Hobbits are obviously remarkable beings. In the Lord of the Rings mythos, they are the creatures who manage to most resist the allure of the ring of power, from Gollum withstanding its evil effects for nearly 500 years, to Frodo carrying all the way to Mount Doom to destroy it. With this strength, they are uniquely qualified to save the fate of Middle Earth. As Gandalf says, “You can learn all there is to know about hobbits in a month, and yet in a year, they can still surprise you.” In this vain, there is more to these remarkable creatures than just their resistance and their resilience.

Many fans believe that hobbits are actually the strongest and mightiest of all the warriors in Middle Earth, greater than the bravest among men wielding swords and illustrious battle tactics, greater than the elves and their incredible skills with archery, greater even than the maiar, the wizards will all of their magic, and the dark lord himself. And if Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin are any example to go by, this seems almost irrefutably true.

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First comes Bilbo Baggins, who manages to carry the ring on his person, even daring to slip it on and off his finger from time to time over the course of over 60 years. He didn't so much as glean a single grey hair; meanwhile, the ring has turned other mortals into corrupted and twisted wraiths for centuries. In some ways, Bilbo does become a little more grouchy and a little less tolerant, but he was always a very particular and stiff-upper-lip kind of character, long before he got the ring. Unlike those who came before him, such as Gollum (who admittedly had the ring for far longer), Bilbo seems remarkably unaffected by its power. The same can be said of young Frodo whilst he remains in The Shire. For 17 long years the ring is his property, before he sets out on his journey to Rivendell. But not only is Frodo able to resist the allure of the ring all the way through his stab wound at weather top, his many battles with creatures such as Shelob, and his ever-closer proximity to the dark lord himself, he still manages to remain kind and caring towards Gollum, despite the very real threat that he presents.

The four hobbits

Next comes Samwise Gamgee, who seems to have no limit to his incredible abilities. His amazing survival skills literally get him and Frodo safely all the way to Mordor and back, keeping them both alive in many very dangerous situations. What's more, he also displays wider, more impressive battle prowess. Sam manages to wrestle Gollum, defeat a giant spider demon, pass through an unbreakable barrier of Silent Watchers to gain access to a tower full of orcs, fight and beat said orcs, wear the one ring without even so much as batting an eyelid when he has to return it to Frodo, and carry his dear friend up a literal mountain despite not having had proper food or water for days. This is one hobbit who is absolutely super-human, and shows that hobbits are more formidable than most of the men, dwarves and elves in their world.

Merry and Pippin, too, have their moments of unbelievable strength and valiance. They are able to take down massive orcs four times their size by simply throwing stones. They rally an entire race of beings who have lain dormant, tending their trees, for centuries, and urge them into battle. Finally, they are able to resist the cruelty and questioning of the evil lord himself in the Palantir, saving Faramir from being burned alive on his unstable father’s pyre, and taking down the Witch-king with a stab from a Barrow-blade. Time and time again, these hobbits complete tasks and overcome challenges that would have felled even their most mighty friends.

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So what makes them such amazing warriors? The answer is simple: they have good hearts. Power in Middle Earth seems to correlate directly to how strong one's will is — this is why Sauron is so heinous, because his will is strong enough to corrupt even the most steadfast of beings. But hobbits, too, have amazing strengths when it comes to willpower, the desire live in a world where peace prevails, where food is plenty, and where one can wander freely in the woodland without fear. Their simple life, their kindness, and their love of the world they live in are what give them their fire. There is not a lot that they wouldn’t or couldn’t do in order to protect what they hold dear. They, above most of the other characters, have something worth fighting for, and that is where their true strength lies.

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