JRR Tolkien Confirmed He Nearly Killed 1 of Lord of the Rings’ Best Characters

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J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories about Middle-earth included many heroes, but at its heart, the tale focused on four humble Hobbits from the Shire: Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took. While all four Hobbits survived the War of the Ring and eventually returned home, Tolkien originally considered letting one of them die at the end of the story. As revealed in The Treason of Isengard, part of The History of Middle-earth series, Tolkien sketched out a plan for the story after the Fellowship left Lothlórien, and he contemplated a tragic ending for one of the Hobbits.

Tolkien hadn’t yet planned the dramatic rescue of Frodo and Sam by the Great Eagles after the Ring’s destruction. He initially considered having Merry and Pippin find them in the desolate land of Gorgoroth. Interestingly, he also noted that if one of the hobbits were to die, it should be Pippin, but in a surprisingly brave act – though he never finished outlining what that act might be. Sadly, Tolkien left this plan unfinished. However, a passage in the final version of The Lord of the Rings feels like it could have originally been written as Pippin’s final moments.

Pippin Could Have Died During The Lord of the Rings’ Final Battle

During the Battle of the Black Gate, as recounted in the chapter “The Black Gate Opens” of The Return of the King, Pippin bravely fought a troll to help his companions. He managed to kill the creature with his Barrow-blade, but it fell on top of him, trapping him. Tolkien vividly describes how Pippin was overwhelmed by pain and darkness, and began to lose consciousness. Just as he did, he heard the welcome sound of the Great Eagles arriving to assist in the battle. In his final moments, Pippin briefly thought of Bilbo, then realized this was his own story reaching its end, thinking “Good-bye” before losing sight of everything.

Initially, it appeared Pippin had been killed by the troll. Tolkien later explained that Gimli actually found Pippin alive under the troll’s body. However, it’s easy to picture a scenario where Tolkien could have used this moment to remove Pippin from the story. Some fans of The Lord of the Rings believe Tolkien changed this detail because of a request from C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia. But this claim lacks solid evidence. In fact, Tolkien wrote that Lewis wasn’t particularly fond of Hobbits, especially Merry and Pippin, making it improbable that Lewis would have advocated for Pippin’s survival. Therefore, Tolkien likely chose to keep Pippin alive on his own.

J. R. R. Tolkien Gave the Hobbits a Bittersweet Ending in The Lord of the Rings

Tolkien might have changed the story to ensure a more hopeful ending for the Hobbits. Having experienced the loss of friends in war himself, he likely wanted to avoid making the conclusion of The Lord of the Rings overwhelmingly sad. While the story was already emotionally difficult for readers, Tolkien allowed them to find comfort in knowing that Sam, Merry, and Pippin would continue their lives after the war.

Keeping the Hobbits alive gave Tolkien more chances to tell stories, letting him show what happened to Pippin and the others when they returned home. Pippin, in particular, went on to lead the people of Tookland in the Battle of Bywater, start a family, become the new Thain of the Shire after his father, and even serve as an advisor to King Aragorn. Throughout The Lord of the Rings, Pippin grew from a carefree troublemaker into a genuine hero, and that development wouldn’t have been as impactful if he had simply died.

Peter Jackson’s vision for The Lord of the Rings nearly took a dark turn. Before New Line Cinema picked up the project, Jackson was working with Miramax, who reportedly pressured him to kill off a Hobbit to increase the drama. Jackson strongly opposed this change from the original book, but Miramax held the funding and could have forced him to comply. Merry or Pippin were likely candidates, as their roles were less central than Frodo and Sam’s. Fortunately, the deal with Miramax fell apart, and New Line Cinema gave Jackson more creative control, allowing him to stay faithful to Tolkien’s story and protect the Hobbits.

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2025-11-07 02:08