^^^ Can’t front on any of that. Frodo is the protagonist of the books, by almost any conventional standard.
I guess my position for Sam is not necessarily that he is the greatest Hobbit, but the most hobbit-y of Hobbits, the one who changes the world so much while being himself changed so little. And “Well, I’m back,” his last line and the last line in the LotR trilogy, is one of the most achingly poignant pieces of dialogue in literary history IMHO. I have a soft spot in my heart for him.
if Stoors can be counted as Hobbits, Smeagol is in the conversation. Lived hundreds of years, disposed of countless goblins under the Misty Mountains, survived losing his most precious possession to that riddle-cheat Bilbo Baggins, figured his way in and out of Mordor, made an alliance with a child of Ungoliant, tracked the Fellowship without being caught, survived Moria, was just as instrumental as Sam in getting Frodo to Mordor, got Frodo into Mordor, and of course, did what not even the great Frodo of the Nine Fingers could not manage, destroyed the One Ring.
But my vote goes to the Bullroarer.
B’ain’t that the Gaffer, Gaw?
Agreement. He’s the necessary “everyman” (or every Hobbit) that grounds the story and makes it accessible to us. Frodo begins in this role, but is elevated out of it. Sam keeps his footing.
Another really great line of his is at the road-crossing in Ithilien: “They cannot conquer forever.”
Yes, but Frodo did not have the burden Sam did, namely putting up with Frodo’s self-indulgent whining and dawdling. With Sam, and not Frodo, Sam would have left the Shire way earlier. Sam would not have played with the ring at the Prancing Pony. Sam would not have put the ring on on Weathertop. Sam would have have not shown the doubts that led Boromir to believe he could be persuaded. Sam would have killed Gollum and still found a way to get to Mount Doom and mortally wound Shelob even if it took a side trip to do it. Sam would have got there a day or two earlier and spared us the battle of the Black Gates. Sam would have thought of using the damn eagles, at least to get over the mountains. (Heck even Bilbo was carried by the eagles with the ring.)
Eh, Frodo spends the first book offering to give the Ring to basically everyone he comes across (Gandalf, Galadrial, Elrond, Tom Bombadil). He even actually hands it over to Tom, at one point.
Sam. He gets Rosie, and the last line.
Meanwhile Frodo’s stuck with immortality and eternal bliss while literally living with the Gods.
(plus I heard at some point in the fourth age he banged Yavanna).
Pipe weed was the greatest Habit.
Hibberty
Sam got that too…and Rosie. And the last line.
Forgetting about Bilbo? It took some prompting, but he did it.
Frodo and Bilbo weren’t granted immortality, just a period of healing in the West. Immortality isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be in Tolkien’s world.
Word.
Fastred? He got Elanor the Fair and live in a castle. He also had a chance to re-write the Red Book.
What happened to the ring while Elrond was curing Frodo from the morgul blade injury?
Frodo was probably wearing the ring the entire time he was in Rivendell. Others could resist the ring’s lure for periods of time; even Boromir did. Elrond was probably especially wary of it, even while elvish doctoring
And Sam wouldn’t be Sam if he had to be the ringbearer. That’s one of the burdens of carrying the ring. It’s easy to give it back to Frodo when you’ve only had it for a few hours, but after you’ve carried it for weeks and months, well, it takes a toll. Sam, had he been the Ringbearer, wouldn’t be the Sam we love so much. Which is why Frodo is greater, he bore the burden. Sam didn’t have to. Frodo carrying the Ring allowed Sam to be … well Sam.
Frodo, no question.
Bilbo gets my vote.
According to LotR expert Leonard Nimoy, the bravest hobbit was Bilbo.