The Lord of the Rings books and movies are beloved. However, there is one way that the movies have a bit of an edge on the books. It's all to do with the writing of one particular character. This character is a powerful presence in both the books and the movies; however, their movie counterpart is arguably better. There are probably good reasons for the differences between the two versions of this character.
It is important to try to understand these reasons, but it's also nice to compare and contrast the two different versions of Lord of the Rings. Both versions have their place, and both are beloved by their fans. Yet, one particular character ends up looking better in the movies. This character is not entirely mistreated in the books; they're just more well-developed in the movies.
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And because of that, their story in the movies is more interesting for fans to follow. People love to follow characters that they can relate to and root for. And this character is easier to do both with in the Lord of the Rings movies, at least for some fans. This character is good in the books as well, but the books and the movies take different approaches with this character. And the movies' approach works better in some ways. Although Tolkien is a great writer, even he is not perfect. There is one character who does not have as much of a character arc in the books as they do in the movies. And it is this that makes this character's movie counterpart better. This is the character that is the focus here. Who this character is might surprise some fans.
This character who is better in the movies than in the books is Aragorn. Yes, Aragorn, a rather crucial character in Lord of the Rings. He becomes the King of the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor at the end of both books and movies. But the two versions of the story take different tactics when it comes to his character. In the books, Aragorn is more self-assured than he is in the movies. Some might even consider him a bit full of himself. Though he is not by any means a bad person, he is somewhat more of a king in the books, with all that that entails. He seems, to some fans anyway, to see himself as somewhat above it all. In the movies, on the other hand, he doubts his abilities. He is somewhat insecure and is unsure of his potential for leadership.
While both characters are well-written, the Aragorn of the books starts off as a kingly figure and ends up king. The Aragorn of the Lord of the Rings movies, however, starts out unsure of himself and gains self-confidence and kingship as well. Aragorn's character arc, therefore, is more pronounced in the movies. He grows and changes and fans see it all. The Aragorn of the Lord of the Rings books, however, seems to have done the majority of his character development before fans meet him. One example of Aragorn's self-assured, somewhat full of himself, nature in the books is when Aragorn arrives in Rohan. He does not want to give his sword to the guard, and only reluctantly agrees to do so, threatening anyone who touches it. He gets quite upset about it.
Of course, this does make some sense. The sword is important, after all. It is a sign of his status as king and is a pretty impressive weapon as well. It can summon the Army of the Dead. And of course, to fight Sauron and his forces, Aragorn needs a weapon. However, his getting as upset as he does might be a bit much. And only shows the differences between the books' and movies' portrayal of Aragorn's character. In the Lord of the Rings movies, Aragorn might be reluctant to do something. Yet how he would react to that is the difference. In the movies, Aragorn is a rather reluctant hero. Yet he is still a hero. He does not think of himself as being above anyone.
He seems to see the Hobbits and all of his friends in the Fellowship as his equals. Aragorn does not lord his kingship over them or anyone. Instead, he is rather reluctant to take it up, though he does do so in the end. This story of Aragorn gaining self-confidence and realizing his full potential at the end of the Lord of the Rings movies is compelling. And many fans might find it easier to swallow than that of his book counterpart. Of course, not every Lord of the Rings fan will agree. Some will prefer Aragorn in the books, finding him a stronger, more admirable character. Everyone has different tastes. What's important is that fans appreciate Aragorn and Lord of the Rings, both books and movies.
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