In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, who gives Frodo the One Ring?

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins gives Frodo the One Ring.

Bilbo originally finds the Ring beneath the Misty Mountains after becoming separated from the Dwarves in The Hobbit. He takes it from Gollum, who has possessed it for centuries without knowing its full history. Bilbo uses its invisibility power during his journey and keeps it after returning to the Shire.

On his 111th birthday, Bilbo leaves the Shire and places the Ring in Frodo’s care. Gandalf later confirms that it is the One Ring forged by Sauron, making Frodo’s inheritance the beginning of the central quest in The Lord of the Rings.

The Ring is not given to Frodo by Gandalf or Elrond. Gandalf investigates its identity, while Elrond later hosts the Council that decides how the Ring must be dealt with.