[Amanaduial the archer]

If the ringbearer died, the ring would simply have passed to another. However, the ringbearer has to be someone honest, brave true and good at heart to bear the rings, but he also has to have good friends around him. Look at frodo- they dont come much straighter than hobbits! But at the end, when he paused at Mount Doom, Sam was there to help him, as he always was to keep him straight. Makes you wonder how good a ring bearer Sam would have made...