Nazgûl (Ringwraiths) fear and avoid water due to its connection to powerful forces like the Vala Ulmo, its symbolic cleansing nature which opposes their corrupted state, and its ability to disrupt their non-physical existence, though they can cross water (especially with bridges or when overwhelmed by flood), as seen with the Witch-king at the Ford of Bruinen. Their aversion stems from water's purity and life-giving aspects, contrasting with their undead nature, and potential sensory overload from its reflections and movement, though Tolkien never gave one single definitive reason.
In sum: Ringwraiths ``do not like water'' because it weakens their power and movement, acts as a mythic and metaphysical boundary hostile to their nature, and serves Tolkien's thematic purpose of water as a protector and separator from dark dominion.
Tolkien says the Nazgul "do not see the world of light as we do." Perhaps the unique properties of water affects their vision and disorients them because of the movement and how the light reflects off the surface. Sort of like a hypnotic state or a dissociative trance. Water could even give them motion sickness .
In The Lord of the Rings, the Nazgûl are overwhelmed by the river while pursuing Frodo chiefly because of a combination of their vulnerability to water and the river's physical and symbolic properties as a barrier against their power.
All the Ringwraiths but the Witch-king feared water, although it seems this weakness was abandoned by J.R.R. Tolkien in the published version because it was an idea difficult to sustain. At Weathertop, Aragorn used fire to drive the Ringwraiths away from Frodo. Even the Witch-king feared fire.
Why was Sauron afraid of Aragorn potentially possessing the Ring? Gandalf explains it in the Return of the King (during the council after the battle of the Pelennor fields) that Sauron would never think somebody would want to destroy the One Ring.
It look like they intentionally stabbed Frodo with an enchanted dagger, instead of killing him and taking the Ring, because they knew that the wounded by a Morgul blade has only chance to survive the mortal injury, if it will be tended by the Elves.
It's possible that Gollum's prolonged search for the ring allowed it to maintain a significant power over him, suspending his aging process. In contrast, Bilbo's exposure to the ring's influence waned after he willingly (mostly) relinquished it, allowing his aging to resume more noticeably.
Sauron needed Gandalf out of the picture permanently, as he was the only enemy with the knowledge, leadership and determination to thwart him. His biggest mistake was ego. He succeeded by trickery, by his ability to deceive others. He conquered so much land that his ability to control became out of reach .
As a Maia, Gandalf was an angelic being in human form, in service to the Creator (Eru Ilúvatar) and the Creator's 'Secret Fire'. He took on the specific form of an old man as a sign of his humility. His role was to advise but never to attempt to match Sauron's strength.
Managing to endure everything that Freddy threw at him, Jason lost his composure when a pipe burst and showered him with water, his deep-seated fear of water and drowning having been brought to the surface by being in the Dream World.
Similarly, Hunsinger finds Tolkien's description of how Éowyn kills the Witch-king "an image for the paradox of evil as something powerful and yet hollow at the same time." He notes that her sword shatters with her final stroke, but of her defeated foe, "nothing is left" in the empty mantle and hauberk.
It's not the years; it's the mileage. Gandalf isn't a Maia in the same way Sauron is. He was sent to middle earth as an old man, so his body is much more real than Sauron's “raiment”. He can't use his power to the same extent, he can't change his forms at will.
Tolkien's description of Gollum conforms to a Catholic – and Thomistic – account of envy, which is a “sadness of the soul”; and it is Gollum's unbearable sadness and his unquenchable desire for the one Ring that marks his character.
Instead, we have to consider that Sauron, the original owner, is not human, but has a quasi-divine status. Therefore ownership of the Ring is subject to Divine Law. With this precedent in mind, many of the ambiguities clear up nicely. After numerous transfers by violence and trickery, Frodo is the true owner.
The Ring's effects
Inversely, the hobbits' good-naturedness and lack of ambition makes them less susceptible to the Ring's promises of power, as in Frodo and Samwise Gamgee, who are able to handle the Ring for extended periods of time.
If Gandalf had stayed dead after his sacrifice in The Fellowship of the Ring, then his demise would be the saddest in the trilogy, but since he came back, the saddest single death scene of all three movies goes to Boromir's.
In the books Bilbo hadn't even come close to catching up with his biological age until after the Ring was destroyed. (And since Gollum was destroyed with the Ring, there wasn't any chance for his age to catch up with him.)
A group of UCL medical students, led by Dr. Liz Sampson, concludes that Gollum was actually suffering from schizoid personality disorder.
Sauron held the One Ring for the longest time, around 1,840 years until it was cut from his hand by Isildur. Sméagol was in possession of the Ring for the second longest time, 478 years. Bilbo had the Ring for the next longest period, 60 years, which is more than three times the length of time that Frodo had it.
By lingering behind, she chose mortality so she could rejoin him. She died a year after him of heartbreak if I recall correctly. She chose a mortal life to be with Aragorn, as such she could no longer travel to or set foot upon Valinor. Gimli, Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam were the only mortals ever granted passage to Valinor.
History. In the Second Age, Shelob had been Sauron's ally and lover prior to him betraying her for an opportunity to corrupt Suladân with a Ring of Power. Surrounded by soldiers, Shelob slaughtered them in rage and retreated to Cirith Ungol, swearing revenge on her former lover.
And just to add specifics to this- Boromir died about a mile from where they'd shored the boats. Legolas and Gimli traveled to the boats from the site of Boromir's death to retrieve the boats. Then they came back and the funeral was held for Boromir.