Summary

• Aragorn's age in The Lord of the Rings is 87, thanks to his Dúnedain heritage.
• The Dúnedain have longer lifespans than ordinary men, but not as long as Elves.
• Aragorn becomes the High King and lives to be 210 years old before passing away.

Many viewers wonder how old is Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as it's obvious that Viggo Mortensen's future king of Gondor is a lot older than he looks, but the movies also made it a point that he would never be able to experience the eternal life enjoyed by Elves. Aragorn's morality was brought up by Elrond (Hugo Weaving) in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers when he reminded Arwen (Liv Tyler) that Aragorn would die before her, because she was an Elf and he was just a Man. While it's true that Men don't share the immortality of Elves, some do live extraordinarily long lives in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien.

In Middle-earth, it's not uncommon for certain creatures to be thousands of years old. That said, Aragorn is not nearly as old as the ancient beings in Tolkien's foundational fantasy realm. It's obvious he's older than the average human being though, and considerably so. With so many immortal beings in Middle-earth like Elves and Istari such as Gandalf, alongside species like Dwarves and Hobbits who enjoy a longer lifespan than humans, many wonder what Aragorn's age is and why he ages differently. So, exactly how old is Aragorn during The Lord of the Rings?

Aragorn Is 87 In The Lord Of The Rings

Aragorn's Dúnedain Heritage Grants Longer Life

As confirmed by Aragorn himself in the extended version of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Aragorn's age is 87 years old. This is because Aragorn is no ordinary ranger. The royal blood that flows through the veins of the Dúnedain allows them to live three times as long as normal Men. Aragorn's heritage is the reason for his longevity, and he's not the only Lord of the Rings character to benefit from being one of the Dúnedain (and not, as some believe, part Elf). Faramir (David Wenham), for instance, carries the blood of the Dúnedain as well, which is why he's able to live to the age of 120.

The Dúnedain aren't nearly as long-lived as Elves, but they do get to experience much more than most human beings. Since Aragorn was 87 years old in The Lord of the Rings he'd already accumulated more decades on Middle-earth than most regular people while with the Rangers of the North. Aragorn participated in several large-scale battles and traveled through various regions of Middle-earth. What Aragorn's age means for his character is that he lived a long life full of adventure before The Lord of the Rings story even began.

Aragorn Lives To Be 210 Years Old

After The Movies Aragorn Is King For Over A Century

Despite Elrond's warning, things turned out rather well for Aragorn. Following Sauron's defeat and the fall of Mordor at the end of The Return of the King, Aragorn marries Arwen and becomes the High King of Arnor and Gondor. Aragorn founds the Reunited Kingdom, and under his reign it becomes the most powerful force in the northwest region of Middle-earth. Aragorn ends up living a good life, and not just as a king. With Arwen - who willingly gave up her immortality — Aragorn has one son and at least two daughters. Aragorn's story comes to an end when he dies of old age.

Aragorn's historic reign as the High King lasts for 122 years, which ends with his death at the age of 210. Again, this is because of the longevity afforded by having the blood of the Dúnedain, who are also called the "Men of the West". The Dúnedain are descendants of the ancient people known as the Númenóreans. The Fall Of Númenor which will likely be depicted in future seasons of The Rings of Power is a pivotal event for Aragorn's ancestors, and the fallout from it will doubtless explain a lot about Aragorn's age and why it's so much longer than mortal men.

How Old Was Aragorn During The Hobbit?

Aragorn Was A Child When Bilbo And Gandalf First Met

The events in The Hobbit occur from 2941 to 2942 of the Third Age, while much of The Lord of the Rings take place in 3018, 77 years later. If Aragorn's age in LOTR is 87, then he was just 10 years old when Gandalf hired Bilbo to steal gold from Smaug. He was far too young to have made a significant appearance in The Hobbit movies like Legolas controversially did at that age. At the time, Aragorn was still growing up in Rivendell, being raised by Elrond. Notably, Bilbo was 50 years old during The Hobbit and 127 during The Lord of the Rings — well surpassing the typical Hobbit lifespan of about one century due to the influence of the One Ring.