Smaug is the dragon in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit who occupies Erebor. He drives the dwarves from the Lonely Mountain and takes possession of their treasure, including the Arkenstone.
Smaug’s presence creates the main external danger of the novel. Thorin Oakenshield and his companions travel with Bilbo Baggins to reclaim the mountain, while Gandalf helps set the expedition in motion. Bilbo enters Smaug’s lair and discovers a weakness in the dragon’s armor.
The dragon is eventually killed by Bard the Bowman, who uses a black arrow after learning about the unprotected patch on Smaug’s underside. Smaug’s death does not end the story immediately; it leads to a conflict among dwarves, elves, and humans over the treasure.
Smaug is distinct from Tolkien’s other dragons. Glaurung appears in the First Age tales, while Ancalagon is a much larger dragon associated with the War of Wrath. Their names and histories belong to different periods of Tolkien’s mythology.