Beginning of Frodo Baggin’s journey for the destruction of the One Ring
In the cinematic series, Frodo Baggins immediately took off after inheriting Bilbo Baggin’s house and the One Ring.
However, in the novel, Frodo Baggins had hid the One Ring for 17 years by Gandalf’s advice. Gandalf after confirming the One Ring from the interrogation on Gollum and research at Minas Tirith figured out that Sauron was after Frodo and the One Ring.
Gandalf advised Frodo Baggins to secretly head to Rivendell while Gandalf without knowing Saruman’s betrayal went to Isengard for Saruman’s help. Merry, Pippin and Sam also caught up with Frodo and joined his journey.
Frodo and the hobbit’s encounter with the elves
In the novel, Frodo and the hobbits were caught by a nazgul but they were saved by a Noldor elf named Gildor Inglorion. In the movie, instead the hobbits witness a party of elves heading to the west for the Grey Havens so they could set sail for the lands of Valinor.
In the novel, Gildor advised the hobbits and alerted Rivendell and Aragorn of the danger. In the original novel, the elf lord Glorfidndel would depart from Rivendell to reinforce Aragorn and the hobbits while Aragorn went to Bree.
In the movie, Glorfindel’s role was replaced by Arwen and Gandalf simply sent Aragorn to Bree to assist the hobbits. (Gandalf did sent a letter in the original novel of “Strider” Aragorn so the hobbits could trust him)
Prancing Pony – First encounter of the hobbits with “Strider” Aragorn II
The four hobbits were almost caught by the black riders, the nazguls the ring wraiths and servants of Sauron. In the original novel, a Noldor elf named Gildor warned Aragorn of the hobbits being chased by the nazguls as Gildor had a conversation with Frodo Baggins and the hobbits.
Aragorn, under the alias Strider, headed to the Prancing Pony Inn at Bree and first met Sam, Frodo, Merry and Pippin.
The hobbits were frightened at first but the owner of the Prancing Pony gave a letter from Gandalf to the hobbits and they’ve started to trust Aragorn and received his protection.
Arnor, the perished Northern Kingdom and the Dunedain, Northern Rangers
In the movie, Arnor is only mentioned as the perished Northern Kingdom as the history of Arnor would complicate viewers. Arnor was the Northern Kingdom of the Numenor in Exile while Gondor was the Southern Kingdom of the Numenor in Exile.
Arnor was located at Eriador in the western region of the Misty Mountains and as Arnor was built by Elendil the father of Isildur, the king of Arnor also used to be the throne of the High King that ruled Gondor and Arnor.
Unlike Gondor, Arnor split into three kingdoms Arthedain, Rhudaur, and Cardolan over a dispute of power of the descendants. However, the nazgul the Witch King of Angmar built the kingdom of Angmar north of Arnor and the three kingdoms became rubbles by the Witch King of Angmar.
The remaining descendants of Arthedain and Arnor became the Dunedain also known as the Northern Rangers. The descendants of Arnor the Dunedain continued their fight against evil and Sauron.
The Witch King of Angmar and Sauron thought the bloodline of the Arnor was cut but secretly, a descendant of Arnor and Gondor’s royal blood line lived as the Chieftains of the Dunedain. Aragorn II was the heir of Arnor and Gondor as the Chieftain of the Dunedain.
Aragorn’s Lineage of Numenor, Gondor and Arnor royalty
Aragorn was a far descendant of Tar-Minyatur, the first king of Numenor who was also known as Elros, Elrond’s twin brother. Aragorn was in other words also a far relative with Elrond as well.
Elendil, the first High King of Gondor and Arnor was part of the House of Andunie while Anarion and Isildur were the sons of Elendil.
Arvedui, a prince of Arthedain and Firiel the princess of Gondor’s marriage led to the birth of Aranarth, the last descendant of Arthedain, Arnor and the final heir of both Isildur and Anarion.
Aranrth became the first Chieftain of the Dunedain and his lineage and legacy continued to Aragorn. Aragorn or Aragorn II was born to Arathorn II and Gilraen.
Aragorn’s early life, Adoption to Elrond and 16th Chieftain of the Dunedain
Aragorn was adopted in Rivendell by Elrond and named Estel which means “Hope” in Sindarin elvish. As the bloodline of the royal Gondor and Arnor was to be hidden, Aragorn grew up with Elrond’s twin sons Elrohir and Elladan in Rivendell.
After Aragorn aged, Elrond presented the shards of Narsil, Scepter of Annuminas(Annuminas was the old capital of Arnor and the scepter was symbol of the high king of Arnor and Gondor) and the Ring of Barahir to Aragorn. Aragorn was reminded of his duty and destiny from Elrond and prepared for training.
Aragorn first meets Arwen who was singing the songs of Beren and Luthien, an old history and legend of the first love between a human and elf.
Aragorn had never met Arwen before as she resided in Lothlorien and immediately fell in love. Aragorn retakes his name Aragorn instead of Estel as the 16th chieftain of the Dunedain and starts to fight against evil as a ranger of the north.
Aragorn and Theoden’s past
Aragorn is 17 years older than Thengel as he was blessed with long life as a descendant of Numenor. Aragorn served Theoden’s father Thengel, the king of Rohan before Theoden and saw Theoden as a child.
Later on, when the Fellowship of the Ring arrived at Rohan and accompanied Theoden, many thought it was odd that Aragorn treated Theoden like a child. Eowyn also thought this odd but realizes Aragorn was older later on.
Aragorn and Gandalf, Aragorn’s alias – Strider
Aragorn didn’t meet Gandalf at the final White Council where the Saruman was the Chairman as Aragorn left Rivendell before the meeting. However, Aragorn before he headed to Gondor met Gandalf and befriended him.
Aragorn would hear of the Shire and stories of the magic ring from Gandalf and would put an eye on the Shire and Bree. Hobbits and men of Bree would call Aragorn Strider as him and the northern rangers patrolled the north.
Aragorn and Denethor’s past, Aragorn’s alias - Thorongil
Aragorn also served Ecthelion 2nd, the father of Denethor, the steward of Gondor where he helped Gondor ward off pillages and attacks by the corsairs of Umbar.
Although Aragorn hid his identity as the heir of the king of Gondor under the name Thorongil, Ecthelion’s son Denethor thought Aragorn knew too much of Gondor and Arnor’s history and secrets.
By a high chance Denethor knew Aragorn was the heir of Gondor and felt him as a threat over power.
Denethor was weaker and foolish than Aragorn and his suspicion that Aragorn is the king of Gondor led to jealousy. This jealousy would lead to the downfall of Denethor and Denethor’s disbelief against Gandalf as well.
Arnor the Northern Kingdom, Why Arnor wasn’t noticed in the movie.
Arnor was the Northern Kingdom of the Numenor of Exile while Gondor was the Southern Kingdom. Arnor was only mentioned as the forgotten kingdom or the perished kingdom in the cinematic series of the Lord of the Rings.
However in the original novel, although later Gondor and Arnor completely separates apart, Arnor was symbolically more orthodox in hierarchy than Gondor. Explanation of Arnor and why it perished would have confused the viewers of the movie series so Arnor wasn’t mentioned much in the movie.
Dunedain – Rangers of the North, Descendants of Arnor
The Dunedain were the remaining descendants of Arnor after the downfall of Arthedain, the last country that descended from Arnor.
The Dunedain resided in Eriador, more simply northern regions of Shire fighting against evil such as the remnants of the evil kingdom Arnor. The Chieftain of the Dunedain actually was the hidden royal heir of Isildur and Anarion, the royal bloodline of Arnor and Gondor.
The Dunedain were also referred as the Northern rangers as they’ve continued the resistance against Sauron and darkness. The Northern Rangers such as the Grey Company took great part in the original novel, but in the movie, not much of the Northern Rangers is referred.
Rather the Southern Rangers from Gondor that were descendants of the old Minas Ithil(Now Minas Morgul) appear in the movie series.
