Favorite Characters: Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)

I love hobbits.  That’s just something that, over the years, I’ve learned about myself as a person.  They all thoroughly charmed me when I first read Tolkien, Bilbo got me through the Hobbit films at their most dragging, and in the original trilogy, I’m all about that splendid Shire quartet.  I love each of them for their own reasons, but my recent rewatch has definitely cemented Sam as my favorite.  Again, I’m mainly talking about the films right now – haven’t had a chance to reread the books yet, though I plan to start remedying that soon (some Sam-related spoilers.)

I didn’t really give him his full due when I first saw the trilogy in the early 2000s.  I loved him, of course, and having read the books, I went into The Return of the King excitedly waiting for That Scene on the side of Mount Doom, but I didn’t appreciate him like I do now, as my runaway favorite character in the whole story and one of the best best-friend characters out there.  Watching it now, though, he positively leaps off the screen – how did I ever miss it?

More working-class than the rest of the main four, Sam is Frodo’s gardener at the start of the trilogy.  After overhearing Gandalf and Frodo discussing the Ring (during which he insists he “ain’t been droppin’ no eaves,”) Sam is recruited by Gandalf to accompany Frodo on what is then supposed to be a relatively short, though still dangerous, trip to Bree.  Naturally, one thing leads to another, and it’s quickly clear that Frodo will need to take the Ring all the way to Mordor to destroy it.  At that point, he has men, elves, and dwarves pledging their service and protection to him, all of whom are, on the surface, far better equipped to aid him than Sam, but Sam refuses to take the “out” that would see him safely back to the Shire.  Partly out of his dedication to keeping his promise to Gandalf, and partly due to his own personal devotion to Frodo, he insists on being allowed to come.  And when the influence of the Ring divides the Fellowship, it’s Sam who continues on alone with Frodo, accompanying him to the very heart of the volcano.

There’s so much to absolutely love about this character.  Fair warning – hobbits tend to bring out my squee tendencies, but I’ll try and be a little more articulate than that.  First and foremost, of course, I love Sam’s unwavering loyalty to Frodo.  Throughout all three films, Frodo’s well-being and safety is Sam’s greatest concern, and Sam does everything in his power to protect him.  At first, that power seems small, and his chiefest contributions are seeing to the cooking, calling for the help of one of their stronger, more capable companions when there’s danger, and watching over Frodo after he’s been injured.  But as the story continues, especially after Frodo and Sam continue on their own, Sam’s well of strength and ability seems to grow ever deeper, and it becomes clear that there’s no terror he won’t face on Frodo’s behalf.  Sam battles a giant spider for Frodo and single-handedly storms a tower of orcs to rescue him.  In smaller ways, he works to keep Frodo’s spirits up and make sure he looks after himself as the Ring starts taking greater hold of him.  He sees how the Ring is weighing on his friend and does whatever he can to try and ease that burden, gutted when he can’t help further.

I love that gradual journey of Sam sort of discovering what he’s capable of through his care of Frodo.  At the Shire, Sam could hardly pluck up the courage to talk to the woman he likes, but by the end, he’s a bonafide hero who’s braved monsters and traveled to the ends of the earth to keep his friend safe.  But through it all, even as he becomes more heroic and badass, he remains the same plain-spoken, artless hobbit he’s always been.  He loves simple pleasures like good food – it kills me that, even when he and Frodo disguise themselves as orcs to move through Mordor, he still has pots and pans hanging from his belt – and takes delight in imagining people telling great tales someday about Frodo and the Ring.  He’s absolutely without guile in his emotions, whether it’s beaming with optimism under trying circumstances or breaking down crying after what happens in Moria.  He’s also able to carry the Ring (albeit for a short time) without being tempted or corrupted by it, no small feat.  There’s just something so sweet and pure about his characterization – I don’t want to say “simple,” because I think that does him a bit of a disservice, but it’s something close to that.  In the end, all I can say is that he’s Sam.  And that’s just wonderful.