Gandalf ’s knowledge of Bilbo ’s band inThe Hobbitdoesn’t create aLord of the Ringsplot maw . In Peter Jackon ’s final installment of theHobbitmovie trilogy , The HobbitGandalf mo when he confronts Bilbo about his new hoop during the pair ’s farewell at the border of The Shire has create false reports of aLord of the Ringscontinuity error . Before their parting , Bilbo make a humble reference to his atrociously expert chance , to which Gandalf flout that " magic pack should not be used softly , " revealing he had known all along about Bilbo using the ancient keepsake on their journey . This might seem curious , asThe Fellowship of the Ringsees Gandalf put away the treasure into the fireplace of Bag End , and only then does he affirm thatthe mob is in fact Sauron ’s . But if Gandalf knew Bilbo had a pack , and the other Rings of Power belong to Dwarves , Elves and Men were mostly account for , why did n’t he realize what the Hobbit had in his possession from the beginning ? And if he did make love , why not take action at the final stage ofThe Hobbitinstead of waiting untilThe Lord of the Rings ?

This might seem like an inconsistency at first glance , but answer can be found within wider Tolkien mythology . At the time ofThe Hobbit , the whereabouts of the Elves ' Rings of Power were known toThe HobbitGandalf character , while the Nine belonged to the Nazgûl and the Seven had either been ruin by dragon or rectify by Sauron . What Jackson ’s motion picture do n’t accentuate is thatthe Elves also crafted other magic ringsthat were in no way of life link up to Sauron . These were far more likely to be pick up by a Hobbit like Bilbo in a dark , wet cave than the fabled One Ring to which Sauron ’s very cosmos was tied . It makes sense that when Ian McKellen ’s Gandalf warns Bilbo about the peril of " magic rings , " he simply assumes ( or maybe hopes ) that Bilbo has pick up one of these less vicious macrocosm .

relate : Lord of the Rings : How Old Each Fellowship Member Really Is

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

Gandalf Figured Out The Ring’s Identity Over Time

Another key reason why thisThe HobbitGandalf moment was true to his fictitious character is he would n’t needs know Bilbo ’s magical hoop was the One Ring . It also ties into Saruman ’s treason — something else Gandalf did n’t foresee . InThe Hobbit , Gandalf is unaware that his fellow wizard is in league with Sauron and Saruman exploits this trust by reassuring his Grey twin that the Ring is lost forever . With no reason not to trustthe wizard Sarumanat this point , it ’s to be expected that Gandalf would n’t mechanically take that Bilbo had discovered the factual One Ring .

Despite not knowing for trusted , it is clear that Gandalf becomes increasingly fishy about Bilbo ’s ring over the year betweenThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings . Not only does the wizard begin working with Aragorn to protect the Shire , but he also originate stab into the history of the Ring , stress to hunt its movements . Gandalf and Aragorn eventually get across down Gollum to find out how much Sauron eff about Bilbo and his " wizardly ring . " It ’s at this pointedness that Gandalf finally cast off the ringing into Frodo ’s fireplace to confirm his nagging sensory faculty of apprehension . Indeed , in what ’s widely regarded as thebestLOTRmovie , The Fellowship of theRing , Gandalf tell Frodo that his misgiving began the very moment Bilbo chanced upon the Ring in that fatal cave , although he did n’t then know why he matte the room he did .

The potential for disarray regarding Gandalf ’s moment of realization arises due to a slight change Jackson make to the ending ofThe Hobbit . In Tolkien ’s original Word , Gandalf ’s cognition of Bilbo ’s band is dim — the star only hints to Bilbo that he knows about the item . Most probably in an attempt to further linkThe HobbittoThe Lord of the Rings , Gandalf explicitly references the Ring during his farewell to Bilbo on the adult projection screen , which subsequently opens up question as to why the wizard did n’t play sooner .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

If Gandalf Knowingly Left The Ring With Bilbo There’ll Be A Reason

The One Ring has been give more time in the glare thanks tothe seriesRings of Power , which will , at some point , chronicle the forging of the mob . This mean there ’s been increase examination over pre - The Hobbitevents and the band , as well as Gandalf himself ( as he may - or - may not be making aRings of Powerappearance ) . Gandalf is a cryptical wizard and express apparently - omnipotent power from time to sentence . famed enigmatic musical phrase like " A thaumaturge is never late , he arrive incisively when he means to,“only fuel the fire of the many questions around the puzzling Gandalf , but they also bring a key point forward — if Gandalf love that Bilbo in truth held the One Ring and still leave it with him , then he would have had a rationality . whiz have wisdom beyond mortal understanding within the universe of discourse that J.R.R. Tolkien has created , and Jackson ’s change made it potential Sauron had no clue of the ring’sdiscovery inThe Hobbit ’s finale . It ’s completely plausible that Gandalf could believe of no good place to hide the halo than with an retiring Hobbit . Though keeping the One Ring with Bilbo inThe Hobbitmay seem strange , it ’s probably not so strange to Gandalf and the other wizard . After all , if Gandalf ’s plans were easily understood by audiences ( none of whom own his mystical - yet - mystic Istari wisdom ) then it would n’t make for very just storytelling .

More : Why Frodo Had To Leave center - earth At The End Of Lord Of The Rings

In a dusty landscape Finn stares out into the distance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Ian McKellen as Gandalf in The Hobbit

Bilbo towards the end of the third hobbit movie in his fur coat

Gandalf greets Bilbo in The Hobbit

Movies

The Lord of the Rings