The Lord of the Rings is a tale of heroes found in the least likely places, and how acts of heroism aren't only accomplished by great men of power. But sometimes, even the most heroic deeds can be overshadowed by the main characters in a tale of such magnitude.
Heroes like Aragorn, Gandalf, and Samwise Gamgee are often discussed among fans and lauded for their bravery, as they should be. Now, we're going to look at some of the other characters that might go unnoticed but deserve just as much recognition. Here are 10 of the most underrated heroes in The Lord of the Rings.
Farmer Maggot
Farmer Maggot is a minor character in the books and receives even less screen time in the films. In fact, some people might only think his voice is heard, but he does actually make an appearance in The Fellowship of the Ring. He's the hobbit that the Nazgûl confronts with just the words, "Shire... Baggins," and he responds with directions to Hobbiton. This portrayal, by Cameron Rhodes in the film, sadly takes away his courageous spirit from the books.
Tolkien's book version of Farmer Maggo stands up to the Nazgûl; he protects his home and his fellow hobbits with his defiance. Plus, he also gives Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin a ride while they escape the Nazgûl.
Fatty Bolger
Another person who is a "blink and you'll miss him" character in the films is Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger. He only appears at Bilbo's birthday party, holding up a mug of beer when Bilbo calls out his family name. But in the books, Fatty is a good friend of Frodo's, and he knows that Frodo has the ring.
Fatty disguises himself as Frodo and lives in Frodo's house to fool people into believing he's still there, giving Frodo and the others time to escape. He also becomes one of the leaders of the resistance against Saruman's forces when they invade the Shire. He is taken prisoner but survives and helps rebuild his home.
Éomer
Éomer is the epitome of loyalty, dignity, and honor. He is a strong leader, first of the Rohan army and then king of Rohan after Théoden's death. He is able to protect his people, and Rohan becomes prosperous once again under his rule. He also forms an enduring friendship with Aragorn after sharing in many battles together and renewing the oath between Gondor and Rohan.
Karl Urban plays Éomer in the films, and he perfectly portrays the loyalty and love he has for his family and his people. It's a bit of a travesty that he doesn't get more screen time, but you can see his soul-wrenching grief at Éowyn's (Miranda Otto) supposed death in the extended edition.
Théoden
Some people who have only seen the films may not perceive Théoden (played by Bernard Hill) as a great king. We first meet him when he's practically catatonic under the control of Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif). Even after Gandalf frees him from the enchantment, Théoden gives up all hope and prepares for his people to die.
While Théoden of the films does eventually come into his bravery and joins the fight, this portrayal leaves some to see the king of Rohan as weak-willed. But this could not be farther from the truth of the Théoden in the books. He does not hesitate to come to Gondor's aid, and he dies in battle as an honorable warrior.
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Haldir
Haldir, an elf of Lothlórien, has a small role in the books. As a border guard for the elven land of Lórien, Haldir is one of the elves to guide the Fellowship into Lothlórien. He doesn't appear again after the Fellowship departs in their boats. Even in this short time, however, he managed to win the hearts of fans, so his character was expanded for the films.
The elves appearing at the Battle of Helm's Deep does not happen in the books, but it adds to the theme in the films of the different races coming together against evil. And Haldir in the films has a brief, but glorious role in the battle. He puts aside his prejudices to come to the aid of the humans, fights valiantly, and loses his life with his brothers-in-arms of both men and elves.
Glorfindel/Arwen
Glorfindel is definitely an underrated hero in The Lord of the Rings books. He's one of the coolest elves and the most glorious, having lived in the First Age, died, and then was reborn by the Valar. He is also the one who saves Frodo from the Nazgûl by racing him to Rivendell on horseback. But he doesn't appear in the films because his role is given to Arwen, played by Liv Tyler.
Both Glorfindel in the books and Arwen in the films are heroic and crucial to keeping the ring out of reach of Sauron's forces. While I'm sad that Glorfindel doesn't appear in the films, I also really appreciate Peter Jackson's endeavor to make Arwen more than just Aragorn's love interest.
Faramir
Faramir, played by David Wenham in the films, is the definition of an underrated hero. He's always overshadowed by his brother, Boromir, at least by his father, Denethor. But Faramir is a man of great integrity and is able to refuse the ring, though with a little more temptation in the films than in the books.
Faramir in the books is kind to Frodo and Sam, giving them provisions and warning them of the dangers that Gollum's path will take. He is a good and noble leader despite his softer temperament, which is often called weak by his father. And, he fights fearlessly with his soldiers even when he knows his father's strategy is doomed to failure.
Pippin
Peregrin "Pippin" Took is the youngest of the four hobbits in the Fellowship, and he really matures throughout the course of the journey. In the films, Pippin (played by Billy Boyd) is a lovable idiot who doesn't know what's going on most of the time. In the books, he is naive to the world and gets a rude awakening to the darkness out there.
Pippin's heroism often gets overlooked because of his foolishness, but he has true courage and fortitude. He was instrumental in getting the Ents to take part in the Destruction of Isengard. He saves Faramir from being burned alive. And he even takes down a troll at the Battle of the Black Gate. Pippin also helps save the Shire from Saruman and goes on to be the Thain, or militia leader, of the Shire.
Merry
Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck (played by Dominic Monaghan in the films) is another hobbit that gets his character diluted in the film adaptation. In the books, Merry is very good friends with Frodo, and he is all in from the very beginning. He knows Frodo has the ring, and he helps him plan his escape from the Nazgûl. He's intelligent, capable, and grows to become a true knight.
Merry becomes a squire for Théoden of Rohan and sneaks into battle when he's told to stay back. And even though Éowyn is the most recognized for killing the Witch King, she would not have been able to without Merry stabbing him first with his enchanted blade. During the Scouring of the Shire, Merry blows the Horn of Rohan to rally the hobbits to fight. He uses his skills and courage to become a magnanimous leader.
Frodo
Frodo (played by Elijah Wood in the movies) may be a central character, but he is often overlooked when talking about heroes. He sometimes seems to be a passive character, allowing others around him to take part in the action. Lots of things, like a handful of stabbings, happen to Frodo, while he seems to do very little other than react to them. However, his heroism comes in quieter ways.
Frodo's courage comes from choosing to live each day. He loses all hope, convinced that he will never feel peace again, and yet he carries on. And while part of his refusal to share the burden of the ring is due to the ring's temptations, Frodo also does it to spare his friends from the torment he faces.
Continuing each day with no hope for yourself, but knowing that you can save those you love, takes an enormous amount of strength. To live on despite the inner torment and despair is one of the greatest acts of heroism, and Frodo should be recognized more often for it.
While The Lord of the Rings is filled with heroes, the subtle acts of heroism can get overshadowed by the "blaze of glory" moments. But that doesn't make those small acts any less heroic.