Which character is the title figure in J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit?

Bilbo Baggins is the title figure and protagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit. He begins the story as a comfort-loving hobbit living at Bag End, but Gandalf and a company of dwarves draw him into an adventure.

Bilbo’s journey takes him from the Shire toward the Lonely Mountain. Along the way he encounters trolls, giant spiders, wood-elves, and Gollum. His discovery of a mysterious ring during the underground riddle contest becomes especially important in Tolkien’s later narrative.

Readers sometimes confuse Bilbo with Frodo Baggins, the central hobbit of The Lord of the Rings. They are relatives, and Bilbo adopts Frodo as his heir, but they are different characters in different principal quests. Thorin leads the dwarves, while Gandalf acts as the wizard who helps set the expedition in motion.