In J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Hobbit, the skin-changer who aids Thorin’s company is Beorn.
Beorn lives in a wooden hall between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. He can change from a man into a huge bear, making him one of the novel’s most distinctive characters. Gandalf introduces him to Bilbo and the dwarves after their escape from the goblins and wargs.
Although Beorn is initially suspicious of the travelers, he gradually accepts their account of their danger. He provides them with food, ponies, and advice before they continue toward Mirkwood. His hostility toward goblins and wargs explains why he helps them, but he is not simply a conventional heroic ally.
Beorn later plays an important role in the Battle of Five Armies, arriving in bear form and attacking the goblin forces. Readers sometimes confuse him with other figures in the story, especially Bard, the human archer who kills Smaug, but Beorn is a separate character with shape-shifting powers.