To whom did Bilbo Baggins give the One Ring?

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To whom did Bilbo Baggins give the One Ring? Bilbo gave it to Frodo Baggins, his cousin and heir. After returning from his adventure in The Hobbit, Bilbo kept the Ring for decades, using its power to remain unusually youthful and occasionally to disappear from awkward situations.

On his 111th birthday, Bilbo announced that he was leaving the Shire and intended to retire to Rivendell. He planned to take the Ring with him, but Gandalf recognized that his attachment had become dangerous. After a tense confrontation at Bag End, Bilbo finally relinquished it willingly, making him the first Ring-bearer to surrender the One Ring voluntarily.

Frodo inherited Bag End and the Ring, though he initially believed it was merely Bilbo's magic ring. Gandalf later discovered that it was Sauron's One Ring and urged Frodo to leave the Shire. Frodo ultimately carried it to Mordor with the Fellowship's help. A common mix-up is Samwise Gamgee: Sam briefly carried the Ring after rescuing Frodo at Cirith Ungol, but Frodo was its principal heir and quest-bearer.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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