this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2026
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Lord Of The Rings Memes
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That was actually super intentional! Gandalf was afraid to wield the ring through another. He felt he could be corrupted but thought that hobbits seemed to show some resistance. So that's why he, and later aragorn, cede to his decisions. There is also a fair bit of magic/faith involved that they don't want to f with.
As I understand it, the ring amplifies the users power. If everything else in the world works as additive and multiplicative modifiers, the ring is exponential and based on your desires. Wizard is already very powerful and already has a lot of desire for change in the world. Wizard² is going to be a huge number. Man is shown to always be ravinous for power and control man² would be so much more so. Hobbits live an idealistic life with all their needs met. Their biggest desires are a second meal and a neat Firework display. Hobbit² would just be eating the last breadstick before everyone else got one. We see that in Gollum, who was willing to kill for the ring but content to just use it to catch fish in a cave for a century. Exponential power means nothing if your needs are already met.
I mean, kind of. The ring does eventually get frodo. He's unable to cast it in remember. Obviously it's all a little loose and hand wavy but hobbits aren't so much immune as resilient. Also we get Sam's pov while bearing the ring and he gets tempted to try and use it to mass an army or something like that I think
That's exactly what I'm saying, it's not that it doesn't tempt hobbits, it's that the bar of desire for a hobbit is so very low that long term exposure is only going to make them kind of an asshole to have at parties as opposes to a political or existential threat. Sam's temptation to build an army is just the amplified desire to protect those he loves.