While Aragorn might not be the protagonist of The Lord of the Rings technically, in many ways he fulfills the role of the traditional hero in a fantasy series. While Frodo is the main protagonist, Aragorn is a secondary but very important one.
In general, this character is well-loved by fans of the series, especially those who loved the movies. But, despite having many strengths, he also has some flaws. Here are the ways he’s both overrated and underrated.
Overrated: He was too idealistic
Aragorn has very upstanding morals and ethics, and while this is great, he often expected others around him to live their life with the same standards. He expected people to do the right thing such as when he wanted Rohan to help in the war, and he’s often disappointed when others are more selfish than he is.
While this is a good thing in some ways, it also leads to some conflicts.
Underrated: At his core, he was a good person
However, despite being a bit too idealistic about other people, one of Aragorn’s greatest strengths was that he was a good and caring person.
He had his flaws, too, but he did seek to protect others and make the world a better place free of evil forces. He was trustworthy and loyal, and he was one of the most upstanding characters in the entire series.
Overrated: He didn’t have a lot of faith in his own goodness
While Aragorn was clearly a good person who always tried to be morally righteous, he had a lot of doubt in his own inherent goodness.
He worried constantly that he would succumb to the same weaknesses as his forefathers, and he didn’t give himself enough credit. Because of this, he often shirked his own duties and spent years hiding in the shadows.
Underrated: His fascinating backstory
While the book series gives a more detailed backstory to Aragorn, the movies don’t have the time to explore this too fully. Many of the characters, Aragorn included, had many things written about them in the Appendices, and Aragorn’s rather tragic backstory doesn’t get talked about enough.
As a Dunedain and a descendant of the likes of Isildur, his family history is fascinating, to say the least. The history of how he came to live in Rivendell and meet Arwen is also underlooked.
Overrated: His relationship with Eowyn
The relationship with Eowyn and Aragorn, especially in the movies, was a bit uncomfortable at times. While Aragorn, for his part, did try to explain to Eowyn that their relationship wouldn’t work, this dynamic didn’t really do either character any favors.
While things worked out well for them both in the end, it wasn’t that compelling to watch.
Underrated: His prowess in battle
Aragorn is a skilled ranger and tracker, and this is often referenced in the movies and also by fans. However, he’s also a really skilled warrior.
He’s on par with the likes of Gimli and Legolas who happen to be hundreds, and in Legolas’ case, thousands of years older than him. He really is impressive as a warrior, and this doesn’t get talked about enough.
Overrated: He spent a long time shirking his destiny
The biggest problem with Aragorn overall is how he spent so long trying to ignore who he was. He refused to claim his birthright as King of Gondor, and he lived in the shadows refusing to become who he was meant to be.
While this reluctant hero storyline was more of a movie invention than how he was in the books, it was frustrating how he spent so long refusing to try to make the world better by becoming a great leader.
Underrated: Frodo trusted him more than almost anyone else
While the entire Fellowship of the Ring, even Boromir despite his many flaws, had the best of intentions in protecting Frodo and The Ring, it was Aragorn, Gandalf, and Sam that Frodo trusted the most.
Frodo believed that Aragorn had the moral character to see him to Moroder despite the pull of the Ring, so this says a lot about Aragorn. Frodo trusted him as much as he trusted two people he’d known for years.
Overrated: His relationship with Arwen
While Aragorn and Arwen’s relationship is the most prominent and also well-loved romantic pairing from the series, it gets more hype than it really deserves.
While there is a fairytale element here, we don’t really ever see them interact. It doesn’t seem like they even have much in common, and it’s the type of relationship we just have to take on faith that they love each other a lot.
Underrated: He was an extremely loyal friend
This point was already touched on briefly, but it is worth repeating as it’s one of the best and also most underrated things about Aragorn.
He was a character that would literally run non-stop to save the lives of Merry and Pippin, and if he felt he had a connection to you, he would go to the ends of the earth to protect you.
