In addition to being the first living creature to exist in Middle Earth, Tom may also be the first creature in all of Arda-or the world. Being so old and in seemingly good health, Tom Bombadil is an enigma. In the book, Tom even states that he “was here before the river and the trees” and he “remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn,” suggesting he may have been the very first creature to live in Middle Earth (along with Treebeard, though Tom was first). He has a few titles, like The First and Eldest. Tom Bombadil lived with his wife, Goldberry, just east of the Shire in the Old Forest. His exact race is not known, and he remains mysterious-although with some apparent magical and spiritual abilities. Tom Bombadil’s exact age is not known, but it is said he existed since sometime before the first Dark Lord (Melkor) rose to power. Without him, things may have ended differently. Many fans of Tolkien’s writing and Middle Earth say Tom Bombadil was perhaps one of the most important characters in the story and in the quest to destroy the One Ring, and his mysterious nature makes him an intriguing character, too. Yet even so, those fans can still agree: if there is one plotline Peter Jackson left out that he could have maybe included, it would be Tom Bombadil’s. Even in 2021, fans of The Lord of the Rings still say Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the trilogy was by far the best there ever was or will be.

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