Movies Like The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Frequently asked about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.

• Why does Gandalf choose Bilbo Baggins as the fourteenth member of Thorin's company?▾

  Gandalf selects Bilbo partly because hobbits are light-footed and can move with near-invisibility when they choose, making him useful as a burglar. More significantly, Gandalf senses something extraordinary in Bilbo — a resilience and capacity for courage hidden beneath his comfortable, unadventurous exterior — and believes the journey will bring it out. He also notes that Bilbo's involvement is part of a larger purpose he cannot fully explain.

• What is the significance of the Arkenstone, and why does Thorin desire it so intensely?▾

  The Arkenstone, called the Heart of the Mountain, is the most prized gem of the dwarven kingdom of Erebor, discovered by Thrór deep within the mountain. It is the hereditary symbol of the King Under the Mountain, legitimizing whoever holds it as the rightful ruler of Durin's folk. Thorin's obsession with reclaiming it is both a matter of dynastic right and deep personal longing — it represents the glory of his people before Smaug's destruction.

• What is Radagast the Brown investigating in Dol Guldur, and what does it foreshadow?▾

  Radagast discovers that a dark power has taken up residence in the ancient fortress of Dol Guldur in Mirkwood, initially manifesting as a sickness corrupting plants and animals in the surrounding forest. He encounters a Necromancer whose shadow drives off the dead and retrieves a Morgul blade — a weapon of the Nazgûl — as evidence. This foreshadows the revelation (confirmed in later films) that the Necromancer is in fact Sauron, slowly regathering his strength in secret.

• How does Bilbo's encounter with Gollum in the goblin tunnels change him?▾

  In the pitch-black cave beneath the Misty Mountains, Bilbo stumbles upon the One Ring and engages Gollum in a riddle contest with his life as the stakes. During the encounter, Bilbo discovers the Ring grants him invisibility, and he has an opportunity to kill the defenceless, pitiable Gollum — but chooses mercy instead. This act of compassion is pivotal: Tolkien frames it as the moment that sets Bilbo apart morally, and Gandalf later says it was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand, a decision with enormous consequences for the fate of the Ring.

• Why does Thorin initially reject and then ultimately accept Bilbo during the quest?▾

  Thorin views Bilbo as a liability from the start — a soft, inexperienced hobbit who has never faced hardship or battle, and whose presence he sees as Gandalf's whim rather than a strategic choice. His opinion begins to shift when Bilbo chooses to return to the company after escaping the goblin tunnels, even though he could have gone home, demonstrating loyalty. It is cemented when Bilbo risks his life to protect Thorin from Azog on the Carrock, an act of selfless courage that finally earns the dwarf king's respect.