Smaug is a dragon in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.
Smaug occupies the Lonely Mountain after driving the Dwarves of Erebor from their kingdom. He guards the enormous treasure hoard accumulated by the Dwarves, including the Arkenstone. Thorin Oakenshield leads a company that travels with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf to reclaim the mountain and its wealth.
Bilbo enters Smaug’s lair and speaks with him in riddles and indirect language. During their conversation, Bilbo notices a bare patch in the dragon’s jewel-covered underside. This weakness is later reported to Bard of Lake-town, who uses the Black Arrow to kill Smaug.
Smaug is often confused with other powerful creatures in Tolkien’s mythology. A Balrog is a fire-associated spirit, not a dragon, while the term “wyrm” can describe a dragon-like creature in Tolkien’s wider tradition. Smaug’s defining place in the story is as the treasure-hoarding dragon of Erebor.