Pippin or Merry: Who is better? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

10-14-2003, 03:09 PM

The best hobbits in the whole book. But which is your favorite? There must be a reason why. I vote Pippin. He is the curious one.

Meela · 10-14-2003, 03:28 PM

Pippin. But I'm only biased because he was the one who served Denethor. Okay, so out of bias, I do actually prefer Pippin. He's curious and idiotic, and probably the hobbit I would most like to spend time with.

Arwen1858 · 10-14-2003, 03:35 PM

Pippin! I like Merry a lot too, of course, but Pippin is my favorite. He's very curious, like me . Although, I do think in the movie they make him seem a little too foolish. In the books, he was more careless, I think, than foolish. But still, I like the Pippin in the movie a lot, too. I love the scene where he and Merry are singing in the Green Dragon! Arwen

dragoneyes · 10-14-2003, 04:13 PM

I really want to say Merry just to be different, but I have to say Pippin as well. If his nose were a little shorter he'd be on the same level as the rest of them (well, Frodo anyway) but I love them all near enough equally, I wouldn't usually proclaim favourites but Pippin just seems more fun loving than the others, like myself (I hope).

Lord of Angmar · 10-14-2003, 04:49 PM

Both actors are doing a superb job in their roles, but I have to say that Billy Boyd as Pippin really brings their duo to life on screen. When reading the books, I had no favorite between the two, and still don't, but I would have to say that honestly I enjoy Pippin's (Billy Boyd's) lines in the movie a tad more. Meela, I think you are being a bit harsh in calling Pippin an idiot.

mollecon · 10-14-2003, 07:06 PM

Merry (do I have to say why?) . Maybe cos he in some ways is a bit like myself - always nice to recognize yourself in someone else

Diamond18 · 10-15-2003, 01:36 AM

Pippin. (What a surprise...)Both Merry and Pippin are more rounded and deeper in the books (of course) and Merry comes across a little more noticable as his own character in the books, I think. To be fair to movie-Merry, most of my favorite Pippin/Merry material from the books is from RotK or parts of TTT that didn't make it into the movie but still might be in the Rotk-movie. So I may like movie-Merry better and better after the last installment. After all, the slaying of the Witch-King and insuing injury has got to be good for some nice face time for the ol' boy!There are lots of reasons why Pippin's my favorite, but I'd have to say the best way to sum it all up is when his spirit laughs a little before he passes out under the troll, thinking he's dying. That just describes his character perfectly. I hope they don't gloss over his side of the story in RotK too much (at least play up the troll-squashing, please! I know PJ and Co can do a great death/almost death scene, and I want to see it for Pip!)Pippin is no idiot, fie upon anyone who calls him one! I do enjoy the more clownish Pippin in the movies, to a certain extent, but sometimes the script was just unfair. In the book when Gandalf snaps at him it always seemed more grouchiness on Gandalf's part, in the movie Pippin often deserves it. But I can live with that, since they have known enough to let him mature as time goes on instead of stubbornly sticking to him as the butt-end of all the jokes. I love the Scottish accent. Even though Billy Boyd looks a bit too old for my mental image of Pippin from reading the books, he really brings to life the personality and mannerisms of the character.

Essex · 10-15-2003, 09:09 AM

There's no doubt a thread somewhere about this, but didn't Pippin actually die? i.e. Gimli 'made sure he was dead' when he pulled him out from under the orc, didn't he?But for me, its got to be Merry. He has one of the most heartbreaking lines in lotr, "Are you going to bury me?" and then soon after Gandalf states (which ALWAYS gets me!) "He should have been borne in honour into this city". Reading it right now to check the words has left me with a tear in my eyes. I hope it's in the film.......So, all in all, I'll go for Merry.

Essex · 10-15-2003, 09:12 AM

PS, for gandalf's line 'He should have been borne in honour into this city' to work, in the book, Gandalf has a 'vision' of what happens to the witch king. I'm not sure how jackson's going to convey this, if at all, so now I'm wondering if it WILL be in or not. If it's not, I'll be dissapointed.

kittygirl02 · 10-17-2003, 03:52 PM

Yes, I think they have their levels of deepness, like most people it just depends on the situation. But overall, Merry is my favorite. Just because he's a little more emotional, and kind of reminds me of myself. In some ways at least.Like how he feels the world is just a little big for him, and he doesn't fit in in the world of men. And how people are underesimating him, and he gets left behind a lot. I feel like this a lot because I am homeschooled and people leave me out of things a lot, and I just don't feel NORMAL. (In the book I'm writing, we get married)

Sapphire_Flame · 10-17-2003, 11:08 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> but didn't Pippin actually die?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> ARGH! DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T!!! TRY to read the books more carefully next time! What in Middle-earth's wrong with you?!?!*ahem* But back to the topic.My favorite is Pippin. Just because we seem to have the same sort of point of view and personality and whatnot. A lot of the things that Pippin says, in the books and the movies, are things that I would probably say in those situations. And he's just so cute! ^^Abedithon le,~*~Aranel~*~

Rilarien884 · 10-18-2003, 01:16 AM

Wow, for a movie discussion, this one got pretty serious.All in all, I'd have to say I like Merry. Okay, my reason, though not as deep as other or as book orientated: Dom is cuter than Billy. Shallow? Strange? Or just teenager? A little of all three I'd have to say. Pippin was a character in both book and movie, but in the movie Merry seemed more grounded. Pip was just plain fun! But I'd still have to for Merry, Dom has a cuter smile AL

Gorwingel · 10-18-2003, 01:23 AM

I would have to say Pippin, because he is just a brilliant, brilliant character. But I do truly love both. It is very hard to choose one over the other, but it is just that Pippin is a much more memorable character for me. His scenes in Gondor with Denethor and Bergil are actually some of my favorites, because it shows so many parts of his personality, and how he deals with the battles, the coming and goings of the soldiers and Gandalf, and how he deals with difficult situations. While in Mitas Tirith he kind of takes the place of the reader, observing, and doing what a regular person would do if they were in an extraordinary situation like that one.

Arwen1858 · 10-18-2003, 01:35 AM

I already posted that I like Pippin better, but I wanted to add one more thing. I do love Merry's line in the RotK preview 'We shall see the Shire again.' Just the way he says it is so wonderful! The hope that's there... it just stirs up so much emotion in me! He says it with such hope and feeling... I have to watch that line over and over, and repeat it to myself just because I love it so much!

Daisy Brambleburr · 10-19-2003, 09:48 AM

I can never decide when these type of questions are asked!One way of putting it is that I see a lot of Pippin in myself, but I think that I'd get along better with Merry. At a first glance, the two hobbits seem pretty similar, but Pippin is somewhat sillier (right word?) than Merry. He puts his foot in it sometimes (throwing the stone down the well is a good example) and does things on impulse. You get the feeling that he doesn't think before he acts or speaks, whereas I feel that Merry is more thoughtful in that way. He tells jokes and is just as lighthearted as Pippin (for instance, when he asks Farmer Maggot if he found Frodo and co 'in his duckpond') but is perhaps more intelligent? When you seperate them, like in the Return of the King, they become more diverse characters, and more sides to them are shown.I'd say that Pippin is the more entertaining of the two, but that's not to say that Merry is at all boring. He has a different sort of endearing quality. Maybe he's slightly more enigmatic than Pippin? I find that it can be easier to describe Pippin's personality than describing Merry's. I hope that my little ramble made sense. But now I think that I should answer your question. After thinking hard for a while, I say Merry.

10-19-2003, 10:14 AM

I vote Merry. He is the more intelligent of the two. For some reason, he also amuses me more. Also, though this is mostly irrelevant, he served Rohan, which I find to be a more interesting country than Gondor.

Essex · 10-19-2003, 02:05 PM

Sapphire_Flame,Re your over-reaction <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> ARGH! DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T!!! TRY to read the books more carefully next time! What in Middle-earth's wrong with you?!?! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I admit I’ve only read LOTR about a dozen times in my 35 years, but I think I understand the books quite well.Let me explain the situation again, and let’s see if you can understand….. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>There's no doubt a thread somewhere about this, but didn't Pippin actually die? i.e. Gimli 'made sure he was dead' when he pulled him out from under the orc, didn't he? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>What I mean is this.ROTK, The Black Gate Opens <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>For one moment more Pippin's thought hovered. 'Bilbo!' it said. 'But no! That came in his tale, long long ago. This is my tale, and it is ended now. Good-bye!' And his thought fled far away and his eyes saw no more. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>When you first read the book (if you’ve read it more than once), didn’t you think Pippin was dead? I did, and cried my eyes out.ROTK, The Field of Cormallen <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> ‘And not only Sam and Frodo here’, said Gimli, ‘but you too, Pippin. I love you, if only because of the pains you have cost me, which I shall never forget. Nor shall I forget finding you on the hill of the last battle. But for Gimli the Dwarf you would have been lost then. But at least I know now the look of a hobbit's foot, though it be all that can be seen under a heap of bodies. And when I heaved that great carcass off you, I made sure you were dead. I could have torn out my beard. And it is only a day yet since you were first up and abroad again. To bed now you go. And so shall I.'<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Can you see what I’m trying to say? That maybe Pippin DID die, but was somehow (maybe through the grace of the Valar etc) brought back to life? Indeed, even Sam asks the question of Gandalf on the field of Cormallen <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> ‘Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?' <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>This is why I asked if anyone had raised this point beforehand in a thread.

Luthien_ Tinuviel · 10-19-2003, 08:54 PM

I actually can't ever decide which I like more (my favorite hobbit is Sam, so I don't have any mixed-favorite issues or anything). I'm inclined to say Pippin, though, just because he's so cute. And I don't really mean physical cuteness, more of the way he acts and all that, and it's great how he matures and everything. As to him dying, I always took it to mean that Gimli thought he was dead. You see, it's a difference between modern American English and somewhat older British English (and LOTR just has that rather formal style, anyway). In American English, "made sure you were dead" would mean something along the lines of "was absolutely certain that you were dead" or "checked and discovered that you were dead", whereas in the formal British English style of LOTR, "made sure you were dead" would mean something more along the lines of: Gimli assumed that he was dead (maybe he coudn't feel a pulse or whatnot), but not that he actually was.

Arwen1858 · 10-19-2003, 11:04 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> When you first read the book (if you’ve read it more than once), didn’t you think Pippin was dead? I did, and cried my eyes out.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I did the exact same thing!! I thought he was dead, and cried my eyes out!! I really cried a lot when it seemed like Frodo was dead, too, but I kept wondering if maybe he wasn't really dead. But I just knew Pippin was dead! I was quite relieved to find out he wasn't. Arwen

samrohan · 10-20-2003, 12:55 AM

I prefer the Merry in the film because PJ portrayed Pippin as the Village Idiot, which he is not at all in the book. Sigh...

The_Hand · 10-20-2003, 05:57 AM

I prefer Merry in the books and Pippin in the movies! In the books I think Pippin is to... oh I don't know how to say it in english... there's no good word for it. Anyways in the movies he's more fun. I like it.

Daisy Brambleburr · 10-20-2003, 12:50 PM

When I read the scene when Pippin was squashed under the troll in the books I was very uncertain. I read it over again, and whilst I was reading the other parts of the book I was still worried that he was dead. I kept saying to myself, 'no, he can't be gone, Tolkien wouldn't kill him, would he??' I was very glad to see him again at the field of Cormallen!

Airerûthiel · 10-20-2003, 01:02 PM

Oh, this is hard! Based on the book characters, I like Merry better because he was his own hobbit and, of course, got to slay the Witch King with Éowyn. His lines at the end of that are so sad but in a lovely way, as I believe has been said. In the films he seemed to get a bit lost underneath the other characters and didn't have many either semi-funny or memorable lines (all that comes to mind is 'there won't be a Shire, Pippin' and 'I think I've broken something'). Most of what he said felt superflulous and a lot of his TTT dialogue was a bit Hollywood.Pippin, on the other hand, had better movie lines but I was always in two minds about the book Pippin. Perhaps it's just because I'm a serious person by nature, but I never really seemed to connect with him the way I did with some of the other characters. He always struck me as slightly too frivolous up until near the end. But for humour he's virtually unchallenged in the whole novel.All I can hope for these two little hobbits is that they get better parts in RotK than they did in TTT. It's no more than they deserve and they're such great characters it would be a crime to rob them of some brilliant lines and scenes.

Jack · 10-21-2003, 02:41 PM

Merry and Pippen mmmm.... hard choise. I think I like Pippen better in the movie but Merry better in the book...

Elennar Starfire · 11-06-2003, 09:45 PM

Orlando's Top Fangirl: How could you embarrass me like that? You just had to pick that name, didn't you? But, I'm glad I convinced you to come here! You already know, I love Pippin! He just seems so innocent. And he looks really good in Gondorian armour. Edit: Maybe I shouldn't admit that I know you...Oh, well.[ November 06, 2003: Message edited by: Elennar Starfire ]

11-07-2003, 09:23 AM

Pippin's lines in the movie fill me with side-splitting laughter, he also has those funny facial expressions that does not require any lines or comments. But i do love Merry! I like him more in the book than in the movies, but still, i must say Merry

ArathorofBarahir · 11-08-2003, 11:19 AM

Personally I think that Pippin is the better of the two, however I think that both of them personify the spirit of a hobbit.

MYyyPreciousSS · 11-08-2003, 03:43 PM

Well, seeing how my favorite character of all is Merry...I say Merry. I do really like Pippin also, yet there is something about Merry that draws me to him. Most of my liking of Merry comes from the book, especailly in Rotk. Not only is he a funny little Hobbit and has that innocence about him, he is also intellegent, and thats something that Pippin lacks just a bit. I think more people(those who havn't read the books) will appreciate Merry more once Rotk comes out.

Orodoliel · 11-08-2003, 04:31 PM

I vote for Merry. He just seems to be a better character and I've always preferred Rohan to Gondor anyway.

Lyta_Underhill · 11-08-2003, 05:56 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Not only is he a funny little Hobbit and has that innocence about him, he is also intellegent, and thats something that Pippin lacks just a bit.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I always notice that people attribute more intelligence to Merry; what I think Merry has is more common sense and a deeper knowledge of the land. He is more connected to the Earth than Pippin, who seems to float on a level just above it. (Really! If I haven't recommended the Pippin's Sixth Sense thread enough, it isn't done purposely!) Pippin seems to connect to the flow of supernormal events; he is, in many cases the cause of them. He is a nexus, but he is also an innocent. I think if Pippin became TOO grounded, he would lose something. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>There are lots of reasons why Pippin's my favorite, but I'd have to say the best way to sum it all up is when his spirit laughs a little before he passes out under the troll, thinking he's dying. That just describes his character perfectly.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Right on, Diamond! He is the embodiment of the resilient spirit of the entire race of Hobbits! I was extremely worried that Tolkien had killed Pippin at this point too, but somehow, Pippin's last thoughts lightened the blow for me, like it was, indeed, a story, to be laughed at a little and not taken so gravely seriously. A lesson for life, and I am so glad Pippin got to grow up without losing this very important character trait! So many people lose their ability to laugh at things, even the big things, when they are confronted with the hazards of coming of age. I can't say anyone will be surprised at my choice of Pippin (the one character from LOTR I would marry in a heartbeat!), but I can say one thing about Merry and the observations that some here have made about his independence. I thought, when Merry and Pippin were separated, that Merry reacted more in the dependent way; he seemed more worried about being left behind, about losing Pippin and he latched onto Theoden in a very emotional way. I found him to be more dependent and less able to get on emotionally on his own than Pippin was. Pippin's main problem was overcoming his fears and finding someone worthy of love and sacrifice--Beregond, Faramir--this difference, I think arises to a large extent, because of the differences between Theoden and Denethor. There is no way Pippin could have cultivated a relationship like Merry's to Theoden with the VERY disturbed and despairing Denethor. But I do like how Pippin recognizes and rejects that path, while still sympathizing and understanding the madness that Denethor had fallen into. That, in itself, I think illustrates a major difference between Men and Hobbits.Sorry, I went off on a tangent, didn't I? Well, anyway, you can tell I really like Pippin! Cheers, Lyta

Eowyn:Lady of Rohan · 11-08-2003, 06:11 PM

Merry. He was the one who helped slay the Witch King. He also longed to help in any way he could.

Lindir · 11-11-2003, 05:01 PM

Pippin, because he's just so adorable. His accent is so cool.

kittiegirl · 11-14-2003, 07:19 AM

I like Pippin better in the movies, but Merry better in the booksSee Jack, I knew you would say something like that. I personally like Merry better than Pippin(not to say I don't like Pip)because he acts a little more serious(yeah I'm talking about the books)than Pippin is. Also, Pip is a but younger than Merry, and he acts upon impulses which are harder for him to control because he is younger(note him being the youngest member of the Fellowship)So if any of you guys think Pippin is an idiot, lay off.

Morsul the Dark · 11-19-2005, 11:44 AM

Meriadoc Brandybuck is far better than Peregrin Took I must say he is more serious and stronger

01-01-2006, 12:52 AM

I have to say I like them both equally...they both play off each other, have some of the greatest lines in the books and give a little of comic relief. Cheers to both Merry and Pippin!!

Eluchíl · 01-02-2006, 05:00 PM

Kalimac was much better. He had the common sense and the guts of the two.

Valier · 01-02-2006, 05:11 PM

For me Merry and Pip are like moods,Sometimes I like Pip,because he's the comic relief other times it's Merry because he is brave and loyal.Pippin because he is so naive,Merry for being a little more world weary,And of course I love them both when they drink and sing!

Rhod the Red · 05-06-2006, 03:32 AM

I vote Pippin. He's more intelligent and knowledgable in the book than in the movies.

Beanamir of Gondor · 05-09-2006, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valier

For me Merry and Pip are like moods,Sometimes I like Pip,because he's the comic relief other times it's Merry because he is brave and loyal. Pippin because he is so naive,Merry for being a little more world weary,And of course I love them both when they drink and sing!

Haha, I'm with you on that as far as the movies go. Every once in a while you need some Meriadoc Common Sense to balance out the Peregrin Silliness. ("What about second breakfast?")

As far as the books go (which I know was not the question) I would probably side with Merry, mostly because I (personally) prefer tragic figures, and he's a little more tragic than Pippin. He knows that he's following a lost cause, pledging his allegiance to Theoden, but he does it anyway in support of his friends.
Then of course, there's the fact that he gallavants with Dernhelm, who is just cool....

Letty · 05-24-2006, 03:17 PM

Merry.
I just like him better.

10-14-2003, 03:09 PM	#1
Orlando's Top Fangirl Guest Posts: n/a	Pippin or Merry: Who is better? The best hobbits in the whole book. But which is your favorite? There must be a reason why. I vote Pippin. He is the curious one.

10-14-2003, 03:28 PM	#2
Meela Denethor's True Love Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Mirkwood. With Thranduil... swoon Posts: 2,118	Pippin. But I'm only biased because he was the one who served Denethor. <P>Okay, so out of bias, I do actually prefer Pippin. He's curious and idiotic, and probably the hobbit I would most like to spend time with. __________________ 'The Hobbit' 1st impressions: 1. Thorin is hot... Oh god, I fancy a dwarf. 2. Thranduil is hotter. 3. Is that... Figwit! 4. Does Elijah Wood never age? 2nd: It's all about Fili & Kili, really. 3rd: BARD! OMG, Bard.

10-14-2003, 03:35 PM	#3
Arwen1858 Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Gondor Posts: 516	Pippin! I like Merry a lot too, of course, but Pippin is my favorite. He's very curious, like me . Although, I do think in the movie they make him seem a little too foolish. In the books, he was more careless, I think, than foolish. But still, I like the Pippin in the movie a lot, too. I love the scene where he and Merry are singing in the Green Dragon! <BR>Arwen __________________ Will Turner: "This is either madness or brilliance." Jack Sparrow: "It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." ~ Pirates of the Caribbean

10-14-2003, 04:13 PM	#4
dragoneyes Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Completely lost track, sorry! Posts: 743	I really want to say Merry just to be different, but I have to say Pippin as well. If his nose were a little shorter he'd be on the same level as the rest of them (well, Frodo anyway) but I love them all near enough equally, I wouldn't usually proclaim favourites but Pippin just seems more fun loving than the others, like myself (I hope). __________________ "We might succeed in roasting Pippin alive inside." - Frodo.

10-14-2003, 04:49 PM	#5
Lord of Angmar Tyrannus Incorporalis Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: the North Posts: 833	Both actors are doing a superb job in their roles, but I have to say that Billy Boyd as Pippin really brings their duo to life on screen. When reading the books, I had no favorite between the two, and still don't, but I would have to say that honestly I enjoy Pippin's (Billy Boyd's) lines in the movie a tad more. <P>Meela, I think you are being a bit harsh in calling Pippin an idiot. __________________ ...where the instrument of intelligence is added to brute power and evil will, mankind is powerless in its own defence.

10-14-2003, 07:06 PM	#6
mollecon Wight Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 188	Merry (do I have to say why?) . Maybe cos he in some ways is a bit like myself - always nice to recognize yourself in someone else

10-15-2003, 01:36 AM	#7
Diamond18 Eidolon of a Took Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: my own private fantasy world Posts: 3,561	Pippin. (What a surprise...)<P>Both Merry and Pippin are more rounded and deeper in the books (of course) and Merry comes across a little more noticable as his own character in the books, I think. To be fair to movie-Merry, most of my favorite Pippin/Merry material from the books is from RotK or parts of TTT that didn't make it into the movie but still might be in the Rotk-movie. So I may like movie-Merry better and better after the last installment. After all, the slaying of the Witch-King and insuing injury has got to be good for some nice face time for the ol' boy!<P>There are lots of reasons why Pippin's my favorite, but I'd have to say the best way to sum it all up is when his spirit laughs a little before he passes out under the troll, thinking he's dying. That just describes his character perfectly. I hope they don't gloss over his side of the story in RotK <I>too</I> much (at least play up the troll-squashing, please! I know PJ and Co can do a great death/almost death scene, and I want to see it for Pip!)<P>Pippin is no idiot, fie upon anyone who calls him one! I do enjoy the more clownish Pippin in the movies, to a certain extent, but sometimes the script was just unfair. In the book when Gandalf snaps at him it always seemed more grouchiness on Gandalf's part, in the movie Pippin often deserves it. But I can live with that, since they have known enough to let him mature as time goes on instead of stubbornly sticking to him as the butt-end of all the jokes. I love the Scottish accent. Even though Billy Boyd looks a bit too old for my mental image of Pippin from reading the books, he really brings to life the personality and mannerisms of the character. __________________ All shall be rather fond of me and suffer from mild depression.

10-15-2003, 09:09 AM	#8
Essex Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Essex, England Posts: 887	There's no doubt a thread somewhere about this, but didn't Pippin actually die? i.e. Gimli 'made sure he was dead' when he pulled him out from under the orc, didn't he?<P>But for me, its got to be Merry. He has one of the most heartbreaking lines in lotr, "Are you going to bury me?" and then soon after Gandalf states (which ALWAYS gets me!) "He should have been borne in honour into this city". Reading it right now to check the words has left me with a tear in my eyes. I hope it's in the film.......<P>So, all in all, I'll go for Merry.

10-15-2003, 09:12 AM	#9
Essex Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Essex, England Posts: 887	PS, for gandalf's line 'He should have been borne in honour into this city' to work, in the book, Gandalf has a 'vision' of what happens to the witch king. I'm not sure how jackson's going to convey this, if at all, so now I'm wondering if it WILL be in or not. If it's not, I'll be dissapointed.

10-17-2003, 03:52 PM	#10
kittygirl02 Haunting Spirit Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Middle Earth Posts: 61	Yes, I think they have their levels of deepness, like most people it just depends on the situation. But overall, Merry is my favorite. Just because he's a little more emotional, and kind of reminds me of myself. In some ways at least.Like how he feels the world is just a little big for him, and he doesn't fit in in the world of men. And how people are underesimating him, and he gets left behind a lot. I feel like this a lot because I am homeschooled and people leave me out of things a lot, and I just don't feel NORMAL. (In the book I'm writing, we get married) __________________ Flames are your source of faith.A tool of good, not evil. I may be different, but differences don't make you special.It's what you do with your differences that make you special.

10-17-2003, 11:08 PM	#11
Sapphire_Flame Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: The World That Never Was Posts: 1,312	<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> but didn't Pippin actually die?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <BR>ARGH! DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T!!! <I>TRY</I> to read the books more carefully next time! What in Middle-earth's wrong with you?!?!<P>ahem But back to the topic.<P>My favorite is Pippin. Just because we seem to have the same sort of point of view and personality and whatnot. A lot of the things that Pippin says, in the books and the movies, are things that I would probably say in those situations. And he's just so cute! ^^<P>Abedithon le,<P>~~Aranel~~ __________________ The Hitchhiking Ghost

10-18-2003, 01:16 AM	#12
Rilarien884 Pile O'Bones Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: not middle earth Posts: 13	Wow, for a movie discussion, this one got pretty serious.<P>All in all, I'd have to say I like Merry. Okay, my reason, though not as deep as other or as book orientated: Dom is cuter than Billy. Shallow? Strange? Or just teenager? A little of all three I'd have to say. <P>Pippin was a character in both book and movie, but in the movie Merry seemed more grounded. Pip was just plain fun! But I'd still have to for Merry, Dom has a cuter smile <P>AL __________________ The doom(or the gift) of men is mortality, freedom from the circles of the world...a grief and envy to the immortal elves... -Silmarillion

10-18-2003, 01:23 AM	#13
Gorwingel Beholder of the Mists Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Somewhere in the Northwest... for now Posts: 1,436	I would have to say Pippin, because he is just a brilliant, brilliant character. But I do truly love both. It is very hard to choose one over the other, but it is just that Pippin is a much more memorable character for me. His scenes in Gondor with Denethor and Bergil are actually some of my favorites, because it shows so many parts of his personality, and how he deals with the battles, the coming and goings of the soldiers and Gandalf, and how he deals with difficult situations. While in Mitas Tirith he kind of takes the place of the reader, observing, and doing what a regular person would do if they were in an extraordinary situation like that one. __________________ Wanted - Wonderfully witty quote that consists of pure brilliance

10-18-2003, 01:35 AM	#14
Arwen1858 Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Gondor Posts: 516	I already posted that I like Pippin better, but I wanted to add one more thing. I do <B>love</B> Merry's line in the RotK preview 'We shall see the Shire again.' Just the way he says it is so wonderful! The hope that's there... it just stirs up so much emotion in me! He says it with such hope and feeling... I have to watch that line over and over, and repeat it to myself just because I love it so much! __________________ Will Turner: "This is either madness or brilliance." Jack Sparrow: "It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." ~ Pirates of the Caribbean

10-19-2003, 09:48 AM	#15
Daisy Brambleburr Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 334	I can never decide when these type of questions are asked!<P>One way of putting it is that I see a lot of Pippin in myself, but I think that I'd get along better with Merry. At a first glance, the two hobbits seem pretty similar, but Pippin is somewhat sillier (right word?) than Merry. He puts his foot in it sometimes (throwing the stone down the well is a good example) and does things on impulse. You get the feeling that he doesn't think before he acts or speaks, whereas I feel that Merry is more thoughtful in that way. He tells jokes and is just as lighthearted as Pippin (for instance, when he asks Farmer Maggot if he found Frodo and co 'in his duckpond') but is perhaps more intelligent? When you seperate them, like in the Return of the King, they become more diverse characters, and more sides to them are shown.<P>I'd say that Pippin is the more entertaining of the two, but that's not to say that Merry is at all boring. He has a different sort of endearing quality. Maybe he's slightly more enigmatic than Pippin? I find that it can be easier to describe Pippin's personality than describing Merry's. <P>I hope that my little ramble made sense. But now I think that I should answer your question. After thinking hard for a while, I say Merry. __________________ 'What news from the South, O sighing wind, do you bring to me at eve? Where now is Boromir the Fair? He tarries and I grieve.'

10-19-2003, 10:14 AM	#16
MAethorien Guest Posts: n/a	I vote Merry. He is the more intelligent of the two. For some reason, he also amuses me more. Also, though this is mostly irrelevant, he served Rohan, which I find to be a more interesting country than Gondor.

10-19-2003, 02:05 PM	#17
Essex Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Essex, England Posts: 887	Sapphire_Flame,<P>Re your over-reaction <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> ARGH! DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T!!! TRY to read the books more carefully next time! What in Middle-earth's wrong with you?!?! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I admit I’ve only read LOTR about a dozen times in my 35 years, but I think I understand the books quite well.<P>Let me explain the situation again, and let’s see if you can understand…..<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>There's no doubt a thread somewhere about this, but didn't Pippin actually die? i.e. Gimli 'made sure he was dead' when he pulled him out from under the orc, didn't he?<BR><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>What I mean is this.<P>ROTK, The Black Gate Opens<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>For one moment more Pippin's thought hovered. 'Bilbo!' it said. 'But no! That came in his tale, long long ago. This is my tale, and it is ended now. Good-bye!' <B>And his thought fled far away and his eyes saw no more. </B> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>When you first read the book (if you’ve read it more than once), didn’t you think Pippin was dead? I did, and cried my eyes out.<P>ROTK, The Field of Cormallen<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> ‘And not only Sam and Frodo here’, said Gimli, ‘but you too, Pippin. I love you, if only because of the pains you have cost me, which I shall never forget. Nor shall I forget finding you on the hill of the last battle. But for Gimli the Dwarf you would have been lost then. But at least I know now the look of a hobbit's foot, though it be all that can be seen under a heap of bodies. And when I heaved that great carcass off you, <B>I made sure you were dead</B>. I could have torn out my beard. And it is only a day yet since you were first up and abroad again. To bed now you go. And so shall I.'<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Can you see what I’m trying to say? That maybe Pippin DID die, but was somehow (maybe through the grace of the Valar etc) brought back to life? Indeed, even Sam asks the question of Gandalf on the field of Cormallen<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> ‘Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?' <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>This is why I asked if anyone had raised this point beforehand in a thread.

10-19-2003, 08:54 PM	#18
Luthien_ Tinuviel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2002 Location: A very lovely tree-hut in the Chunnel. Posts: 804	I actually can't ever decide which I like more (my favorite hobbit is Sam, so I don't have any mixed-favorite issues or anything). I'm inclined to say Pippin, though, just because he's so cute. And I don't really mean physical cuteness, more of the way he acts and all that, and it's great how he matures and everything. As to him dying, I always took it to mean that Gimli <I>thought</I> he was dead. You see, it's a difference between modern American English and somewhat older British English (and LOTR just has that rather formal style, anyway). In American English, "made sure you were dead" would mean something along the lines of "was absolutely certain that you were dead" or "checked and discovered that you were dead", whereas in the formal British English style of LOTR, "made sure you were dead" would mean something more along the lines of: Gimli assumed that he was dead (maybe he coudn't feel a pulse or whatnot), but not that he actually was. __________________ I am a nineteen-year-old nomad photographer who owns a lemonade stand. You know what? I love Mip.

10-19-2003, 11:04 PM	#19
Arwen1858 Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Gondor Posts: 516	<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> When you first read the book (if you’ve read it more than once), didn’t you think Pippin was dead? I did, and cried my eyes out.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I did the exact same thing!! I thought he was dead, and cried my eyes out!! I really cried a lot when it seemed like Frodo was dead, too, but I kept wondering if maybe he wasn't really dead. But I just <I>knew</I> Pippin was dead! I was quite relieved to find out he wasn't. <BR>Arwen __________________ Will Turner: "This is either madness or brilliance." Jack Sparrow: "It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." ~ Pirates of the Caribbean

10-20-2003, 12:55 AM	#20
samrohan Wight Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Touring Minas Tirith with Gimli and Legolas Posts: 107	I prefer the Merry in the film because PJ portrayed Pippin as the Village Idiot, which he is not at all in the book. Sigh... __________________ I can't believe I have not watched the return of the king yet.

10-20-2003, 05:57 AM	#21
The_Hand Haunting Spirit Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Mordor, M&Mcastle (Minas Morgul) Posts: 72	I prefer Merry in the books and Pippin in the movies! <BR>In the books I think Pippin is to... oh I don't know how to say it in english... there's no good word for it. Anyways in the movies he's more fun. I like it. __________________ Member of: The Bodyparts of Sauron Russ 2006

10-20-2003, 12:50 PM	#22
Daisy Brambleburr Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 334	When I read the scene when Pippin was squashed under the troll in the books I was very uncertain. I read it over again, and whilst I was reading the other parts of the book I was still worried that he was dead. I kept saying to myself, 'no, he can't be gone, Tolkien wouldn't kill him, would he??' <BR>I was very glad to see him again at the field of Cormallen! __________________ 'What news from the South, O sighing wind, do you bring to me at eve? Where now is Boromir the Fair? He tarries and I grieve.'

10-20-2003, 01:02 PM	#23
Airerûthiel Wight Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The Long Lake Posts: 228	Oh, this is hard! Based on the book characters, I like Merry better because he was his own hobbit and, of course, got to slay the Witch King with Éowyn. His lines at the end of that are so sad but in a lovely way, as I believe has been said. In the films he seemed to get a bit lost underneath the other characters and didn't have many either semi-funny or memorable lines (all that comes to mind is 'there won't be a Shire, Pippin' and 'I think I've broken something'). Most of what he said felt superflulous and a lot of his TTT dialogue was a bit Hollywood.<P>Pippin, on the other hand, had better movie lines but I was always in two minds about the book Pippin. Perhaps it's just because I'm a serious person by nature, but I never really seemed to connect with him the way I did with some of the other characters. He always struck me as slightly too frivolous up until near the end. But for humour he's virtually unchallenged in the whole novel.<P>All I can hope for these two little hobbits is that they get better parts in RotK than they did in TTT. It's no more than they deserve and they're such great characters it would be a crime to rob them of some brilliant lines and scenes. __________________ 'If they give you ruled paper, write the other way' - Juan Ramón Jiménez I love pirates!

10-21-2003, 02:41 PM	#24
Jack Haunting Spirit Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Rohan or some where there abouts (probably lost!) Posts: 92	Merry and Pippen mmmm.... hard choise. I think I like Pippen better in the movie but Merry better in the book... __________________ I have been: eating sugar, drinking caffeinated soda, doing the wave, the disco and various other dances just as, if not more humiliating, and all in all, acting like the deranged Pirate that I am…

11-06-2003, 09:45 PM	#25
Elennar Starfire Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2003 Location: Nowhere...now here Posts: 1,049	Orlando's Top Fangirl: How could you embarrass me like that? You just had to pick that name, didn't you? But, I'm glad I convinced you to come here! <P>You already know, I love Pippin! He just seems so innocent. And he looks really good in Gondorian armour. <P>Edit: Maybe I shouldn't admit that I know you...Oh, well.<p>[ November 06, 2003: Message edited by: Elennar Starfire ] __________________ Don't let me die!

11-07-2003, 09:23 AM	#26
Leighann Guest Posts: n/a	Pippin's lines in the movie fill me with side-splitting laughter, he also has those funny facial expressions that does not require any lines or comments. But i do love Merry! I like him more in the book than in the movies, but still, i must say Merry

11-08-2003, 11:19 AM	#27
ArathorofBarahir Wight Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Crickhallow Posts: 247	Personally I think that Pippin is the better of the two, however I think that both of them personify the spirit of a hobbit. __________________ King of the Dead: The dead do not suffer the living to pass. Aragorn: You will suffer me.

11-08-2003, 03:43 PM	#28
MYyyPreciousSS Wight Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: the Here and Now Posts: 113	Well, seeing how my favorite character of all is Merry...I say Merry.<BR>I do really like Pippin also, yet there is something about Merry that draws me to him. Most of my liking of Merry comes from the book, especailly in Rotk. Not only is he a funny little Hobbit and has that innocence about him, he is also intellegent, and thats something that Pippin lacks just a bit. I think more people(those who havn't read the books) will appreciate Merry more once Rotk comes out. __________________ Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her. "My Preciousss" - the line that started the obsession.

11-08-2003, 04:31 PM	#29
Orodoliel Haunting Spirit Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rivendell Posts: 61	I vote for Merry. He just seems to be a better character and I've always preferred Rohan to Gondor anyway. __________________ "Well, I'm back."

11-08-2003, 05:56 PM	#30
Lyta_Underhill Haunted Halfling Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: an uncounted length of steps--floating between air molecules Posts: 844	<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Not only is he a funny little Hobbit and has that innocence about him, he is also intellegent, and thats something that Pippin lacks just a bit.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I always notice that people attribute more intelligence to Merry; what I think Merry has is more common sense and a deeper knowledge of the land. He is more connected to the Earth than Pippin, who seems to float on a level just above it. (Really! If I haven't recommended the Pippin's Sixth Sense thread enough, it isn't done purposely!) Pippin seems to connect to the flow of supernormal events; he is, in many cases the cause of them. He is a nexus, but he is also an innocent. I think if Pippin became TOO grounded, he would lose something. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>There are lots of reasons why Pippin's my favorite, but I'd have to say the best way to sum it all up is when his spirit laughs a little before he passes out under the troll, thinking he's dying. That just describes his character perfectly.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Right on, <B>Diamond</B>! He is the embodiment of the resilient spirit of the entire race of Hobbits! I was extremely worried that Tolkien had killed Pippin at this point too, but somehow, Pippin's last thoughts lightened the blow for me, like it was, indeed, a story, to be laughed at a little and not taken so gravely seriously. A lesson for life, and I am so glad Pippin got to grow up without losing this very important character trait! So many people lose their ability to laugh at things, even the big things, when they are confronted with the hazards of coming of age. <P>I can't say anyone will be surprised at my choice of Pippin (the one character from LOTR I would marry in a heartbeat!), but I can say one thing about Merry and the observations that some here have made about his independence. I thought, when Merry and Pippin were separated, that Merry reacted more in the dependent way; he seemed more worried about being left behind, about losing Pippin and he latched onto Theoden in a very emotional way. I found him to be more dependent and less able to get on emotionally on his own than Pippin was. Pippin's main problem was overcoming his fears and finding someone worthy of love and sacrifice--Beregond, Faramir--this difference, I think arises to a large extent, because of the differences between Theoden and Denethor. There is no way Pippin could have cultivated a relationship like Merry's to Theoden with the VERY disturbed and despairing Denethor. But I do like how Pippin recognizes and rejects that path, while still sympathizing and understanding the madness that Denethor had fallen into. That, in itself, I think illustrates a major difference between Men and Hobbits.<P>Sorry, I went off on a tangent, didn't I? Well, anyway, you can tell I really like Pippin! <P>Cheers,<BR>Lyta __________________ “…she laid herself to rest upon Cerin Amroth; and there is her green grave, until the world is changed, and all the days of her life are utterly forgotten by men that come after, and elanor and niphredil bloom no more east of the Sea.”

11-08-2003, 06:11 PM	#31
Eowyn:Lady of Rohan Pile O'Bones Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Portland,Oregon USA Posts: 22	Merry. He was the one who helped slay the Witch King. He also longed to help in any way he could. __________________ Erin Elisabeth Jee Hyun Jung Ellis

11-11-2003, 05:01 PM	#32
Lindir Haunting Spirit Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The Void Posts: 98	Pippin, because he's just so adorable. His accent is so cool. __________________ Come not between the Nazgul and his prey!Or he will not slay thee in thy turn.He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.

11-14-2003, 07:19 AM	#33
kittiegirl Haunting Spirit Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: At home doing nothing..... Posts: 76	<B>I like Pippin better in the movies, but Merry better in the books</B><P>See Jack, I knew you would say something like that.<BR>I personally like Merry better than Pippin(not to say I don't like Pip)because he acts a little more serious(yeah I'm talking about the books)than Pippin is.<BR>Also, Pip is a but younger than Merry, and he acts upon impulses which are harder for him to control because he is younger(note him being the youngest member of the Fellowship)<P>So if any of you guys think Pippin is an idiot, lay off. __________________ I thirst no longer, drenching my soul. Pour out like water You're my only infactuation, don't leave me stranded in my obsession My purpose, my possesion.Live and die in my obession-SkilletI'm beautifully addictedSAM

11-19-2005, 11:44 AM	#34
Morsul the Dark Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 3,502	Meriadoc Brandybuck is far better than Peregrin Took I must say he is more serious and stronger __________________ Morsul the Resurrected

01-01-2006, 12:52 AM	#35
Mireiel Guest Posts: n/a	I have to say I like them both equally...they both play off each other, have some of the greatest lines in the books and give a little of comic relief. Cheers to both Merry and Pippin!!