Lord of the Rings: Aragorn Differences Books vs Movies
For many of us, Peter Jackson’s stirring adaptation of the legendary Lord of the Rings trilogy was our first and main window into the world that J.R.R. Tolkien originally invented. And while the movies were great, there’s plenty that got left out or changed in the move from page to screen. One character that got a substantial facelift was none other than the king himself, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, heir of Isildur and before him Elendil.
Aragorn is such an important character that the final book in the trilogy is actually named after him. So the startling differences between how this character is portrayed and the circumstances surrounding him between the books in the movies deserves considerable space to cover.
Aragorn’s View of Himself
In the movies, Aragorn follows a pretty epic character arc, going from lone, outcast ranger in the north to valiant, victorious king of Gondor. Along the way, however, he’s pretty doubtful of himself. He mentions several times that he doesn’t want to be king, and seems to be the reluctant hero. He is especially concerned, maybe even ashamed, about his lineage, citing that the same weakness that was in Isildur, that led him to ultimately be destroyed by the One Ring, is in him, too.
In the books this couldn’t be less true. Aragorn is properly proud of his heritage – his family line goes unbroken and unmingled back to before the breaking of the world to the ancient days of Numenor. And while he might be related to the less strong Isildur, that also means that he is related to Elendil – the guy who almost singlehandedly defeated Sauron. Elendil was a total badass and probably the most revered king of all time, and Aragorn is said to be more like Elendil than Isildur.
In the books, Aragorn draws attention to his great lineage on several occasions, well before the finale when he is actually king. Wouldn’t you?
The Blade that Was Broken
In the movies, Narsil is reforged into Anduril “The Flame of the West” near the final, great battle for mankind. It signifies a great turning point for Aragorn who must physically and figuratively take up his heritage and become the king he was meant to be.
However, in the books, Aragorn has no trouble with this concept. He is confident that he will one day be king, and he already has the blade remade well before the battle of Minas Tirith, when he first sets out from Rivendell with the company of the ring. He uses it is as proof of his heritage in Rohan (another major difference between book and film) when he first meets Eomer, and even states that Rohan’s king’s will should not trump the will of the heir of Elendil, which his he.
Aragorn’s Relationship with Arwen
In the movies, Peter Jackson altered Aragorn and Arwen’s relationship to fit his adaptation of the reluctant king. Just as Aragorn’s decision to be king seems in peril, so does his relationship with Arwen. Arwen loves Aragorn, but she has to basically persuade Aragorn to be king, and Elrond is seen lecturing Aragorn about why he should be king (also not an accurate depiction of Aragorn and Elrond’s relationship in the book).
On Aragorn’s end, he seems pretty uncomfortable with Arwen giving up her immortality for him, and accepts that she will be going into the west, to Valinor with the rest of her Elf kin.
This is not how it is in the books. Just as Aragorn is set on becoming king one day, he is devoted to Arwen, as is Arwen to him. They are both simply waiting on the day that he becomes king, as Elrond has basically said his blessing relies on Aragorn’s becoming true King of Gondor and Arnor. He doesn’t do this out of anger at Aragorn (he loves Aragorn like a son), but because of the great pain he feels at Arwen’s inevitable and possibly eternal separation from him.
Aragorn’s Relationship with Eowyn
Uncertain destinies, star-crossed lovers, and reluctant heroes all make for great movies, but so do love triangles. So Peter Jackson threw a love triangle into his film adaptations because – well, why not? In the context of his storyline, it kind of makes sense. Aragorn is somewhat down-and-out romantically. Arwen is probably going to leave him for eternal life in Elf-heaven, and he should probably move on with someone who is a better fit for him, like a nice, human girl. Someone like Eowyn.
Except that’s not at all how it goes in the book. Aragorn is clearly somewhat interested in Eowyn in the movies, and doesn’t flat-out reject her until he hears from Elrond in the final movies that Arwen is choosing to stay for him.
In the books, as stated above, Aragorn is totally devoted to Arwen the whole time, and when he first sees Eowyn, he is aware of how she feels about him, but he does not return the feelings, and even seems troubled at her feeling this way about him, given there’s no chance that’s going to work out. And no offense to Eowyn – she’s an epic character. Not only is she called the fairest or most beautiful in the realm of Rohan, she also slays the Witch King. But Arwen is the most beautiful of all created beings throughout Middle-earth, as stated several times. And she’s about as far, if not farther, out of Aragorn as is Aragorn out of Eowyn’s league. Eowyn might be related to Rohan royalty, but that’s a line that only goes back several generations. Aragorn, meanwhile, is descended of the great Numaneoreons and Beren and Luthien.
Aragorn’s Powers
Last but not least, there’s a surprising difference between Aragorn’s powers in the movies and in the books. In the movies, his abilities are somewhat relegated to being a pretty nifty sword fighter, and a capable captain of men.
In the books, however, Aragorn is quite powerful. Sure, he can fight with swords, but he is also a great captain of men. In fact, men seem to just love him the moment they meet him, as is the case of Eomer when he meets him in the Riddermark.
Aragorn’s will is also mentioned frequently. Unlike his ancestor Isildur, Aragorn is in possession of an iron will, one that might even have been strong enough to bend the one ring to his power, if he had chosen that path. His will is so strong that he is able to bend the Palantir to his power, and scare the living daylights out of Sauron, who fears he might have the one ring.
Lastly, Aragorn has the ancient healing powers of his people. He heals many people in Minas Tirith after the great battle, and people see that as an inherent sign of his kingship.
