Publish date: 2024-01-11

While some people think they know The Hobbit because of Peter Jackson, there’s another group of us who sit Smaug-like on our Tolkien treasure trove, scoffing when someone can’t even tell the dwarves apart. “Ha!” we say. “If you’d read the book, you would know!” But even for Tolkien scholars, keeping on the path of the original 300-page tale after the epic enchantments Team Jackson has added into the movies requires some Bilbo-like determination. Take our 30-question superfan quiz about the book to test whether you truly have what to takes to become a hero of Middle-earth.

How Well Do You Know The Hobbit?

Of all the hobbits in the Shire, why does Gandalf pick Bilbo to join the quest?

Bilbo has mad burgling skills.

Bilbo has been to the Lonely Mountain.

Bilbo’s mother was Belladonna Took.

Bilbo has a stash of smokable leaf.

CorrectIncorrect Which of these is the name of one of the dwarves who arrives at Bag End?

Tori

Dori

Rori

Bori

Correct Incorrect Who gave Gandalf the map and key to Erebor, which would allow the dwarves to find and get into their lost city?

Thrain

Elrond

Radagast

Beorn

Correct Incorrect What do the dwarves promise to pay Bilbo?

All the gold he can carry

Up to and not exceeding one-fourteenth of total profits

The Arkenstone

Four square meals a day

Correct Incorrect How does the party of dwarves outwit the trolls?

Bilbo poses a riddle and gets them to argue until dawn.

Thorin offers them treasure and gets them to argue until dawn.

Gandalf throws his voice and gets them to argue until dawn.

Bilbo turns invisible and feeds them poison.

Correct Incorrect How do the elves of Rivendell tease Bilbo?

They call him fat.

They call him smelly.

They call him short.

They call him coward

Correct Incorrect As they travel through the mountains, they meet a thunderstorm, which is actually...

Goblins cracking their whips

Wraiths on wings

Stone-giants fighting

Saruman’s foul voice on the wind

Correct Incorrect What is the correct answer to this riddle posed in Gollum’s cave: “What has roots as nobody sees?”?

Weeds

Mountain

Teeth

Hair

Correct Incorrect Gollum gets three guesses about what Bilbo has in his pocket. Which ones of these does he not guess?

“Handses.”

“Knife.”

“String, or nothing.”

“My precious!”

Correct Incorrect When does Bilbo explain how he got the ring?

When the dwarves ask him after the spider fight

When Gandalf asks him after the goblin fight

When Smaug asks him how he snuck into his lair

Never

Correct Incorrect How does Gandalf say he will introduce the dwarves to Beorn?

Alphabetical order

Two by two

Age before beauty

By height

Correct Incorrect In exchange for his help, what does Beorn ask of the dwarves and hobbit as they’re leaving?

To kill the Great Goblin

To blunt his knives

To send back his ponies

To remember him in song

Correct Incorrect When crossing the enchanted stream in Mirkwood, Bombur falls in and ____________?

Bombur falls asleep

Bilfur starts speaking Elvish

Bofur runs to get help

Balin gets caught by a spider

Correct Incorrect What does the elf-king accuse the dwarves of?

Bad manners

Bad beards

Crashing a party

Attacking the elves

Correct Incorrect How many drinks does it take to get an elf-guard drunk?

Elves can’t get drunk

One flagon of Dorwinion wine

One flask of miruvor mead

Two glasses of Limpë wine

Correct Incorrect When Bilbo first sneaks into Smaug’s lair…

The dragon is asleep and snoring.

The dragon is feeding on a pony.

The dragon breathes fire at him.

The dragon laughs.

Correct Incorrect Bilbo remembers a phrase of his father’s, which gives him hope. What is it?

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

“The early bird gets the worm.”

“Even a worm will turn.”

“Every worm has his weak spot.”

Correct Incorrect When Smaug asks Bilbo who he is, which of these things does Bilbo not claim to be?

A hobbit

A ringwinner

A lucky number

A barrel-rider

Correct Incorrect When Smaug suspects Bilbo has come to steal the gold, what does Bilbo claim he’s there for instead?

To wake the dragon

To ride the dragon

To chase the dragon

For revenge

Correct Incorrect When Smaug boasts of his attributes, he likens the flapping of his wings to a hurricane. But what does he call his breath?

Fire

Death

Acid

Ice

Correct Incorrect Bilbo spots a flaw in which of Smaug’s body parts?

His tail

His left eye

His left breast

His right leg

Correct Incorrect What kind of dragon is Smaug?

Norwegian Ridgeback

Hebridean Black

Common Welsh Green

None of the above

Correct Incorrect What does Thorin give Bilbo from Smaug’s plunder?

Sting

Star of Elendil

Mithril

A double-handed cup

Correct Incorrect Who does Bilbo give the Arkenstone?

Thorin

Gandalf

Bard

No one; he keeps it

Correct Incorrect Who tells Bard where to shoot?

The thrush

The dwarves

The dragon

The elves

Correct Incorrect What information do the dwarves get by raven?

Gandalf is on his way.

Smaug is dead.

They’re under siege.

Bilbo lives!

Correct Incorrect How does Thorin insult Bilbo for his peacemaking efforts?

“You insufferable hobbit!”

“You undersized burglar!”

“You incompetent thief!”

“You ungrateful fool!”

Correct Incorrect What is the ensuing conflict called?

War of Five Kings

War of Five Rings

Battle of Five Forks

Battle of Five Armies

Correct Incorrect What are Thorin’s last words?

“Now is the time for Bilbo to get his reward.”

“The Arkenstone of my father is worth more than a river of gold in itself.”

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

“I will be avenged.”

Correct Incorrect What happens when Bilbo returns to the Shire?

He finds his estate under auction.

He attends the Sacksville-Bagginses anniversary party.

He adopts Frodo.

He carves a statue of Smaug.

Correct Incorrect

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