The
One Ring is an
artefact that appears as the central plot element in
J. R. R. Tolkien's
The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). It is described in an earlier story,
The Hobbit (1937), as a
magic ring of
invisibility. In the sequel,
The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien ascribes to the Ring a darker character, with malevolent power going far beyond conferring invisibility: it was created by
Sauron the Dark Lord as part of his design to win domination over
Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings concerns the quest to destroy the Ring to keep Sauron from fulfilling his design.