Ah yes, the Lord of the Rings movies. Quite a work of art if I do say so myself!

Following a whimsical and dangerous adventure of four hobbits, one wizard, a dwarf, an elf, and a human male, the films set out a story of an unlikely squad destroying a piece of finger jewelry. Creating corruption in people for centuries, the gold band must be demolished in order for peace and happiness to prosper in their mythical world.

Let me start off this article by saying that yes, I do indeed recognize that the Lord of the Rings trilogy ended almost 20 years ago. But binge watching the films over this past weekend, forced a new perspective on the so-called “heroes”  of the novel to movie adaptation. 

Frodo this, Frodo that. Who actually cares about Bilbo Baggins’ nephew? Not me. Well, that isn’t entirely true. I don’t hate Frodo, I just don’t think he should get as much credit as he does. If Samwise Gamgee hadn’t stuck by his side throughout his whole quest, do you know how many times that fool would have died? From trusting a 500 year old entity named Gollum (instant red flag) to getting stabbed about 3 times, Frodo was an absolute mess.

In addition to Mr. Gamgee’s consistent saving, if it weren’t for him, Frodo would have kept the ring for his greedy self, reigning even more terror on the mythical world. I understand that this is a “side-effect” of holding the ring for too long, but I honestly do not really care. Sam could have done it no problem. 

Furthermore, characters like Aragorn and Legolas, were also way too heavily praised. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and what they stand for and all that, but Samwise had a constant moral and ethical path throughout the entirety of the group’s adventure. He remained kind, caring, and helpful no matter what happened. Never once did he make an ill-advised decision. By the way, Sean Astin? What a king! I mean The Goonies, Stranger Things, Lord of the Rings, how this man has not gotten every award ever is mindblowing to me.

In conclusion, Samwise Gamgee IS the actual hero of the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the following reasons: he has a consistent moral path, he saves Frodo about a thousand times, and he ultimately completes the adventure that they set out to do. Without Sam, there would be no Lord of the Rings trilogy, I rest my case.