Quiz: Which The Lord of the Rings Character Are You?
Celebrate Hobbit Day on September 22 by reading this great modern classic and the prelude to The Lord of the Rings.
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
At least once a year, my sisters and I would reread The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, trading each book for the next one in line when we finished. Who knows who started the reading chain, and it probably changed every year. I have lovely, hazy reading memories of laying on the couch reading The Fellowship of the Ring while my sister Katherine sat in an armchair and worked her way through The Two Towers and Leasa started The Return of the King on the other side of the couch. Both Mom and Dad read The Hobbit to us as children, so of course we began reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy as soon as we were old enough, and, like with other books we read together (Little Women, The Secret Garden), we would discuss who was most like each character. As the youngest, I was always a hobbit. Pippin, usually, as my mom claimed Samwise for herself and, as an unworthy youngest, I could never be Frodo. Leasa would be Galadriel, Arwen, or Éowyn, depending on her mood, while Katherine preferred Strider or Legolas. Dad claimed Gimli.
Now, I’m less sure which character I’m most similar to. The characters now read to me as archetypes, ideal heroes of the past. I see a bit of myself in each — in Tom Bombadil’s joy and love of stories, in Samwise’s dedication to those he loves, in Arwen’s steadfastness, and in Gandalf’s combination of mischievousness and wisdom. So, for me, there’s no wrong answer to this The Lord of the Rings quiz but, much like my sisters and I did as children, it’s still fun to think about who I’m most like!
Want more The Lord of the Rings content? Check out my guide to LOTR Myers-Briggs personality types, take the hardest LOTR quiz ever (I did not pass it), and check out this fascinating glimpse into LOTR fandom.
