Who would have fallen?

[Lyta_Underhill]

Legolas i don't think would have fallen. Elves are powerful enough to be able to resist it. but you never know. If he had fallen and taken the RIng there would be numerous problems...i think that he Legolas had taken it he would have been able to wield it....not entirely but just alittle.
If Gimli got the Ring i have no clue what he would have done....I am not to sure would ever have fallen to the power of the RIng.

I can't see Legolas OR Gimli falling right away, either. Legolas has to be the most humble elf I've ever seen, even with his proud words at the beginning. He learns easily and quickly, and bows to others (worthy others) with no qualms (i.e., the total nonexistence of any explicated possibility or even inkling in Legolas' mind of taking over Mirkwood/Eryn Lasgalen after his father). He seems to have no desire to rule even his own realm,though he is the heir of Thranduil. (Unless there are other siblings first in line I know nothing of, but I imagine them also playing Tra-la-la-lally with the addition of lots of wine...holdover from The Hobbit!).

Gimli is one over whom gold has no dominion, as Galadriel has noticed; what is more, Sauron had a whole lot of trouble bending the Dwarves to his will using the seven Dwarven Great Rings and just set himself to gather them up again. It is said Dwarves are slow to change and keep their affairs to themselves. I can't see them expanding their realms, unless it was someplace Dwarves had claimed, occupied and had been lost (i.e., Moria). Even then, in the hands of a Dwarf, the Ring would fare much the same as it did with Gollum, hoarded, hidden away, never to see the light of day.

As for Merry and Pippin, I could see Merry falling before Pippin, although I think Pippin would also fall eventually and possibly in an attempt to save Merry from the Ring. (Clarification: I think Merry is in deeper danger of falling, Pippin in more immediate but less complete danger, if that makes any sense.) Pippin wanted to stop Frodo from heading toward Mordor, and I imagine Merry would know more of the Ring than Pippin does, having observed its use even before Sam or Pippin (his surreptitious watching of Bilbo). I can see Merry having more concrete plans for the future at the time of the War of the Ring than Pippin, who is on the Quest to protect Frodo, because he cares for his friend. (This, BTW, looks like a mirror and an echo to his observations later of Beregond's daring deeds done for love of Faramir, during which time what is buried subconsciously in Pippin comes to conscious realization--at Rauros, however, he only knows he should stop Frodo because he is afraid for him.)

SPM's designation of the B-Team seems apt, as Pippin, having fewer 'plans' and dreams for application of power than Merry, would be the best choice to carry something as abstractly menacing as the Ring. However, he is also too immature at that point to resist properly (on second thought, I think Frodo had a bit of trouble with this himself!). Who can tell if Pippin would have heeded the striving of Gandalf with Sauron on Amon Hen--"take it off, fool!" as Frodo did at the last moment. One thing I do think is that he would have realized it was Gandalf, not necessarily in reality, but in a spiritual realm. Pippin and Gandalf have this very similar serendipity about them, and they are very connected--after all, Pippin is Gandalf's 'project.' Perhaps this is mere fancy, but there does seem to be something, a "Sixth Sense" if you will, behind Pippin's actions, like unto perhaps the extraordinary senses that Frodo gains through his carrying the Ring, and which Sam seems to have innately through his connection with the Earth.

One thing I could say is that Pippin, not having the harsh teachings that Frodo had already had on the road (or having had them only secondhand, as did everyone else) would not be nearly as equipped as Frodo to carry the Ring at this closer locale to Mordor. Pippin would have been more vulnerable, and if he had the Ring, he would make the same mistakes Frodo made earlier, but he wouldn't have the distance and time buffer that Frodo did, so it would be MUCH more dangerous. I hate to think of it! I'll stop now, but I wanted to put out these few thoughts!

Cheers!
Lyta