If you’re anything like me, your love for the Lord of the Rings is built upon Aragorn’s beautiful face, Legolas’ flawless hair and Eowyn’s sweet one liner in Return of the King. However, as dedicated as I am to the franchise, whenever I watch the movies, I now tend to skip around. The scenes I skip most frequently are the ones involving Frodo’s story. Don’t get me wrong, I love Elijah Wood (he was iconic in Spy Kids 3), but Frodo Baggins is a curse upon Middle Earth.
Fact: Frodo Baggins is the worst member of the Fellowship.
Gandalf had too much faith in Frodo because his uncle, Bilbo, was the OG Adventure Hobbit. Honestly, Bilbo was a stick in the mud too. He tried to go back to his house before his adventure with Thorin’s company even began because he forgot a pocket handkerchief. Get the heck out of here. But I digress.
Throughout the entire trilogy, Frodo has one job; do not, under any circumstance, put the Ring on. Yet, what does he do multiple times during his six month journey? He puts the Ring on four times (Bree, Weathertop, Amon Hen and Mount Doom) and has numerous close calls (The Old Forest, Osgiliath and The Dead Marshes). Frodo Baggins, have you no self control? Do you feel no shame? Do you not care about the safety of your companions? You absolute fool.
Not only does Frodo ignore Gandalf’s instructions, but he also tries to pawn off his responsibility multiple times. He immediately tries to get Gandalf to take the Ring when they figure out it is in fact the One Ring. In Moria, he says to Gandalf, “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.” After escaping Moria, they reach Lothlorien, and he tries to give the Ring to Galadriel who, thank the higher powers, denies it. Finally, Frodo tries to give it to Aragorn at Amon Hen before he leaves the Fellowship. Commit or get bit, Frodo.
Without supervision, Frodo makes terrible decisions that end with him almost dying 16 times (not including the 12 times he almost died before and during his time with the Fellowship, all while unsupervised). Not only does he pick the worst possible guide, who tries to kill him at least three times, but he also literally runs straight into situations without thinking. Frodo’s fight or flight instincts are terrible because he tries to run right into the front gates of Mordor, the front gates of Minas Morgul, the tunnels of Shelob’s lair and the terrifying cliff inside Mount Doom.
Despite all of his awful qualities, he has an even worse one: he is a terrible friend. First of all, why does he still have Sam do his gardening? Do your own yard work, Frodo. You’re an adult. Secondly, during their solo journey, Frodo is never seen cooking or helping Sam carry the things they both use, such as dishware. Third, Frodo snaps at Sam multiple times when he is clearly just trying to be helpful and understanding. Fourth, he decides to trust a creature he just met and who tries to kill him on three separate occasions (Emyn Muil, Shelob’s Lair, Crack of Doom). This misplaced trust eventually leads to Frodo abandoning Sam on the stairs above Minas Morgul and continuing on to yet another near-death situation like the fool he is. If it weren’t for Sam, Frodo would have died in the forest on the border of the Shire in the first movie.
Frodo may have been the one to volunteer to bear the Ring, but he was an irresponsible and selfish character who lacked the mental and physical strength of such a burden. He is undoubtedly the worst member of the Fellowship, but do you know who deserves near the same amount of hate and shame? Gandalf. But that’s an entirely different story.
Jada Sonnenberg is a sophomore studying marketing at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Let Jada know by tweeting her at @jadachanelle.
