Lord of the Rings is one of the most epic fantasy stories ever told. It's a tale of heroes fighting bravely against the dark forces of Mordor as they try and save Middle Earth from the power of Sauron.
Heroes and bravery are the center of the story, whether it's Boromir giving his life to protect the hobbits; Eowyn facing down the Witch King; or Samwise Gamgee, the gardener, helping Frodo every step of the journey.
10 King Theoden
To begin with, Theoden wasn't the strongest of characters, having been under the influence of Grima Wormtongue. When Gandalf first approached Rohan for help, Theoden chose to retreat to Helm's Deep, hoping to avoid involving himself in an all out war.
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When the beacons were lit and Gondor called for help, Theoden realized that war was unavoidable and mustered the Rohirrim to ride to their aid. Despite his hatred of conflict, he knew that Sauron had to be defeated, and gave his life to achieve it.
9 Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck
Like most hobbits, Merry had a love of good food, pipeweed, and ale, but he still chose to join the Fellowship on their quest, although it would mean a lot of danger and privations.
That wasn't the end of his bravery. He pledged his allegiance to Theoden and went into battle at the Pelennor Fields, even though he'd been ordered to stay behind.This meant he could stab the Witch King and distract him long enough for Eowyn to land a fatal blow.
8 Peregrin "Pippin" Took
The youngest of the hobbits, Pippin often got himself and the Fellowship into trouble, like when he alerted the orcs to their presence in Moria. Nevertheless, he was a strong character and didn't give up easily.
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When he reached Minas Tirith, he gave his service to Denethor in Boromir's place and was present when the orcs laid siege to the city. He was responsible for saving Faramir after Denethor descended into madness and tried to kill himself and his son.
7 Faramir
The younger of Denethor's sons, Faramir often lived in the shadow of his older brother, but when Boromir went to join the Fellowship, he was forced to take his place leading Gondor's army against Sauron's forces.
After Denethor found out about Boromir's death he went into despair and gave up hope, not caring what happened to his other son. This led to Faramir riding out on a hopeless mission to retake the city of Osgiliath, hoping he might gain some of his father's favor.
6 Boromir
Boromir was the only member of the Fellowship to die during the quest. He was persuaded by the power of the Ring and believed it could be used for good. He tried to take it from Frodo by force, leading to the breaking of the Fellowship.
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Despite his failings, Boromir would redeem himself when he defended Merry and Pippin from the Urak-Hai, giving his life in the process.
5 Eowyn
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Despite Theoden's insistence that she shouldn't be involved in the fighting, Eowyn didn't want to be left behind when the Rohirrim rode to Minas Tirith, and disguised herself as a soldier and rode along with them, hoping to find glory and valor.
During the battle, when Theoden was felled by the Witch King, Eowyn stood over him and faced the evil lieutenant of Sauron. Merry distracted him for a moment, and she took the opportunity to stab him, destroying the leader of the Ringwraiths.
4 Arwen
Arwen's bravery was of a different kind. Her strength was in how she decided to stay behind in Middle Earth with Aragorn as the elves went westward, even though this would mean giving up her immortality and spending long years of her life alone.
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That isn't to say she couldn't be daring when she wanted. When the Ringwraiths attacked the hobbits, Arwen came to their aid and took Frodo to safety, outriding Sauron's agents and drowning them in the river Brunien.
3 Aragorn
A lot of the time, a huge amount of responsibility fell on Aragorn. Not only was he the true king of Gondor, but he also had to lead the Fellowship after Gandalf's fall in Moria. When the Fellowship broke, he led the way to try and rescue Merry and Pippin.
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Despite leading the fight in several battles, Aragorn's biggest responsibility was accepting the crown of Gondor, putting aside his past as a Ranger and taking up his new position and giving his kingdom the rule it desperately needed.
2 Frodo
As the Ringbearer, the whole fate of Middle Earth rested with Frodo. Even though the others fought against the Orcs, if the Ring wasn't destroyed it would all be for nothing. Frodo took on the burden even though he didn't want it, agreeing to carry it to Mordor.
Despite the hardship of his quest, Frodo never gave up, passing from one dangerous situation to another on the journey to Mount Doom, with the Ring weighing on him as its power began to overtake his own will.
1 Sam
Of all the heroes in The Lord of the Rings, Sam in probably the most unlikely, but he's also the most worthy. The Baggins' gardener, he accompanies Frodo on his journey, never turning back or giving up, no matter how difficult things get.
Sam's real quest was to support Frodo, no matter what, and see that he destroyed the Ring, so they could return to the Shire. In many ways, Sam is the real hero of the story, and without him, Sauron would have never been defeated.
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