One Ring as he was eluding orcs—who killed him when he became visible. Isildur in turn had cut the Ring from the hand of Sauron, who had made the Ring and let much of his power flow into it. Sauron was the Ring's true master, and the only being who could bend it completely to his will. Though Déagol and Gandalf had handled the Ring, the only individuals ever to wear it were Sauron, Isildur, Sméagol/Gollum, Bilbo, Frodo, Tom Bombadil, and Samwise. None but Bilbo, Frodo, and Samwise are actually called "Ring-bearers" in any of Tolkien's works. As Ring-bearers, they were granted
The Fellowship of the Ring the decision to publish "The Lord of the Rings" in three volumes was made, Tolkien had hoped to publish the novel in one volume, possibly also combined with "The Silmarillion". However, he had proposed titles for the individual six sections. Of the two books that comprise what became "The Fellowship of the Ring" the first was to be called "The First Journey" or "The Ring Sets Out". The name of the second was "The Journey of the Nine Companions" or "The Ring Goes South". The titles "The Ring Sets Out" and "The Ring Goes South" were used in the "Millennium