In the Lord of the Rings movie, it wasn’t Frodo who destroyed the ring. It was the ring’s own destructive influence that led to its end.

The intense hold the ring had on both Gollum and Frodo triggered a struggle at Mount Doom that ultimately sent it into the fiery depths, destroying itself along with Gollum.

Although the scene played out slightly differently in the book, the result was the same. In the book, Frodo and Sam reach the Cracks of Doom. But Frodo ultimately claims the ring for himself, refusing to destroy it. Gollum, desperate to reclaim “his precious,” attacks Frodo.

In the scuffle, Gollum bites off Frodo’s finger to get the ring. overjoyed at regaining the ring, Gollum loses his balance in his excited dance and falls into the lava, taking the ring with him.

This highlights a surprising theme in Tolkien’s masterpiece: sometimes, even the greatest challenges are overcome not by heroism but by the very forces that seem impossible to defeat.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is streaming on multiple platforms.