Why couldn't Sauron sense Bilbo?

Honestly, Sauron's magic couldn't break through the thick cloud of Bilbo's pipeweed smoke.

Appreciate the final note. Even readers of the books sometimes overlook that Aragorn, as much as Frodo and Sam, is responsible for the destruction of the Ring and the defeat of Sauron. It was he who at the perfect time revealed and announced himself via the Orthanc seeing stone. It was the combination of Sauron seeing Frodo with the Ring at Amon Hen, the following silence of Saruman and rumors of his defeat, the folly of Pippin in using the Palantir and being interrogated by Sauron all culminating in Aragorn revealing himself via the Palantir and implying that he was the one responsible for all of this. Sauron assumed that Aragorn had the Hobbit who was known to have possessed the Ring, and therefore had taken the Ring himself. He was near Amon Hen, so he had brought the Ring south. He was using the Orthanc Palantir, so he had already defeated Saruman, Sauron’s strongest ally. And then to top it all off, he withstood Sauron’s will (barely), taunted him with Narsil reforged (the sword that cut the Ring from his finger), and then wrested the control of the Palantir away from Sauron as its true and rightful owner, proving that he was an heir of Elendil. This was a killer combo blow to Sauron’s ego and confidence, and fixated his attention on Aragorn who he knew would make his way to Gondor. It’s why he attacked Minas Tirith. It’s why he emptied Minas Morgul just after Sam, Frodo, and Gollum had passed it. It’s why he never considered nor discovered that his enemies might be attempting to destroy the Ring in the only way it could be destroyed. And Aragorn played up the illusion right to the Black Gate, moments before Gollum fell with the Ring into the fires of Doom. Too late Sauron realized that he had been played masterfully not by Gandalf, or Elrond, or Galadriel, but by Aragorn.

At Amon Hen, the book phrases it as more that Sauron noticed Frodo watching him, rather than the other way around. Sauron didn’t see the amplified ring so much as feel he was being watched, and so turned to look at who was watching him. There’s a good chance the ring would not even be necessary to attract his attention that way, similarly to the palantiri

bilbo is just too chill

"The magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash" has always been one of my favorite lines from literature.

Both times Sauron noticed the ring-wearer, the ring-wearer was trying to do more than hide. At Amon Hen, probably unwittingly, Frodo was trying to exert his will; at Sammath Naur he was claiming the ring for his own. In all other cases, Smeagol, Bilbo, and Frodo were actively thinking of not being noticed.

As someone who only read the Hobbit, but not the lotr books as a child and then only watched the lotr movies, I find your videos to be a very enjoyable way of better getting to know the world of Tolkien. Also, that calm voice is super relaxing to listen to. Thanks for you videos, keep it up!

Robert, this is quite possibly the best LotR channel ever. Everything is interesting and fresh and your voice is perfect. Well done!

I think if one wants to justify it in the films, by the time of The Fellowship he knows from Gollum that the ring has been found so he's 'paying attention' to it. In The Hobbit, for all Sauron knew it was washed away to the ocean like Saruman suggested. So Sauron isn't dedicating any resources to searching for it, or any of his own power to finding it or sensing if it's being worn.

A bit of additional theorizing: It's well understood the Ring grants power to the bearer based on the measure of power the bearer already possesses. A hobbit putting on the Ring and going invisible (shifting to the Unseen realm) would do little to attract Sauron's attention, but if Gandalf (for example) were to put on the Ring, especially if he were to claim it, he would likely attract Sauron's attention immediately no matter where in Middle-earth Gandalf was.

Well done!! You are spot on! I’m impressed that you separate the movies from what was actually written. Too many other people try to be an LOR expert and only quote the movies!!

The scene on Amon Hen was tremendously important, for there we see the entire scope of The War of the Ring--something the movies sadly missed out on. BTW, the Welsh story of Pwyll and Rhiannon involves a storied and magical seat that allows one to see marvels.

I think the second time Sauron realises that Frodo has the ring at the cracks of doom is more down to the fact that Frodo claims the ring as his own, a challenge to Sauron's authority.

What’s even more telling is that right after Frodo removes the ring on Amon Hen, he feels that the gaze of the Eye has moved on and the treat is now gone. Feeling that it is now save for him to do so, he puts the ring back on without any fear of Sauron noticing him.

The book scene where Frodo is just looking around completely unknown until he looks at Mordor and Sauron looks right back is so damn scary. I think the film handled it well but that description is so great

This is very carefully, very precisely, and very well explained. I applaud your performance.

That part where Sauron notices Frodo at Amon Hen is one of the most terrifying moments

Let us not forget the other obvious thing, which is that when Tolkien wrote The Hobbit the ring had an entirely different purpose in the story. It was a wondrous tool that enabled Bilbo's character growth from timid homebody to take-charge adventurer. Tolkien's bit of retconning of the ring when he decided to write a sequel would inevitably leave some inconsistencies. It is, of course, a great tribute to the consistency of Tolkien's world building that fans will find logical rationales for elements that don’t perfectly harmonize between the two works.

This channel is such a nice surprise. It always warms my heart, when i see someone share my deep love and appreciaton for Tolkien's work!

Tolkien"s magic may be "famously soft," but I have never felt like it contradicted itself. I think it's the perfect way to do fantasy. And here we are, figuring out the rules to the magic and making sense of it without a great deal of mental gymnastics. Weirdly, the spiritual nature of LotR is what makes it make sense.