22 Giggle-Inducing Lord of the Rings Memes to Turn Any Gollum Back into Smeagol

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Oct 24, 2024 11:30 AM EDT

Gollum is a pretty integral character in The Lord of the Rings. He may be the antihero, but his plight is arguably the most pitiful yet relatable in the whole saga. Nobody wants to LIKE Gollum, in fact, he's a little bit repulsive (you know, eating babies and raw fish and all that)–but there's still something so genuine about him. Perhaps it's the silly songs he sings at the Forbidden Pools with Faramir and the other Rangers of Ithilien or the goofy toothless smile he grins just before reaching for Frodo's throat.

Either way, Gollum–Smeagol if you're catching him on a good day–is ultimately the only reason Frodo and Sam ever make it into Mordor. Without their schizophrenic guide, they never would have passed through Emyn Muil, Minas Morgul, or even Shelob's lair. Although Frodo and Sam were the mightiest and bravest of hobbits, it's that skinny, loin-cloth-wearing, creepy dude who leads them to destroy the One Ring. So, three cheers for Gollum, because even though he's gross, he's just as much a part of the LOTR stories as epic characters like Gandalf and Aragorn.