Tom Bombadil

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Tar-Jêx

What would the purpose of making Tom's few chapters monumentally important for the last few of Book 5 be? We all know that the swords the hobbits end up with from the Barrow Downs are from the Westernesse, and end up killing the Witch King and a troll (which is much less prestigious than a Nazgul). Did Tolkien just want his obscure reference character to play an important part in the story?

Though indeed introduced as a character rather independent of the main story, Bombadil was at least important enough that Elrond considered in hindsight the value of having his opinion at the Council.
More noteworthy to me, as Gandalf's time in Middle-earth drew to an end at the fall of Sauron, he made a point of going to see Bombadil before leaving for good, saying they would have a "much to say to one another".

That alone makes Tom worth theorizing about in my mind.