2. Frodo Baggins - The Return Of The King
Frodo lives! No, he didn't and I'm sick of that mantra. Frodo died and did so due to his own poor decisions. He, above all others on this list got waaaaay too much credit for his actions. Everyone had a hand in helping to stave off Sauron's army but Frodo was the one who received the ultimate credit -- he was the one who destroyed the ring, except he didn't. Sure, Frodo carried the burden for the bulk of the trilogy (even if this led him to a constant stream of questionable decisions) but in the end he failed. He couldn't even make it up Mount Doom. He quit. He gave up. Sam (a true hero) picked Frodo up and carried him over his back, up the side of Mount Doom. It was Sam who fought off Gollum, giving Frodo the chance to reach the inside of the mountain. It was also Sam who urged Frodo to complete his task when Frodo became power mad. That's right, Frodo turned. In the end, he refused to give up the ring and was attacked by Gollum. Their struggle for the ring ended with Frodo losing his ring finger and Gollum dancing happily as the victor. The poor creature slipped and fell into the lava, destroying himself and the ring in the process. Congratulations Frodo, you really kinda sorta did it -- by accident. And also? Not really.