What is the name of the hobbit protagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit?

Bilbo Baggins is the hobbit protagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The novel follows his unexpected journey from a comfortable life in Hobbiton to an adventure involving dwarves, a dragon, and a powerful ring.

Bilbo begins as a respectable hobbit who prefers predictable routines, good food, and domestic comfort. The wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves draw him into their attempt to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasure from Smaug. During the journey, Bilbo encounters Gollum and finds the One Ring.

Bilbo is not the same character as Frodo Baggins, who becomes the central hobbit of The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo is Frodo’s older cousin and guardian, and his earlier adventure provides important background for the later trilogy.