'Lord of the Rings' Fans Reveal Interesting Theories About Gollum

From Redditor u/wizrad:

There is something that I always thought while watching Lord of the Rings. I would not be surprised to know that this is a favorite fan theory out there: At the end of the movie, Smeagol's last act (falling into the Fires with the One Ring) was one of self sacrifice on the part of Smeagol against Gollum to save the world rather than a last desperate struggle of a villain.

Well, it most likely was a desperate struggle, but I think that it was an internal one.

It just always seemed odd to me that we have this creature, Gollum, who has been able to do amazing feats of strength and dexterity for the entire series with little more than a loin cloth. This guy who can literally climb mountains like a spider... should suddenly at his moment of triumph trip over his own feet.

I think that Smeagol knew Gollum would eventually win out so he bid his time. When Frodo and Smeagol were fighting over the Ring, I think that that last bit of Smeagol made Gollum walk towards the edge. He guided his feet.

It paints Smeagol in an entirely different light.

From Redditor u/Uluithiad:

Several pages before, Gollum attacks Frodo and Sam on the slopes of the mountain. He is repelled, and Frodo, seen by Sam in a magnificent vision, warns Gollum off, saying that if Gollum attacks him again, Gollum shall be himself cast into the fires. That is, we should note, precisely what happens. But why? Because Gollum swore an oath, all the way back at the beginning of Book IV. It's among his first lines in the story, and we've been following his ability to handle, increasing poorly, living up to that oath.

But why oaths? Well, Aragorn showed us the true power of oaths in Middle-earth when we hear how he prepared for the Battle of Pelennor Fields. The Dead of Dunharrow had sworn an oath, a great oath, and they had reneged. They were then cursed, and by the power of the oath that they swore, power that rests on Eru's ordering of Creation, they were held back even from the journey of Death that all Men must follow. They were not released until they held true to their oath. If you need any more evidence on the power of oaths in Arda, look to the Silmarillion, and how the Oath of Feanor drove the War of the Jewels.

So Gollum has sworn an oath, and he has broken it, repeatedly. He is told, in full display of righteous authority by Frodo, that is he breaks it once again there will be dire and fiery consequences. And then he does. He breaks the oath, takes the Ring, and suffers the fate he must. Into the fire he goes, and the Ring with him. Thus is the Ring destroyed.

Read the full theory here.

From Redditor u/SnakeeyesX:

I always wondered why Gollum never tried to kill Bilbo, like he promised he would. I think the answer might be that he thought he did kill Bilbo, but really killed Drogo and his wife.

Drogo and Primula died from drowning on the Brandywine river in Buckland. Witnesses claim to have seen a struggle. This is Smeagle's MO.

Gollum only had two clues; ‘Shire and Baggins.’ Not likely to travel on land, Gollum would have killed the first Baggins he found along the Brandywine river. Being the only Baggins in Buckland, this would have been Drogo. He wouldn't know the difference between Drogo and Bilbo, as he never actually saw Bilbo, and didn't know his first name.

From Redditor u/HenceForth:

Throughout The Lord of the Rings movies people, such as Gandalf, make mention of how the One Ring wants to get back to it's master, implying the ring has a mind of it's own.

The Ring was held by a creature named Smeagol for about 600 hundred years, In this time they say ‘It Poisoned his mind.’ We see it caused Smeagol to have a form of dissociative identity disorder, or split personalities, one being Smeagol the other Gollum.

In the beginning of The Fellowship of The Ring, after Bilbo pulls his vanishing act for the Hobbits, there is a scene where Bilbo calls the Ring his precious. Gandalf calls him out on this, saying, ‘It has been called that before, but not by you.’ He is talking about Gollum specifically, not Smeagol.

The thing about Gollum and Smeagol is that Gollum refers to the Ring as his ‘precious’ throughout the trilogy, while Smeagol calls it my ‘love,’ like he used to call Deagol. Gollum also is more hateful, spiteful and evil in general, back to this in a bit.

I propose that Gollum isn't exclusive to Smeagol, and is the name of the identity itself that lives in the One Ring, and upon fully possessing any creature, would have went upon being called by the name Gollum.

From a deleted Redditor:

In Gollum's final scene, Frodo gets to the top of Mt. Doom but can't bring himself to toss the ring into the fire. He puts on the ring and becomes invisible to Sam. At that moment Gollum comes out from nowhere, wrestles with invisible Frodo, bites his finger off, wins the ring, and stumbles into the fire.

Gollum never stumbles:

First time we actually meet Gollum is in the Two Towers. After Frodo and Sam spend two days climbing down a cliff using magic Elf-rope, Gollum scales down bare-handed in record time. He is very dexterous.

Gollum escaped the elves in both Mirkwood and Lorien, and snuck into Gondor as well as sneaking in and out of Mordor.

He lived in the deep dark places for eons.

Consequently, he didn't fall. So he either jumped or was pushed.

I was surprised to see it stated in such clear terms. At this point Frodo was not wearing the ring but he was in it's possession and he was using it's will to command Gollum. The passage is entirely prophetic: ‘In the last need, I should put on the precious... And such would be my command.’

There isn't evidence that Frodo deliberately commanded Gollum on Mt. Hood, but here he is earlier quite clearly commanding him in advance. He clearly says, ‘When I put the ring on, you are ordered to take it from me and cast yourself in the fire.’

Gollum was only following Frodo's final command as Master. The command comes just after Frodo warns him to beware, the Precious will twist his words and use him.

From Redditor u/d3rp_diggler:

The Ring gets it's power from the darker desires of it's wearer, as well as tries to implant desires to grow off of as well.

Since Gollum was already a treacherous and violent creature, the Ring had little trouble in controlling him. Gollum's over-use of the Ring also helped make those bonds even more powerful, to the point of Gollum practically being drawn to the ring like the Nazgul.

Bilbo and Frodo were different. They were pure enough of heart for the Ring to have little to feed from, so the Ring had to try to force desire for itself upon them. This lead to a milder and more controllable lust for the Ring. Milder is relative, since we see it was powerful enough that Frodo refused to destroy it, risking becoming like Gollum in the process.