Who is the hobbit protagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit?

Bilbo Baggins is the hobbit protagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit.

Bilbo begins the story as a comfort-loving resident of Bag End in the Shire. The wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves persuade him to join a journey to the Lonely Mountain, where they hope to reclaim treasure from the dragon Smaug.

During the adventure, Bilbo finds a mysterious ring in the goblin tunnels beneath the Misty Mountains. The ring later becomes central to The Lord of the Rings, although The Hobbit originally presents the discovery in a more self-contained way. Bilbo also uses his intelligence and courage to help the dwarves repeatedly.

Readers sometimes confuse Bilbo with Frodo Baggins, the central hobbit of The Lord of the Rings. Frodo is Bilbo’s younger cousin and heir, and Bilbo’s decision to leave him the Ring connects the two stories.