Beorn can transform into a bear in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
Beorn is a large, powerful man who lives between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. Gandalf, Bilbo, and the dwarves visit his home while traveling east. Although Beorn is suspicious of strangers, he eventually helps the company by providing food, ponies, and guidance.
His ability to change shape makes him a distinctive figure among the peoples encountered during the quest. In bear form, he later arrives at the Battle of the Five Armies and plays a decisive role in the defeat of Bolg.
Beorn’s name is linked to an Old English and Germanic word associated with “man” or “warrior,” and Tolkien also connected the character with traditions of bear-like men. He should not be confused with the skin-changing Beornings as a whole, the people who descend from or follow him.