How many Dwarves accompany Bilbo in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit?

Thirteen Dwarves accompany Bilbo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Their leader is Thorin Oakenshield, heir to the kingdom beneath the Lonely Mountain, and Gandalf the wizard joins the group as its planner and guide.

The company includes Thorin and twelve other Dwarves: Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. Their mission is to reclaim Erebor and its treasure from Smaug, who drove the Dwarves from the mountain years earlier.

Readers sometimes count the travelling party incorrectly because Bilbo and Gandalf are also prominent members of the expedition. The number thirteen applies specifically to the Dwarves. The company’s size also creates a useful contrast with later Tolkien groups, such as the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. Several of these Dwarves reappear in The Lord of the Rings through their relatives and descendants.