Published Jun 3, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT
Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones.
You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep."
Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant.
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The Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest fantasy movie masterpieces of the last 100 years, and J.R.R. Tolkien's sprawling fantasy world is still providing inspiration for other writers and filmmakers today. While The Hobbit was not as successful as The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson's multi-award-winning trilogy has aged almost perfectly. This has provided the creative basis for more Lord of the Rings spinoffs, like The Rings of Power, and at the center of each of these stories lies the One Ring.
Most of the Lord of the Rings characters are heroes, but this does not mean they are infallible. One of the story's strongest points is the way the lure of the One Ring shows their strengths and weaknesses. Bilbo Baggins was the only person to have ever given the ring up, and Frodo's mission to destroy it affected him permanently, but while the two have a unique place in Middle Earth lore, other characters share one trait that sets them apart. That is having the opportunity to take The One Ring, understanding its potential, and yet still refusing it.
8 Gandalf
The Lord of the Rings movies were largely faithful to the source material in spirit, despite having to cut a large amount of history and lore out. That said, one pivotal scene in The Fellowship of the Ring reads almost exactly as it does in the book, and that is the point in which Gandalf refuses the ring. After Gandalf's test reveals that this is the One Ring, the panicked Frodo begs him to take it, but Gandalf recoils, refusing to even touch it.
In the book, Gandalf touches it briefly to throw it in the fire, but this is before he was offered it. Gandalf has some of the wisest moments in The Lord of the Rings, and this scene reveals his self-knowledge. He tells Frodo, "I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe," understanding that he would have good intentions, but the One Ring would use him for tyranny.
7 Tom Bombadil
Tom Bombadil is arguably the most controversial character in Middle Earth. Fans of the source material were split over whether he should have had a place in the movies, with some arguing that his scenes did not fit into the tone of the trilogy, while others felt that he is an iconic character and a symbol of hope. Tom Bombadil is the only character in The Lord of the Rings to resist the ring without trouble. This has been attributed to his desire for a carefree life, but it is not an adequate explanation.
Tom Bombadil is played by Rory Kinnear in The Rings of Power.
With hobbits also being simple and joyful people, The One Ring should have no effect on them, but the movies and books clearly show that it does. On the other hand, Tom Bombadil defies classification, being seemingly immortal, referred to as "Eldest," and able to manipulate the ring himself, as well as the Ring-bearer. When he asks Frodo to look at it, Frodo hands it over without hesitation, and Tom gives it back just as easily. As he appears in The Rings of Power, it is possible that his nature will be explored further.
6 Elrond
The Elven Lord Elrond was never offered The One Ring outright, but he had several opportunities to take it and still refused. With Frodo lying unconscious in Rivendell for several days, Elrond could have taken the ring for himself at any point. As one of the oldest people in Middle Earth, the character's backstory is not given much exploration in the trilogy, with movie Elrond occasionally coming across as unlikable, but this fact is a quiet testament to his power and self-control.
Sam and Frodo's assumption that the ring would be safe in Rivendell and that they were soon going home is one of the most tragic moments of optimism in the trilogy. With Elrond managing Rivendell, even leaving The One Ring in the Elven stronghold would mean that it would also be under his control, so he again refuses to accept it, whether as an individual or a caretaker.
5 Galadriel
The Lord of the Rings trilogy includes some moments that appear straight out of a horror movie, and while Bilbo's sudden lunge for the ring in The Fellowship of the Ring is a rare jump scare, the movie takes an even more drastic change in tone later towards the end. Cate Blanchett's wise and ethereal Lady Galadriel turns scary when Frodo offers her the ring.
Characters who never wanted the power of the One Ring, like Frodo and Sam, appear able to resist its effects for some time, but one surprising character would likely have fallen under its influence extremely quickly. In the pivotal scene in Lorthlorien, Galadriel admits that "my heart has greatly desired this," suddenly turning dark and disturbing. She passes the test and refuses the ring, but the scene gives a glimpse at the corrupting power of the ring, even in a famously wise and kindly character.
4 Boromir
Boromir perfectly illustrates the way in which a character with good intentions can be corrupted by the One Ring. Faramir gets more focus as the story is told, but Boromir's tragic backstory and redemption are some of the best feats of storytelling in any work of fantasy. In both the movie and the book, Boromir tries to take the ring from Frodo and immediately regrets it, giving his life for the Fellowship, but the movie includes a surprising scene that reveals the strength of his character.
In The Fellowship of the Ring movie, Boromir is antagonistic from the start, but wants Gondor to use the ring against Sauron for good. Later, when Frodo drops the ring in the snow on Caradhras, Boromir picks it up, clearly mesmerized. When Aragorn commands him to give it back, he does, showing immense willpower, as the ring corrupted other characters, like Gollum, immediately.
3 Aragorn
Credit: New Line Cinema via MovieStillsDBIn the book, when Frodo learns that Aragorn is Isildur's heir during the Council of Elrond, the ring does not yet have total control over him, and he immediately acknowledges that Aragorn is also the rightful heir to the One Ring. Aragorn responds that the ring does not belong to anyone, but that Frodo is its caretaker. As Isildur's heir, he is wise and self-aware enough to refuse the item known as "Isildur's Bane." That said, this scene does not happen in the movie.
After Boromir tries to take the ring by force, Frodo offers it to Aragorn, holding it out to him. Aragorn barely hesitates before folding Frodo's hand back on it, with the offer and refusal being implied rather than stated outright. Aragorn is less tempted by the One Ring than Boromir because he never wanted power for any reason, which then made him the best suited to assume the throne in the end.
2 Faramir
One of the biggest changes between the Lord of the Rings books and movies is the way Faramir is portrayed. Boromir's brother is a much wiser and calmer person in the books, who shows courtesy to Gollum and instantly helps Sam and Frodo, which includes refusing the ring. Understanding the danger it poses, he famously tells them that "I would not take this ring if it lay by the highway," and sends them on their way.
|
Title |
Year |
Rotten Tomatoes critics' rating |
Rotten Tomatoes audience rating |
|
The Fellowship of the Ring |
2001 |
91% |
95% |
|
The Two Towers |
2002 |
95% |
95% |
|
The Return of the King |
2003 |
94% |
86% |
The Lord of the Rings' movie version of Faramir was much more controversial, with Faramir initially being so tempted that he took Sam and Frodo all the way to Osgiliath as prisoners. Still, he allows them to go, turning down the possibility of finally impressing Denethor, who is a much less abusive character in the books. That said, the strained relationship between Denethor and Faramir explains this change in Faramir's character and gives viewers John Noble's outstanding performance as one of the few human villains in the trilogy.
1 Sam
Samwise Gamgee is the last character in The Lord of the Rings to have a chance at taking the One Ring for himself, as he inherited it when Frodo was seemingly killed by Shelob. Unlike most of the other characters who were tempted by the ring, Sam was briefly a Ring-bearer, wearing it to evade the orcs in Mordor and breaking into Cirith Ungol to rescue Frodo.
While The Return of the King did not emphasize the struggle Sam had to return it to Frodo, the books showed Sam having a vision of transforming the surrounding land into a garden for him to tend as a powerful hero. As such a humble character who regularly underestimated himself, Sam was not fooled by the ring. By giving it back to Frodo and carrying him up Mount Doom, he earned his status as one of the greatest heroes in high fantasy, not just in The Lord of the Rings.
Movie(s) The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Created by J.R.R. Tolkien
First Film The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Cast Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt
TV Show(s) The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Character(s) Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
English (US) ·