The Lord of the Rings: 5 Things That Still Make No Sense About Gollum

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Gollum is a hugely important character in both J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings books and Peter Jackson’s film adaptations. He played a significant part in both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies, and will be central to the story once again in the upcoming film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

Even though Gollum remains a key character in the Lord of the Rings franchise, some parts of his portrayal, especially in the movies, are confusing. Here are five of the most puzzling aspects of Gollum’s character as shown in the films.

Gollum Didn’t Experience Rapid Aging After Losing The Ring

Gollum possessed the One Ring for almost 500 years, which explains why he’s so twisted and unrecognizable when we first see him in the films. However, when he loses the Ring in The Hobbit, he doesn’t instantly start to age or change physically – aside from becoming desperate and fixated on finding it again.

It’s surprising that Gollum doesn’t seem to age much after losing the Ring. We see Bilbo age quickly in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring once he gives it up, so you’d expect a similar change in Gollum. While Gollum possessed the Ring for far longer than Bilbo – centuries longer – it’s still strange that he doesn’t show any visible physical effects from letting it go.

Gollum Survived His Fall In Shelob’s Lair

In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Gollum was incredibly resilient and wouldn’t die until he fell into the fires of Mount Doom. Though he faced danger multiple times, a moment where he appeared to be fatally injured – but wasn’t – occurred in Shelob’s lair. There, Frodo discovered Gollum had tricked him, leading him into a trap. They fought, and Frodo seemingly caused Gollum to fall into a deep chasm, believing him to be dead.

Just when Frodo is about to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom, Gollum reappears, attempting to steal it one last time. Surprisingly, Gollum doesn’t appear hurt at all after his fall – the movie never explains how he survived, which is quite strange, especially considering he seemed completely unharmed.

The Ring Corrupts Sméagol Immediately

The start of The Return of the King reveals more about Sméagol’s past, including how his cousin, Déagol, discovered the One Ring. When Déagol finds the Ring, Sméagol instantly demands it, claiming it’s his birthday and he deserves it. Déagol refuses, leading to a fight where Sméagol tragically kills him.

It’s surprising how fast the Ring changes Sméagol. He seems to be affected almost instantly, and the story suggests he wasn’t prone to violence before finding it. This is unusual because Sméagol was a Stoor Hobbit, which should have given him some protection against the Ring’s power – similar to the resistance shown by Bilbo and Frodo.

Gollum Is Starving But Also Incredibly Strong

One thing that always struck me as odd about Gollum is how weak and starved he looks, yet he’s still able to fight surprisingly well throughout The Lord of the Rings. And it’s not just fighting – he’s actually really agile and manages to keep up with the Fellowship for a lot of The Fellowship of the Ring, which is pretty impressive for someone in his condition!

As a big fan of The Return of the King, I always found something a little strange about Gollum. By the time he’s battling Frodo, Frodo himself is pretty worn down, which makes sense. But Gollum? He looks absolutely starving throughout the whole movie, constantly on the verge of collapsing, yet he still manages to be surprisingly strong and agile. It just feels a bit inconsistent, you know?

Sméagol Seemingly Develops An Actual Affection For Frodo

One of the most puzzling aspects of Gollum in the films is his complicated relationship with Frodo. Despite ultimately trying to kill him, Gollum appears to develop real affection for Frodo. This echoes his conflicted feelings about the Ring – and about himself, loving and hating both simultaneously. It’s strange, though, because Frodo possesses the very thing Gollum craves and is determined to destroy it, giving Gollum little reason to actually like him.

Despite occasionally realizing the Ring needs to be destroyed, Gollum surprisingly shows concern for Frodo several times, even though Frodo is essentially holding him captive and keeping him from the Ring. It’s a pity this complex side of Gollum wasn’t developed further in the films, as it’s a fascinating aspect of his character. For now, it just leaves his motivations unclear.

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2026-04-19 03:43