Who is the youngest member of the Fellowship of the Ring?

Peregrin Took, usually called Pippin, is the youngest member of the Fellowship of the Ring. He is a hobbit from the Shire and begins the journey as Merry Brandybuck’s close companion, but his impulsive decisions repeatedly affect the fate of the entire Fellowship.

Pippin’s youth helps explain his curiosity and occasional recklessness. In Moria, he drops a stone down a well, alerting the inhabitants to the Fellowship’s presence. Later, at Amon Hen, he and Merry are captured by Orcs, setting in motion the events that lead to their meeting with the Rohirrim and the Ents of Fangorn.

Some readers choose Merry because he is also one of the youngest-looking members, or Sam because the films emphasize his close relationship with Frodo. In Tolkien’s chronology, however, Pippin is younger than the other hobbits in the Fellowship. He eventually comes of age through war, service in Gondor, and his role in the defeat of Saruman’s forces.