, he always found conflicting between his "Baggins side" over his "Took side."

### **Physical Appearance**

Bilbo has curly brown hair, green eyes and stands short, about four feet tall.

In the beginning of the Hobbit film series, Bilbo had a plain white shirt, with a yellow waistcoat and grey knee-length pants. He wore a blue jacket when going out.

Throughout two-thirds of An Unexpected Journey and half-way through The Desolation of Smaug, Bilbo had a plain wine-red jacket, white, long-sleeved shirt with an olive-green waistcoat that had acorn buttons and knee-length brown pants. In the second half of Desolation and all the way through the Battle of the Five Armies, Bilbo traded in his red jacket with a blue robe he acquired from Bard.

Bilbo later wore a white Mithril shirt as his only armor that he wore at all times during the Battle of the Five Armies

## Peter Jackson's films

### *The Lord of the Rings* film series

In *The Lord of the Rings* film series, Bilbo was portrayed by Ian Holm in the first and third films.

In *The Fellowship of the Ring*, Bilbo leaves the Ring for Frodo and reunited with him in Rivendell. Before his quest to destroy the Ring, he gives Frodo a Mithril shirt he once wore and his sword, Sting.

When he sees the ring, he briefly turns to a creature and nearly attacks Frodo. A Guilt-ridden Bilbo breaks down crying and apologizes for leaving this heavy burden on Frodo.

He finally appears in *The Return of the King*, where he asks Frodo of the whereabouts of the Ring. Frodo does not have the heart to tell his uncle that it was destroyed and instead, told Bilbo that he lost it. His last journey was leaving Middle-earth and heading to the Grey Havens.

### *The Hobbit* film series

In *The Hobbit* film series, Bilbo is portrayed by Martin Freeman in his younger years while Ian Holm portrays an older Bilbo Baggins.

#### *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey*

Bilbo is first seen in the movie writing down his journey in the Red Book of Westermarch. In the present-day timeline, his nephew Frodo sees him working and attempts to read the book, but Bilbo does not let him look at it. He begins to hide things around the house and acknowledges Frodo goodbye when he goes to go meet Gandalf at East Farthing Woods.

The flashback begins to when Bilbo was fifty years old, approached by Gandalf, who is an old family friend of both Bilbo's parents' sides of his family. However, after Gandalf offers for Bilbo to take up a chance at an adventure, the hobbit refuses and retreats back into his house.

While traveling to the market place located near the Green Dragon, Mr. Baggins believes the wizard to be stalking him and what he thought was Gandalf's hat was really hobbits carrying a sack.

Later that evening, he met the four dwarves, Dwalin, Balin, Fíli and Kíli. After a while, Bilbo loses his patience at the fifth bell and finds at least nine more dwarves at the door. None of the dwarves treat his possessions none too kindly, as most of them use it for throwing it around. Mr. Baggins is then introduced to their leader, Thorin Oakenshield, who has an unexplained contempt over their newly found member. When they bring up the fact of a burglar position for the hobbit, Bilbo initially refuses, even after Gandalf tries to convince him otherwise. The next morning, Bilbo finds the dwarves gone. Having made up his mind, Bilbo decides to go on an adventure after hearing the dwarves sing their song from the night before.

On their first night of the quest to reclaim Erebor, Bilbo goes to pamper his pony, who he had affectionately named "Myrtle". After he heard a shriek from a long distance, Fíli and Kíli take this opportunity to scare him before Thorin puts an end to it. Balin comes to the three boys and explains to them Thorin's hatred of Orcs. This possibly causes Bilbo to see Thorin more than a stern prince, but one who is a benevolent leader and meant to be King. When he asks whatever happened to the Pale Orc, Thorin states Azog died of his wounds a long time ago, but Thorin couldn't be ever more wrong.

Sometime later, the Company moves on. Bilbo and his companions were covered by rain. After Gandalf telling Dori to find another wizard to change the weather of the world, Bilbo inquires of the other four. One he takes particular interest in was Radagast, and asked Gandalf if Radagast is a great wizard or more like the grey wizard himself.

Later that day, Gandalf and Oakenshield have a massive argument leaving the dwarves and Bilbo to fend for themselves. Bilbo is later sent by Bofur to give Fíli and Kíli their portion of dinner. However, the boys had misplaced three of their sixteen ponies. They send Bilbo to try to free the poor creatures while they leave him behind and go to retrieve the company. Mr. Baggins doesn't make it in time to avoid the Trolls. Before they torture the poor hobbit, Kíli and the others rescue Bilbo. During the skirmish, Bilbo goes to release the ponies, before he and the other dwarves are captured by the trolls, who are ready to eat them. However, Mr. Baggins manages to keep them at bay until dawn, which Gandalf splits the boulder in half.

Later, Gandalf emerges from the Troll's cave and presents Bilbo with a sword, which would later glow blue when either Orcs or Goblins came closer. As Mr. Baggins unsheathed his sword, Radagast appeared and talked to Gandalf. There is the sound of a wolf, Bilbo thought, until Bofur says that it was not a wolf, but a pack of Wargs. They attempt to finish off the group, however, the dwarves subdue their attackers and are quick to realize they are being followed. With assistance from Radagast, Bilbo and his companions makes their escape. However, they are soon chased by the Wargs and Orcs, before they go through a hidden entrance. Before he takes another step, Bilbo stops to tell Gandalf that he feels a magical presence, to which the wizard responds to it being a "very powerful magic". They eventually emerge out of the cave and into Rivendell. Everyone decides that Gandalf should do all the talking.

When Bilbo first sees Rivendell, Bilbo immediately falls in love with the city, as well as the Elves who live there. Just at that moment, when Elrond appears, Bofur safely pulls Bilbo to the center of the circle. During their feast, Bilbo overhears the Lord of Rivendell talk of Thorin's and Gandalf's weapons. However, Balin advises against it, as it is not a proper weapon. He is present at the meeting in Rivendell, along with his companions Thorin, Balin and Gandalf and Lord Elrond himself. Bilbo is amazed at the moon runes and inquires of Durin's Day and what they will have time for.

Over the next couple of days, the company stayed in Rivendell, with Bilbo admiring its beauty. Elrond approached Bilbo and allowed him to stay in Rivendell, if that was what he wished. On the night before the Company leaves for the Misty Mountains, Bilbo continues to adventure in Rivendell, but overhears a conversation between Elrond and Gandalf, with Thorin present behind Bilbo's back. They depart for the mountains afterwards, where they are caught up in a stone-giant battle scene. Bilbo nearly fell off the cliff twice before Bofur and Dwalin pushed him back. When the mountains collide together, while his companions remain unharmed, Bilbo hangs on for dear life before Thorin saves him. Because Bilbo almost put both him and Thorin at risk, the dwarf king denounces Bilbo before the rest of the company. Thorin's claims take too much of a hold over Bilbo, and he makes for home. However, Bofur stopped him from leaving, but Bilbo refused. After seeing that they do not belong anywhere, Bofur lets him leave. However, they all fall into Goblin-town. After being able to evade capture, Mr. Baggins goes to save his companions, who are slowly becoming more like friends. However, he falls down a whole after colliding with a dead goblin. After seeing a creature named Gollum drop the Ring, Bilbo takes it for himself and confronts the Former Hobbit into a game of riddles. Before Gollum attacks him, Bilbo makes a run for it and even escapes him while knocking out the villainous Gollum to the ground.

Bilbo returns to his friends, apparently never abandoning them in a worse time of need. Their reunion is short-lived as Azog's hunting party attacks them. On the final stand, Thorin charges at Azog and is nearly killed by his would-be executioner before Bilbo jumps from the burning tree and kills Thorin's almost-killer while defending the dwarf king's broken body. Just before the orcs attack them, the eagles arrive and saves the company from Azog's men. Seeing the Hobbit in a new light, Thorin literally embraces Bilbo as a friend and apologizes for his previous ill-treatment of the Hobbit. The group looks into the horizon and spots the lonely mountain, all unaware of what the future has in hold for them.

#### *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug*

Bilbo is first mentioned in the beginning of *The Desolation of Smaug*, where Gandalf tells Thorin they're going to need a burglar to retrieve the Arkenstone for Thorin.

He first physically appears one year later in The Desolation of Smaug where he is sent by Thorin Oakenshield and their company to spy on Azog. While not being spotted, he sees Beorn standing there, watching the Wargs and the Orcs as well. Bilbo goes to warn the dwarves of their enemies' recent movement, but every time he does, he is either interrupted by a dwarf or a wizard. When Bilbo tells Thorin and the others that there is something else out there, which Gandalf guesses is in the form of a bear, shocking both Bilbo and the other dwarves.The company is forced to take refuge with a man named Beorn, who was the bear Bilbo saw a few seconds ago. Gandalf tells them that this man will either help them or destroy them. The team reluctantly agrees, but they are tracked down by Azog and chased to Beorn's house.

During the night, Bilbo takes out the Ring, swearing he could hear it whisper while inspecting it. The next morning, Bilbo and his friends meet Beorn, but one by one, starting with him and Gandalf while slowly introducing their companions. Learning of their ordeals, Beorn decides to aid Bilbo and his friends by giving them ponies. However, when the company reaches Mirkwood, Bilbo is shocked to learn that Gandalf is leaving them yet again, but the wizard reveals he has no choice. Before Gandalf departs, he senses that Bilbo has indeed changed and that he is not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire. Mr Baggins attempts to tell his friend about the Ring he found while he was separated from the company in the Goblin tunnels. However, he decides against it and claims that he found his courage, which appears to satisfy Gandalf, who secretly knows Bilbo has the Ring with him. He leaves the company at the gates of Mirkwood and warns them not to touch the water and not to stray clear of the path, stay on it at all times.

After days of travelling, the woods' dangerous spell begins to slowly take effect on Bilbo and his companions. During one of their obstacles, they find they cannot cross the enchanted river.

#### *The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies*

Bilbo makes his last appearance in *The Battle of Five Armies*.

Along with his nine companions, Bilbo watches the destruction of Lake-town from afar, but also worries about Thorin more. He sees the dragon fall dead and announces it to the others, who rejoice. However, Thorin is not impressed and walks towards the Lonely Mountain. Like Thorin did before when Thrór was under dragon sickness, Bilbo watched from the shadows as Thorin fell into the dragon sickness, affecting all those around him. He once confronted Thorin one night to convince him to do something other than hunt the treasury room all day, but Thorin doesn't listen to Bilbo.

When the four dwarf companions who stayed in Lake-town were found, Bilbo quickly ran up to the four who were coming. When one of them see him alive, Bilbo warns that all of them need to leave. When Bofur reasons that they had just got there, Bilbo tells them how Thorin has been misbehaving, spending his days in the treasure room and not bothering to get a nibble or a wink of sleep. Kíli asks what kind of sickness has possessed his uncle while his brother, Fili runs past them to the treasure room with Bilbo, Bofur, Óin and Kíli following Fili down to the treasure room. While the dwarves look at it in awe, Bilbo feels nothing but contempt and disgust for the gold and scared for what Thorin has become.

Bilbo later sits alone in a secluded area, where it is revealed in a flashback that Bilbo stole the Arkenstone shortly after he disappeared when putting the Ring on. After seeing what danger Thorin has been in, Bilbo pulls the Arkenstone out of his pocket, contemplating on what to do with it. The gold sickness gets worse. Thorin begins sulking in the Throne room hour after hour, waiting for the Stone's return. Little does he know Bilbo still is in possession of the Arkenstone. Bilbo grows even more concerned after the fact that Thorin will kill whomever withholds the king's jewel from him. He later comes across a crying Balin, who voices his concerns. Bilbo asks if finding the Stone will help Thorin, Balin points out that finding the Arkenstone will only make Thorin worse and that it's best if it remains lost, and sending signals he knows Bilbo has the stone. Because Thorin is unaware of the Orcs that are going to attack from the north, and Thranduil refuses to dispatch the forces to Ravenhill, Bilbo instead volunteers to go there and warn him, but Gandalf will not allow Bilbo to complete it. Despite everything they have been through, Bilbo still cares for his friends and tells him he doesn't care if the wizard allows it or not. Bilbo then takes the ring and runs to Ravenhill.

Bilbo tries to warn Thorin of the oncoming orcs led by Bolg, but is too late. Azog kills Fili in front of him, Thorin, Dwalin and Kíli. He stays behind where he is attacked by Bolg and his mercenaries, as well as several bats. Before more are able to kill him, Dwalin comes to Bilbo's rescue. As he fights off the other Orcs, Bolg hits Bilbo with the handle of his mace, and he passes out. Sometime after the Battle in Ravenhill ends, Bilbo wakes up to find the Eagles are flying over him and that the battle is won. Overlooking the valley, he sees Azog has been killed, but Thorin has been mortally wounded. Bilbo goes by his side, where Thorin spends his last moments with Bilbo, apologizing to the Hobbit of his rude behavior towards him. Despite the Hobbit's efforts to keep Thorin alive, the dwarf king succumbs to his wounds.

Bilbo also comes to their funeral to pay his respects for his fallen friends. When he comes across Thorin's body, he breaks down crying. Bilbo is also one of the others who show their respect to the new King under the Mountain.

Later, Bilbo returns home to see the Sackville-Bagginses selling his stuff, but Bilbo is able to prove he's himself by the contract. When Bag End is cleared out, Bilbo finds his parents' portraits thrown on the ground and picks them up, putting them back up where they belong. He pulls out the ring one last time. Flash-forward sixty years later, Bilbo now an old man reminiscent of his journey when a knock is at the door. Though Bilbo tells the stranger to go away, he immediately perks up when it is actually Gandalf and goes out to greet him, thus ending the *Hobbit* trilogy and beginning of the *Lord of the Rings*.