Long ago, elves created several “rings of power” for the men, dwarves and elves who inhabited Middle Earth. The Dark Lord of Mordor, Sauron, forged one master ring more powerful than the others and soon defeated his enemies. One human ruler, Prince Isildur, procured the ring, but later lost it, and in the thousands of years that passed, Sauron turned the nine men who possessed the human rings of power into shadowy black riders known as “ringwraiths,” doomed to wander the earth looking for the master ring in order to return it to its creator. When a man named Smeagol finds the ring, it warps his mind, body and actions until his people start calling him “Gollum” instead. Gollum loses the ring and Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, finds it and takes it home with him to the Shire. Some time later, the wizard Gandalf "the Grey" Stormcrow visits Bilbo and urges him to honor their prior agreement and relinquish the ring to Bilbo’s nephew, Frodo Baggins. Having fallen under the ring’s spell slightly, Bilbo reluctantly acquiesces, then leaves the Shire to travel the world. Seventeen years later, Gandalf returns to the Shire and explains to Frodo that Sauron knows the hobbit has the ring and will come looking for it. Frodo decides to leave home in order to forestall Sauron from ravaging the Shire in search of him. Gandalf agrees to the plan’s wisdom and suggests Frodo seek counsel from the elves at Rivendell but cover his true mission by telling everyone in the Shire he is going to live with his cousins Peregrin “Pippin” Took and Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck. Frodo’s friend, Samwise “Sam” Gamgee, overhears the plan and asks to accompany Frodo on the adventure. Meanwhile, Gandalf goes to Isengard to consult the leader of his order, the wizard Saruman "the White," only to learn that Saruman is currying Sauron’s favor. When Gandalf protests the evil alliance as folly, Saruman imprisons Gandalf. Elsewhere, Pippin and Merry hear of Frodo’s mission and insist on also joining his quest. The hobbits stop at an inn for the night and encounter Aragorn, a mortal man who divulges that Gandalf sent him to look after them. Although Aragorn is worried because he has not heard from the wizard, he can protect and guide the hobbits to Rivendell as planned. Late that night, as the black riders seek the hobbits at the inn, Frodo realizes that when he puts the ring on his finger, he can enter the shadow men’s world and interact with them. A fight with a wraith leaves the tip of the enemy’s knife in Frodo’s bloodstream. Frodo removes the ring and returns to the real world, but is sickened by the metal, which will turn him into a wraith if it reaches his heart. The next morning, Aragorn and the hobbits run into the elf, Legolas, who has come to lead them to their destination. On the way to Rivendell, the band is overpowered by the black riders until a stream washes the wraiths away. Overcome by the poisonous metal, Frodo falls unconscious and wakes up at Rivendell to find Gandalf next to him. Gandalf explains how Frodo triumphed against the ringwraiths and describes his own escape from the traitorous Saruman. Since the black riders are temporarily defeated, the immediate threat is the white wizard, who wants the power of the ring for himself. After Frodo recovers, he is happily reunited with Bilbo. Later, at a special council comprised of representatives of the races of Middle Earth, Frodo learns that Aragorn is a descendant of the prince who took the ring from Sauron. Elrond, the elven leader of Rivendell, suggests that the only solution is to return the ring to the fire at Mordor that was used to forge it. Another council member, Boromir, protests they should not destroy the ring but use it to help Middle Earth, starting with his homeland, Gondor, which is already under attack by Sauron’s forces. But Gandalf insists it is not safe to use the ring because anyone who does so will be corrupted by its power and then broadcast the ring’s whereabouts to Sauron. Instead, Gandalf suggests that the Dark Lord may be so intent on locating the possessor of his ring, he may be blind to anyone sneaking into Mordor to destroy it. Although Bilbo volunteers for the mission, it is decided that Frodo will attempt to breach Mordor, accompanied by Gandalf, Sam, Pippin, Merry, Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir and Gimli the dwarf. On the way to Mordor, the band is attacked by evil humanoid soldiers known as orcs and a winged, whip-wielding, fire-breathing creature called Balrog. Gandalf battles the monster until the two combatants fall into a deep pit. As his friends watch him plummet, Gandalf urges them to go on without him, then disappears from sight. The group continues on and arrives at the elven land of Lothlorien where they rest, recuperate, and soon after, depart by boat. Later, as Frodo decides how he wants to proceed, Boromir approaches the hobbit and suggests they all go to Gondor and use the ring there to defend his people. When Frodo refuses, insisting that the ring causes evil, no matter the wearer’s intentions, Boromir tries to take the ring by force, but Frodo dons the ring and vanishes. Boromir reports Frodo’s disappearance to the others and the hobbits run away looking for him with Gimli and Legolas in tow. Aragorn chides Boromir for making Frodo leave, then orders him to guard Pippin and Merry. Aragorn urges Sam to follow him, but Sam sneaks away, deducing that Frodo went to the shore. Sam finds Frodo there and the two hobbits head to Mordor in a boat. Meanwhile, Pippin and Merry run into orcs, who carry them away. Boromir finds and defends the hobbits until the orcs shoot him with arrows. Moments later, Aragorn discovers Boromir, who admits with his dying breath that he tried to take the ring from Frodo and that the orcs captured the hobbits. Later, as Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas decide to save Merry and Pippin, the orcs tell the hobbits they are going to Isengard. On the way, blond warriors known as the Riders of Rohan attack the orcs. Elsewhere, Frodo and Sam disembark near Mordor’s Mount Doom and encounter Smeagol, whom Frodo knows has been following them since they left Moria. In exchange for the hobbits sparing his life, Smegal agrees to lead them to the gates of Mordor through a secret path. Meanwhile, the orcs and the blond warriors battle each other as Merry and Pippin escape to a nearby forest where a sentient, mobile tree called Treebeard carries them to safety. Elsewhere, Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn lament losing Merry and Pippin’s trail until Gandalf approaches them. The wizard explains how he vanquished Balrog and escaped. He asks them to accompany him to aid Edoras, a nearby kingdom where Saruman’s orcs are due to descend in two days. Theoden, the country’s aged king, is under the advice of Grima Wormtongue who is secretly working for Saruman. When Aragorn notes that there are not enough Rohan riders to stop Saruman’s legions, Gandalf suggests they divert the orcs to a nearby stronghold called Helm’s Deep. Perhaps they can keep the evil forces distracted long enough for Frodo to complete his quest. Meanwhile, Saruman instructs his orc troops that if they can defeat the Rohan, they can take the rest of Middle Earth. In Edoras, Gandalf exposes Wormtongue’s duplicity to Theoden and as Wormtongue escapes, the wizard convinces the king to occupy Saruman’s forces at Helm’s Deep. Soon, Theoden, his men and the four travelers depart Edoras. Gandalf rides away from the group, instructing the king and Aragorn to look for him at Helm’s Deep. Elsewhere, Frodo and Sam continue following Smeagol toward Mordor, despite their mutual distrust, as Samuran’s evil forces approach Helm’s Deep where the Riders of Rohan lie in wait for them. During the battle, magic bolts sent from Isengard help the orcs breach the hold. The king, his friends, and his remaining soldiers retreat to a cave where Theoden announces he would rather die in combat than trapped in a hole. The others join him in returning to the battlefield. Elsewhere, Frodo notes that they are about a day from Mordor. He thanks Sam for his steadfast friendship and admits he is looking forward to ending the adventure because the ring has gotten very heavy. Smeagol urges the hobbits to keep moving and they wearily continue. Although King Theoden and his allies defeat many orcs back at Helm’s Deep, they soon realize there are many more orcs on the way. Theoden calls out for Gandalf, who suddenly appears. With the wizard’s help, they dispatch the forces of darkness and remove them from Middle Earth.