On several occasions, Sam thinks that he sees a pair of pale lights, like eyes, in the darkness, but Gollum does not yet make another appearance. Sam purposely throws the items he and Frodo have decided to leave behind into a fissure so that Gollum cannot get his hands on them.
Gollum finally reveals himself as the hobbits climb Mount Doom. He tackles the hobbits, and locks into a wrestle with Frodo, trying to grab the Ring from the chain around Frodo’s neck. Thus, Sam is unable to stab Gollum without hurting his master. But Frodo manages to throw Gollum off, and terrifies both Gollum and Sam, before Sam urges him to go on, and leave Gollum to him. Frodo agrees, and Gollum is left with Sam. However, Sam experiences the same pity Frodo and Bilbo felt, and does not kill Gollum as he had first intended.
Sam’s pity (like Bilbo’s and Frodo’s before him) ends up being the saviour of all. Frodo, driven insane by the desire of the Ring and its increased power in its place of creation, refuses to destroy the Ring, and claims it for himself. (Sauron hears this, and too late realises where his true danger was).
Sam is unable to speak reason to his master, for Frodo puts on the Ring and vanishes. Sam’s feet are knocked from beneath him, and when he regains consciousness, he sees Gollum locked in battle with an invisible enemy. Gollum manages to grab hold of Frodo’s unseen hand, pulls it to his mouth and bites off the Ring, complete with Frodo’s finger.
Reunited at last with his “precious”, Gollum dances in joy, but this is his downfall. He comes too close to the edge, and topples into the abyss within Mount Doom. His last words are a shriek of “Precious!”
Thus, without Gollum, the Ring would not have been destroyed. Sauron would have found Frodo, tortured him for claiming the Ring for himself, and covered the land in Darkness once more. Because of Gollum, Sauron lost all his power. His servants were dismayed, and the seemingly hopeless Last Battle at the Gates of Mordor was won by Aragorn, Éomer and their allies.
