Bilbo Baggins
The hero of the story. Bilbo leads a quiet life in his comfortable hole at Bag End and, like most hobbits, is content to stay at home. But Bilbo possesses a great deal of untapped inner strength, and when the wizard Gandalf persuades Bilbo to join a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim their gold from a marauding dragon, Bilbo ends up playing a crucial role as the company’s burglar.
Gandalf
A wise old wizard who always seems to know more than he reveals. Gandalf has a vast command of magic and tends to show up at just the moment he is needed most. He helps the dwarves in their quest, and he does not seem to have any interest in their gold. He always has another purpose or plan in mind, but he rarely reveals his private thoughts.
Thorin Oakenshield
A dwarf who leads his fellow dwarves on a trip to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their treasure from Smaug. Smaug’s bounty is Thorin’s inheritance, as it belonged to Thror, Thorin’s grandfather, the great King under the Mountain. Thorin is a proud, purposeful, and sturdy warrior, if a bit stubborn at times.
Gollum
A strange, small, slimy creature who lives deep in the caves of Moria beneath the Misty Mountains. There, Gollum broods over his “precious,” a magic ring, until he accidentally loses it and Bilbo finds it. We never learn exactly what kind of creature he is. Apparently, his true shape has been too deformed by years of living in darkness to be recognizable. Gollum's real name was Sméagol, and he had once been a member of the secluded branch of the early Stoorish Hobbits.
Smaug
The great dragon who lives in the Lonely Mountain. Years ago, Smaug heard of the treasure that the dwarves had amassed in the mountain under Thror’s reign, and he drove them away to claim the gold for himself. His flaming breath can scorch a city, his huge wings can carry him great distances, and his armorlike hide is almost impenetrable. Smaug can speak and possesses a dark, sardonic sense of humor.
Bard
The grim human who is the honorable captain of the guard in Lake Town, a human city built on Long Lake just south of the Lonely Mountain. With the help of information discovered by Bilbo and related by a thrush, Bard finds Smaug’s weak spot and kills him.
Beorn
A man who can turn into a bear, Beorn helps Bilbo and the dwarves after their escape from the goblins.
Tauriel
A female elf from Mirkwood and the Chief of the Guards for the Elvenking, Thrandiul. She is a skilled fighter. Legolas is in love with her.
Alfrid
A government official of the town of Esgaroth and the Master of Lake-town's conniving servant
Balin and Dwalin
Are among the dwarves that accompany Bilbo; they are brothers. Balin is obsessed with the historic glory of the dwarves and his tomb, in the caves of Moria, appears in the first book of the LOTR trilogy.
Bert, Tom and William
Trolls from whom Bilbo takes the key to a cave from which he and the dwarves take gold and the swords they use in battle with the Goblins and in the Battle of Five Armies. The trolls are crude and violent and capture the dwarves in order to roast and eat them; the dwarves are rescued by Gandalf, who confuses the trolls into staying out past dawn and turning into stone.
Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur
Are among the dwarves on the journey and they are often mentioned together. Bombur stands out as immensely fat and heavy. He falls into enchanted water and suffers a narcoleptic delusion for a good part of the novel.
The Elvenking
Holds Thorin and the other dwarves captive, though Bilbo manages their escape
Elrond
An elf; the proprietor of the Last Homely House at the Edge of Wild and is a leader of the elves. He translates the runes on the swords taken from the trolls to reveal that they were originally used in the Goblin-wars and translates the moon-letters on Thorin's map to reveal the importance of Durin's Day.
Goblins
Ugly, wicked creatures who live in a cave in the Misty Mountains. They capture Bilbo and the dwarves and eat their ponies. A number of them, including their leader the Great Goblin, are slain by Gandalf and Thorin using the swords taken from the trolls.
Wargs
Wild wolves from whom Bilbo and the dwarves hide in trees after they escape from the Goblins. Gandalf sets the Wargs on fire and chases them away, but they return, joined by the Goblins, and try to set fire to the forest. Bilbo and the dwarves are rescued from the trees by eagles.
Master of Lake-town
The ruler of Esgaroth, the town of men also called Lake-town, to which Bilbo and the dwarves escape from the palace of the Elvenking. The Master's power is challenged by Thorin, and the Master is ultimately replaced by Bard when the Master is corrupted by a share in the dwarves' treasure.
Azog
Azog is the orc chieftan of Moria, and is called the Defiler or the Pale Orc. Azog killed King Thor by cutting off his head, which enrages his grandson, Thorin Oakenshield. Azog's arm is cut off by Thorin, and so he plots to have Thorin killed. He dies at the hands of Dain Ironfoot. He is Bolg's father.
Bolg
An Orc chieftain who came to power in the Misty Mountains after his father, Azog, was killed in the war with Dwarves. Bolg ruled for some 150 years and led an army of Orcs in the BAtle of the Five Armies.He was killed by Beorn during the battle