Casual Lord of the Rings fans mainly know the characters from the movie trilogy. As part of the Fellowship of the Ring, these unsuspecting heroes proved invaluable in thwarting unspeakable evil and showing the potential for friendship between the Free Peoples. As is often the case with Middle-earth, however, J.R.R. Tolkien sculpted a vast history brimming with detail. His writings reveal many great deeds that the characters accomplished before the Fellowship's founding.