Middle Earth itself has been described as the “ring” that Morgoth poured his own power into. Since a river is an extension of Middle Earth, it means Morgoth really was the true Lord of the Rings.
Old Man River. Old Man Hydra?
Sam also had the ring for a short time (longer than Déagol)
Don’t think he counts because the Ring had no power over him. So while he did have it briefly, he wasn’t a “Ring bearer” any more than the river.
Did he ever actually have the ring? I know he tried to take it from Frodo, but i don’t think he succeeded. Unless i’m getting confused since i have watched the movies more recently than i have read the books…
Edit: totally forgot about outside moria. apparently i need to do a re-read AND a re-watch lol.
1850 years with the ring and accomplished nothing? What did he expect to be different? The ring didn’t work. Try something new.
He conquered the kings of men, and turned the dwarf lords to greed and wrath. He built Barad-dur and obliterated Numenor. He caused the separation of Valinor from the rest of Arda. He killed Gil-Galad and Elendil, and triggered the Elves leaving Arda forever.
If not for the hobbits, Sauron would have been unstoppable.
The elves and humans were significantly more powerful for most of the second age. The third age was an era of general decline.
Frodo had the ring for 17 years? And he and Sam didn’t age at all during that?
If your only source is the movies, one of the annoying gripes about them is they have this deceptive editing that makes it seem like Frodo left the Shire within a relatively short timespan after the birthday party.
Frodo got the ring on the 22nd of September of 3001. He leaves Bag End on the 23rd of September…of 3018.
Someone should edit the movie to have a transparency of a calendar having its pages blown in the wind until it lands on 3018.
Yes, I have always from the first time I saw the movies thought that’s what they needed. A five second clip of that and nothing else about the movie has to change!
Interesting, though that still doesn’t explain the aging part though. I get that Hobbits age slower than humans but if their life expectancy is only 100 years, the difference should be noticeable right?
Sam aged, Frodo did not. I recall several mentions throughout the books that Frodo was considered unusually young-looking for a 50-year old hobbit, just as Bilbo himself was very young-looking for 111. Owning the ring seems to basically just pause your aging, even if you’re not using it.
Sam was also twelve years younger than Frodo, but since Frodo stopped aging for 17 years, he wound up effectively older, physically speaking.
