Aragorn
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Aragorn II, Estel, Strider, Thorongil, Elessar, Elfstone, Wingfoot, Longshanks |
| Occupation: | ranger, king |
| Relationships: | marries Arwen, father of Eldarion |
| Fandom: | |
| Other: | portrayed by Viggo Mortensen in the films Aragorn by fromKITnoc (2015) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Aragorn is one of the heroes of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and a popular character in LotR fandom and fanworks. He was raised among the Elves and spent many years as a Ranger in the Wilderness, but at the end of the third book he returned to Minas Tirith to become King Elessar of Gondor.
Fanfiction
Aragorn is a very versatile character, a fact that is reflected in the fanfiction written about him. There is a wide range of stories, starting with fluffy childhood stories and ending with stories showing Aragorn as a wise and knowledgeable king. A few common story types are explained below.
There is no fanfiction archive solely dedicated to fanfiction centering around Aragorn. Instead, a few communities are listed which are a good starting point to finding Aragorn fanfiction.
Little!Estel
Aragorn is a half-orphan - his father died when he was two. Fearing for Aragorn's safety, his mother Gilraen relocated to Rivendell, where the boy was raised by Elrond. It was also Elrond who decided to call the boy Estel (hope) in order to keep his true identity a secret.
Little!Estel stories sometimes deal with that time of adjustment. Authors describe how Estel/Aragorn came to live in Rivendell, how he was taken in by Elrond to the point where he was accepted as a family member. This, because of the subject matter, might include quite a bit of angst, but usually little!Estel stories are fluffy, centering around the daily life in Elrond's household and how Estel might or might not have fit in. The clash of age and/or race is a recurring theme. Stories try answering the question of how a young boy might have felt among creatures that are thousands of years old and how he perceives or discovers the differences between elves and humans (e.g. Estel discovering that elves sleep with their eyes open).
Examples:
- Elladan's Trials for Estel by Ithil-valon
- "Keeping Hope Alive" by Jael
- "Erestor and Estel" by Pentangle
Aragorn/Legolas Friendship
A very popular style of stories, Aragorn/Legolas Friendship concentrate on both characters as friends. While some fanfic is fluffy, oftentimes stories in this subgenre concentrate on angst, hurt/comfort and even torture.
Ranger
At age 20, Aragorn learns his true identity. Subsequently, he takes his place among the rangers, which is one of the big turning points in his life. In some stories, this change is highly anticipated, for instance because Aragorn's inborn wanderlust urges him to go beyond the borders of Rivendell. In others, living with the rangers brings conflict and Angst, because men's life is so inherently different from what Aragorn has experienced so far. Aragorn may struggle with his role as a leader or with men's distrust because of his different upbringing.
While Halbarad is often featured in stories depicting Aragorn's years as ranger, authors also invent original characters. Oftentimes, stories are action-driven or focus on an adventure (e.g. a mission the rangers have to fulfill).
Examples:
- "The Reaches of the North" by Sindarinelvish
- "Brothers at Heart" by Radbooks
- "The Taming of the Badger" by Pentangle
- "Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit" by Alawa
Thorongil
Tolkien states in his appendix that Aragorn undertakes "great journeys".[1] As Thorongil he serves in disguise both Thengel (King of Rohan) and Ecthelion (Steward of Gondor). Since this is no more than a footnote in Tolkien's writing, it gives authors ample opportunity to come up with scenarios how Aragorn might have spent his time abroad. Usually his loneliness is addressed (because he needs to hide his true identity from the ones around him), but also his ability to strike up friendships. Thorongil-stories might make use of exotic locations, exploring settings beyond the usual Rivendell, Rohan or Gondor.
Examples:
- Where the Stars are Strange, by Dwimordene, about Aragorn's journey to Harad.
- "The Weight of Power" by Nefhiriel
King!Aragorn
It seems, the ending Tolkien wrote for The Lord of the Rings did not leave fans wanting. While there is a lot of fanfiction depicting Aragorn's earlier years, fourth-age-fiction (that is, fiction set after the ending of the book) makes up a smaller percentage of LOTR FPF.
Shorter fiction set in this time period may concentrate on the day-to-day life in Minas Tirith or on Aragorn's happiness on finally having achieved his goal (becoming king and marrying Arwen). Longer stories come up with convincing conflicts threatening Gondor's peace - a neighbouring country planning an invasion, Gondorian nobles opposing Aragorn's rule or villains from the past making an appearance. Usually, those stories have a large ensemble cast. Either Aragorn and his family as well as Faramir and his family are portrayed, or the remaining fellowship is brought in to help solve the problem.
Examples:
- "For the Love of the Lord of the White Tree" by Legolass Q
- "Castle" by Timmy2222
- King and Steward by Linda Hoyland
Shipping
Slash
Het
Threesomes
Example Art Gallery
"The Uncrowned King" by Suzan Lovett (unknown date)
Art from Reforging Ties by Nitta Youka (2002)
Art from Vilya by Morgan Graewolf Reinhold (2006)
Example Meta
- Aragorn - a feminist's nightmare? by Virtuella. Examines Aragorn's relationships with Arwen, Éowyn, Galadriel and other women (2009)
Aragorn-centric Communities
- Aragorn - The Fan Site, a fansite
- Owners of Aragorn Angst, a mailing list
- Estel Angst Central, a forum
- Aragorn FanFiction Recommendations, a LiveJournal recs community
Links & Resources
References
- ^ See The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix B, The Tale of Years: The Third Age