The Lord of the Rings has long been one of my favorite fantasy sagas, since long before the films were released, in no small part because of the power and depth of the relationship between Frodo and Sam. Tolkien’s original books pulled heavily from his experiences of life-or-death camaraderie from the trenches of World War One, where young British soldiers of all social classes found themselves bonding with men they would never have known otherwise.
Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings are phenomenal movies, but the transition from text to screen left a lot of Tolkien’s more subtle details on the cutting-room floor, even from the colossal Lord of the Rings Extended Editions, and that means some moments lose a lot of important context. One such moment is the very end of the trilogy – or rather, the story that exists beyond the end of the story. Aside from Tolkien’s abandoned LOTR sequel, there are some important details about Frodo and Sam’s connection found only in the books’ Appendices.
The Lord Of The Rings Movies Don’t Reveal What Happens To Bag End After Frodo Leaves
The Return Of The King Doesn’t Technically End Until Aragorn’s Death A Hundred Years Later
The ending of The Return of the King finally meanders to a close with Sam returning home after seeing Frodo leave on the final ship departing the Grey Havens for the Undying Lands, where he embraces his new wife Rosie and their children and wistfully delivers the film’s final line: “Well, I’m back.” It’s a poignant and understated way to end an epic fantasy film trilogy, and yet it feels incredibly genuine and well-earned – but it also closes the door on the meaningful final chapter of Sam’s life.
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Lord of the Rings: What Happened AFTER The Ending
Here’s what happened in Middle-earth after the defeat of Sauron and the fall of Mordor along with Aragorn’s rise in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
To be fair, the original novel version of The Return of the King ends with the exact same beat, right down to the final line of dialogue:
At last the three companions turned away, and never again looking back they rode slowly homewards; and they spoke no word to one another until they came back to the Shire, but each had great comfort in his friends on the long grey road.
At last they rode over the downs and took the East Road, and then Merry and Pippin rode on to Buckland; and already they were singing again as they went. But Sam turned to Bywater, and so came back up the Hill, as day was ending once more. And he went on, and there was yellow light, and fire within; and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. And Rose drew him in, and set him in his chair, and put little Elanor upon his lap.
He drew a deep breath. ‘Well, I’m back,’ he said. (The Return of the King, Book 6, Chapter 9, “The Grey Havens”)
But, as Tolkien was so fond of doing, Sam’s story continued on in The Lord of the Rings‘ Appendices, which detailed just how everyone’s favorite gardener lived his life after his beloved Mr. Frodo left. It turns out, Sam became one of the most important hobbits in the Shire – and it all started with Frodo bequeathing him the estate at Bag End.
Frodo Leaves Bag End To Samwise Gamgee & Sam’s Kids Eventually Inherit It
Bag End And The Baggins Legacy Become A Central Part Of The Shire’s History
Frodo, knowing his time in Middle-earth was drawing to a close even before he was invited aboard Cirdan the Shipwright’s final creation, left the entire Baggins estate to Sam. And yet that was only the beginning of Sam’s rise to prominence among his fellow hobbits. Six years after Frodo’s departure, Sam was elected Mayor of the Shire for the first time, around the same time that Aragorn, now known throughout the land as King Elessar, decreed that Men were not to enter the Shire, and that it was under royal protection.
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This ancient elvish quote in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is very significant to both Aragorn’s family history and his personal journey.
The combination of Sam’s leadership and the distant but tangible protection from Minas Tirith was only the beginning of a period of prosperity for hobbit communities. Sam was such a popular Mayor that he was elected to the position seven times in a row, for a total of 42 years in office. Finally, at the age of 102 and after his beloved wife Rose passed away, Sam left Bag End to his family and made his way back to the Grey Havens, and so the last of the Ring-bearers went over the sea and left Middle-earth behind.
Bag End’s Fate Adds A Sweet Layer To Frodo & Sam’s Friendship In The Lord Of The Rings
Frodo Further Shows That He And Sam Are Equal Partners By Passing Bag End On To Him
Bag End represents many things in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but in regard to Frodo and Sam’s relationship, what it represents most is family. The Lord of the Rings began with Frodo inheriting Bag End as Bilbo’s heir; with it came the Ring and the heavy burdens it entailed, but the story ends with the Ring destroyed, and a Bag End free of baggage then passes from Frodo to Sam. That repeated transition essentially says that much like how Bilbo made Frodo a part of his family, so too did Frodo bring Sam into the family.
I wish there had been a way to show Frodo’s legacy and its impact on Sam…
While I get why both the book and the film of The Return of the King leave these details out of the main story (few things would ruin the poignancy of the existing ending like a 60-year montage of Shire politics and Sean Astin in old-age makeup). I just wish there had been a way to show Frodo’s legacy and its impact on Sam. The connection between them is one of the most incredible and important parts of The Lord of the Rings, and serves to highlight how Sam really is the greatest hero in Middle-earth’s history.
- Created by
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J.R.R. Tolkien
- Cast
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Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt
- Character(s)
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Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
