[Finwe]

I don't think that there was one true hero of the Lord of the Rings, each and every character in those books was a hero.

Frodo was a hero because he overcame his fear, and went on a Quest that he knew he might not return from. He knew that this Quest would consume his life, and that he didn't necessarily have to take upon himself the burden of carrying the Ring, but he did. He knew that he didn't have to speak up that moment, at the Council of Elrond, and volunteer to take the Ring, but he did. He knew that he didn't have to fight Boromir for the Ring, but he did. Frodo realized that some sacrifices would have to be made for a greater good, and overcame his very human fears, and made those sacrifices. That is what makes him a hero.

Sam is a hero because he was steadfast, loyal, and a true friend to Frodo when all lights seemed to go out. If it weren't for Sam, Frodo wouldn't have made it to Mount Doom. It takes a lot to be devoted to a person that much, and to protect them wholeheartedly, and Sam did that. He didn't have to volunteer to go with Frodo from Bag End, but he did. He didn't have to make Elrond let him go along with Frodo after the Council, but he did, out of his wholehearted love for Frodo. Sam sacrificed a lot for the Quest, and he also knew the personal risks that he suffered. He could have remained behind with Rosie, and let Frodo go by himself, I daresay that Frodo wouldn't have minded. But Sam gave up his momentary happiness, and made his own sacrifices for the greater good, and that is what makes him a hero.

Merry and Pippin are heroes because, most of all the Hobbits, they overcame their close-mindedness and their fear, and went on to become two of the most pivotal characters in the book. If the Witch-king had survived to confront Aragorn, and Faramir had died, what story would we have had? What chance would the Free Peoples have had against Sauron? It was thanks to these two young, courageous souls that Gondor and Rohan were saved, and that is what made them heroes. In the books, we watch them mature from playful lads to serious, grave, men. It took a lot for both of them to leave the comfort of the Shire and travel along with Frodo. In the Two Towers movie, Merry sums it up eloquently in one sentence. "The fires of Isengard will spread. And the woods of Tuckborough and Buckland will burn. And... and all that was once green and good in this world will be gone. There won’t be a Shire, Pippin." That was the reason they nearly gave up their lives, that was what they were fighting for, their home, their Shire, and that was why they were heroes.

Aragorn was a hero because, well, what can I say, he was a hero! He could have stayed in Rivendell, in comfort, and no one would have said anything. He was a hero for risking his life like that for Frodo and the Hobbits, when he knew he could have remained in Rivendell or some other place in (relative) safety. He risked his life so many times for his principles, and that made him a hero. He was a true friend to Frodo, to the Fellowship, to even Boromir, and that was why he was a hero. Aragorn was also a born ruler, compassionate, kind, loving, and caring. Besides being the courageous warrior who led the Host of the West to Barad-dur, he was also the wonderful, loving Man that Arwen, Lady of Rivendell, fell head over heels in love with, and that is also why he is a hero.

Gandalf was a hero because without his timely advice, the four Hobbits, much less the Fellowship wouldn't have gotten even to Bree. Without him, Frodo would have been cut down in his sleep, and the Ring taken back to Sauron. It was Gandalf's foresight that saved all of Middle-earth, and that is what makes him a hero. He didn't have to dash back across that needle-thin bridge to buy some time for the Fellowship, but yet, he did. Like Aragorn, the reasons that Gandalf is a hero are so many that I couldn't possibly fit them all here. He was a surrogate father to the Fellowship, and was always there to comfort the frightened Frodo, and that is also what makes him a hero.

Legolas and Gimli were heroes because they also risked their life for the greater good, and showed such remarkable friendship, trust, and devotion to each other, and the Fellowship, that the latter wouldn't have been able to get very far without them. They were also heroes because they overcame their personal differences, and mended a rift that had existed between their races from the First Age onward. They became so close that Gimli even sailed with Legolas to Aman, the second non-Elf to do so. They were heroes because they overcame their prejudices toward each other, and learned how to work with each other.

Boromir, especially, was a hero, because he realized the true meaning of repentance. He could have remained chasing after Frodo, but he didn't. He realized the ghastly mistake that he made, and in an instant, realized what he had to do to repent of that mistake. He didn't have to sacrifice himself to try and save Merry and Pippin, but he did. It was that repentance that made him a hero, for it is a quality that is not often found in men like him. It took a lot of strength for him to realize that he had made an awful mistake in trying to take the Ring from Frodo, and it was that, in my eyes, that made him most a hero.

Eowyn was a hero because she nearly gave up her life to save her kingdom, and no matter how glamorous that seems, that does take strength. It also took a great deal of strength to hold together her family, after Theoden became corrupted. Her cousin Theodred was dead, her brother Eomer had been banished (movie-canon), her parents were dead, and her uncle was so corrupted that he was nearly an animal. It would take all our strength just to live in such a situation as that, yet she found the courage to overcome it, and that is what makes her a hero.

I could go on forever on what makes each character in Lord of the Rings a hero, but I will leave that to you, my readers. It does indeed take a lot to become a hero, but I think that each and every one of us can find the hero within, and call it out. Who knows? Some day we might each have our own Quest for Mount Doom to journey on, and our own Fellowship to protect? Who can say what life holds in store for us?