Smaug is the dragon in Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit.
Smaug occupies the Lonely Mountain and guards the treasure that once belonged to the Dwarves of Erebor. Thorin Oakenshield and his company travel there with Bilbo Baggins to reclaim their homeland and wealth. Bilbo’s conversation with Smaug is one of the book’s central scenes.
Smaug is distinct from Gollum, who appears earlier during Bilbo’s journey beneath the Misty Mountains. Saruman and Shelob belong primarily to The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s dragon combines immense physical power, pride, greed, and verbal cunning, making him more than a simple monster in the story.