Why Samwise Is One Of The Best Characters In ‘The Lord Of The Rings’
Image Source: IMDB
The Lord of the Rings franchise is full of characters that we love, hate, and love to hate. While most of the characters within the franchise can easily fall into all three of these lists, there is one character that I cannot believe gets so much hate, Samwise Gamgee. Not only is he one of the only reasons that the One Ring was destroyed in Mount Doom, but he is also one of the best characters in the entire franchise, and these are my reasons why. Warning this list will contain spoilers for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
5. He Had No Regard For His Own Safety
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Sam was one of the most selfless characters in the entire franchise. When he saw Frodo leaving, he ran through the Orc-infested woods and dove into a lake after him even though he couldn’t swim. Another great example is when Faramir insists on taking the Hobbits and the One Ring to Gondor, and Sam confronts him not only about the dangers that this will create but also tells him the truth about how and why Boromir died. Sam was willing to sacrifice himself so many times just to ensure that Frodo would survive and make it to the end of their journey.
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4. He Kept Frodo Alive Countless Times
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The reality is Frodo only made it to Mount Doom because of Sam. He saved Frodo from Shelob even after Frodo tried to abandon him, he tackled Frodo right in front of a Ringwraith whom Frodo was trying to give the ring, and he literally followed Frodo into Mount Doom to make sure that he got rid of the ring and that Gollum didn’t push him into the fire. Sam would have happily sacrificed his life if it meant that Frodo was safe and could carry on, resulting in countless examples of him saving Frodo from certain death.
3. He Always Knew How to Lighten the Mood
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One of the most unique things about Sam is that he always knew how to lighten the mood. What was especially unique about this was that he typically wasn’t doing it on purpose; it's just who he is. This was important because as their journey went on and the One Ring got a better hold on Frodo, it was Sam who kept bringing him back. Whether he was talking about the importance of salt, singing about Gandalf’s fireworks after his death, or literally keeping Frodo alive at the end of their journey by talking to him about strawberries and cream, Sam always knew what needed to be said. This is one of the reasons that this trilogy is such a comfort to watch because no matter how bad things get, you always have Sam reminding you to think about the little things.
2. He Never Trusted Gollum
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I will be the first to say that Gollum is one of my favorite characters, especially when Smeagol pushes Gollum out, and he is just a sweet little character. Unfortunately, he wanted nothing more than to kill both Hobbits, and if Sam had been as naive as Frodo, he would have succeeded and taken back the One Ring. I’m not saying that Sam’s treatment of Gollum was okay, but the fact that he never fully trusted him is just another example of how strong of a character he is within the trilogy.
1. He Never Forgets His Promise
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In the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, Sam explains to Frodo that he promised Gandalf that he wouldn’t lose Frodo. This is brought up repeatedly throughout the trilogy and typically surprises the other characters because they cannot understand why Sam thinks that promise is essential. One of the best examples of this is the second film, The Two Towers, when Aragorn is talking to Gandalf in Fangorn Forest, and Gandalf tells him that this is a journey Frodo must make on his own. You can see the surprise and pride on his face when Aragorn reveals that he isn’t alone because Sam went after him. Everything in the films happens because Sam never forgot his promise not to lose Frodo.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to stream on Max.
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