Gollum

Gollum, once a hobbit named Sméagol, emerges in *The Fellowship of the Ring* as a wretched, light-fearing wretch captured and interrogated by the Elves, revealing his tragic enslavement to the One Ring that has twisted his body and mind into a furtive, spider-like predator. In *The Two Towers*, he serves as an unwilling guide for Frodo and Sam, torn between his fawning 'Sméagol' persona and the treacherous 'Gollum' side, culminating in his betrayal at Shelob's lair that propels the quest's darkest turn. Across the duology, Gollum's pitiable degeneration underscores the Ring's corrosive power, evolving from a shadowy prisoner to a pivotal, self-destructive antagonist whose obsession dooms both himself and the Ring's destruction.