Which Tolkien character is the burglar hired by Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit?

Bilbo Baggins is the burglar hired by Thorin Oakenshield in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Bilbo begins the story as a respectable hobbit of Bag End who values regular meals, comfort, and predictable routines. Gandalf and Thorin’s company disrupt that life when they recruit him for an expedition to the Lonely Mountain. His assigned role is “burglar,” meaning a stealthy explorer who can enter places and retrieve valuable objects.

During the journey, Bilbo encounters Gollum beneath the Misty Mountains and finds the One Ring. He later uses courage, negotiation, and observation to help the company, especially during the confrontation with the dragon Smaug. His growth from reluctant traveller to resourceful hero is the novel’s central character arc.

Bilbo is Frodo Baggins’s older cousin and adoptive guardian. Although both are central hobbits, they undertake different quests: Bilbo joins the journey to Erebor, while Frodo carries the One Ring toward Mount Doom.