[FingolfintheBold]

For one thing. the hero of a tale can never be described simply by the part he played in the all-important mission. Each character leans upon the other. Gandalf can't simply be called the book's hero because without him the quest would have failed, since the same can be said of Aragorn, Sam, Frodo, Faramir, Gollum and countless others, reaching back into the depths of time. Without them the task could never have been completed...and that is part of what makes the history of ME so amazing.

So I think one must define who the hero of any tale is based on previous bias. A amn from Gondor, such as Beregond, would certainly say that Aragorn was the hero. And yet little Bergil might say proudly that his father was the hero. The wisest of elves would call Gandalf the true hero, as would Aragorn, since his works were so humble and yet so great, stretching back into the mists of time. To a hobbit from the shire, Merry or Pippin would be the hero, since that is all they know.

So as to picking one central character that is THE HERO of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, it really cant be done. There are many, they are all important and completley indispensible when viewed from certain eyes: as i think this thread so far clearly shows. Different people like different characters right from the start, and that is there hero. Mine would certainly be the King in Exile, Mighty 39th Heir of Elindil.