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LOTR: What Happened to Every Member of the Fellowship After Return of the King
The Fellowship of the Ring succeeds in their quest to defeat Sauron and destroy the One Ring, but The Lord of the Rings movies only briefly touch upon what happens to the characters afterward. And as you might expect, restoring Middle-earth requires more effort than merely tossing the One Ring into the fire, resulting in more challenges and adventures for J.R.R. Tolkien’s heroes.
Fortunately, none of their futures after The Return of the King are quite as dark as their fight against Sauron. Although the War of the Ring leaves its mark on all of them, the majority of the characters manage to carve out happy endings for themselves — and contribute to Middle-earth’s more hopeful future as well.
8) Frodo Baggins
After destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom — and barely living to tell the tale — Frodo returns to the Shire. In Tolkien’s books, he and the other hobbits find it under Saruman’s control, forcing them to take it back in the Battle of Bywater. This is omitted from Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, but it’s a major event in the source material. After the Shire is reclaimed, Frodo temporarily serves as Deputy Mayor, aiding the efforts to restore it. He also writes a book about his adventure, following in Bilbo’s footsteps. It’s yet another way Frodo leaves his mark on Middle-earth.
However, the harrowing journey to destroy the One Ring continues to weigh on Frodo, resulting in his eventual departure to the Undying Lands. Although immortal beings like the Valar, Maiar, and Eldar are typically the only ones granted entry, an exception is made for Ring-bearers. This allows Frodo to seek peace there after being unable to find it in the Shire. We see him leaving Middle-earth at the end of The Return of the King, but we don’t know much about his future beyond that.
7) Samwise Gamgee
Like Frodo, Sam returns to the Shire after the arduous journey to Mount Doom, playing a role in the Battle of Bywater. After Saruman is defeated and the hobbits’ home is reclaimed, he spends the rest of his days in Middle-earth in the Shire. Sam marries Rosie Cotton, a union that’s shown in Jackson’s movie trilogy, and has 13 children with her — one of whom will be a focus of Stephen Colbert’s upcoming Lord of the Rings movie. Sam and his family reside in Bag End with Frodo while he’s there, and they inherit his home once he leaves. Sam also becomes Mayor of the Shire, a role he holds for a whopping seven terms and 49 years. He eventually follows Frodo to the Undying Lands after Rosie’s death, being granted passage because he also carried the One Ring briefly during their journey. He and Frodo reunite in the Undying Lands, giving both hobbits a much-deserved happy ending.
6) Aragorn
While Sam governs the Shire, Aragorn reigns over his own people as the newly crowned King Elessar. The Lord of the Rings trilogy builds up to Aragorn taking the throne of Gondor, so it’s no surprise that his post-Return of the King life involves ruling over his people. And after the War of the Ring, Aragorn has his work cut out for him. He’s tasked with rebuilding Gondor and mending the fractured relationships between the realms of Men. This is no easy feat, especially when it comes to the factions of Men that fought for Sauron. Aragorn does eventually succeed at stamping out resistance and uniting his people. He also weds Arwen after the War of the Ring, having at least three children with her. Aragorn dies at the age of 210, following a 122-year reign. His son, Eldarion, succeeds him, and he’s laid to rest in Rath Dínen, the same place as Merry and Pippin.
5) Legolas
One of Lord of the Rings fans’ favorite friendships continues beyond The Return of the King, with Legolas embarking on a journey with Gimli after Aragorn’s wedding. The pair visits the Fangorn Forest and the Glittering Caves, gaining a greater appreciation of the other’s people and world. Legolas later moves to Ithilien, where Faramir and Éowyn are married and ruling, bringing a group of Mirkwood elves with him. From there, Legolas contributes to the restoration of Middle-earth, helping bring beauty to the area once again. On the heels of Aragorn’s death in the year F.A. 120, Legolas sets sail for the Undying Lands. This is typical for the elves of Middle-earth, though he manages to bring Gimli — a far less expected turn that further cements them as one of Tolkien’s best duos.
4) Gimli
As mentioned, Gimli attends Aragorn’s wedding and goes on an adventure with Legolas in the immediate aftermath of the War of the Ring. Following their journey, he settles down elsewhere, however: in the Glittering Caves. Gimli takes a group of dwarves from Erebor to rebuild there, and he becomes the Lord of the Glittering Caves. Like Legolas and Aragorn, he aids in the restoration of Middle-earth. The dwarves also start mining again, even fixing the Great Gate of Minas Tirith. When Legolas travels to the Undying Lands, Gimli chooses to go with him. Dwarves are not typically allowed to do so, but an exception is made for Gimli. It’s not confirmed why this is the case, but he has two highly respected elves — Legolas and Galadriel — to vouch for him. And he does do a lot for Middle-earth, both during and after the War of the Ring.
3) Gandalf
As depicted at the end of The Return of the King movie, Gandalf accompanies Frodo to the Undying Lands a couple of years after the War of the Ring ends, along with Galadriel, Elrond, and Bilbo. As one of the Maia (going by the name Olorin), Gandalf is no stranger to the place, so this is a return journey for him. His mission to help Middle-earth resist Sauron is complete, so it makes sense that he’d depart shortly after. Tolkien does tell us that Gandalf visits Tom Bombadil before leaving, leaving us to wonder what the two of them discuss. As the mysterious figure is cut from Jackson’s film trilogy, movie-only fans won’t see this play out. Even in the books, it’s left a mystery, much like the reality of who or what Tom Bombadil is.
2) Meriadoc Brandybuck
Similar to Frodo and Sam, Merry returns to the Shire after The Return of the King and partakes in the Battle of Bywater. Merry eventually becomes Master of Buckland and marries Estella Bolger, who he starts a family with. He also takes up writing, penning a book and other works, blending the best parts of Sam’s and Frodo’s conclusions. Merry still has adventures beyond the events of The Lord of the Rings, visiting Gondor and Rohan in his final years. Merry dies a few years later and is buried in Rath Dínen with Aragorn and Pippin.
1) Peregrin Took
Merry and Pippin follow similar paths after The Return of the King, just as they do throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy, starting with their return to the Shire. Pippin is responsible for rallying the Tooks for the Battle of Bywater, an important role. Pippin later settles down in the Shire and weds a hobbit named Diamond, having a son named Faramir. (I’m not crying, you’re crying.) Just like his friends, Pippin is regarded as a hero and takes on a leadership role back at home, becoming Thain of the Shire. He also visits Rohan and Gondor, like Merry, and ends up buried beside his friend and Aragorn when he dies.
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