Hobbits: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
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Essentially, short people, usually [[Muggles]], native to a fantastic world. It is easy to assume '''hobbits''' are [[Audience Surrogate|stand-ins for humans]], since they lack magic or other flashy gimmicks. Paradoxically, this can make them seem more like "modern" humans than the humans in their settings.
They are usually a small, "innocent" version of people who only want to enjoy life without big plans or complications. They just get thrown into the world rather suddenly and have to survive on their wits and luck. They occasionally are the ones to get the [[Golden Snitch]].
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== Card Games ==
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering|Magic the Gathering]]''
** When designing the ''Lorwyn'' block, a fairytale setting that focuses heavily on the [[Planet of Hats|races and jobs of creatures]], the design team didn't feel quite ready to make a card that [[This Loser Is You|cared about the "Human" type]]. Their solution? The kithkin, who
** ''Magic'' also has two kithkin cultures that diverge from the standard Hobbit theme: The kithkin of Amrou on the world of Dominaria are close-knit nomads in a [[After the End|post-apocalyptic wasteland]], while those of Shadowmoor (a sort of [[Bizarro Universe|Bizarro-Lorwyn]]) are [[Torches and Pitchforks|violently xenophobic]] [[Hidden Elf Village|castle-dwellers]] with unnaturally large, blank eyes and a [[Hive Mind]].
** They're only in a post-apocalyptic wasteland [[Captain Obvious|after the apocalypse]]. They debuted on a card in ''Legends'' (which in design was called "Hobbit"), although they weren't seen again until ''Time Spiral''.
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== Literature ==
* The trope name comes from the race of small people who act as surrogates for middle-class Englishmen in the works of [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]. (Just in case you've been living under a rock for the past eighty years.) Part of the reason is Hobbits were originally created for ''[[The Hobbit (novel)|The Hobbit]]'' only; in the early drafts they were even more like modern humans (Bilbo owns a clock, all the hobbits have "normal" surnames and given names even in ''LOTR''). Frodo's friends occasionally grumble how Hobbits are left out of most legendary stories they've heard, which some fans have taken as a reference to how difficult it might have been for Tolkien to bring them in line with a larger epic fantasy.<br />However, this trope is also ''subverted'' somewhat by Tolkien's description of Hobbits seeming soft because they lead comfortable lives, not that they're ''inherently'' weak. Much like Englishmen, they are just about as likely to be adventurous (Frodo's crew) as they are to be assholes (Lotho Sackville-Baggins). Early role-playing games featuring halflings banked on Tolkien's description that used to wander from place to place and that their skill in games and sports has a lot to do with being pretty tough.<br />Hobbits within the Tolkien mythology are also curiously resistant to the effects of [[The Corruption]] caused by Sauron's powers, particularly the One Ring. Hobbits were the only ones capable of handling the One Ring without being completely ensnared by its power, though they aren't immune to its effects; for example, Smeagol/Gollum was consumed by the One Ring's power when he found it, and at the climax of ''The Return Of The King'' the One Ring is able to prevent Frodo from throwing it into Mount Doom. Not to underrate their resistance, however. Only two beings to possess the One Ring have EVER voluntarily given it up, and both were Hobbits.<br />** Not quite. Tom Bombadil also gave it up voluntarily (it actually had no effect on him whatsoever) and Eru only knows what he is!
The immunity of the Hobbits was due to their upbringing causing most of them to think small and only reach for what was close at hand. This relative lack of ambition (compared to the other sentient races) meant that the One Ring didn't have a lot to tempt them
* Hilariously parodied by the Boggies of ''[[Bored of the Rings]]'' where they are gluttonous, cowardly, slovenly, and slothful. And mentally handicapped even by the standards of the setting.
* The Warrows from Dennis L. McKiernan's ''[[Mithgar]]'' books fit Tolkien's Hobbit mold (one of them is even named Pippin!), although they tend to be more adventurous than Tolkien's Hobbits and were more quick to defend themselves, having a well-organized militia.
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** Starting with Third Edition, halflings got a major overhaul and became much less Tolkienesque; in the process becoming more adventurous and less innocent; the default subrace became the ''lightfoots'', who were portrayed not as jovial homebodies but tricksy nomads [[Your Mileage May Vary|some have alleged to being]] [[Unfortunate Implications|unfortunately similar]] to [[Roma|gypsies]]. Over time they have physically become "sexier" and less hobbitlike, to the point that some now see them as [[Our Elves Are Better|short elves]]. The "cuter", more provincial traits of the "old" halflings were mostly given to the [[Our Gnomes Are Weirder|gnomes]], who were described as living in cozy burrow-towns.
** ''[[Eberron]]'' took it even further; some halflings are ''[[Rule of Cool|dinosaur-riding barbarians]]'', even though they still get the inoffensive dragonmarks.
** Nowhere went further than ''[[Dark Sun]]'', which featured savage, jungle-dwelling cannibal
** Even in Second Edition, the ''[[Dragonlance]]'' setting's version of hobbits were the Kender, a race of adventurous kleptomaniacs.
** [[Mystara]]'s halflings have some well-hidden magical aptitudes that work only in their homeland, which explains why such little guys haven't been conquered recently. They kick out their misfits and thugs (yes, there are such things), who head off to become swashbuckling pirates. These things happen when you let Ed Greenwood write your country's game supplement.
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* The strain of [[Mutants|Abhuman]] in ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' called Ratlings fit the bill as Space Hobbits, but they don't get much play in the lore or game. Mostly, they serve in the Imperial Guard as cooks, quartermasters, and snipers.
* The version in ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle|Warhammer Fantasy]]'' are much closer to Tolkien's Hobbits, although they are technically part of the Empire and their land is not so well-protected. They're stereotyped as being either thieves or excellent cooks.
** They also naturally appear in ''[[Blood Bowl]]'', where they are essentially the [[Joke Character
* ''[[Old World of Darkness]]''
** ''[[Changeling: The Dreaming]]'' features boggans, a kith of short, sociable folk who are very good at craftwork and reading any social gathering and understanding all the connections therein.
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== Toys ==
* The Matoran of ''[[Bionicle]]''. They have no powers to speak of in a world where superpowers are the norm and [[Applied Phlebotinum]] is used on a daily basis. They are, however, extremely hardy and can take pretty much whatever the world throws at them. Their personalities, though, can range from the hot-headed Fire tribe to the cool, collected Ice tribe, and from the wise, sensible Earth tribe to the fun-loving Air tribe. They do most of the manual labor in their world and are often overlooked by more [[Genre Blind]] villains. They can also be transformed into Toa, Bionicle's default hero, by [[Power Crystal
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** ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'' has the Lalafell, who are an [[Expy]] of the Tarutaru. Though, race has no mechanical effect in ''XIV''.
* Grunts of ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]'' can generally be thought of this way. They're shorter than all the others, standing at a mere five feet, and are mostly for comic relief and they suck at fighting.
* Hurthlings in ''[[Ancient Domains of Mystery]]'' are mostly this. Short, stealthy, good archers, and have Cooking skill for free. Also they, like Tolkienesque ones, dislike
* Hobbits are less than gracefully shoehorned into ''[[Lufia]]: The Ruins of Lore''.
* The Kokiri of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time]]'' live hundreds of years but never mature past childhood. They are able to live comfortably and innocently in their [[Lost Woods]] because of their steward, the Deku Tree.
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