50 Fun Facts About Aragorn

Under what name is Aragorn first introduced in The Lord of the Rings?

The Bree-folk gave him the name; Tolkien only settled on it after the whole story was written.

Who fostered the young Aragorn in Rivendell?

His lineage was kept secret for fear he would be killed like his father and grandfather.

For how many years does Aragorn rule as king?

He marries Arwen at midsummer and rules until year 120 of the Fourth Age.

What was the nickname of the hobbit character who evolved into Aragorn?

Tolkien kept the nickname right up until the story was finished.

Which exiled Northumbrian king has been proposed as an inspiration for Aragorn?

Oswald returned from exile in Dál Riata with an army of exiles and retook his kingdom.

Which king of Wessex has also been compared to Aragorn, exile and all?

Alfred took refuge in the wilds before gathering an army at Egbert's Stone and beating the Danes at Edington.

In Northrop Frye's terms, which literary mode does Tom Shippey place Aragorn in?

Éomer and Faramir are High Mimetic, the hobbits Low Mimetic, and Bilbo sometimes Ironic.

Who voiced Aragorn in Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated film?

Hurt later became better known to fantasy audiences as Mr Ollivander in the Harry Potter films.

Who voiced Aragorn in the 1980 Rankin/Bass television film The Return of the King?

Orson Bean voiced Frodo and John Huston voiced Gandalf in the same production.

Who played Aragorn in Peter Jackson's film trilogy?

Jackson's Aragorn is a reluctant, emotionally sensitive heir rather than the book's assertive warrior-king.

Who was cast in 2026 to play Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum?

The film, due in 2027, is directed by Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Jackson's trilogy.

Who is Aragorn's father?

Arathorn was killed pursuing orcs when Aragorn was only two years old.

Who is Aragorn's mother?

Her mother Ivorwen prophesied that hope would be born for the Dúnedain only if the couple wed at once.

Aragorn's childhood name Estel is Sindarin for what?

The name echoes his grandmother's prophecy that "hope may be born for our people".

At what age was Aragorn told his true name and ancestry?

The very next day he met Arwen, newly returned from her grandparents' home in Lothlórien.

Along with the shards of Narsil, which heirloom was Aragorn given at twenty?

He later gave the ring to Arwen when she pledged herself to him.

Which heirloom was withheld from Aragorn until he had earned it?

Annúminas was the ancient capital of Arnor, the northern kingdom he would one day reunite with Gondor.

Aragorn became which numbered Chieftain of the Dúnedain?

The chieftains kept the line of Arnor's kings alive for over a thousand years after the kingdom fell.

On which hill did Arwen pledge her hand to Aragorn?

In doing so she renounced her Elvish lineage and accepted the Gift of Men, mortality.

Which king of Rohan did Aragorn serve in his travelling years?

Thengel was Théoden's father; Aragorn served under an assumed identity.

Which Steward of Gondor did Aragorn serve under a false name?

Ecthelion's son Denethor saw the stranger as a rival for his father's favour.

By what name did Denethor know Aragorn in his Gondor service?

Denethor later declared he would not bow to a descendant of Isildur, whoever he was.

Aragorn led a squadron of Gondor's ships to burn the Corsairs' fleet at which port?

He personally killed the Corsairs' lord during the Battle of the Havens.

How old was Aragorn when Arwen pledged to marry him?

Her father withheld permission until Aragorn should be king of both Gondor and Arnor.

Where did Aragorn finally capture Gollum?

He then took the creature to Thranduil's halls in Mirkwood, where Gandalf questioned him.

At which inn does Aragorn first meet Frodo?

A letter from Gandalf convinced Frodo to trust the grim stranger in the corner.

How old is Aragorn when he meets Frodo in Bree?

For a Númenórean that is still near the prime of life.

What name did Aragorn give the reforged sword?

The Elven-smiths of Rivendell reforged the shards before the Fellowship set out.

The seven stars set into the reforged blade stand for whom?

The crescent moon beside them stands for Isildur.

Aragorn and Legolas tracked the orcs with which companion as the Three Hunters?

Clues convinced Aragorn that Merry and Pippin were alive, so the three followed into Fangorn.

What did Aragorn use to reveal himself to Sauron as Isildur's heir?

The gambit made Sauron launch his assault on Minas Tirith prematurely.

The Dead Men Aragorn summoned are named for which place?

They had betrayed Gondor long before and owed their debt to Isildur's heir.

Which seer prophesied alongside Isildur that the Dead would be summoned?

Malbeth the Seer served the last kings of Arthedain in the North.

Which herb did Aragorn use to heal Faramir?

The herb is also called kingsfoil; Faramir then recognised him as his rightful lord.

Which wise-woman said the hands of the king are the hands of a healer?

Her saying became the sign by which Gondor's people recognised their returning king.

Aragorn's royal name Elessar means what?

It is a Quenya name tied to the green stone Aragorn was given in Lothlórien.

Which elf gave Aragorn the Quenya name that became his royal title?

Galadriel, Arwen's grandmother, also gave him the green stone itself.

Aragorn's royal line is called the House of what?

The name is Quenya for the nickname he bore among the Bree-folk.

At what age does Aragorn die?

Merry and Pippin, who had died in Gondor 58 years earlier, were laid beside him.

Who succeeds Aragorn on the throne?

Eldarion was the son of Aragorn and Arwen.

Aragorn became which numbered King of Gondor?

He was also the twenty-sixth King of Arnor and the first High King of the Reunited Kingdom.

Tolkien briefly altered the name Aragorn to which Old English name?

The "ing-" element represented "West"; Tolkien soon reverted to an Elvish name.

The Sindarin root ara- in the name Aragorn means what?

The chieftains of the Dúnedain all bore names with the kingly Ar(a)- prefix.

What distinctive footwear did the early hobbit version of the character wear?

A marginal note even suggested it would later be revealed that he had wooden feet.

What was Tolkien's first name for the character who became Arwen?

She first appeared only as the maker of Aragorn's banner; the marriage came very late in the writing.

Which shieldmaiden did early drafts suggest Aragorn might marry?

Another draft had her die saving Théoden, after which Aragorn would never marry.

Who played Aragorn in the 1981 BBC radio dramatisation?

Ian Holm, the radio Frodo, later played Bilbo in Jackson's films.

In the 1969 parody Bored of the Rings, Aragorn appears under what name?

He is styled "Arrowroot son of Arrowshirt" in the Harvard Lampoon spoof.

Which 2009 fan film imagines the lives of Aragorn's parents?

Kate Madison's film took six years to make and nods to Mortensen's look in its casting.

Who played Aragorn in the 2006 Toronto stage production of The Lord of the Rings?

The three-hour musical opened in Toronto before a London run.