Questions tagged [the-one-ring]
The One Ring, created by Sauron, is the most powerful of the Rings Of Power in Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings saga. Imbibed with Sauron's powers, the Ring rules over the lesser magical rings mentioned in its secret inscription. Always use in conjunction with the [tolkiens-legendarium] tag.
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In what ways does the One Ring affect the wearer?
The key quote from Tolkien that answers this is contained in Letter 246, with my added emphasis:
It was part of the essential deceit of the Ring to fill minds with imaginations of supreme power.
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Did Gollum want possession of the Ring but not want to wear it?
Is this accurate? While the Ring is definitely something he desired and wore to become invisible occasionally, he did not particularly want to wear it.
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Did Isildur know who had the three elven rings?
A quote from the Unfinished Tales attributed to Isildur is included in the following question:
What counts as being "given" the One Ring?
From Unfinished Tales, "The Disaster of the ...
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Would the 3rd Age of Middle-earth have been dominated by men if Isildur had destroyed the One Ring in Mount Doom?
I am wondering if Isildur had destroyed the One Ring by throwing it down into the lava of Mount Doom, would doing this have resulted in the 3rd Age of Middle-earth being dominated by men?
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Why were the keepers of the three Elf-rings not aware that the One Ring had been used?
All twenty Rings of Power are linked, as we know. Further, we know from the text of the Lord of the Rings that the One Ring can confer the power to "know the thoughts" of the keepers of the ...
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What counts as being "given" the One Ring?
Inspired by this question. What counts as being given the one ring?
As I recall, when Bilbo is leaving for Rivendell, Gandalf refuses to take the Ring for safe keeping, instead he tells Bilbo to leave ...
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Were Isildur's traces of the ring in the right order?
Copied from this answer, as I don't have an English copy of LotR:
Already the writing upon it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in ...
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Why didn't Eru Ilúvatar trip Isildur?
Eru tripped Gollum, according to the LOTR wiki, thus destroying the One Ring. If he wanted it destroyed, why didn't he do something earlier, when Isildur took the Ring for his own when he was at the ...
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If Frodo had put on the One Ring in Moria, would he have been invisible to the Balrog?
I am wondering if a Balrog would have been able to see someone who was wearing the One Ring.
Smaug was unable to see Bilbo when he was wearing the One Ring, so it makes me think that if Frodo had put ...
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What’s the threshold of power for a wielder of the one ring to defeat Sauron?
Through the series I recall there are different implications (or at least that’s my recollection of it) on who could use the ring to obtain enough power to defeat (and replace as Dark Lord) Sauron and ...
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Why didn't Frodo tell the others that Boromir would try to take the One Ring?
In the movie LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, I am wondering why Frodo didn't tell Aragorn, or one of the others in the fellowship, that Galadriel had told him that Boromir would try to take the One ...
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Why was Gandalf unsure if Bilbo's ring was the One Ring if he had seen an image of Sauron's Eye when he was about to pick it up?
In the movie LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo drops the One Ring on the floor and then leaves his house. Gandalf then goes to pick it up but just before he touches it, he sees an image of ...
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What is Sauron's true appearance? [duplicate]
This question about the Eye of Sauron made me wonder about Sauron's true appearance. According to the answers there, the big red eye on top of the tower is partly metaphorical but also a physical ...
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Why is Shelob not interested in the One Ring? [duplicate]
Gollum tries to have Frodo and Sam killed by Shelob, so he could get the One Ring back from Frodo's corpse after Shelob would kill and "drink" him.
And Gollum is no stupid, so I guess he ...
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In the movies why does Frodo try to give the One Ring to Aragorn?
In the movie, Frodo tries to give the One Ring to Aragorn in Parth Galen. Aragorn deftly refuses the offer. Why does Frodo do this? Hadn't the council told him not to offer it to anyone else?
Boromir '...
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Why is so much emphasis placed on the Ring instead of the Palantiri?
The One Ring provides great power, but its power is primarily to dominate others. Sauron already dominated, it is implied, nearly all of Middle-earth without the Ring. It is implied or stated at ...
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What does Gollum see when he puts on the Ring?
Throughout Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, a big deal is made of the fact that Frodo should absolutely never put on the Ring, because it draws Sauron's attention to it, and every time he ...
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How did the elves know where Sauron crafted the One Ring?
After Sauron finished crafting the One Ring and placed it upon his finger the elves knew of his treachery, and his intentions. But how did the elves know where Sauron crafted the One Ring? And how ...
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How did the Ring allow Sauron to retain his human form? [duplicate]
I was reading on Tolkien Gateway that
Sauron fought with Gil-galad and Elendil, and both were slain. As Elendil fell, his sword was broken beneath him. Yet Sauron was thrown down, too, and Isildur ...
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Why did Gandalf seal the One Ring inside an envelope?
In this scene after Bilbo leaves, Gandalf seals the One Ring inside an envelope.
He seems to fear touching it. He very briefly touched it when it lay on the floor ...
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Why did Sauron die when the Ring was destroyed in Mount Doom?
When Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand, he returned again. But when Frodo went to Mount Doom and accidentally Gollum cast the Ring along with himself, Sauron was defeated and never came back ...
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Could Gandalf not have made his own One Ring?
Sauron created The One Ring to gain control over the other ring-bearers, but it also amplified his power. Since it's a bad idea for anyone to claim The One Ring, wouldn't it be possible for Gandalf to ...
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How does Gandalf know that dragon-fire might be able to melt the rings of power, but not the One Ring?
In Fellowship of the Ring "The Shadow of the Past", Frodo asks about destroying the One Ring. Gandalf says:
It has been said that dragon-fire could melt and consume the rings of power but there is ...
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What would have happened to Saruman if Sauron acquired the One Ring?
This question is the opposite of another one. The other question asks "What would happen to Saruman if he got the One Ring?" and this one asks what would happen to Saruman if Sauron got the ...
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Is there any canon evidence of a second "One Ring?"
In the videogame "Middle-Earth: Shadow of War" the opening scene shows Talion, really Celebrimbor, forging a second Ring of Power to combat the original One Ring.
My question is whether this is ...
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Where does Tolkien discuss his bafflement at fans wearing One Ring replicas?
I'm certain that I read a passage from Tolkien somewhere expressing how disturbed/confused he was that anyone would want to make or possess a replica of the One Ring, being as it is a symbol of evil. ...
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How does Gandalf (or anyone) know how to destroy the Ring?
The only way to destroy the Ring is by throwing it into the fire of Orodruin. This fact doesn't seem to be common knowledge and many people in the story (like Gimli) only learn about it at the council ...
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Was the mission of the Fellowship of the Ring a 'secret' mission?
And I will choose you companions to go with you, as far as they will or fortune allows. The number must be few, since your hope is in speed and secrecy.
[emphasis mine]
Does the use of the word ...
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Who had hung the ring about Frodo's neck on a new chain?
'Have you got it here?' Bilbo asked in a whisper. 'I can't help feeling curious, you know, after all I've heard. I should very much like just to peep at it again.'
(...)
When he had dressed, Frodo ...
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How many times did Gandalf touch the One Ring in the books?
Inspired by this question here, not sure about the LOTR novels (no copy of my books with me) but, in the movies Gandalf touches the Ring once after Bilbo drops it, and gets a vision immediately of ...
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Could the One Ring tempt someone who couldn't touch it and didn't know it was even there?
I have always thought it interesting that Gandalf briefly handles the One Ring once or twice without being affected by it, as powerful as he is. (And my understanding is that the temptation is ...
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Are the Valar vulnerable to the One Ring?
We know that the One Ring would have corrupted any mortal (humans, dwarves, hobbits, etc) or Elf who claimed it. Only Gandalf or another Maia (Saruman, say, or Radagast) could even have tried to wrest ...
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Would a Nazgûl in possession of the One Ring seek to use it? [duplicate]
All who came to possess the One Ring after Sauron, who possessed ambition for great deeds (basically not hobbits) have sought to master the Ring and use its power to serve their cause. Few, such as ...
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Why was Gollum never tempted to take the ring to Mordor or gain power?
From what I understand about the Ring and the way it works in the films and book, it always wants to return to its master, and does so by manipulating its users into thinking that they are the best ...
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How did Sauron learn of the Three?
My understanding of ring lore is that Sauron, disguised as Annatar, Lord of Gifts, taught Celebrimbor and the elves of Eregion how to make rings of power, and together they made the Seven and the Nine....
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What happened to Sauron immediately after losing the One Ring? [duplicate]
I watched and read LotR and Hobbit and there is no mention of the events after the Last Alliance overthrew Sauron.
I imagine that after Isildur cut off the Ring Sauron could be captured and for ...
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Why didn't Sauron "hide" the One Ring?
Okay, perhaps "hide" is the incorrect word here: but during the War of the Last Alliance, when his armies were shattered and the defences of his kingdom destroyed, why didn't Sauron at some stage ...
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How did the destruction of the Ring cause Arwen to change from Evenstar to Morningstar?
Arwen Undómiel , also known as "Evenstar" (or Evening Star), became mortal by choice and her "fate became tied to the outcome of the ring" (words of Elrond in the movie, don't remember how that was ...
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When did J.R.R. Tolkien write the verse found on the One Ring?
J.R.R. Tolkien spent many years creating his "Legendarium" - often writing stories decades before using them as foundational elements of his later work. He would also regularly revise individual works ...
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When Frodo was guided by Gollum to the Black Gate, how did he intend to enter Mordor?
In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, in the second half of The Two Towers Frodo asks Gollum to act as a guide, to bring him to the Black Gate of Mordor.
Gollum points out that to enter Mordor is easy (...
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What if Morgoth gained the One Ring?
There have been many questions about what the Ring would do to various beings of Middle Earth. In general It takes control of whatever it is through tempting them with power. There is some suggestion ...
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Was the Balrog of Moria aware of the presence of the One Ring during the events of Khazad-dûm?
I recall that evil creatures like Nazgûl can sense the presence of the Ring. At any rate, the Ring having a will of its own should be "calling" to the Balrog, who being a fallen Maia can make use of ...
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Is the One Ring sentient?
This question about the Ring's betrayal of Isildur brought up many different interpretations of the nature of the Ruling Ring and the extent of its ability to influence or even directly control events....
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Why did the One Ring betray Isildur?
First of all, let me point out that I know of this question, about how the Ring betrayed Isildur. I believe it is undisputed that the Ring caused itself to fall off Isildur's finger and into the river....
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Would the One Ring work if it was worn on the toe instead of the finger?
Would the One Ring work if it was worn on someone’s toe instead of their finger?
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Why did the One Ring not slip off Frodo's hand?
Clearly the One Ring slipped off the hands of Isildur and Gollum to further its own work to return to its master.
So why did it not then slip off Frodo at any of the opportune moments in which a ...
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Why would Sauron want the one ring back? (Canon reference?) [duplicate]
So, question should say everything, but I'll detail what answer I'm looking for. Including the "Rings of Power" that were forged by the elves under Sauron's guidance:
3 Rings for the Elves
7 Rings ...
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Would Aragorn have been able to resist the Ring?
Despite leaving Frodo and Sam to finish what the Fellowship started, would Aragorn had he had the Ring been able to control it without falling to Sauron's will and becoming his servant? Was there a ...
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Can the One Ring change in size?
Does the One Ring change size with its bearer?
Being that the ring is magical, does it conform to the ring bearer's hand size?
In the very first battle scene Sauron get his fingers cut off, then ...
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Aside from the Rings of Power, what else did Sauron make in his forge at Mount Doom?
We know that the forging power of Mount Doom was legendary and vastly powerful. And I see from other questions here that Sauron kept the forge at Mount Doom essentially crafting things.
My question ...
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