The fate of character after they die might not be what you initially ponder about after watching or reading The Lord of the Rings, but eventually, you start to wonder their fate.

What happens after they die?

The Lord of the Rings fandom is coming to terms with the sad circumstances that befall Gollum once he kicks the bucket.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be so invested in such a wicked character, yet while his actions align with evil, there’s a complexity there that shows the good that exists inside of him.

It’s minute but it exists.

Gollum’s fate isn’t much better once he dies

Unfortunately for Gollum, this isn’t enough to spare him.

In a letter from Tolkien, shared on Reddit, it hypothesises what happened to Gollum. Although it gives no definitive answer, it does suggest that his is a less favourable afterlife than other characters experienced.

An excerpt from the letter reads, “Gollum was pitiable, but he ended in persistent wickedness, and the fact that this worked good was no credit to him.”

Another popular belief is that he’s in the Halls of Mandos.

For those not well versed in LOTR lore, this is a “purgatory” like space.

“Yeah, without going too theological, I do believe the Halls of Mandos is similar to the Catholic belief in Purgatory,” explained a deleted user.

If that is where Gollum found himself, some hopeful fans like to believe he was given a second chance, however unlikely it may be.

“Perhaps he’ll be given another chance. Or he’ll remain in the Hall as Smeagol free of the ring’s curse,” Omlanduh commented.

Grim endings run deep in lore of the series, for Sauron’s fate once the One Ring was destroyed proves that being evil never pays off.

It’s doubtful Gollum suffered as bad a fate, but he clearly didn’t get a much better deal.