The Lord Of The Rings films didn’t include the tragic backstory of the fellowship’s secret 10th member.

If you’re a fan of the Lord Of The Rings books or the films you’ll know a lot about the fellowship of the ring and their individual histories, but one character always seems to be left out of the group despite being a valuable member.

That hidden member is none other than Bill, the pony seen at the start of the Fellowship Of The Ring who eventually leaves the group part way through.

He’s given the very important task of carrying the group’s gear, which he does a super job at and we’re all very proud of him for it.

When they get to the mines of Moria though they tell Bill to bugger off and he’s never seen again, though he’s probably fine.

Anyway Bill actually has a tragic backstory that the films don’t tell you about, but if you’ve read the books you might know already.

In the early chapters the Hobbits leave The Shire to go on their grand adventure, taking with them a few ponies that they eventually lose in a nearby town.

This forces them to buy a new pony for twelve silver pennies, which sounds like a bargain but it’s actually quite a costly amount in that area.

The unnamed pony, later called Bill, is described as “bony, underfed, and dispirited” hinting that he wasn’t kept in the best condition by his owners, but as the upstanding hero he is Samwise nurses him back to help and the two form a solid bond.

Later Sam and his pony friend must part ways, with the books having Gandalf tell him he needs to go, and in the films it’s Aragorn.

As a heavily underrated member of the fellowship, Bill the pony deserves all of our respect.