Aragorn's royal ancestor, Islidur, cut the ring from the hand of Sauron. But instead of destroying it, Islidur became corrupted by its power and eventually lost it. Aragorn, heir to the trone, has avoided human, living in the wilderness under the name Strider. Now, he hopes to reverse his family legacy by helping Frodo on the mission to destroy the ring.
As the last descendant of ancient kings, Aragorn is fated to reclaim the long empty throne of Gondor. It is a future he never wanted, yet by his valour and nobility of heart, Aragorn is bound to fulfil this destiny and lead the people of Gondor toward their uncertain future.
Aragorn is a mighty warrior, wielding his blade with great adeptness in defense of Helm�s Deep. He fights with passion and bravery, but also with wisdom, which earns him the respect and admiration of Th�oden, King of the Rohirrim. In The Return of the King, he will face several challenges that will determine the fate of Middle-earth.
Says Peter Jackson: "Viggo embraced the character so completely it's difficult to imagine the two being separate now."
Adds Barrie M. Osborne: "Viggo is the perfect actor to play a man who is struggling to redeem himself from his ancestry and his heritage. He's incredibly dedicated. He's the kind of an actor who one day had his tooth knocked out by a sword and actually asked if they could superglue it back on so he could finish the scene. He became Aragorn, and he brings a real power to the role."
Mortensen felt a strong personal connection to the project: "I'm Celtic and Scandinavian, so I was raised on the myths Tolkien used to inspire The Lord of The Rings," he says. "It's part of my heritage." The actor was also intrigued by Aragorn's primal, self-reliant brand of heroism. "He can survive in nature, live from it, read its signs and live happily, not needing anyone, not relying on anything but his own knowledge and discoveries," he observes. "But now he has to take on more responsibility, and it's not clear where it will lead him."
"Aragorn is deeply aware of the burden of his heritage, and he carries the knowledge that, all too soon, he will have to reveal his true self in order to play his part in the fight against Sauron. That burden, that knowledge is what shapes and colours his perceptions." - LotR Official Movie Guide
"There were plenty of reasons not to go. I didn't feel I could do a good job and I didn't want to be away from my son for that length of time. But my son was familiar with the books, he talked about them with his school friends and he knew about the character of Aragorn. He said, 'Oh, that's pretty cool. You should do that.'" - Empire Magazine Australia
"Aragorn is maybe the most physical character in the story, and that's part of who he is; his pyhsical courage or wrecklessness, depending on how you look at it, is part of what gets him through." - lordoftherings.net featurette
