Samwise Gamgee
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Samwise Gamgee, Sam |
| Occupation: | Gardener |
| Relationships: | son of Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee, close friend of Frodo Baggins, married to Rosie Cotton and father of thirteen children |
| Fandom: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Samwise Gamgee is the hobbit who traveled with Frodo Baggins from The Shire to Mordor to destroy the One Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Like his father Hamfast Gamgee, Sam worked for Frodo and Bilbo Baggins as a gardener at their home, Bag End. Gandalf sent him on the Quest with Frodo.
Sam is admired by many LotR fans for his strength, faithfulness, and practical good sense, which allowed him to take care of Frodo to the very end in Mordor, when Frodo was overcome by the weight of the Ring and his desire to possess it.
Following the War of the Ring Frodo invited Sam to join him in Bag End with Sam's new wife, Rose Cotton. After Frodo sailed for the Undying Lands, Sam and Rosie raised their family in Bag End. Many years later, after Rosie's death, Sam also sailed west to join Frodo.
Sam was played by Sean Astin in Peter Jackson's film trilogy.
Pairings
Frodo/Sam is one of the most popular and passionately defended slash pairings in the fandom, with some fans asserting that it is canon.
Different fans have very different feelings about Sam's marriage with Rosie Cotton. Some find the Sam/Rosie pairing romantic, and others have enjoyed the idea of Frodo, Sam, and Rosie living together (and having great threesomes). Other fans find Rosie to be sharp-tongued and insensitive and do not believe she could be a good partner to Sam since she could not understand what he went through on the Quest. Some fans see negative portrayals of Rosie as character bashing by overzealous Frodo/Sam advocates.
Example Fanfics
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- All's Well by Cara J. Loup -- Sam's first meeting with his father on his return; a heart-breaking reminder of how much he's given up for the Quest
- The Night Season by Achillea Millefolium -- pre-Quest Sam/Frodo exploring the master-servant dynamic
- On Gorgoroth Plain by Teasel -- a beautiful story of the dark end of the Quest, that can be interpreted as either slash or friendship
- Pretty Good Year series (link) by Mary Borsellino -- influential post-Quest Rosie/Sam/Frodo series
- Graceful and Green by Alawa -- Sam, Frodo, and the Rangers of Ithilien remember the fallen at Henneth Annûn. Sam's PoV. Gen.
Sample Fanart
art by Suzan Lovett -- "The Companion"
art by Cara J. Loup
