10 Worst Things Frodo Ever Did In Lord Of The Rings

Summary

• Frodo’s struggles with the One Ring hinder his ability to trust, approach difficult situations logically, and be kind to those around him.
• Frodo makes the unfortunate choice to go through Moria, leading to Gandalf’s death and the group being cornered by goblins.
• Despite Gandalf’s warning about the dangers of the Ring and his own reluctance to wield its power, Frodo still offers it to Galadriel and ultimately fails to destroy it in Mount Doom.

The worst things Frodo ever did in the Lord of the Rings franchise are mostly due to the influence of the One Ring. Frodo’s character is dominated by his constant struggle with the Ring, which has a profound effect on his personality and how he sees the world. Even if the Ring is not explicitly controlling Frodo, it erodes his ability to trust, to approach difficult situations with logic and reason, and to be kind to those around him.

Frodo does not make the best decisions because of the Ring, sometimes mistreating his friends. However, he also often faces a situation where there are no good choices and makes an especially unlucky one. All paths to Mordor were dangerous, but going through Moria led to Gandalf’s death. Merry and Pippin might have come across the Nazgul on their way home, but face even more danger from staying with Frodo.

10 Didn’t Send Merry And Pippin Home

Merry and Pippin inadvertently become a part of Frodo’s quest.

Frodo and Sam happen to run into Merry and Pippin while they are leaving, and the latter two are roped into their adventure. While Gandalf tasked Sam with helping Frodo, he may have expressed doubts about Merry and Pippin coming along if he knew it was a possibility. Gandalf warns Frodo that the journey will be dangerous, but Frodo does not try to send Merry and Pippin home when they meet, or even from the Prancing Pony. Frodo might have worried about them getting home safely since the Nazgul were pursuing them. Yet he endangers two more friends by never trying to find them a way out of the mission.

9 Put On The Ring At The Prancing Pony

Frodo wears the Ring many times in the series, despite knowing the risks.

Gandalf tells Frodo, “Never put it [the Ring] on, for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power.” Yet Frodo endangers himself and his friends several times by doing just this. Supposedly, the Ring “fell” onto his finger for the first time at the Prancing Pony. However, this is arguably the time when Frodo and his friends are most vulnerable. They do not have the protection of the Fellowship (Aragorn is there, but they do not know they can trust him yet).

Frodo usually puts the Ring on in moments of desperation, such as when he needs to escape Boromir. However, he is not in immediate danger at the Prancing Pony and risks drawing the Nazgul to him and his friends. The Hobbits would have been killed in their sleep if Aragorn had not intervened.

8 Said, “It’s A Pity Bilbo Didn’t Kill Him When He Had The Chance.”

Gandalf disagrees with Frodo.

When Gandalf explains that Gollum has been following them, Frodo makes a vicious remark wishing that Bilbo had killed Gollum years ago. Gandalf responds that “It was pity that stayed Bilbo’s hand” and to “not be too eager to deal out death in judgment.” Frodo becomes more merciful towards Gollum, recognizing the mental torment that he has suffered. Frodo’s own experiences with the Ring also make him realize that he was quick to judge Gollum, even if he puts too much trust in Gollum later. Overall, Frodo and Gollum mirror and oppose each other in interesting ways in Lord of the Rings.

7 Chose To Go Through The Mines Of Moria

Gandalf said Moria was a bad idea.

Gandalf says, “I would not take the Mines of Moria unless I had no other choice,” suggesting that he had some notion of the dangers that lie within the mines. However, the Fellowship soon runs out of options. Knowing that there are no good ways to get to Mount Doom, Gandalf allows Frodo to choose to continue through a snowstorm or risk Moria. Frodo made the understandable but unlucky choice of going through Moria to get his friends out of the snow. However, this leads to the Fellowship being cornered by goblins and Gandalf fighting the Balrog.

6 Offered Galadriel the Ring (After Gandalf Said No)

Frodo does not think of why Gandalf did not want the Ring.

When Frodo tries to give Gandalf the Ring, Gandalf tells him, “I would use this ring from a desire to do good… But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.” In other words, Gandalf’s immense power would make him incredibly dangerous if he were corrupted by the Ring. Gandalf wants to keep the Ring away from the powerful, entrusting it to the Hobbits who will not be corrupted so easily. Yet Frodo still offers the Ring to Galadriel. Frodo doesn’t take Gandalf’s warning to heart because he is willing to give the Ring to another one of the most powerful beings in Middle Earth.

5 Put Too Much Trust In Gollum

Frodo can pity Gollum but still should not trust him.

Frodo agrees to let Gollum lead him and Sam to Mordor. While this was necessary because the Hobbits never would have made it without Gollum, Frodo trusts Gollum too much and endangers their quest. How Frodo sees Gollum is affected by Frodo’s struggles with the Ring, causing him to pity Gollum. While what happened to Gollum is a tragedy, the Ring still must be destroyed for the good of all Middle Earth. Frodo knows that Gollum does not want to be destroyed. While Sam is unnecessarily cruel to Gollum, he never makes the mistake of thinking Gollum won’t betray them.

4 Believed Gollum And Not Sam About The Food

Sam has never been anything but loyal.

There is no reason for Frodo to believe Sam would eat extra rations. Despite Sam’s loyalty to Frodo, Gollum’s shoddy work of framing Sam by leaving crumbs on Sam’s coat is enough to make Frodo turn on him. It is heartbreaking to watch Frodo spitefully tell Sam to leave after everything Sam has done. Additionally, it would have been dangerous for Sam to get back to the Shire on his own, but Frodo is not even concerned by this. Even the Ring’s influence is not an excuse for how terrible Frodo is to his friend, who has stood by him through everything.

3 Gets Captured By Shelob.

Sam has to rescue Frodo from a giant spider.

Frodo pays for his bad decisions. Frodo sends Sam away and is abandoned by Gollum, so he is alone when he meets Shelob, the giant spider who lives in the pass leading to Mordor. Sam is then forced to rescue Frodo alone. Frodo is captured and almost killed by Shelob because he trusted the wrong person, and the incident demonstrates Sam’s loyalty and bravery again. Sam chooses to go with Frodo when the Fellowship splits, and he chooses to help Frodo despite the danger many more times throughout the movies.

2 Didn’t Tell His Friends He Was Leaving Middle Earth

Sam doesn’t know Frodo is going to the Grey Havens until he is getting on the boat.

Frodo’s decision to leave Middle Earth was for the best. He could no longer stay in the Shire because of the trauma and injuries from his journey. However, Frodo does not tell Sam, Merry, and Pippin that he is leaving and that they will never see him again until he is getting on the boat to the Grey Havens. It is not very considerate of Frodo to give them no warning since they might have wanted more time to say goodbye than the minutes before he left. It is poor thanks to his friends who accompanied him on a dangerous journey.

1 Didn’t Throw The Ring Into The Fires Of Mount Doom

This defining moment reveals that Frodo has fallen prey to the Ring after all.

After everything Frodo and Sam endure to get to Mount Doom, when Frodo has the chance to end everything, he decides to keep the Ring. It was inevitable that the Ring would gain control of Frodo as it did with Isildur, and the scene of Frodo and Sam at Mount Doom parallels the one of Elrond and Isildur. It is nonetheless disappointing that Frodo cannot accomplish this final part of their quest. Frodo’s decision demonstrates how in Lord of the Rings, the One Ring is a poisonous force that turns friends against each other and leads to death and destruction.