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One of the greatest love stories in film is the romance between Aragorn and Arwen inThe Lord of the Rings.In the most turbulent of times, their love for each other is a ray of light in the darkness, giving hope for a brighter future. Their story, much likethe legendary Beren and Luthien, proves that even an immortal and a mortal can find happiness against all odds.
However, not allLord of the Ringslovers agree with this pairing. Many fans feel that Aragorn made a mistake when he rejected Éowyn, the niece of King Théoden of Rohan. In many ways, Éowyn is a perfect match for Aragorn. So why didn’t they end up together at the end of the trilogy? Let’s take a moment to speculate what might have been.
Aragorn Was Attracted To Éowyn In The Books
There weremany changes made inThe Lord of the Ringsfrom the booksto the movie trilogy, including the relationship between Aragorn and Éowyn. In the book and the movieThe Two Towers,Éowyn and Aragorn met when he arrived in Rohan with Gandalf, Gimli, and Legolas. She fell in love with Aragorn, and confessed her feelings for him inThe Return of the King.Sadly, Aragorn turned down Éowyn, and later married Arwen after the War of the Ring when he took his place as the king of Gondor.
However, fans of the movies may be interested in a piece of information from the book which was left out of the film. InThe Two Towersnovel, there is a paragraph that describes Aragorn’s reaction as he sets eyes on the shieldmaiden of Rohan for the first time.
“Very fair was her face, and her long hair was like a river of gold. Slender and tall she was in her white robe girt with silver; but strong she seemed and stern as steel, a daughter of kings. Thus Aragorn for the first time in the full light of day beheld Éowyn, Lady of Rohan, and thought her fair, fair and cold, like a morning of pale spring that is not yet come to womanhood.”
In short, Éowyn made an impression on the Ranger from the moment he first saw her. It may not have been for long, but there was certainly an attraction from the beginning on Aragorn’s part. Although he did reject her affections eventually, it may have been out of a sense of duty rather than Aragorn’s personal feelings.
Éowyn Might Be A Better Match For Aragorn
For someLord of the Ringsfans, the fact that Aragorn and Éowyn do not become romantically involved is a source of frustration. The two of them have a lot in common, after all. Both of them are skilled with a sword, and both want to fight to protect their people. Aragorn is one of the few people who admires Éowyn for her warrior spirit, and encourages her to follow her heart.Éowyn comes from royalty, as does Aragorn, and a marriage between them would be beneficial for both of their kingdoms. Finally, unlike Arwen, Éowyn and Aragorn are both mortal, and neither would have to suffer a prolonged mourning should one of them die.
At one point, even Tolkien himself considered making Éowyn and Aragorn an item. According to “The History of Middle-earth,” the author had a few different ideas in mind for the couple. One was that Éowyn was actually King Théoden’s daughter instead of his niece, and she would marry Aragorn at the end of the series. In another, more tragic direction, Tolkien thought about killing Éowyn duringthe Battle of Pelennor Fields. After her death, Aragorn would come to realize that he really did love her, though it was far too late.
In the end, however, the version that Tolkien chose was for Arwen to be Aragorn’s lady love. Perhaps he thought that an ethereal elf princess was more appealing in a high fantasy setting, or maybe he just wanted to add a bit more drama with a love triangle.
Aragorn & Arwen’s Romance Was More Prominent In The Movies
It’s tough to be an Aragorn and Éowyn shipper, especially whenever the beautiful Arwen appears on screen. In the movie trilogy, Aragorn and Arwen share a number of intimate and iconic romantic scenes together. The moment thatArwen gives Aragorn her Evenstar necklacein Rivendell, it feels like a love story from a fairy tale. Even when they are apart, Arwen finds a way to visit Aragorn in his dreams, reminding him of their love for one another and helping him find his strength for the journey ahead.
The books, however, are another story. InThe Lord of the Ringsnovels, Arwen is barely even mentioned. The first time she appears inThe Fellowship of the Ringis when she is sitting silently next to Elrond, and the only other time she shows up again is at the end ofThe Return of the Kingto marry Aragorn. It’s a bit tough for readers to understand why Aragorn would choose a woman whom he has barely interacted with, when there is a lovely warrior woman right in front of him who loves him dearly. Honestly, if the trilogy’s writers had not expanded Arwen’s role so drastically, convincing the audience that Arwen and Aragorn were meant to be would have been impossible.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
