The answer to this question may be seen as biased or shallow, but I do believe John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R.) Tolkien is one of the many underrated people in history. Now, underrated is a relative term, as these responses will likely only include individuals who lived in a time that allowed them to develop a brand or a voice. But for the sake of this prompt, we’ll use known people from history.
J.R.R. Tolkien not only stands as the definitive Godfather of fantasy, but a guiding force for young men and women throughout the past 70 years. Whether it be through his published works in life or completed works after death, Tolkien’s devotion to strong character development and exploration of the human spirit have taken humanity to a place it didn’t know existed. His intentional analysis of inner conflict, good and evil, and faith in friendship echo the realities of all time and provide a digestible form of the great philosophies of the world. Young men and women who lacked parental guidance on these innate human experiences found comfort and mentorship through the great words of books like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. People who didn’t know how to be brave found the courage within through characters like Samwise Gamgee, or leadership through Aragorn. Characters like Gandalf gave even the strongest and brightest of men and women the permission to look to others for guidance and knowledge. People found the chance of redemption to be not only possible, but honorable, through the heroism of Boromir. People for generations have a shared experience in a shared realm that is Middle Earth, and for that they are thankful. J.R.R. Tolkien remains one of the most underappreciated individuals in history as his impact is not seen overtly day-to-day, but felt immensely by those who had the privilege of hearing his message.
“Oh build your ship of death, for you will need it”
Rogue NPC 