Meriadoc Brandybuck is a Hobbit. Enough said, really, according to Peter Jackson’s movies. Despite his importance, bravery, cool head and quick wit in Tolkien’s epic books, his on-screen character is somewhat reduced to [borrowing a line from Cassie Claire’s Very Secret Diaries] ‘indiscernible background hobbit’. Alongside Pippin, Merry stumbles from one adventure (stealing from Farmer Maggot’s crops) into the next (trying to save the world from a great evil by leading walking trees to Isengard).
He joins Frodo on his journey to Rivendell, and later joins the Fellowship too. At Amon Hen, he provides Frodo with an opportunity to flee by distracting the Uruk-hai a little too successfully and is taken (again with Pippin) to Isengard. Halfway though the journey, an attack by the Rohirrim and Pippin’s (!) quick wit save them and they end up in Fangorn Forest. There he and Pippin witness the Entmoot, a gathering of slow old talking trees who refuse to take action, something that leaves Merry slightly miffed. However, it’s Pippin who encourages Treebeard in the end to fight Saruman.
After Isengard is reclaimed and the remains of the Fellowship are reunited, Pippin looks into the Palantír and is separated from Merry. Merry stays behind with the Rohirrim, and when they depart for Gondor to aid Denethor, Éowyn – disguised as a man – takes him with her. He is severely injured during the battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he helps Éowyn kill the Witch-king of Angmar, but recovers enough to take part in the battle before the Black Gates of Mordor.
by Figwit
