- "I'm not a warrior. I'm a hobbit."
- —Bilbo Baggins to Thorin Oakenshield
Bilbo Baggins of the Shire, or simply known as Bilbo and also known as The Hobbit (portrayed by Martin Freeman, younger; Ian Holm, older and Oscar Strik as a child) is the titlular character and main protagonist of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy and a supporting character in Lord of the Rings.
Bilbo Baggins is based on the character of the same name from both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. He briefly takes on the role of Roac the Raven.
Background[]
Official Biography[]
- "Like all Hobbits, Bilbo Baggins is fond of his comfortable existence; all he needs to be happy is a full pantry and a good book. When the Wizard Gandalf and 13 Dwarves unexpectedly appear on Bilbo’s doorstep and invite him to join them on a dangerous adventure, Bilbo’s life changes forever. Initially skeptical of the invitation, Bilbo’s spirit of adventure leads him to join the Company of Thorin Oakenshield and become the “burglar” required to complete their quest to outwit a ferocious dragon and reclaim the Dwarves’ stolen treasure. To everyone’s surprise, including his own, Bilbo’s wit and courage prove that there is indeed more to this Hobbit than meets the eye."
- —Warner Bros' official biography about Bilbo Baggins
Appearance[]
Personality[]
Bilbo in the series is portrayed as being kind, sympathetic, happy, protective , friendly, quick-witted, witty, courage, and selfless.
Bilbo, after being with Thorin, begins also developing his friend's habits, such as wanting to continue to the mountain while both men are stubborn about going to the Mountain as fast as they can.
Despite appearances, Bilbo is actually skilled and can make his way in this world. He is often quick witted, such as stalling the trolls and also saving his friends from the Elves.
It also appears that whenever someone tries to save or protect the Hobbit from Bilbo doesn't want to obey their commands. For instance, he disobeys Gandalf to save Thorin, claiming he wasn't asking Gandalf to stop him. Another point is when Bilbo, Balin and Thorin are on their way to the Forgesa nd Thorin orders Bilbo to abandon him and follow their companion, the hobbit refuses, showing he does not abandon his friends. However, Bilbo was forced to leave after all.
Powers[]
- Invisibility: While taking the One Ring, Bilbo is able to disappear and be able to avoid his enemies.
Abilities[]
- Multilingual: Bilbo understands more than just Westron". He also has a sense of knowing how to speak hobbitish and how to speak elvish. He later taught those skills to Frodo Baggins, and Frodo's best friend, Samwise Gamgee. While he has the One Ring on, he can easily understand the language of any dark creature
- Sword-fighting:
- Rock throwing
- Treading lightly
Equipment[]
One Ring:[]
Sting[]
Bilbo's sword. The hobbit uses his sword throughout the entire series.
Pipe:[]
Early life[]
Born as Bilbo Baggins, he was born in the Shire to Belladonna Took and Bungo Baggins. Bilbo was raised by both of his parents. Like all hobbits, Bilbo reached his majority at thirty three. Three years later, at thirty-six, Bilbo's father died of natural causes and became the patriarch of the family with his mother remaining the matriarch.
However, eight years later, his mother succumbed to natural causes and Bilbo inherited all of his mother's and father's possessions.
An Unexpected Journey[]
Prologue[]
Ian Holm reprised his role to portray Bilbo Baggins, while his younger self is portrayed by Martin Freeman
Bilbo is first seen in the movie writing down his journey in the Red Book of Westermarch. In the present day timeline, his nephew Frodo sees him working and attempts to read the book, but Bilbo does not let him look at it.
An Unwanted Visitor(s)[]
Reunited with Gandalf[]
In the flashback, Bilbo Baggins sat on his porch, where he was approached by Gandalf, who is an old family friend of both Bilbo's parents' sides of his family. However, after Gandalf offers for Bilbo to take up a chance at an adventure, the hobbit refuses and retreats back into his house.
Market shop[]
While traveling to the market place located near the Green Dragon, Mr. Baggins believes the wizard to be stalking him and what he thought was Gandalf's hat was really hobbits carrying a sack.
Meeting his companions.[]
Later that evening, he met the four dwarves, Dwalin, Balin, Fíli and Kíli. After a while, Bilbo loses his patience at the fifth bell and finds at least nine more dwarves at the door. None of the dwarves treat his possessions none too kindly, as most of them use it for throwing it around. Mr. Baggins is then introduced to their leader, Thorin Oakenshield, who has an unexplained contempt over their newly found member. When they bring up the fact of a burglar position for the hobbit, Bilbo initially refuses, even after Gandalf tries to convince him otherwise. The next morning, Bilbo finds the dwarves gone. Having made up his mind, Bilbo decides to go on an adventure after hearing the dwarves sing their song from the night before.
The Journey Begins[]
On their first night of the quest to reclaim Erebor, Bilbo goes to pamper his pony, who he had affectionately named "Myrtle". After he heard a shriek from a long distance, Fíli and Kíli take this opportunity to scare him before Thorin puts an end to it. Balin comes to the three boys and explains to them Thorin's hatred of Orcs. This possibly causes Bilbo to see Thorin more than a stern prince, but one who is a benevolent leader and meant to be King. When he asks whatever happened to the Pale Orc, Thorin states Azog died of his wounds a long time ago, but Thorin couldn't be ever more wrong.
Sometime later, the Company moves on. Bilbo and his companions were covered by rain. After Gandalf telling Dori to find another wizard to change the weather of the world, Bilbo inquires of the other four. One he takes particular interest in was Radagast, and asked Gandalf if Radagast is a great wizard or more like the grey wizard himself.
Later that day, Gandalf and Oakenshield have a massive argument leaving the dwarves and Bilbo to fend for themselves. Bilbo is later sent by Bofur to give Fíli and Kíli their portion of dinner. However, the boys had misplaced three of their sixteen ponies. They send Bilbo to try and free the poor creatures while they leave him behind and go to retrieve the company. Mr. Baggins doesn't make it in time to avoid the Trolls. Before they torture the poor hobbit, Kíli and the others rescue Bilbo. During the skirmish, Bilbo goes to release the ponies, before he and the other dwarves are captured by the trolls, who are ready to eat them. However, Mr. Baggins manages to keep them at bay until dawn, which Gandalf splits the boulder in half. Later, Gandalf emerges from the Troll's cave and presents Bilbo with a sword, which would later glow blue when either Orcs or Goblins came closer. As Mr. Baggins unsheathed his sword, Radagast appeared and talked to Gandalf. There is the sound of a wolf, Bilbo thought, until Bofur says that it was not a wolf, but a Warg. The company is chased by the Wargs and Orcs, before they go through a hidden entrance. Before he takes another step, Bilbo stops to tell Gandalf that he feels a magical presence, to which the wizard responds to it being a "very powerful magic". They eventually emerge out of the cave and into Rivendell. Everyone decides that Gandalf should do all the talking.
When Bilbo first sees Rivendell, Bilbo immediately falls in love with the city, as well as the Elves who live there. Just at that moment, when Elrond appears, Bofur safely pulls Bilbo to the center of the circle.
During their feat, Bilbo overhears the Lord of Rivendell talk of Thorin's and Gandalf's weapons. However, Balin advises against it, as it is not a proper weapon. He is present at the meeting in Rivendell, along with his companions Thorin, Balin and Gandalf and Lord Elrond himself. Bilbo is amazed at the moon runes and inquires of Durin's Day and what they will have time for.
Over the next couple of days, the company stayed in Rivendell, with Bilbo admiring its beauty. Elrond approached Bilbo and allowed him to stay in Rivendell, fi that was what he wished. On the night before the Company leaves for the Misty Mountains, Bilbo continues to adventure in Rivendell, but overhears a conversation between Elrond and Gandalf, with Thorin present behind Bilbo's back. They depart for the mountains afterwards, where they are caught up in a stone-giant battle scene. Bilbo nearly fell off the cliff twice before Bofur and Dwalin pushed him back. When the mountains collide together, while his companions remain unharmed, Bilbo hangs on for dear life before Thorin saves him. Because Bilbo almost put both him and Thorin at risk, the dwarf king denounces Bilbo before the rest of the company.
Thorin's claims take too much of a hold over Bilbo, and he makes for home. However, Bofur stopped him from leaving, but Bilbo refused. After seeing that they do not belong anywhere, Bofur lets him leave. However, they all fall into Goblin-town. After being able to evade capture, Mr. Baggins goes to save his companions, who are slowly becoming more like friends. However, he falls down a whole after colliding with a dead goblin. After seeing a creature named Gollum drop the Ring, Bilbo takes it for himself and confronts the Former Hobbit into a game of riddles. Before Gollum attacks him, Bilbo makes a run for it and even escapes him while knocking out the villainous Gollum to the ground.
Azog the Defiler[]
Bilbo returns to his friends, apparently never abandoning them in a worse time of need. Their reunion is short-lived as Azog's hunting party attacks them. On the final stand, Thorin charges at Azog and is nearly killed by his would-be executioner before Bilbo jumps from the burning tree and kills Thorin's almost-killer while defending the dwarf king's broken body. Just before the orcs attack them, the eagles arrive and saves the company from Azog's men.
Friendship from Thorin[]
Seeing the Hobbit in a new light, Thorin literally embraces Bilbo as a friend and apologizes for his previous ill-treatment of the Hobbit. The group looks into the horizon and spots the lonely mountain, all unaware of what the future has in hold for them.
The Desolation of Smaug[]
Prologue[]
Bilbo is first mentioned in the beginning of The Desolation of Smaug, where Gandalf tells Thorin they're going to need a burglar to retrieve the Arkenstone for Thorin.
The Journey Continues[]
He first physically appears one year later in The Desolation of Smaug where he is sent by Thorin Oakenshield and their company to spy on Azog. While not being spotted, he sees Beorn standing there, watching the Wargs and the Orcs as well. Bilbo goes to warn the dwarves of their enemies' recent movement, but every time he does, he is either interrupted by a dwarf or a wizard. When Bilbo tells Thorin and the others that there is something else out there, which Gandalf guesses is in the form of a bear, shocking both Bilbo and the other dwarves.
The company is forced to take refuge with a man named Beorn, who was the bear Bilbo saw a few seconds ago. Gandalf tells them that this man will either help them or destroy them. The team reluctantly agrees, but they are tracked down by Azog and chased to Beorn's house.
The Battle of the Five Armies[]
Bilbo makes his last appearance in The Battle of Five Armies.
Smaug's demise[]
Along with his nine companions, Bilbo watches the destruction of Lake-town from afar, but also worries about Thorin more. He sees the dragon fall dead and announces it to the others, who rejoyce. However, Thorin is not impressed and walks towards the Lonely Mountain. Like Thorin did before when Thror was under dragon sickness, Bilbo watched from the shadows as Thorin fell into the dragon sickness, affecting all those around him.
He once confronted Thorin one night to convince him to do something other than hunt the treasury room all day, but Thorin doesn't listen to Bilbo.
Return of Oin, Fili, Kili, and Bofur[]
- "I tried talking to him, but he won't listen. "
- —Bilbo to Oin, Fili, Kili and Bofur, all who returned, on Thorin[src]
Bilbo witnessing Thorin growing madder and madder
When the four dwarf companions who stayed in Lake-town were found, Bilbo quickly ran up to the four who were coming. When one of them see him alive, Bilbo warns that all of them need to leave. When Bofur reasons that they had just got there, Bilbo tells them how Thorin has been misbehaving, spending his days in the treasure room and not bothering to get a nibble or a wink of sleep. Kili asks what kind of sickness has possessed his uncle while his brother, Fili runs past them to the treasure room with Bilbo, Bofur, Oin an dKili following Fili down to the treasure room. While the dwarves look at it in awe, Bilbo feels nothing but contempt and disgust for the gold and for what Thorin has become.
Bilbo later sits alone in a secluded area, where it is revealed in a flashback that Bilbo stole the Arkenstones hortly after he dispapeared when putting th Ring on. After seeing what danger Thorin has been in, Bilbo pulls the Arkenstone out of his pocket, contemplating on what to do with it.
The Acorn and the Arkenstone[]
The gold sickness gets worse. Thorin begins sulking in the Throne room hour after hour, awaiting for the Stone's return. Little does he know, Bilbo still is in possession of the Arkenstone. Bilbo grows even more concerned after the fact that Thorin will kill whomever withholds the king's jewel from him. He later comes across a crying Balin, who voices his concerns. Bilbo asks if finding the Stone will help Thorin, Balin points out that finding the Arkenstone will only make Thorin worse and that it's best if it remains lost, and sending signals he knows Bilbo has the stone.
Battle of the Five Armies[]
Because Thorin is unaware of the Orcs that are going to attack from the north, and Thranduil refuses to dispatch the forces to Ravenhill, Bilbo instead volunteers to go there and warn him, but Gandalf will not allow Bilbo to complete it. Despite everything they have been through, Bilbo still cares for his friends and tells him he doesn't care if the wizard allows it or not. Bilbo then takes the ring and runs to Ravenhill.
Bilbo tries to warn Thorin of the oncoming orcs led by Bolg, but is too late. Azog kills Fili in front of him, Thorin, Dwalin and Kili. He stays behind where he is attacked by Bolg and his mercenaries, as well as several bats. Before more are able to kill him, Dwalin comes to Bilbo's rescue.As he fights off the other Orcs, Bolg hits Bilbo with the handle of his mace, and he passes out. Sometime after the Battle in Ravenhill ends, Bilbo wakes up to find the Eagles are flying over him and that the battle is won. Overlooking the valley, he sees Azog has been killed, but Thorin has been mortally wounded. Bilbo goes by his side, where Thorin spends his last moments with Bilbo, apologizing to the Hobbit of his rude behavior towards him. Despite the Hobbit's efforts to keep Thorin alive, the dwarf king succumbs to his wounds.
Bilbo also comes to their funeral to pay his respects for his fallen friends. When he comes across Thorin's body, he breaks down crying Bilbo is also one of the others who show their respect to the new King under the Mountain.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy[]
The Fellowship of the Ring[]
In the first part, Bilbo has his one hundred and eleventh birthday party. Inside his hole, he is writing his story in the Great Red Book when a knock comes to the door. However, Frodo (played by Elijah Wood) never answers the door, as Bilbo obviously forgot he left for South Farthing. Thinking back on his journey with Thorin, Gandalf is at the door and both he and Bilbo sit down and talk. At that moment, Bilbo's rotten cousins come to money of him.
Later that night at the party, Bilbo runs off back to Bag End while using the One Ring and Gandalf beats him there, where he confronts Bilbo of his unusual behavior and the ring's affect it has on him. Bilbo comes back to his senses, where he tells Gandalf to watch over Frodo as he lives with the elves.
Bilbo's next appearance is where he is happily reunited with the lad that was the son he never had and later gives Frodo his old sword Sting and his own coat. When seeing the Ring for the first time in seventeen years, he asks to see it one last time, but ultimately almost attacks Frodo, leaving Bilbo to break out crying because he basically handed over the burden of the Ring to Frodo.
Gallery[]
Bilbo Baggins (Middle-Earth Film Saga)/Gallery.
Relationships[]
Bilbo Baggins (PJ trilogy)/Relationships.
Trivia[]
- As of The Battle of Five Armies, Bilbo is one of the seventeen characters to appear in every Hobbit film.
- Followed by Gandalf, Azog, Bolg, the entire company, and Smaug
- Bilbo has proven to be a terrible liar, as Smaug saw through all his lies during their conversation.
- Bilbo left his handkerchief in Bag End and mentions leaving it in An Unexpected Journey. He is seen picking it up when he returns to the Shire.
- Bilbo actually saved all of Middle-earth by sparing Gollum, for he later destroyed the ring in Return of the King.
- Even though he is supposed to be fifty in the films, Bilbo has the appearance of a forty-year-old man.
- Bilbo's eyes sometimes changes between blue, brown and green. However, one of his posters depicts Bilbo with green eyes.
- He has no love interests in the film.
- Even though he is surrounded by many orcs in several points in the film, his sword does not glow blue like it usually do.
- Sting and Orcrist have similar shapes, implying they were made by the same blacksmith.