Here are Aragorn’s most epic moments in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, listed in chronological order.
Let’s admit it, folks; Aragorn is still among the greatest characters to ever grace the literary and subsequently the pop culture landscape. A brazen paragon of virtue, this is a man who doesn’t have to put up a bold, edgy front just to be accepted as the person he is — rather, he proudly wears his heart on his sleeve, little caring for how the world treats him as long as he knows that the path he sets foot on is morally true and righteous.
Aragorn is also heavily dependable, unwavering in his oath of protection and unyielding in the face of impossible odds. In short, he is the perfect fantasy protagonist.
And hey, if you think we’re exaggerating, then these moments from the film trilogy will definitely sway you to become an active Aragorn stan.
1. The fight with the Nazgul / The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring builds up the Nazgul to be a terrifying force of nature, so imagine our surprise when Aragorn easily took five of them on and drove them away at the ruins of Amon Sûl. Legolas, ever the loyal wingman, claims that “Aragorn is no mere ranger” and I wholeheartedly agree, pointing everyone who questions the guy’s sword-fighting skills to the video you see above. Is it even a wonder that Sauron fears the lost Isildur heir?
2. Charging the Uruk-hai / The Fellowship of the Ring
Frodo needs to escape, but Saruman’s new evil spawn has already caught up to the Fellowship. What does Aragorn decide to do in that pivotal moment? Why, take on a hundred of them at once without even flinching, of course. This is the moment that cemented Aragorn as my childhood hero when I first watched The Fellowship of the Ring all those years ago. Even now, I get goosebumps all over my skin when I watch him step up to the Uruk-hai and get in his signature sword stance.
3. Sparing Grima Wormtongue / The Two Towers
It wasn’t all going to be heroics, though I guess it depends on how you define the word. We all know that Theoden is a great king — one of the best, even — but being a good ruler isn’t always about a show of strength. Being the promised heir of Númenor, and the man who would reunite the old kingdoms, Aragorn’s kindness is as much an indicator of his worthiness as is his strength of character, so sparing Grima Wormtongue is a moment to celebrate his character development.
4. Leading the defense at the Battle of Helm’s Deep / The Two Towers
Such is the significance of the role Aragorn plays in the defense of Helm’s Deep that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest the fortress would’ve fallen much sooner without his presence. The King of Gondor fights at the front of his troops and encourages them whenever needed. He then seals up the causeway’s gate and buys the defenders precious moments to regroup and retreat to the inner walls. Lastly, Aragorn spurs Theoden to lead a suicide charge and allow the women and children to make for the mountain pass. Now if that’s not a leader to follow to the very fires of Mount Doom and back, I don’t know who is.
5. Reining in the Dead Men of Dunharrow / The Return of the King
Wielding the reforged sword of Anduril, Flame of the West, Aragorn fearlessly strikes into the chasms of Dunharrow to find the dwelling place of the traitors who, despite their oaths, did not come to the aid of his forebears. Aragorn finds the king of the dead and challenges him to combat, revealing to all that he is the last true heir of the broken line, promising to relieve them of their oaths if they come to Gondor’s aid at this time of need. And that act ultimately ends up tipping the scale and winning them the biggest battle of the Third Age, which brings us to the next scene.
6. Saving the Day the Battle of Pelennor Fields / The Return of the King
Just as the Mûmakil are about to finish off the Rohirrim and push back towards the White City, Aragon and his reinforcements arrive to change the tide. Sauron’s armies don’t stand a chance against the dead, so the battle quickly turns into a rout and a decisive victory for Gondor. The hunters three (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) also engage the enemy head-on and add to their enviable kill streak. Aragorn ends up dismembering Gothmog and killing the Orc commander in a graceful combo with Gimli. Who even needs an honor guard when you’ve got the most badass Dwarf and Elf in all of Middle-earth to back you up?
7. The Houses of Healing / The Return of the King
J.R.R. Tolkien makes it a point in The Return of the King that Aragorn’s timely arrival at the Pelennor Fields wasn’t necessarily the moment that bespoke his return. This happened after when he entered the city and went up to the Houses of Healing to use his powers and save the wounded, for “the hands of a king are the hands of a healer.” We’re glad Peter Jackson decided to pay homage to this particular point because it defines Aragorn’s character as not only a destroyer, but the ultimate archetypal savior as well.
8. Taunting Sauron with the sword of Elendil / The Return of the King
Taunting Sauron using Denethor’s Palantir in an effort to make the big bad fall for the ruse is one of the bravest acts Aragorn committed in the entire trilogy. This moment culminates the protagonist’s journey, proving him as a fearless leader of Men who won’t capitulate under the whims of a tyrant such as Sauron.
9. Leading the final stand at the Black Gate / The Return of the King
After giving one of the most iconic speeches in cinema history, Aragorn prepares to face the remaining hordes of darkness pouring out of Mordor. With the way back barred and the way forward leading to certain death, our king stands defiant against the Enemy one last time, determined to buy Frodo some time or fight to his last breath. Sauron was originally supposed to appear in the flesh during this fight and engage Aragorn, but Peter Jackson wisely decided against it, noting, much as I did above, that the king’s character journey had already come to a satisfying conclusion, and giving Aragorn another big fight would’ve only served to steal focus from Frodo’s climactic scene.
10. Bowing before the Hobbits after his coronation / The Return of the King
A great character trait of Aragorn is his unending humility. This isn’t a guy who wills himself to power and then abuses that power for some misguided higher end. Aragorn simply sees himself as the person who must bear the responsibility of rule and bring a semblance of order after the disastrous war against Sauron. He ultimately resurrects Arnor and reunites the old kingdoms of Men, but not before making it clear to everyone that the real heroes of this story aren’t the swashbuckling warriors, but the Hobbits who braved the storms and sacrificed everything for the good of everyone else. And because of that, we love him even more.