Frodo Baggins is the main character of The Lord of the Rings series, and one of the most iconic and well-known fantasy characters of all time. While Frodo himself might not be everyone’s favorite character from the series, he is a fascinating character in many ways.
Even though he’s the protagonist, Frodo often gets overlooked and overshadowed by some of the other characters such as Aragorn and Gandalf. So, there are many ways that he’s underrated, but there are also some areas where fans give him more credit than he deserves.
Overrated: He was less engaging than Bilbo
Other than Frodo, the most famous Hobbit and the first the world was ever introduced to was his uncle Bilbo Baggins.
While these two characters are different and have very different journeys, they do share some similarities. However, as far as personality, Bilbo is more engaging and extroverted than Frodo who keeps things a little closer to the vest.
Underrated: Because he had an interesting backstory
While Bilbo might be more exciting in some ways such as personality, Frodo also has a pretty multifaceted background that doesn't get talked about a lot.
Both of his parents died in a boat accident when he was 12, and he was raised by his family the Bradnybucks before eventually living with Bilbo.
Overrated: He had a boring personality
Frodo might not be boring exactly, but it’s hard to get a complete read on his personality.
While other characters have more obvious personality traits, Frodo is more of an introvert. In the movies, for example, it’s hard to say what he really wants, even before the Ring, because he seems to often be a bit torn as to what he wants out of life.
Underrated: He always had an adventurous spirit
While Bilbo was the one who got to have an adventure that mostly turned out rather well for him, Frodo’s journey was difficult and traumatic. However, before all this happened, Frodo did have a fairly adventurous spirit for a Hobbit.
This was because of his relation to both Bilbo and the Tooks who were known to be the most adventurous of any of the families from the Shire and surrounding area.
Overrated: He put too much trust in Gollum
Probably one of the most frustrating things about Frodo that doesn’t get called out enough by fans is how he trusted Gollum.
Despite Sam being cautious and telling Frodo to be careful, Frodo believed Gollum and wanted to help him because of the Ring. However, he ended up turning on Sam because of Gollum, and this was hard to watch.
Underrated: He was surprisingly insightful
Frodo might be a bit hard to understand given that he’s more of an inwardly based character, and he’s also dealing with carrying the heavy burden of the One Ring.
However, one thing that can be picked up on is how insightful he could be. He understood a lot more than he let on, and he was rather smart. For example, he understood what the Ring did to Gollum and that he himself was at risk of the same fate.
Overrated: Because Sam really lead the way
Given the difficulty of being the Ringbearer, it wouldn’t be possible for anyone, no matter how amazing, to fully handle that on their own. Frodo needed Sam, and this made a lot of sense given how hard even just resisting the Ring could be.
However, in many ways, it was Sam who kept them going, and Frodo often gets more credit than he should given that Sam really is responsible for them making it to Mount Doom.
Underrated: He understood how these events changed him forever
One of the most interesting and realistic things about The Lord of the Rings is how things don’t get wrapped up perfectly in the end. This is even more true in the books when Saruman is ruling over the shire when the Hobbits return.
Frodo is an amazing character because he understands that he can’t just return to his old self after being through so much. He has a great grasp on the horrors of what he went through and how the world has changed.
Overrated: He wasn’t the best friend to Sam
The friendship between Sam and Frodo is rather complicated given that Sam’s position as someone from the Fellowship is to support Frodo as the Ringbearer.
So, he’s the one who is always giving everything where Frodo doesn’t have much to give. However, it’s often overlooked that there is a weird dynamic based on the fact that Frodo was of a much higher class in Hobbit society than Sam.
Underrated: Because he was able to withstand the Ring longer than anyone
While other Ring-bearer might have had the Ring for longer periods of time, Frodo was the person who was able to have the Ring without giving in to temptation.
This proves that he was extremely strong and had a pure heart. While he did eventually give in to the evil call of the Ring, he made it all the way to Mount Doom, and this doesn’t get mentioned enough.