Nine companions make up the Fellowship of the Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s story.
The Fellowship is formed at Rivendell to carry the One Ring toward Mordor and includes Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf. The group’s number is deliberately set against the nine Ringwraiths, or Nazgûl, who pursue the Ring-bearer.
The Fellowship does not remain together for the entire journey. It breaks apart after the events at Amon Hen, when Boromir dies and Frodo and Sam continue toward Mordor alone. The remaining members follow different paths, so the phrase “the Fellowship” refers to the original company of nine, not to every character who later joins a particular quest.