Summary

• Tom Bombadil, often overlooked, is an immensely powerful figure in The Lord of the Rings with an enigmatic domain of staggering power.
• Bombadil is more connected to Middle-earth than Gandalf, Saruman, and the other powerful beings, and his deep connection to the world gives him immense strength.
• Despite his power, Bombadil's indifference to the Ring's threat renders his considerable abilities moot, forcing the Council to turn to Frodo to destroy it.

When it comes to powerful beings in The Lord of the Rings, characters such as Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel and Sauron are discussed at great length. Gandalf the Grey, who is actually an immortal spirit of the Maiar, certainly makes a case for his power, having orchestrated the journey to destroy the One Ring and coming back from the dead in order to ensure its completion. Galadriel is the last of the ancient Ñoldor, one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth (they crafted the palantíri). Having been born in Valinor, Galadriel has the blood of all three Elf Kindreds in her veins as well as safely keeping one of the Three Elven Rings for many centuries. Saruman and Sauron wielded incredible ancient and determined power to create the Uruk-hai and dominate Middle-earth, respectively.

But all those incredible beings end up paling in comparison to a character often overlooked from The Lord of the Rings books and left out of the movies entirely: Tom Bombadil. He is an immensely powerful figure and more connected to Middle-earth than any of the above. Described in the books as "the oldest in existence" and "Master of wood, water and hill" by his river-spirit wife, Goldberry, Bombadil's ancient ways and deep connection to the world around him give him an enigmatic domain of staggering power. And of course, like many such beings in traditional mythology, that power leaves him detached from the comings and goings of the world to which he belongs.

Updated on February 1, 2024, by Robert Vaux: With The Rings of Power adding to Peter Jackson's movie universe, there is a chance to include Tom Bombadil in a more organic way than Jackson felt was appropriate for his films. The article has been expanded to discuss the symbolic significance of Bombadil helping the Hobbits early in the story. The formatting has been updated to match current CBR guidelines.

What Are Tom Bombadil's Powers?

Much like Bendu in Star Wars Rebels, Tom Bombadil is an embodiment of quiet, all-encompassing strength in tune with the world around him. The most powerful beings are often the quietest, knowing they have nothing to prove. Again, like Bendu, Bombadil was enigmatically keyed into the elements and ancient magics around him. He often acts in whimsical ways, giving off an air of not caring when, in fact, he is less concerned about mortal problems and more focused on the big picture. Bombadil was even more ancient than the Valar and could defeat foes with hardly an effort. It is often thought that his mysterious origin may tie back to the Ainur, the angelic creatures who had a hand in creating Middle-earth itself. Using softer, gentler sources such as music and the surrounding forest, Bombadil could perform great magic to seemingly control the world, reality and nature around him.

In what is possibly his most extraordinary talent, though, Bombadil seems to be fully immune to the allure of the One Ring. While any other being that comes close to the Ring -- let alone holds it -- feels its draw and immediately becomes malleable to its insidious will, Bombadil simply does not seem to be affected by its magic. In The Lord of the Rings books, when he and Frodo meet, he can still see Frodo clearly even when the hobbit wears the One Ring, which renders him invisible to all else. Bombadil even goes so far as to play around with the Ring jovially, tossing it in the air and using his own magic to make it appear to vanish before having it reappear in his other hand. For all his seemingly unbothered attitude, though, he does seem to understand the evil of the Ring, warning Frodo not to use it any longer.

How Does Tom Bombadil Use His Powers in The Lord of the Rings?

Tom Bombadil plays a considerable role in Frodo's early adventures: rescuing the Hobbits from multiple dangers that would otherwise have brought the quest of the Ring to a swift and tragic end. He first comes to their aid when Pippin and Merry have been captured by Old Man Willow: readily coaxing the awakened tree to release them. A version of the incident appears in the extended edition of Peter Jackson's 2002 adaptation of The Two Towers, with Treebeard standing in for Tom Bombadil.

A short time later, he comes to their aid yet again when they are captured by Barrow-wights. The sinister beings are no match for him, as he scatters their number and rescues the Hobbits from the tombs where they have been imprisoned. He then gives each of the Hobbits a small sword from within the tombs, and scatters the rest of the wights' treasure so that they cannot return. The swords were forged by the ancient kingdom of Arthedain for their war against the Witch-king of Angmar, and play a big role later in Return of the King when Merry helps Eowyn slay the Witch-king with his sword. Tom Bombadil's rescue in Fellowship -- and his gift of the blades -- sets all of that up. (In the movie version of Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn provides the swords, with little explanation as to how he got them.)

In both cases, Tom Bombadil fulfills the classic mythic trope of a more powerful character who helps the heroes out in the early stages of their adventures. Such figures invariably depart so that the heroes can face the danger on their own. In this case, Tom Bombadil fulfills the same basic role as Gandalf does later on. The Hobbits are still very inexperienced and know very little about the world outside the Shire. Against figures like Old Man Willow and the Barrow-wights, they're all but helpless, requiring Tom Bombadil's help. That seemingly all-powerful figure gives way to Gandalf, who is still powerful but not nearly to the same extent. Gandalf gives way to Aragorn after his fight with the Balrog: a strong warrior and loyal protector, but still only human. With each step, the Hobbits become more self-sufficient, until Frodo and Sam are spiritually ready to continue the quest on their own at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. That process begins with Tom Bombadil, whose effortless defeat of two extremely dangerous entities speaks to the extent of his power.

Why Tom Bombadil Is Dismissed in The Lord of the Rings

Despite his power, however, even the characters in Middle-earth are quick to write him off based on his personality. When the idea of giving him the One Ring is raised to the Council of Elrond, Gandalf dismisses it. The Wizard worries that Bombadil might not find the Ring important enough and would be likely to lose it. That, too, fits traditional mythic tropes, in which all-powerful figures either exist entirely apart from the hero's world, or are sufficiently distracted or indifferent to intervene. Tom Bombadil simply may not understand the extent of Sauron's threat, having seen so many similar threats come and go over his extensive lifetime. That does the Council no good with the Elves leaving and the remaining peoples of Middle-earth under imminent threat of death or enslavement. Bombadil's indifference to the threat renders his considerable powers moot, forcing the Council to turn to Frodo to destroy the Ring.

Despite his prominence in the story, Bombadil is often omitted from adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and didn't even receive a mention in Peter Jackson's trilogy. While sad, his interactions with the ring-bearing Hobbits are rather perfunctory, having no real bearing on the story at large. Although he expands the world-building, Tom Bombadil doesn't expand the plot. Despite being such a powerful and important character, he doesn't have any effect on the Hobbits' journey. Therefore, he was an easy omission when trying to fit thousands of pages of text into three already-long movies. And as Jackson wryly notes in the director's commentary for The Fellowship of the Ring DVD, there's nothing to say that Tom Bombadil wasn't a part of their adventures. It simply wasn't shown on film: a wise choice considering the extent of Bombadil's abilities and his comparatively small presence in the story.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is currently streaming on Max.