What was the name of J.R.R. Tolkien’s gardener hero in The Lord of the Rings?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s gardener hero in The Lord of the Rings is Samwise Gamgee.

Sam begins the story as Frodo Baggins’s gardener at Bag End. He becomes Frodo’s companion on the journey to destroy the One Ring and repeatedly protects, encourages, and carries him when the quest becomes overwhelming. His loyalty is central to the emotional structure of the novel.

Sam is sometimes reduced to the role of a sidekick, but Tolkien gives him a major character arc. He resists the Ring’s temptation, helps rescue Frodo from Cirith Ungol, and later becomes mayor of the Shire. His name is connected to the English surname Gamgee, which Tolkien encountered in Birmingham.