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Published Jul 15, 2026, 6:00 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 a story about strength and power, but reimagines the characteristics that many other classic fantasy stories have used to illustrate them. Showing strength in many forms is one of the main factors that has made The Lord of the Rings into one of the greatest fantasy masterpieces of the last century, and Peter Jackson's movie trilogy remains faithful to this idea. When considering the best heroes in high fantasy, most are physically powerful. However, a character's emotional and mental strength, whether it is obvious or understated, is something the epic fantasy never ignores.
The best scenes in The Lord of the Rings balance physical strength with small moments of vulnerability. For every visually stunning battle of Helm's Deep, there is an emotionally powerful scene, like when Galadriel tells Frodo, "even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Aragorn and Gandalf are among the greatest fantasy heroes of all time, but The Lord of the Rings also recognizes that Samwise Gamgee's strength is the heart of the story, and, in a world threatened by war, the world needs the eternal optimism of Merry and Pippin, and Frodo's willingness to sacrifice everything.
Through Aragorn and Denethor, The Lord of the Rings perfectly shows how the best leaders are not always the people who seek power, and the choice to walk away from a commanding position is a test that many fail even if, like Boromir, they redeem themselves soon afterward. The story tests many characters through the allure of The One Ring and the Palantir, but one Hobbit's test secretly reveals him to be the most powerful character in the entire franchise.
Why Samwise Gamgee Is Secretly The Lord Of The Rings' Strongest Character
Samwise Gamgee's role in the story has made him a fan favorite, and his inner strength and courage are clearly shown to be the heart of the story, with Sam's best line representing the Lord of the Rings franchise, and the entire fantasy genre. That said, he is still underestimated, with his power being more literal than every other character in the story. Sam is one of several Lord of the Rings characters who refused the One Ring when he had the opportunity to take it, but his test was far more grueling than any other.
When Frodo offered Gandalf the One Ring, he dared not take it, even from within the comfort of Bag End. When Galadriel refused it, she was protected by her people and her own Ring of Power. While Aragorn and Faramir demonstrated immense willpower by refusing it later on, with the book version of Faramir being even more heroic, none of their tests came close to Sam's. Sam, after spending months in close proximity to the One Ring, entered Mordor with it, and while starved and exhausted, still willingly handed it back to Frodo, within walking distance of Mount Doom.
None of the other Lord of the Rings characters were tested as close to Mount Doom as Sam was, and his power does not stop here. The story establishes that Sam is physically strong, but his strength waned the closer he got to Mordor. Still, he physically carries Frodo to Mount Doom, and then pulls his entire weight back from the precipice. When taking into account the way Mordor's power weakens Arwen from miles away and, as Boromir establishes, "the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume," Sam's power is not just metaphorical, it is literal.
The Lord Of The Rings Celebrates Different Kinds Of Heroism, And Samwise Proves It
The Lord of the Rings has many overlooked heroes, but while his power has been underestimated compared to the characters who have experience fighting in battles, using magic, or both, Samwise Gamgee is not one of them, as far as the viewer is concerned. Despite Sam being overlooked by many of the other characters, including near the end when Mordor falls and the other characters are seen screaming Frodo's name, the character was always intended to be seen and valued by the viewer.
|
Title |
Year |
Rotten Tomatoes critics score |
Rotten Tomatoes audience score |
|
The Fellowship of the Ring |
2001 |
91% |
95% |
|
The Two Towers |
2002 |
95% |
95% |
|
The Return of the King |
2003 |
94% |
86% |
Aragorn has been praised for the fact that he never asks for glory, and many characters, including Theoden, Eowyn, and Boromir, were willing to die to protect the rest of the world. Sam also fits this description, and the books and movies give viewers the ability to both acknowledge him as the greatest hero in The Lord of the Rings, and see the power that goes unnoticed by the other characters.
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) ·