Though The Hobbit is a fairly short story (especially in comparison to Tolkien's other works), it still manages to pack an exciting adventure and a plethora of interesting characters into the mix. The movies managed to, for better or worse, stretch this story into 3 films, which at the very least gives the audience more time to get to know the new characters that have been introduced. Though some cross over, there are quite a few characters that are exclusive to the story of The Hobbit and don't show up in The Lord of the Rings.