Full name: Frodo Baggins
History:
Name meaning: Frodo=Peaceful (Old English)
Aliases: The Ring-bearer, Frodo of the Nine Fingers, Nine-Fingered Frodo
Date of birth: September 22nd, TA 2968
Date of death: Unknown
Race: Hobbit
Parents: Drogo Baggins (father) and Primula Brandybuck (mother)
Siblings: None
Spouse: None
Children: None
Hair color: Brown
Eye color: Unknown in the books; blue in the movies
Played in the movies by: Elijah Wood
In TA 2991, Bilbo turned 111 years old, and Frodo came of age (meaning he turned thirty-three). They celebrated with a huge birthday party to which Gandalf and most of the hobbits in the Shire were invited. Frodo knew from the start that Bilbo planned to put on the Ring, disappear, and journey to Rivendell, but he was still saddened when his elderly cousin vanished. Bilbo left Frodo the Ring, which neither knew the powers and dangers of.
Seventeen years later, Gandalf discovered the true nature of the Ring and counselled Frodo to take it out of the Shire. Frodo complied and set out for Rivendell, accompanied by his gardener, Sam, whom Gandalf had caught evesdropping; and his cousin, Pippin. Gandalf had said he would accompany the hobbits, but failed to show up. Frodo's other cousin, Merry, was to meet them in Buckland, where Frodo was pretending to move to. On the way to Buckland, the hobbits encountered the Ringwraiths, Sauron's most deadly servants. The first Ringwraith vanished when a company of woodland Elves journeying to the sea crossed paths with the hobbits. Frodo and his companions saw the second after they had crossed the Brandywine River.
Once at his new house in Buckland, Frodo, to his shock, learned that Sam, Pippin, and Merry knew about his quest and the Ring, and were determined to accompany him. The hobbits decided not to risk the road, and left Buckland through the Old Forest. Not far into the journey, they fell under the spell of the forest and Merry and Pippin became entwined in the roots of Old Man Willow. They were rescued by Tom Bombadil, who housed them for a few days. After leaving Tom's house, the hobbits were captured by a barrow-wight: Frodo showed courage and bravely cut off the wight's arm with a sword. Tom saved the hobbits again, and sent them safely off towards the village of Bree and the Prancing Pony Inn. The hobbits met Aragorn (or Strider, as he introduced himself as), and Frodo received a letter from Gandalf that the Innkeeper had forgotton to send to Bag End. In the letter, Gandalf counselled Frodo to leave the Shire without him (as they had done), and to put their trust in Aragorn. The hobbits followed Gandalf's advice, and Aragorn began to lead them to Rivendell.
While sheltering for the night at the hill of Weathertop, the companions were attacked by five Ringwraiths. Frodo made the mistake of putting on the Ring, and the wraiths, being able to see him, stabbed him in the shoulder with a Morgul-knife. Though Aragorn was a great healer, he had not the power to heal the wound, and the fragment of blade continued to work its way through Frodo's flesh. If the metal had penetrated the hobbit's heart, he would have died, but Frodo and his friends were rescued by Glorfindel the Elf, who took them to Rivendell after narrowly escaping the Ringwraiths.
Frodo was healed by Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, and was reunited with Gandalf and Bilbo. Elrond organized a council to determine the fate of the Ring. After it was made clear that the only option was to destroy the Ring in Mordor, Frodo bravely volunteered to take the Ring and seek for the fires of Mount Doom. The Fellowship of the Ring was formed, and they left Rivendell on December 25th, TA 3018. Before they departed, Bilbo gave Frodo his sword, Sting, and a coat of mithril mail. As the Fellowship travelled through the Mines of Moria, the coat came in handy when Frodo was stabbed by an orc chieftain: a blow that would have otherwise killed him. After Gandalf fell into the chasm in Moria, the Fellowship journeyed to Lothlorien, where Queen Galadriel showed Frodo a vision of the future in her mirror. Before he left Lothlorien, Galadriel gave Frodo a phial with the starlight of Eärendil captured inside.
At the Falls of Rauros, it became clear that the Fellowship was divided over what course to take. Boromir wished to take the Ring to Minas Tirith and regroup from there, while Aragorn thought it best to continue to Mordor right away. Frodo asked for an hour alone to consider his options, although he had known what course he must take ever since the vision in Galadriel's mirror. Boromir followed Frodo, and when he saw that Frodo refused to lend him the Ring or go to Minas Tirith, Boromir tried to seize the Ring by force. Frodo put on the Ring, disappeared, and would have set out for Mordor alone, but was accompanied by Sam.
Frodo and Sam journeyed to the hills of Emyn Muil, and would have never found a path out had not Gollum, who had once possessed the Ring, followed them. Gollum swore to lead them to the Black Gate, and faithfully guided them through the hills and the Dead Marshes. Once at the Gate, Frodo saw that it was impassable and despaired, but Gollum offered to show the hobbits a secret path into Mordor. Frodo accepted the offer, and travelled to Ithilien, which bordered Mordor. Frodo and Sam were captured by Faramir, who, although distrustful at first, befriended them. Sam accidentally spoke of their errand to Mordor, and, though Faramir was tempted slightly by the Ring, he acted nobly and never attempted to take the Ring. Faramir gave Frodo the chance to have Gollum shot and be rid of the creature once and for all, but Frodo pitied Gollum and spared him. Faramir gave the the hobbits supplies for the road, and, although he warned them about Gollum being treacherous, let them continue on their journey.
Gollum led them to Minas Morgul and they continued up the stairs to Cirith Ungol, where he finally betrayed them to Shelob the spider. Frodo used the phial as Shelob advanced, and the giant spider was blinded by the light and retreated. Frodo used Sting to slash the spider webs that sealed the tunnel's exit, and was about to run across the threshold of Mordor when Shelob bounded up behind him and stung him on the back of his neck. Sam fought both Gollum (who retreated back into the tunnels) and Shelob (who he wounded severely enough that she was no further threat), but believed Frodo to be dead, since Frodo seemed cold and lifeless because of the spider-poison. A company of passing orcs found Frodo and carried him up to the tower of Cirith Ungol, taking away Sam's sword that Frodo was carrying, the mithril coat, and Frodo's clothes to show to their superiors. Sam, after realizing that Frodo still lived, followed the orcs and rescued his master. Frodo was overjoyed to find that Sam had the Ring, although it caused a moment of strife between them when Sam offered to carry it for Frodo.
The hobbits continued to travel through Mordor, dressed in the orc-armor that Sam had found. When a company of real orcs passed, though, the hobbits' disguises worked all too well and they were forced to travel at a pace much too fast for them to keep up. When another company of orcs passed and the groups tangled together, Frodo and Sam were able to escape. At that point, Frodo could barely manage to move. He was tired, miserable, disheartened, and ready to give everything up for a chance of endless sleep. But Sam refused to admit that the quest seemed impossible, and urged his master on. At the foot of Mount Doom, he carried Frodo almost to the entrance to the Chambers of Fire, but the hobbits were attacked by Gollum. Frodo found new strength with this attack, and, as Sam stood between him and Gollum, walked into the heart of Mount Doom. Once there, his determination to cast the Ring into the fire vanished, and instead he claimed it for his own. Gollum fought with the invisible Frodo and bit off the hobbit's finger that had the Ring on it, but stepped too close to the edge of the fire and fell in, destroying himself and the Ring.
Sam dragged the maimed Frodo to the edge of the mountain, where they waited for their seemingly inevitable doom as towers and mountains crumbled and fell into fiery streams about them. They were rescued by Gandalf and the Eagles, who brought them to Ithilien. Aragorn healed them of all their wounds, although Frodo would always have only nine fingers. Frodo was present at Aragorn's coronation, and, after Aragorn and Arwen's wedding, wished to return to the Shire again. Although there were many bitter partings, Frodo, along with Sam, Pippin, and Merry, returned home, where they found the filth of Saruman at work. The green and beautiful Shire they knew was destroyed, replaced by smoke and ash, tall and ugly buildings, gates on every road, and human mercenaries who kept the hobbits in check and punished those who rebelled.
The four hobbits started a rebellion and raised the Shire against Saruman, or Sharkey as he was called there. Frodo let his three friends do most of the fighting and killing--he worked mainly to prevent angry hobbits from killing other hobbits who were working for Sharkey. After the battles, the foursome walked to Bag End, where Saruman had taken up residence. Frodo was willing to pardon Saruman for what he had done and let him go free, but Saruman tried to stab him. Frodo's mithril coat turned and broke the blade, but the hobbits present would have killed Saruman for his treacherous act. Even then, Frodo pitied Saruman and still wished to let him go, but Grima slit Saruman's throat. Seconds later, Grima himself fell dead with several hobbit arrows in his back.
Frodo helped rebuild the Shire, but in his heart he knew that he would never really heal. He was wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and could not find peace. Before he left Minas Tirith, Queen Arwen had given him her place on the ship to the Undying Lands, and on September 29th, TA 3021, Frodo departed over the Sea, never to return.