Gollum

Gollum, originally named Sméagol (or Trahald), was a Stoor, one of the three early Hobbit-types in the Third Age. His given name of Sméagol should be pronounced as smay-ah-gol.

By possessing the One Ring, his life extended centuries beyond his nature, and he became deformed and twisted in body and mind by the corruption of the Ring. He pursued the Ring for many years after Bilbo Baggins found it in Gollum's cave, within the Misty Mountains, and took it away. Inadvertently, Gollum would play a vital role in the ultimate Quest of Mount Doom. The name Gollum was derived from the sound of his gurgling, choking cough.