Aragorn II Elessar



Aragorn II, 16th Chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North, later crowned King Elessar Telcontar (T.A. 1 March 2931 - F.A. 120), the 26th King of Arnor, 34th King of Gondor and First High King of the Reunited Kingdom, was the son of Arathorn (who was the son of Arador of the Dúnadan), and Gilraen. He was a great warrior, and bore the shards of Narsil, reforged into Anduril, the Flame of the West. He was the Chieftain of the Dúnadan, the few remaining men of Numenor in Middle-earth, and was the eventual king of Gondor.

Early Life
After his father Arathorn died in the year T.A 2933, 'Aragorn' (as he commonly known) was taken by his mother to live in Rivendell, where Elrond accepted him as a foster-son. Elrond gave the young boy the name 'Estel' (meaning Hope) and initially hid his ancestry from him.

However, in the year T.A. 2951 Elrond revealed to the young man his true origins, and presented him with the shards of Narsil and the Ring of Barahir. The pressure that came with this revelation did not sit well, and that same year Aragorn left Rivendell, but not before meeting Elrond's daughter Arwen Evenstar for the first time in the woods of Imladris.

Despite any disagreement over his future, Aragorn visited Rivendell sporadically and remained in contact with many of the enclave's inhabitants and visitors, including Gandalf, Elrond, and Arwen.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Aragorn became a ranger, roaming far and wide in the northern lands of Middle Earth. Because of his lifestyle he became commonly known as Strider to the human inhabitants with whom he came into contact. Aragorn had many other names that he was known by, including Elessar, Estel, Wingfoot, and Thorongil.

Involvement with the Ring
After Gandalf discovered the location of the One Ring, Aragorn became a member of the Fellowship of the Ring, whose aim was to destroy the ring and rid Middle Earth of the looming threat of Sauron.

When the fellowship fragmented Aragorn made contact with Rohan and helped lead a combined force of humans and elves to success against the forces of Isengard at the Battle of Helms Deep.

Aragorn, along with Legolas and Gimli, later fought alongside the Army of the Dead in a synchronized defence of Minas Tirith.

Ascendancy to the Throne of Gondor
Following the defeat of Sauron's forces and the defence of Gondor, Aragorn accepted his right to become king and renew the line of kings that had been broken with the death of Isildur.

Though Aragorn is initially reluctant to claim the throne at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, as the story progresses his inner doubts disolve and his self confidence grows. By the end of The Return of the King he is self-assured yet gracious, and his leadership and military experience make him popular with the people of Gondor.

Later Years
Shortly after reclaiming the unified throne of Gondor and Arnor, Aragorn wed Arwen Evenstar (who had by this time become mortal) on Midsummer's Day in the year T.A. 3019. Aragorn established the coming age of peace after Sauron's defeat, and lived a long and happy life afterwards. Aragorn and Arwen had several children, including one son, Eldarion.

Aragorn lived many more years than normal humans, thanks to the Dúnadan heritage from his father and mother. After reaching the age of 210, Aragorn layed down his life. At this time his son Eldarion took up the rule of Gondor.

Alternate names
In addition to being known as 'Strider' to the Men of Bree (and some hobbits) before his rise to become king of Gondor, Aragorn was also known as 'The Dúnadan', he went by the name of 'Thorongil' while in disguise in Rohan and Gondor during the years of his errantry (2957-2980), and is named 'Elftstone' by Galadriel and named 'Elessar' by the people of Gondor for the emerald broach he wore, which was presented to him by Galadriel in Lórien. Aragorn took 'Elessar', which means 'elf-stone' in Quenya, as his royal name when he ascended the throne of the Reunited Kingdom.

Character Portrayals
In the Peter Jackson film adaptations of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Aragorn is played by the actor Viggo Mortensen.

In the animated 1978 film adaptation by Ralph Bakshi, Aragorn is voiced by the actor John Hurt.

In the animated 1980 TV adaptation of The Return of the King, Aragorn is voiced by the actor Theodore Bikel.