Lord Of The Rings: 10 Things Only TRUE Fans Understand
5. Tom Bombadil
The Lord of the Rings films turned out better than anyone could have imagined. But no matter how good it was, there were always going to be Tolkien fans criticising the slightest deviation from the books. "Arwen didn't save Frodo in the books!" "Gandalf's hat is too grey!" And let's not forget the biggest question; where the hell is Tom Bombadil?
When the hobbits leave the shire in the book, a short hermit called Tom Bombadil rescues them from a wicked tree spirit called Old Man Willow. At first, he appears to be a whimsical but harmless fellow. However, Tom Bombadil is the most mysterious character in the entire story. He is the only person who seems to have complete immunity to The One Ring. During the Council of Elrond, Gandalf advises the Elves to give The One Ring to Bombadil since he can't be overpowered by its magic.
Little is known about his past or his powers but he is believed to be the oldest being in all of Middle-Earth. Why he refuses to take part in The War of the Ring despite his vast abilities is a mystery.