What I never got is just what do those other rings do? In fact, why is the One Ring so desired (outside of its "you want me" vibes)? It turns you invisible, into an asshole and allows you to find/control those other rings. They build it up to be this all powerful thing, but I've seen more impressive feats from Captain Planet rings
its power is mostly not by the wielder, but rather over the wielder
with the exception of a few very specific individuals--gandalf, galadriel, elrond--who would've been able to use its full power. in so doing, however, they would have simply replaced sauron after destroying him, because the ring's corrupting power over its wielder would actually be worse than it was over the hobbits.
think of it as having a sliding scale--the more powerful it is in your hands, the more power it has over you. the hobbits were chosen to bear it because they were the least powerful of all; as such it had the least power over them.
krazychao5 posted...
fusespliff posted...
What I never got is just what do those other rings do? In fact, why is the One Ring so desired (outside of its "you want me" vibes)? It turns you invisible, into an asshole and allows you to find/control those other rings. They build it up to be this all powerful thing, but I've seen more impressive feats from Captain Planet rings
Only Sauron can truly use the One ring, as far as i know
So we've never seen what it can actually do? I get that it's the saying "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" in action. But I never understood why anyone would actively search for the thing as no one ever saw it do anything but make an already powerful creature slightly more powerful.
There was no need to show its potential in the Books/Movies because LOTR has never been about a power scaling universe even though people like to make it one. The fact Gandalf didn't personally take the ring to Mordor is proof enough of the dangers of the ring, also the corruption of King Theoden was shown to illustrate how even the most noble and righteous can be turned by sauron, and that was without the ring being used.
If any of the stronger characters actually obtained the ring than the story would end there, Toiken would have to use an even bigger dues ex machina to rationalize how the rest of the fellowship could have beaten whoever got the ring.