The Lord of the Rings begins in the Shire, a verdant paradise populated by a delightfully quaint race known as Hobbits, but the story quickly takes a dark turn. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin make their way to Rivendell, where they join forces with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Boromir, and Gandalf to become the Fellowship of the Ring.

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These characters undergo a wide range of trials and tribulations over the course of their journey, but they ultimately succeed in their mission. Sauron's destruction liberates Middle-earth from his tyranny and ushers in a new age of peace and prosperity. Although they will always bear the scars of war on their bodies, their souls are forever free.

10 King Aragorn Dies After Ruling For 123 Years

Aragorn

Aragorn spends the first eight decades of his life leading the Dúnedain of the North, a seemingly ordinary Ranger with a highly volatile secret. The realization that he's the prophesized Heir of Isildur sends shockwaves throughout Middle-earth, terrifying both Denethor and Sauron.

Aragorn inspires his soldiers in the final clash against Mordor, where he is saved at the last minute by the destruction of Barad-dûr. He is promptly crowned as King Elessar Telcontar, becoming the 35th ruler of Gondor. Aragorn leaves the mortal world behind at the ripe old age of 210, leaving his son Eldarion on the throne.

9 Saruman Is Murdered By Wormtongue

Gandalf breaks Saruman's staff in The Lord of the Rings

There was a time when Saruman "was as great as his fame made him," but centuries of dabbling in the arcane arts gradually transformed him into a self-serving despot. In his bid to secure power, Saruman loses everything, including his precious Isengard.

Although the fallen Wizard's fate is completely omitted from the movie narrative, the books describe his tyrannical reign over the Shire. He torments the Hobbit citizenry for a long time, at least until the Scouring forces him to abdicate. Unfortunately for Saruman, Gríma Wormtongue murders his ex-master by slitting his throat.

8 Boromir Sacrifices His Life To Save Frodo

Borormir pierced by three arrows in Fellowship of the Ring

Boromir is the first and only member of the Fellowship to covet the One Ring. He claims that it would "surely defeat the Enemy," and that destroying such a powerful object would put them at a tactical disadvantage. Corrupted by the One Ring, he decides to attack Frodo and seize it for himself, but he soon realizes the error of his ways.

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Boromir doesn't have much time to contemplate his greed, however, as the party is waylaid by a roving band of Uruk-hai. Boromir protects Pippin and Merry from the Orcs, only to be skewered with half a dozen arrows. Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn send his body down the Anduin river, in a funeral boat that eventually reaches Gondor.

7 Éomer Becomes The Ruler Of Rohan

Eomer glanes to the side while standing with the Rohirrim in The Lord of the Rings

Éomer was never meant to take the reins of Rohan, but Theodred's untimely death automatically makes him the first heir in the line of succession. He participates in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he watches his sister Éowyn defeat the overpowered Witch-King of Angmar.

Upon Théoden's passing, Éomer is crowned as King of the Mark. He reaffirms Rohan's allegiance to Gondor, fighting together with King Aragorn on numerous occasions. He continues to serve Rohan in an official capacity for over six decades before his death at the age of 93.

6 Legolas & Gimli Leave Middle-Earth Together

Legolas and Gimli from Lord of the Rings

Legolas and Gimli's friendship, forged during the War of the Ring, stays unbroken for the rest of recorded history. Gimli establishes a new colony in the so-called Glittering Caves, and subsequently helps reconstruct the wartorn cities of Rohan and Gondor.

Legolas, on the other hand, revitalizes the ruined woodlands of the West. Legolas and Gimli make their final exit from Middle-earth at some point following Aragorn's death. According to Tolkien, "a Dwarf should [not] be willing to leave Middle-earth for any love," but the fact remains that Gimli is the first of his kind to be welcomed by the Lords of Valinor.

5 Sauron Is Destroyed And Cast Into The Wind

The Eye of Sauron atop Barad-Dur in Lord of the Rings film

Sauron pours the bulk of his life aura into the One Ring, explaining why he seeks to retrieve it so desperately. Gandalf rightly states that unmaking the enchanted object would destroy Sauron "and his fall will be so low that none can foresee his arising ever again."

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As predicted, the tower of Barad-dûr breaks apart and collapses along with the One Ring, taking the Eye of Sauron with it. The Return of the King describes "a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning-crowned," ultimately dispelled by a powerful gust of wind blowing across Mordor. Sauron remains in Middle-earth, but he can never regain his true powers.

4 Sam Marries Rosie Cotton And Has Several Kids

The Hobbit Samwise Gamgee stands with Rosie Cotton and their family in The Lord of the Rings.

Samwise Gamgee, arguably the bravest character in Lord of the Rings, is rewarded with the life he had always desired. He marries his childhood sweetheart, Rosie Cotton, after returning home to Hobbiton. His thirteen kids include Elanor, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Bilbo Gamgee.

Sam is despondent upon Frodo's departure, but he eventually decides to make the most of his time on Middle-earth. He serves as Mayor of the Shire for nearly fifty years before leaving Middle-earth to reunite with his best friend. The last surviving Ring-bearer, Samwise takes a ship to the Undying Lands at the age of 102.

3 Pippin & Merry Become Leaders Of The Shire

Merry and Pippin celebrating after the fall of Isengard in The Lord of the Rings.

Merry and Pippin marry Estella Bolger and Diamond of Long Cleeve, respectively. Domestic lives seem to suit these formerly rebellious Hobbits, with Pippin becoming the Thain of the Shire and Merry becoming the Master of Buckland.

Around six decades after the War of the Ring, both Hobbits permanently relocate to Gondor, spending their final years in the company of their royal friends. Merry and Pippin predecease Aragorn, who is greatly grieved by their deaths. These two Hobbits are honored by being entombed in a mausoleum dedicated to the King himself.

2 Gollum Dies And Takes The One Ring With Him

frodo and gollum from the lord of the rings trilogy

Both Frodo and Sam spare Gollum's life at different points in the story, acts of mercy without which their mission would have most certainly failed. Gollum knocks Sam unconscious and attempts to seize the One Ring from Frodo, going so far as to gnaw off the Hobbit's finger.

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The miserable creature ecstatically grasps his "preciousss" before slipping and falling into the roiling pits of Mount Doom. Gollum slowly melts into the lava, but he pays no attention to his own demise — his character arc ends where it had begun over five hundred years earlier, with the One Ring in his grubby clutches.

1 Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, Galadriel, & Elrond Leave Middle-Earth Forever

Lord of the Rings – The Grey Havens

The Lord of the Rings concludes with Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf, Frodo, and Bilbo leaving Middle-earth forever. The Elves and the Wizard have been planning their voyage for hundreds of years, but the two Hobbits are offered passage to Valinor due to their association with the One Ring.

Nobody knows their fates after this point, but it can be assumed that they eventually reach their destination. Furthermore, Frodo and Bilbo are likely to receive the psychological care they need in the Undying Lands, perhaps at the hands of someone like Estë, the Vala of Healing and Rest.

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