Fans of The Lord of the Rings have been anxiously awaiting the September release of the Prime Video series, The Rings of Power. However, it is important to remember that the series, which takes place several thousand years before Frodo's adventure with the One Ring, will likely be very different than Peter Jackson's movie trilogy and show Middle-earth in a whole new light. Just like how Jackson created his own version of J.R.R. Tolkien's world, the new series will be based on the imaginations of the new creators.
Movie makers taking this kind of creative license has always been difficult for book fans, who, of course, have their own ideas of what a story like Lord of the Rings should look like. Plot points, environment, and characters are typically changed to better fit the screen adaptation, and different people have varying opinions on what should or should not be included. In the case of The Lord of the Rings, characters like Aragorn had several key moments and quotes from the books that were removed from the movies. From lines that emphasized his nature to significant aspects of his character, the Lord of the Rings movies might have been enhanced by some of Aragorn's best book quotes.
Aragorn Was Eager To Be King
"A Day Draws Near That I Have Looked For In All The Years Of My Manhood, And When It Comes, I Would Have My Friends Beside Me."
In Peter Jackson's trilogy, Aragorn was reluctant to become king. He feared the mistakes of his ancestors and worried that he wouldn't be able to meet the expectations of those who desperately wanted to see their king return.
This was not the case in Tolkien's books. Aragorn was born knowing he was the worthy king in LotR, but he knew that there was a lot of work to be done before he could take his throne. This made readers eager to see the hooded wanderer fulfill his destiny and finally rule as king.
Aragorn Is Wise
"Good And Ill Have Not Changed Since Yesteryear."
While Aragorn's eagerness to become king in the LotR books might have made his character less relatable, it reinforced the fact that he would be a great king. While the hobbits falsely judged him as a simple ranger, they repeatedly saw that he had wisdom beyond anyone they knew, other than maybe Gandalf.
When asked how anyone can tell what is right or wrong in such difficult times, Aragorn responded that difficult times do not change the definition of right and wrong. They are the same as they have ever been. This objective view is an excellent perspective from a future king and one of Aragorn's best character traits.
Aragorn Didn't Entirely Understand Éowyn
"Deeds Will Not Be Less Valiant Because They Are Unpraised."
In both the books and the movies, Éowyn was not content with staying home while the men went off to fight. In the movie, Aragorn understood Éowyn's thirst for glory, but he was a little slower to it in the book.
Aragorn tried to tell the Sheild Maiden her efforts from home were just as gallant as those of soldiers, even if she didn't receive the praise. But Éowyn forcefully argued that to serve as a woman was not her destiny, and she was right. Aragorn's lack of understanding was why Éowyn wasn't the best romantic match for him and why she ended up with Faramir instead.
Aragorn Longed For Compaionship
"But I Must Admit That I Hoped You Would Take To Me For My Own Sake. A Hunted Man Sometimes Wearies Of Distrust And Longs For Friendship."
When the hobbits first met Aragorn, or Strider as they called him at the time, they worried that he could not be trusted. It wasn't until they got word from Gandalf that they decided the man did not have nefarious plans for them.
While the movie initially portrays Aragorn as impatient to get the pampered hobbits to safety, the book shows how much the exiled king longed for companionship. He knew that his destiny lay with the hobbits, but more than that, he wanted to be their friend.
Aragorn Was The King Of Songs
"All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter, Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost."
While the hobbits decided whether or not to trust Strider when they met him in Bree, he stated the first couple lines of a poem. Later, a letter from Gandalf recited the same verse, inferring that Aragorn was the one to whom the poem referred.
Frodo discovered that this poem had been written by none other than Bilbo after he had discovered Aragorn's royal ancestry. It goes on to say, "Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king." While this was referenced in the movies, the poem itself wasn't.
Aragorn Was Captain Of The Dúnedain
"That Has Been The Task Of My Kindred, While The Years Have Lengthened And The Grass Has Grown."
Aragorn is the Captain of the Dúnedain of Arnor. They were the descendants of the Númenorian kings (the half-elven) and lived double the life of ordinary men. After the death of Isildur, the Dúnedain became wandering rangers, but they never forgot their lineage and continued to track the royal line down to Aragorn.
The Dúnedain were wise and noble and saw it as their duty to protect their people, even when they were not on the throne. The Two Towers movie explains this briefly, but movie audiences were primarily left in the dark about the noble group that Aragorn led.
Aragorn's Romance Wasn't Doomed
"Lady, You Know All My Desire, And Long Held In Keeping The Only Treasure That I Seek. Yet It Is Not Yours To Give Me, Even If You Would; And Only Through Darkness Shall I Come To It."
A definite improvement in Peter Jackson's movies was Arwen's role. In the books, Aragon's love interest never got any lines, and there were only subtle hints that the destined king was in love. However, one of these hints revealed a lot about Aragorn's romance and tied together several characters.
In the Fellowship of the Ring book, when Galadriel was giving her gifts, Aragorn told her that the one thing he wanted was something also special to her, but that it wasn't hers to give. He was talking about Arwen, who was Galadriel's granddaughter. Elrond could grant permission for their marriage, but Aragorn knew that wouldn't happen until he had claimed his throne, which was a major difference between the LotR books and movies.
Aragorn Had To Wait For The Right Time
"For The Present I Am But The Captain Of The Dúnedain Of Arnor; And The Lord of Dol Amroth Shall Rule The City Until Faramir Awakes."
In the books, after the Battle of Pelennor Fields, Aragorn was reluctant to enter Minas Tirith. He worried that entering the capital city would be like declaring himself king, and he knew that the time had not yet come for that. However, his friends were injured in the city, and he knew they needed him.
So, he went in disguise, but rumors of the returning king quickly spread. Aragorn's quote stating that he was only returning to Minas Tirith to help and not as a king showed his loyalty to his city. He did not want to challenge the authority of the Stewards and instead wished to prove that he had earned the crown.
Aragorn Was Thankful For His Friends
"Yes, Sam, Strider. It Is A Long Way, Is It Not, From Bree, Where You did Not Like The Look Of Me?"
The moment at the end of the Return of the King movie where Aragorn leads his kingdom in bowing to the hobbits was touching, but the same scene in the books is arguably better as it referenced where the characters had started and how far they had come.
In the book, when the hobbits saw Aragorn on his throne, they didn't immediately recognize him. He glowed royally, and when Sam exclaimed that it was Strider, Aragorn was pleased to confirm and tease his little friend. He then led his people in praising the four hobbits, announcing that they would always be remembered as Middle-earth heroes.