There’s no question that Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy. The latter is full of fascinating characters, all of whom get pulled into not only the quest to reclaim the treasure from the dragon Smaug but also the battle against the evil being of the Necromancer.
However, though many of them are quite brave, it has to be said that many of them also make deeply questionable decisions.
Bilbo - Hiding The Arkenstone
After Bilbo and his dwarf companions make their way into the Mountain, they all try to find the Arkenstone. When Bilbo finds it, he ultimately hides it and subsequently hands it over to Thranduil and Bard. While his motivations are noble–he wants to prevent the imminent conflict between the dwarves and the other groups gathered–it’s hard not to think that he could have chosen a better method for achieving that goal, rather than doing the one thing that would shatter his friendship with Thorin.
Gandalf - Going To Dol Guldur Alone
Gandalf is one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth, and while he is also one of the wisest, that doesn’t mean that he’s not capable of making foolish decisions at times. In this case, his most perilous, and arguably his worst, decision is to wander into the fortress of Dol Guldur alone. While it’s understandable why he would do so–he wants to learn more about the threat–he should have at least been willing to go to someone (perhaps Galadriel) to assist him rather than putting himself at such grave risk.
Thranduil - Imprisoning The Dwarves
Lee Pace has been in a number of great movies, and Thranduil is arguably one of his best roles. He is haughty and proud and, at times, downright cruel as he engages with the dwarves. His decision to imprison Thorin and the others is by far his worst decision, as it does little more than to further aggravate the already-existing conflict between his own people and those of the Lonely Mountain. In this case, he let his pride get in the way of his better judgment.
Bard - His Arrogant Greeting Of The Dwarves
Bard is surely one of Luke Evans’ best roles, but he shows time and again that, while he doesn’t lack when it comes to bravery, he’s still capable of making very poor choices. In particular, his decision to confront the dwarves with arrogance and condescension–while understandable, given his desire to protect his children and his people–is one of his worst. Like Thranduil, his unwillingness to extend a gracious hand to people who have come to the people of Laketown sows the seeds for the conflicts that will come later in the movie.
Thorin - Trying To Destroy Smaug With Molten Gold
There are many strange moments in the movie The Desolation of Smaug, but arguably one of the most notable is the attempt by the dwarves to drown Smaug in a statue made of molten gold. It’s a visually stunning moment, to be sure, but it ends up being a very bad decision for a whole host of reasons.
Most importantly it leads, not to the destruction of the dragon but instead to Smaug only getting more angry and determined to destroy the people of Laketown for their effrontery.
Fili - Going Along With Thorin To Kill Azog
Fili, as one of the younger of the Company that sets out for the treasure, tends to be a bit more impulsive than the other dwarves. What’s more, as one of the nephews of Thorin, he accompanies him when he sets out for his fatal conflict with Azog.
While this is an understandable impulse on his part, it’s also a terrible decision, in no small part because it ultimately ends up with his death. Given that, by this point, he knows how skilled Azog is as a warrior, he should have steered clear of such a confrontation.
Kili - Getting Into A Relationship With An Elf
One of the more controversial elements of the Hobbit trilogy was the decision to create a romance between the dwarf, Kili, and the elf, Tauriel (herself a character created for the movie). While it is a romance that has true depth and resonance, it’s also a mistake on Kili’s part, not only because it is ultimately doomed to fail (given the longstanding enmity between their races) but also because it puts both of them in great peril as they confront the evil sweeping over the world.
Tauriel - Getting Into A Relationship With A Dwarf
On the flip side, it also has to be said that Tauriel betrays some bad judgment in deciding to get into a relationship with a dwarf. For one thing, she would have to confront the essential reality that she is immortal and he is not, meaning that both of them were ultimately going to feel a great deal of heartache. Just as importantly, her romance with Kili also puts her own life at risk as it makes her vulnerable to the ruthless Orcs.
Smaug - Not Doing More To Protect Himself
There are few movie dragons quite as iconic as Smaug, voiced by the great actor Benedict Cumberbatch. As fearsome as he is, however, and as much as his subtlety and his intelligence have allowed him to endure for many years, he still makes a terrible decision when he attacks Laketown and does nothing to disguise the patch on his breast that is his only vulnerable spot. It’s a decision that’s understandable, given his arrogance, but it’s one that ultimately proves fatal once Bard is able to exploit it.
Azog - Challenging Thorin To Hand-To-Hand Combat
There are many powerful villains that appear in Tolkien’s works and their adaptations, but Azog is one of the most fearsome. He is sadistic and cruel and ruthless in his efforts to destroy Thorin and his fellow dwarves, but he is also a very arrogant creature, which is what leads him to challenge Thorin to hand-to-hand combat.
He no doubt thinks that he is powerful and strong enough to win in such a contest, but it’s a decision that ultimately leads to his death.
