B is for — Bard the Bowman from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit 
No list of my favorites would be complete without at least one Tolkien character. (I had three last year.) 🙂
Of all the characters in The Hobbit, I found Bard one of the most heroic. When Smaug wreaks havoc on Laketown, Bard alone faces down the terrifying dragon and kills him with his black arrow. He is courageous, fair-minded, and compassionate and does his best to help his fellow townspeople regroup after the destruction of their town.
I love Luke Evans’ portrayal of Bard in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit movies — the way he loves his children, how he stands up for what he believes, and how he helps the Dwarves against his better judgment because he can’t ignore those in need. I feel for him every time someone brings up his ancestor whose missed shots long ago failed to kill Smaug, as if it were Bard’s fault and he who should be ashamed. The confrontation between Bard and Smaug at the beginning of Battle of the Five Armies was, for me, the highlight of the whole movie. That and Bard’s interactions with the hilarious Alfred.
After the battle, Bard oversees the rebuilding of the city of Dale. As a descendant of the Lords of Dale, Bard eventually becomes King of that city and returns the city and its people to prosperity once more. I wish the real world had more leaders like Bard.
Photo Credit: http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Bard
Photo Credit: http://moviepilot.com
© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2015. All rights reserved.
Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams 
I have never read the hobbit or any of that series l can ever seem to get into it, maybe l should try again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’re great if you like that type of story, but not everyone does.
LikeLike
Bombadil (as in Tom) would have been my Tolkien “B”.
I found your blog through the A to Z Challenge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be a great choice for next year if I go with this theme again. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
Love this series, and I’m afraid Bard often gets overlooked. Thanks for pointing out the heroism of one of the little guys!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! He deserves some recognition. He single-handedly killed a marauding dragon!
LikeLike
I love Tolkein, and Bard’s also one of my favourites. I still haven’t seen the last Hobbit film though – must get around to that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s definitely worth seeing. I’m waiting for the extended edition, which I’m hoping will fill in some of the missing pieces I really wanted to see.
LikeLike
This is a great B. I love the Hobbit and Bard is a great character. Happy Hopping A-Z
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! I agree!
LikeLike
He’s one of the good ones! I haven’t read the Hobbit in a while (like 25 years, and I only saw the first film), so this was a refresher.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I reread the book right before the first Hobbit movie came out, and I loved how they portrayed Bard in the movies.
LikeLike
Bard’s a great character that I don’t think I really appreciated when I was younger (too busy being fascinated/horrified by Gollum). Plus, he has an epic name. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, yes he does. And Gollum has a way of doing that. He’s one of those creepy things you just can’t look away from.
LikeLike
If I were to choose a B character from Tolkien’s writing I would probably go with Beren from the Tale of Beren and Luthien. I’m a sucker for tragic stories that have a sudden eucatastophe at the end.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He would be another good choice, though I’m not as much into tragic stories.
LikeLike
Glad for the photo credit! I’m terrible remembering character names. Loved the movie,
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved the movies, too.
LikeLike
It must been too long since I’ve read the Hobbit, because I hardly remember the Bard.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s always great to have an excuse to read the Hobbit again. That sounds like a good one! 🙂
LikeLike
Not a Hobbit fan. Still devoted to Anne…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not everyone is. I can respect that. 🙂
LikeLike
Ha ha, I will try not to answer every post with Anne! You went for the best first in my opinion.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wanted to get off to a good start. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish we had more leaders like Bard, too. I look around at our current set of politicians and feel uninspired, to say the least. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Uninspired is putting it mildly. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your choices for A to Z so far – Anne of Green Gables, and Bard! Wonderful topic. For me, one of the best parts of The Hobbit trilogy was getting to know Bard a little more than I had in the book. (Plus, Martin Freeman as Bilbo was perfectly excellent!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Yes, I so agree. I love what they did with his character. And Martin Freeman was perfect as Bilbo. He owned the role in a way no one ever will again.
LikeLike
Is it OK to admit I’ve never the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings but I’ve seen the films? But they’re all on my ‘to read’ list. So, maybe one day….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course! The books are well worth reading, though, if you do get to them someday.
LikeLike
The actor wasn’t hard on the eyes either! I loved the Lord of the Rings series of books. I’m not sure I cared for how Peter Jackson stretched the Hobbit out into so many movies the way he did. The movies were good, but they were nothing like the book.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He certainly wasn’t! I found some of the extra scenes interesting, but I wish he’d spent more time on the end of Battle of the Five Armies. I’m hoping the extended version provides a better ending.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never cared for the Hobbit. Just not my cup of tea, I guess.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s not for everyone. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike