In The Lord of the Rings franchise, the friendships are some of the most important relationships of all. This is an epic fantasy adventure, but beyond the eagles, dark lords, and elves, it’s a story that focuses a lot on the importance of bonds of friendship and fellowship.
Because of this, some of the friendships in the series are rather iconic and well-loved, but not all of them are. There are some great friendships in the show as well as some bad ones. We look at the best of these relationships as well as the worst.
Best: Legolas and Aragorn
Within the Fellowship itself, there are many different friendships that are formed. In the films, and somewhat in the books, it’s alluded to that Legolas and Aragorn knew each other before the Council of Elrond.
These two seem to already have a close bond, and they are always looking out for one another. Legolas especially is concerned about Aragorn and the leadership mantle he has to carry. They are definitely a solid friendship.
Worst: Bilbo and Thorin
In the book version of The Hobbit, the relationships between the dwarves and Bilbo are a little more comical and less developed as it’s a children’s book. In the movies, however, these relationships are explored more in-depth to give weight to the story and the characters.
While Bilbo and Thorin do become something closer to friends as the movies go along, they are never really close. It’s not a particularly compelling friendship and doesn’t have a huge book basis.
Best: Boromir and Merry and Pippin
One of the more surprising and wholesome friendships between Fellowship members is between Boromir and Merry and Pippin. While Merry and Pippin are clearly good friends already and also related, Boromir grows to care about them a lot. He looks out for them because they are really young and don’t have any experience with travel or adventure.
The way that he protects them from the Uruk-Hai is super emotional, and it shows the best side of Boromir.
Worst: Gollum and The Ring
While Gollum’s relationship with the Ring might not be an actual friendship, it is one of the most intense relationships in the series. Gollum cares about nothing as much as he cares about the Ring, and he definitely feels a connection to it.
However, the Ring’s only goal is to be reunited with his master and maker, and so while it’s somewhat sentient, it is always manipulating any other beings that hold it.
Best: Legolas and Gimli
Another of the more surprising friendships from the series is also one of the most important. Legolas and Gimli start out hating each other because of the feuds between the elves and the dwarves.
However, they grow to be close friends, and they even sail to Valinor together after the story ends. This is an important relationship for them personally but also symbolically as it represents a sort of healing of the long-standing hatred between elves and dwarves.
Worst: Aragorn and Eowyn
Aragorn and Eowyn have an interesting relationship because it’s somewhat of a friendship but also has romantic undertones. While Aragorn never really pursues the relationship, Eowyn clearly wants to have one with him. However, their relationship is imbalanced as Eowyn sees Aragorn more as a savior and Aragorn doesn’t see her the same way as she does him.
While they do care about one another, it’s not nearly as inspiring as some of the other friendships.
Best: Frodo and Sam
Frodo and Sam’s relationship is one of the most important things in the series. This friendship is essential to the journey of destroying the One Ring. While there are times where Frodo treats Sam poorly while under the influence of the Ring, the loyalty that they have to one another runs deep.
They go through so much together on this harrowing journey that they have a bond that nothing else can really compare to. Their friendship, especially Sam’s friendship for Frodo, is what allowed the Ring to even make it to Mordor.
Worst: Aragorn and Boromir
The friendship between Aragorn and Boromir is another one that is rather fraught and complex. These two are distantly related, and they both have ties to Gondor.
However, Boromir is aware that Aragorn coming to Gondor would basically take away his father’s claim to the throne, and there is resentment there. However, they do care about one another in the end, but there is always a tension between the two of them because of the complicated nature of Aragorn’s claim to the throne.
Best: Merry and Pippin
Merry and Pippin are definitely the friendship that is the most jovial and fun. These two start out as immature, mischief-makers who are naive to the world. They are cousins and best friends, and they care about one another a lot.
As they go through things they never could have imagined, it only strengthens their bond. Even as they have a lot of growing up to do, they always care about one another's well-being, and it’s heartwarming to see their bond of friendship and family.
Worst: Gandalf and Saruman
Gandalf and Saruman have known each other longer than almost any other pair in the series. This is because they were both Istari who were sent to Middle-Earth with the mission of helping those who opposed Sauron.
While they both started out on the same side, Saruman betrayed Gandalf as well as his mission. While they might not have been close friends, they were close allies, and this betrayal was extremely deep and awful. Seeing as how Gandalf had relied on his help for so long, as Saruman was the leader of their order, it was a devastating blow for him to recover from.