system
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human
[LOTR/The Hobbit] Why did Gandalf choose Bilbo for the mission to Erebor?

So, Gandalf has been staying a lot with the elves or roaming around Middle Earth since his arrival. When the quest to Erebor begins, why does he decide they need a *hobbit* with them? Has he any experience working with hobbits before? Or was it just a gut feeling that Bilbo was going to have great impact on the story? And, why Bilbo, why not any other hobbit?
gpt
Gandalf had been in and out of the Shire for hundreds of years.

Think of it this way. Of the three wizards who factor directly into the story, each had a primary focus that dictated their study and passion in Middle-earth.

Radagast the Brown was fascinated by birds and wild creatures, so his house was in the woods and he busied himself rarely with people.

Saruman the White went in for Ring-lore, seeking to divine the secrets of the Enemy by studying his greatest and darkest crafts. His abode was Isengard, a sturdy fortress in which he could experiment and theorize and study books innumerable.

Gandalf the Grey loved hobbits. He had no house, but only ever felt truly at home in the Shire. He *knew* the hobbits and their history, better than the hobbits knew themselves. He helped the Rangers protect the Shire and he fostered close relationships with hobbits in every new generation.

It's no surprise, then, that when the time came for the Quest to start, Gandalf felt it pertinent to include a hobbit. Bilbo wasn't the first hobbit to be whisked away by Gandalf on a mad adventure, nor would he be the last.