Not only is Viggo Mortensen, frankly, just a little bit old to be playing Aragorn at this juncture, but he closed out the character’s journey beautifully in the original trilogy’s third and final film “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” When audiences first meet Aragorn, he aligns himself with the Fellowship of the Ring and promises to protect Frodo (Elijah Wood), the humble hobbit tasked with bringing the One Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it once and for all. Though Aragorn and Frodo get separated at the end of the first film, he continues fighting for Frodo elsewhere, whether he’s leading the charge during the Battle of Helm’s Deep against Sauron’s forces or trying to track down Frodo’s friends Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd.)
During “Return of the King,” Aragorn — who is descended from the legendary King Isildur, played by Harry Sinclair in flashbacks — has to grapple with the fact that, yes, he is destined to wear the long-abandoned crown. Once he accepts his destiny, Aragorn fights Sauron’s armies as Frodo finally destroys the ring and is finally crowned king after the Dark Lord is defeaed … plus, he ends up with his long-lost love, the elf Arwen (Liv Tyler). All in all, Mortensen delivers a stunning performance that brings Aragorn’s story full circle — and even though more movies are coming, his work here is done.
