LOTR's Aragorn - Is He "What Women Want"?

Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) accept the 'man' challenge and save the day in "The Return of the King" (New Line Cinema, 2003)

Tuesday's the big day and as a matter of fact, yes, I will be buying the extended DVD of "The Return of the King". Thanks for asking!

Aaah, I remember those glorious days between November 2001 and the same month in 2003 when the whole world seemed to sit on the edge of its seat, waiting for the next installment in the trilogy. I don't think I've felt that level of excitement since the first three (and to this day, still the best - sorry, George) Star Wars movies hit the screen and basically defined my childhood.

Love 'em or hate 'em, few can deny the LOTR films are big fun, chock full o' high adventure, archetypes aplenty, and life lessons to chew on for hours.

Somehow Peter Jackson managed to do what we all thought was impossible, suceeding precisely where George Lucas has gone astray: weave a great story and brilliant effects into a thoroughly convincing human drama, in which the audience can identify, in one way or another, with just about everybody on the screen.

But enough of that. I was just reading an article by Bernard Chapin at mennewsdaily.com, entitled "Defending the Ring and Tolkien", in which he defends "Lord of the Rings" against charges of sexism from Andrea Lewis.

Now this is not the first time this debate has come up, and I'm not going go into it here. (Hit the links above if you're interested.) But the articles did remind me of an experience I've had more than a few times when talking with women who have seen the LOTR movies.

Despite their politics and specific impressions of the films, I always - I repeat, always - get unanimous and enthusiastic consensus on one point: Aragorn is to die for!

Of course, Legolas is nothing to sneeze at either - he definitely comes in a close second. But there's just something about that Ranger from the north.

Being a man, and always wanting to know how I can improve on that, I'm naturally curious as to why it is that Aragorn that draws such an undissuadable female fan base.

It doesn't take long to come up with a short list: the guy's got great weapons, he has that stately poise you'd expect from a king, and most important, he kicks ass! But since that's a list I probably could have come up with when I was fifteen, I'm guessing those aren't the real reasons the women I've talked to find Aragorn attractive.

So finally I asked them. I had to insert the question casually into conversation, between discussions of the weather and the war in Iraq, so as not to look too interested in the answer. Here's what they told me:

1. Aragorn is tough and manly, but doesn't swagger or act obnoxious.

2. His manhood isn't threatened by other males who are equally skilled warriors, or conversely, men who are, shall we say, less masculine than himself.

3. He's smart, level-headed, and balanced. He knows when it's time to play and when it's time to go to work.

4. He seems to have nothing to prove. He only wants to do what's right and to protect his people, and he seems to respect everyone, men and women, young and old, warrior and tradesperson.

5. He can charge into focused, full-on combat with his enemies, but when the battle is over, he comes back and takes up the mundane responsibilities of daily life without complaint.

6. He sings a mean coronation theme!

7. Most importantly, he knows how to treat a woman.

8. Furthermore, he respects the women in his life as equals, or at least as equally gifted and capable warrior-leaders.

In other words, Aragorn represents everything a woman wants in a man, without all the things she doesn't want.

Now, a huge part of the credit for the Aragorn we see on the screen has to go to Viggo Mortensen. In real life, Mortensen is a poet, writer, musician, and photographer, and speaks four languages fluently - including Elvish. So that renaissance-man/sensitive-warrior quality can't help but come out in his portrayal of Aragorn.

But that's irrelevant really. The point is, women love what they see. So is there something we men can learn from Aragorn? Not only when it comes to understanding what women are looking for, but simply what it means to be a man?

Ladies, is there anything else you want to say?
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For more on gender issues in The Lord of the Rings, visit:

The Tolkien Online Forum

Does Gender Matter? Women, Tolkien, and the Online Fanfiction Community , Kristi Lee Brobeck

Macho Men & Warrior Princesses, Kara Gardner (@ Green Books)

A Shire of Her Own: Why This Lady Loves Lord of the Rings, Lynn Harris (@ The Simon)