Gollum, originally known as Sméagol or Trahald, is a creature of Hobbit origin and a major antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earthlegendarium. Gollum is one of the two secondary antagonists in the novel The Lord of the Rings (alongside Saruman), and a supporting antagonist in the novel, The Hobbit.
He is a minor antagonist in both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeyand The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, before enlarging his role as a major anti-hero in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and the central antagonist of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. He is set to return in 2022 videogame The Lord of the Rings: Gollum as the titular main protagonist.
He is a former Hobbit who is corrupted and transformed into a slimy, monstrous creature by the One Ring, which he calls "my precious". After losing the Ring to Bilbo Baggins, he hunts after it for decades, eventually becoming part of the quest to destroy it when he is tamed by Bilbo's nephew Frodo. His all-consuming need for the Ring eventually lead him to betray Frodo and unintentionally destroy the Ring and himself.
In Sir Peter Jackson's adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, he was portrayed by Andy Serkis in motion-capture.