Smeagol/Gollum (The Lord of the Rings)

“We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious. They stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbitses. Wicked, tricksy, false!” (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

Featuring in all three of the Lord of the Rings books, Smeagol is a Hobbit who has been corrupted by centuries of influence from the One Ring of Power. He serves as one of the main antagonists in the story, acting as the foil to Frodo and Sam's quest to destroy the Ring.

Smeagol is a duplicitous character on numerous levels. One part of Smeagol does sincerely want to help Frodo. However, the part of him corrupted by the Ring, often referred to as "Gollum," would do anything to retrieve the Ring, and manipulates Frodo and Sam to serve reach that end. While there is this internal duality within Smeagol, he also serves as a contrast to the sincere and hopeful Samwise Gamgee. Sam is the innocent embodiment of The Shire, who reminds Frodo of who he is, whereas Gollum is a prediction of what Frodo could become, should he be corrupted by the Ring. There are numerous other elements to Smeagol that are worthy of discussion, such as his addiction to the Ring being very similar to drug abuse, but the fact that this character is simultaneously directly a part of two of the biggest dualities in the trilogy, one within himself and one without, shows an expertly crafted character.