[Inziladun]

I think, out of all the characters I admire for various reasons, my 'hero' would be Frodo.

He accepted the burden of the Ring, first, with Gandalf's urging, agreeing to take the Ring to Rivendell. Arguably, he at that time knew little of the dangers he would face, but still: he did what he did out of love for his homeland, and he had no expectation of any kind of reward, not even great honour and glory.
At the Council of Elrond, after having endured many frightening and unexpected events, including nearly becoming a wraith for ever in the service of Sauron, he still agreed to take the Ring and bear it to Mordor, if he could. Again, he had no reward dangling in front of him; no promises of money of renown. He belived Elrond and Gandalf when they said he was meant to be the Ring-bearer, so he answered the call. That time, he had a much greater idea of the sort of perils that might await him, and he still did not hesitate when the moment of decision came.
I really admire that sort of courage and devotion to 'duty'. For duty was what he accepted: that he and he alone was the one chosen to get the Ring as far as he could, to leave all that he had known behind, as far as he knew, forever.

To aid him, he had no native 'angelic' power, as did Gandalf. He did not have the strength or fighting prowess of Boromir, or the sense of tradition as an enemy of Sauron. He lacked the motive of romantic love that helped Aragorn stay on the right path. Sam, Merry, and Pippin had the simple love and friendship of Frodo to drive them, but Frodo himself had no such inspiration. It seems to me that he was ultimately alone, and had nothing to guide him but his own sense of 'right', and he disregarded all else to follow that ideal.

Others were willing to lay down their lives for the cause, but it seems to me they had various props and comforts to aid them, and Frodo alone did not.