ThroughoutThe Lord Of The Rings, there are a few key moments that could have changedthe entirety of Middle Earthif the events had played out differently. One of the most important moments is right at the close of the trilogy when Frodo finally makes it to the fires of Mount Doom. It’s a moment that’s widely viewed as a tragic failure for Frodo, but the story does still end up having a happy ending thanks to some interference.
It’s Frodo’s moment of hesitation and refusal to destroy the ring that has had a lot ofThe Lord Of The Ringsfans wondering whether or not Samwise Gamgee could have done what would have needed to be done to save the world. Most couldn’t see Sam tossing Frodointo Mount Doom, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be possible. If the situation was slightly different, Sam may have taken matters into his own hands and fought with Frodo in order to destroy the One Ring and save Middle Earth.
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What Happens At The End Of Return Of The King?
As the trilogy comes to a closeinThe Return Of The King, Frodo and Sam have finally reached Mount Doom while Aragorn and his forces are attempting to keep Sauron occupied long enough for them to destroy the ring once and for all. It’s one of the tensest sections of the films and it creates situations that puts the characters in more danger than they ever have been in. If Frodo didn’t succeed in destroying the One Ring, it’s likely that Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Gandalf, and a force of the Men of Middle Earth would all perish. The thing is, Frodo doesn’t succeed in his final moments with the ring.
Rather than heroically tossing the ring into the fires of Mount Doom, Frodo succumbs tothe pull of the One Ringand decides that he will keep it. Sam isn’t thrilled by the fact that Frodo has lost himself to the influence of the ring, but help arrived in the most unlikely of places. Gollum had arrived and was more than ready to do whatever it took to take the ring from those two pesky hobbits. After a brief struggle and biting Frodo’s finger off, Gollum would eventually take a tumble over the cliff into the fires below with the ring in hand, resulting in its final destruction. From there, everything turns out well for the heroes, even if Frodo and Sam have forever been changed by the events of the trilogy and the influence of the ring.
Would Sam Have Fought Frodo To Destroy The One Ring?
One of the biggest things thatThe Lord Of The Ringsfans and casual viewers alike debate is whether or notSamwise would have been willing to stand up to Frodoif Gollum wasn’t lurking around. It’s a fair question to debate as it’s shown throughout the trilogy that Sam is not only willing to do anything possible to protect one of his greatest friends but is also willing to do what is right and difficult when someone has to step up. The problem at the heart of the debate is whether or not Sam would be willing to potentially kill Frodo to save Middle Earth.
Due to the influence of the ring taking control of Frodo, it’s probably fair to say that no matter what Sam said to his friend,Frodo was going to keep the ring for himself. This means that if Sam was going to take any kind of action, he would have to battle Frodo for the ring. While some have argued that Frodo from the books could be read in such a way that he may have been willing to cast himself off into Mount Doom before Sam would have been forced to step in, it’s fairly clear in the films that, without Gollum, Sam was the last line of defense for the realm.
The issue here is that, by all the available evidence, Sam would have likely let Frodo leave with the ring, thus dooming Middle Earth. While it’s possible the situation would have been a breaking point for Sam, it’s important to look at all of his actions regarding Frodo throughout the trilogy. Sam is never taking actions specifically to further the destruction of the ring, instead, he’s simply seeking to do whatever he can to aid and lessen the burden for Frodo on his adventure, only ever taking on the ring when he truly believes Frodo has died. Sam even goes as far asobliterating a series of Orcs on his ownto reach Frodo once more when he could have simply continued the journey on his own.
A word that many people use to describeSam’s relationship with Frodo is devotion. Samwise Gamgee is completely devoted to serving Frodo, something that makes it hard to believe he would ever lash out with violence. Frodo may have put the ring on and turned invisible in the final moments, but he could still be interacted with, yet it’s still likely that Sam would have simply been lost in shock and sadness.
Would Sauron Have Won If It Wasn’t For Gollum?
With all of that said it’s probably a safe bet that Sauron truly would have won the day if it wasn’t for Gollum. The destruction of the ring was the only way to finally put a stop to Sauron’s evil, and it was that very destruction that allowed for Aragorn’s army’s success in battle.Without the ring being cast into Mount Doom, it’s likely that Sauron’s forces would have snuffed out some of the greatest warriors of the realm before Frodo was eventually either captured by Ring Wraiths if he didn’t decide to go see Sauron for himself. This means that eventually, the ring would find its way back to Sauron, resulting in his rule of Middle Earth.
That would mean that the entirety of the original fellowship would have been destroyed on the same day, leaving little in the way of resistance for Sauron. With the One Ring back in his possession,Sauron could have flexed his mightand steamrolled what remained of the demoralized forces of Men across Middle Earth. Without Gollum, Sauron would have won, all because Sam would have never been able to raise a hand to Frodo in violence.
The Lord Of The Ringsis available to stream on Amazon Prime Video
