Full Name: Aragorn II
Name Meaning: Royal (Sindarin Elvish)
Aliases: Estel, Elessar, Elfstone, Strider, Telcontar, Isildur's Heir, the Renewer, Longshanks, Thorongil, the Dúnadan, and Wing-foot. Called Trotter in Tolkien's early writings
Birth Date: 1st March, TA 2931
Date of Death: 1st March, FO 120
Race: Human
Parents: Father, Arathorn II. Mother, Gilraen
Siblings None
Spouse: Arwen Undomiel
Children: A son, Eldarion, and several daughters
History:
Aragorn was the heir to the throne of Gondor, one of the lands of Men. His father, Arathorn, died when Aragorn was two years old, and his mother took him to Rivendell, where he was raised by Elrond Halfelven. Elrond gave Aragorn the name Estel (meaning "hope"), and concealed from Aragorn his lineage. When Aragorn was twenty, Elrond told him his true name and ancestry, and gave him the Ring of Barahir and the shards of the sword Narsil, heirlooms of Aragorn's house. The next day, while walking at sunset, Aragorn met and immediately fell in love with Elrond's daughter, Arwen. Elrond perceived Aragorn's love and told him that Aragorn was not permitted to marry any woman, let alone Arwen, until he was found worthy, so Aragorn went into the wild to prove himself. At twenty-five, Aragorn met Gandalf and assisted him through many perils. Twenty-four years later, Aragorn entered Lothlórien, where Queen Galadriel clothed him as an Elf-lord. Arwen was also at Rivendell at that time, and at the moment when she looked on him after their long parting, her choice was made. They plighted their troth on the hill of Cerin Amroth, but when Elrond learned of his daughter's choice, he forbade Arwen to be the bride of any man less than the king of both Gondor and Arnor (two kingdoms of Men), and Aragorn went forth again to danger and toil.
Aragorn met Frodo at the Prancing Pony Inn in the village of Bree on September 29th, TA 3018, where Frodo almost mistook him for a servant of the Enemy. The hobbits had no idea that he was the heir of kings until they reached Rivendell. At the Council of Elrond, Aragorn offered his sword to Frodo and became a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Before the Fellowship left Rivendell, Elven smiths re-forged the shards of Narsil into the blade Anduril, which they gave to Aragorn.
After Gandalf fell in Moria, Aragorn led the Fellowship through the rest of the Mines and into the woods of Lothlórien. There he received a clear green stone set in a silver brooch in the likeness of an eagle with outspread wings. Galadriel had given it to her daughter, Celebrian, and Celebrian had given it to her daughter, Arwen. Galadriel now gave it to Aragorn, whom it had been foretold would take the name Elessar, meaning Elfstone.
When Frodo and Sam left the company to go by themselves to Mordor, Aragorn made the choice to track Merry and Pippin, who had been captured by the Uruk-hai. Legolas and Gimli went with him. Aragorn met Éomer of Rohan along the way, and Éomer told him that he and his riders had killed the Uruk-hai, and that it was doubtful the hobbits were still alive. Aragorn continued to look for Merry and Pippin, and was reunited with Gandalf, who assured them that the hobbits were safe. Aragorn then abandoned the search and followed Gandalf to Edoras, capital of Rohan. He befriended King Théoden and the King's niece, Éowyn. He saw that Éowyn had fallen in love him, which pained him since his heart was given to Arwen: he knew Éowyn's love would be unrequited.
Aragorn fought side by side with Éomer and Théoden at the battle of Helm's Deep, when all hope had left the King, and the Uruk-hai seemed to have won the fight, Aragorn rallied the remaining troops and they rode out of the fortress, making what they thought would be a desperate last stand. But when Gandalf, Erkenbrand, and the Huorns arrived, the Uruks fled in terror and the battle was won.
After the fight, Aragorn accompanied Gandalf and Théoden to Orthanc and was present as Saruman tried to free himself with honeyed words. Aragorn intended to journey to Gondor along with the Rohirrim, but his plans began to change when the sons of Elrond and many of the Dúnedain joined him. Elladan and Elrohir brought a message from their father which mentioned taking the Paths of the Dead, and Halbarad brought a standard that Arwen had secretly made for Aragorn. After Pippin looked into the palantir of Orthanc, Gandalf bestowed the seeing stone upon Aragorn. Aragorn revealed himself to Sauron, and Sauron was not so mighty that he was above fear when he saw that Isildur's Heir still lived. Aragorn also saw in the palantir the Corsair ships massing in the South, and knew then that he must take the fastest road to Minas Tirith, even if it meant taking the Paths of the Dead. Accompanied by the sons of Elrond, the Rangers, and Legolas and Gimli, Aragorn left Théoden's company and journeyed to Edoras. Éowyn, whose uncle had requested that she remain there and guard the city in his absence, begged leave to ride with Aragorn, but he refused much to her dismay. Aragorn took the Paths and was followed by the Dead who had been cursed by his forefather, Isildur, when they hid in the mountains instead of honoring their oath. The Dead could be released from their curse if they fought for Isildur's Heir, and they followed Aragorn all the way to the river Anduin, where they needed no weapon but fear to kill the Corsairs who manned the ships. Aragorn and his companions took control of the ships, released the slaves, and sailed upriver to Minas Tirith, where the wind caught Arwen's standard and announced the surprise arrival of the true King of Gondor. After fighting bravely in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Aragorn declined to come into the city after the battle was over and declare himself King, but when he learned that Faramir, Éowyn, and Merry were all deathly ill, he entered the city and healed all three with the help of the plant athelas.
The Captains of the West decided that their only hope of giving Frodo a chance of destroying the Ring was to attract Sauron's attention with a diversionary battle. Aragorn, along with Gandalf, was the leader of these forces. Though the Mouth of Sauron insulted him at the parley before the Black Gate, he remained calm and his gaze was such that the Mouth of Sauron felt assaulted, and almost immediately withdrew inside the Gates of Mordor. Aragorn also rallied the men when all hope seemed to fail at the news of Frodo's "death," and led them to victory over the now spiritless orcs and trolls after the Ring was destroyed.
After the War, Aragorn married Arwen and ruled as king under the name foretold for him: Elessar. He lived in bliss for many years, but in FO 120, he knew that his days were drawing to an end. He had the gift of a lifespan thrice that of most Men of Middle-earth, but he also had the grace to return his gift. Aragorn died on March 1st of that year.
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