While Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) might technically be the main character of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) is a close second. His journey in the movies from a Ranger of the North to fulfilling his destiny as the King of Gondor is extremely compelling. The way that Viggo Mortensen brought the character to life captivated both younger and older generations of fans of the series and convinced newcomers to wholeheartedly love with the stoic Ranger. He’s a great warrior, a compassionate leader, and full of wisdom while still being quite rugged. The best Aragorn quotes are therefore often quite inspiring, to say the least.
Whether he’s saying an emotional goodbye to his friends or leading an army into battle against seemingly insurmountable odds, Aragorn is often getting the best lines in any given scene. The very best Aragorn quotes are the ones that inspire fans of The Lord of the Rings in day to day life, even when the words are completely removed from their fantastical context and placed into the everyday world. It’s why fans are still saying these lines out loud, decades after the release of the movies.
10 “I Would Have Gone With You To The End, Into The Very Fires Of Mordor.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
After the Uruk Hai reach the Fellowship at Amon Hen, Frodo decides he needs to take the ring to Mordor by himself. Seeing how the Ring impacts Boromir (Sean Bean) forces him to make this decision. Aragorn sees what Frodo intends to do, and he accepts his decision. However, before they part, there’s this powerful Aragorn quote that demonstrates just how honorable and loyal Aragorn is. He really means this, and though Aragorn isn’t there with Frodo in the fires of Mordor at the end of the journey, he’s still there fighting for Frodo at the Black Gate.
9 “Not If We Hold True To Each Other.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
After the events of Amon Hen, the Fellowship is torn apart. Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) leave by themselves to Mordor. Boromir dies redeeming himself, and Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) are taken captive. This leaves Aragorn, Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) behind the others, with no real plan of action. When Gimli laments that the Fellowship has failed its mission, it prompts this inspiring Aragorn quote. It seems like all is lost in this moment but like a true leader, Aragorn turns the mood around with one epic speech.
8 “I Thought I Had Wandered Into A Dream.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The relationship between Aragorn and Arwen (Liv Tyler) is the romantic crux of the trilogy. While it’s not a huge part of the movies, it does provide many emotional moments that fans can root for. Aragorn says this line to Arwen when they have a conversation about their relationship and how Arwen is willing to give up her immortality for him. She asks him if he remembers how they first met and his response is enough to make any romantic swoon.
7 “I Will Not Let The White City Fall. Nor Our People Fail.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Another extremely emotional moment from the films is when Boromir is dying at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring and Aragorn comforts him in his final moments. While these two have had their issues, stemming from Aragorn being the heir to the throne of Gondor, this moment shows that the two do ultimately see each other as brothers. Though Aragorn still clearly has his reservations about becoming a king, he makes this promise to Boromir, and it’s clear that Aragorn is always a man of his word. It’s a big step in the hero’s development, as well as an unforgettable death scene.
6 “For Frodo.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
When the rest of the Fellowship and the armies of Men arrive at the Black Gate to try and give Frodo and Sam a fighting chance in Mordor, Aragorn says this short but emotional line before leading the charge into battle. Even before Mordor and Sauron himself, Aragorn makes it clear that he’s fighting not out of anger or hatred but rather for loyalty and fellowship, and this Aragorn quote is one of the most stirring and emotional of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
5 “If By My Life Or Death I Can Protect You, I Will. You Have My Sword.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
When the Fellowship of the Ring is first formed, Aragorn is one of the first to offer his support and help to Frodo by offering his skills and life. This starts a chain reaction of each member of the Fellowship stepping forward to pledge themselves to the cause of making sure that Frodo reaches Mordor to destroy the One Ring. It’s one of the greatest moments of the entire trilogy, and it’s all started by the great Aragorn quote.
4 “I Do Not Fear Death.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
In The Return of the King when Aragorn decides to take the Paths of the Dead, they come to a very spooky entrance with an ominous warning carved into it, which Legolas reads aloud. Even Gimli is terrified of the situation but Aragorn, determined to find the Army of the Dead and convince them to fulfill their oath to fight for Gondor. He says this line with a look of hardened resolve on his face and marches straight into the pitch black darkness of the entrance, making it one of the coolest Aragorn quotes and moments from the whole trilogy.
3 “My Friends, You Bow To No One.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
After Aragorn is crowned as king in Minas Tirith, the crowd bows to him as he goes through it. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin also beginning to bow to him, but Aragorn makes sure that the crowd honors the Hobbits as they honor him as he understands that they have done just as much as he has. He instead bows to them and gets everyone else in the crowd to follow suit. It’s the final Aragorn quote of the trilogy, and even during his own crowning ceremony, he makes it about his companions and not himself, showing his true greatness as a leader.
2 “It Is Not This Day.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
This Aragorn quote is one of the most inspiring moments from the entire series. Aragorn says this line as part of his speech to the armies at the Battle of Pelennor Fields. He says to the frightened warriors before him:“A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day.” The speech is so powerful that it would make anyone want to charge into battle alongside Aragorn.
1 “There Is Always Hope.”
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Aragorn says this line to the young Haleth (Calum Gittins) before the Battle of the Hornburg at Helm’s Deep who’s scared and says that he’s heard that there’s no hope of the people of Rohan winning, which does seem to be the case at that point.
The battle itself is one of the most epic on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and that’s in part because of how Aragorn steps up from being the skilled Ranger that he’d proven himself as already and became a military leader who could wage war fearlessly. When he convinces Haleth that there’s hope, he shows this strength is founded on his love for the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, and it’s an infinitely repeatable Aragorn quote.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
