There has been no question that Martin Freeman's portrayal of Bilbo has stolen the show in The Hobbit Trilogy and before this final film no one - save for Ian McKellan's Gandalf - came close to being on his level. The Battle Of The Five Armies saw Freeman deliver some of the best of Bilbo, with Jackson perfectly capturing those heroic moments from the end of the book. As in the book, Bilbo was the voice of reason in this film, stealing the Arkenstone in order to forge peace. Like Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin after him, he showed great courage against overwhelming odds. But interestingly, as the film drew closer to the end, you began to see the effects of the ring upon him, the true nature of what would be revealed in The Fellowship Of The Ring. Lying to Gandalf about loosing the ring, you saw the darkness begin to take hold of him. While Bilbo was in the same company of characters like Bard and Thorin, who rose to become mighty heroes, there was something of a tragic note too, as he started down a different path. It might not have been in the book, but, considering the wider saga, it made perfect sense.