LotR: “The Crownless Again Shall Be King” – Aragorn Explainer
Aragorn Elessar, the greatest general of the Third Age and King of Gondor, was not always the hero we know from Peter Jackson’s films.
Of all the characters in the Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn is one of the most recognizable. Played expertly by Viggo Mortensen, Aragorn was a hero, a friend, and a warrior of great renown. He was merciless in battle but gentle with his friends and showed the best aspects of the Men of the West. He was a friend to elves, hobbits, men, and dwarfs alike. But who was he? Why was this Ranger from the North so important to the story of Middle-earth?
Aragorn’s Early Life
Aragorn was born to the Dunedain chieftain Arathorn II and Gilraen the Fair in Third Age 2931. As a Dunedain, he had the blood of Numenor, the first kingdom of Men in the West, and was a direct descendant of Isildur, son of Elendil. As such, he was the rightful heir of Gondor and Anor, the greatest kingdoms of Men in Middle-earth. His grandmother foresaw that he would one day wear a jewel of green, a reference to the Elessari jewel.
When Aragon was 2 years old, his father was killed by an Orc arrow through the eye. He and his mother were taken to Rivendell to be fostered by Elrond. Fearing the eye of the enemy would hunt him, Elrond decided to keep Aragorn’s true identity a secret. He gave him the name Estel, and raised him alongside his own twin sons.
Estel matured quickly, and at 21, after returning from a journey with the twins, Elrond revealed his true name. He also presented Aragorn with the heirlooms of his house: the Shard of Narsil, Elendil’s broken blade, and the Ring of Barahir, a ring depicting two serpents intertwined. The next day, Elrond’s daughter Arwen returned from Lothlorien, and she and Aragorn quickly fell in love.
Before the War
In the years that followed, Aragon assisted the Men and Elves against the forces of Sauron. Under Gandalf’s advisement, he became interested in the lands around the Shire. Since his Dunedain stature made him so much taller than the men of the area, let alone the Halflings he encountered, he took the name Strider. However, his heart always returned to the lands of Men, and before long, he journeyed there in earnest.
He began in Rohan, riding to battle alongside King Thengel, Theoden’s father. After leaving Rohan, he spent many years in Gondor, advising and assisting the Steward Echtelion. While so close to the enemy, he never revealed his true heritage, both to protect the city and not stir distrust with Ecthelion. Ecthelion’s son Denethor, however, had little regard for him, likely suspecting his true heritage.
While in Gondor, he was known by the name Thornogil for the silver star he wore on his cloak. He advised Echtelion often to trust Gandalf over Saruman, another point of contention with Denethor, who cared little for Gandalf. Thorongil defended Gondor for many years, even taking the fight to the dreaded Corsairs of Umbar. However, he chose to travel elsewhere and sent a letter of farewell to Ecthelion.
Return to Rivendell and the Hunt for Gollum
He spent many years after traveling the regions beyond the River Anduin, testing the loyalties of the men he met along the way. Before long, he returned to Rivendell, and when he passed through Lothlorien, the love between him and Arwen blossomed again. He gave her the Ring of Barahir as a testament to his love, and she agreed to marry him. Elrond agreed to their union on the condition that he become king of Gondor and Anor.
Upon learning of Sauron’s return, Aragorn assisted Gandalf in his hunt for the creature Gollum. Believing the creature still possessed the One Ring, they hoped to recover it and keep it out of Sauron’s hands. However, another stumbled on the Ring first, and though he did not have confirmation, Gandalf suspected the magical ring Bilbo found beneath Goblin Town was the One. Aragorn caught up to Gollum after he escaped from Mordor, and held him captive for many years. At last, he delivered him to Thranduil, king of the Mirkwood elves, for safekeeping.
The Forging and Breaking of the Fellowship
During the events of The Lord of the Rings novels, Aragorn was an active participant in the destruction of the Ring. He met with Frodo in Bree when Gandalf was waylaid and protected him from the Nazgul that hounded him and the other Hobbits. He led them to Rivendell, where he took up Anduril, a blade forged from the broken pieces of Narsil. Upon joining the Fellowship, planned to lead them only as far as Gondor before joining with Boromir and returning to his city.
However, when Gandalf fell in Moria, he took the mantle of leadership to the slight resentment of Boromir. As they traveled further, always his heart was towards Gondor, but he let the Ring-bearer guide their path.
When Frodo fled the Fellowship and Boromir was felled by the Uruk-Hai, Aragorn led Legolas and Gimli in pursuit of Merry and Pippin, who were being taken to Isengard. On their travels, they met Eomer of the Rohirrim, who gave them horses with the understanding that they would eventually travel to Edoras. Aragorn led his party to Fangorn, where they met a reborn Gandalf the White and traveled to Rohan to free King Theoden from his madness.
The Restoration of the Kingdoms of Men
After wresting Theoden from Saruman’s control, Aragorn rode to Helm’s Deep with the king. There, they defended the last bastion of Rohan from Saruman’s armies, and in his kingly aspect, Aragorn caused many of the Wild Men to flee the battle. At the breaking of the dawn, he heralded the return of Gandalf, Erkenbrand, and the rest of the scattered Rohirrim.
After the battle, he rode north for a time with King Theoden, until he met up with Halbarad, an elvish friend from his youth. Halbarad presented him with the Standard of Elendil, a gift from Arwen, and Aragorn knew what he must do.
Riding away from his Rohan companions, he traveled to the Path of the Dead to hold the Dead Men to their oath. He led the Dead Men out of the mountain and slew the Corsairs who were coming to outflank the forces of Gondor. He took the black ships, and with a force of Dunedain, he broke the army of Gothmog, crumbling Sauron’s forces outside Gondor. However, he didn’t enter Gondor, instead appointing Prince Imrahil as the temporary steward. He visited the Houses of Healing, tending to the wounded there, before drawing his companions together.
He agreed to ride with the remnants of the army to the Black Gates to draw out Sauron’s forces and keep them distracted while Frodo traveled to Mount Doom. When the Ring was at last destroyed, he rode into Gondor in triumph at last, and the people received him with joy. He took the name Elessar and became King of Gondor in earnest.
After the Fall of Darkness
Elessar ruled well for many years after his coronation. He named the Shire free lands and forbade Men to travel there. The Easterlings and Haradrim that surrendered to him were pardoned, and he set Faramir, son of Denethor, as Prince of Ithilien. He ruled well alongside Arwen, his queen, and had many children, but only one son, Eldarion. As was required of him by Elrond, he restored Orthanc and reclaimed the ancient kingdom of Arnor. He ruled for 122 years before dying at the age of 210. His wife followed him a few years later at the age of 2,901. Eldarion, their son, succeeded him as King of Gondor and ruled well for the years that followed.
Aragorn in Other Media
Alongside his appearance in the Peter Jackson films, Aragorn has appeared in tabletop strategy games and, most recently, the Magic Tales of Middle-earth set. His Magic appearance was a source of some contention, as he was portrayed as a person of color. Some fans decried this choice, claiming that Tolkein’s men of the West were based on Teutonic cultures. However, the cards remained, and many fans of the universe applauded the inclusivity of the set.
