Wasn't Aragorn head of the Rangers? And the books always mention the small number of them. Considering those points, it doesn't seem possible that there was a Ranger that Aragorn didn't already know personally.
Other than that, great film, especially considering the budget.
I agree, that seemed off to me too.
shareSort of. They didn't really have a "leader." It would be better to say Aragorn was the most widely known, thus he would have the most sway over other rangers who heard his call. But nobody was obligated to do anything he said.
The Dunedain were a very dwindled number who were scattered across large areas. So perhaps if a village were formed with all the rangers of the north in it, Aragorn would probably be mayor. However, as it was, he wasn't their leader so much as their inspirational figure.
Think of it like the hacker group Anonymous. They're all over the world, but everyone knows Julian Assange of Wikileaks. So even though he doesn't or never did go online and tell other hackers what to do and where to go, he is widely known and respected by most of them for his contributions to the hacking world. Crude analogy, but hope this makes sense...
EVERY Dunedain was obligated to do what he said, if he called them to war. They all knew he was the Heir of Isildur -- basically, their king, even if uncrowned at the time.
Read more of Tolkien's other books to get more info on the Dunedain.
Thank you. You eloquently beat me to the post regarding this basic principle many film viewers mysteriously ignore about Tolkien's world, which is that most, if not all, of his fictitious countries are monarchies!
Arnor had fallen it's true, but Gondor to the south was ruled by a Steward, Denethor, whose long line were regents not kings.
This every Dunedain knew; Aragorn was, by birthright, king...and most certainly their "chieftain", which I believe is how Tolkien specifically described Aragorn at one point in Two Towers.
Ahh old thread responses when you should be in bed....actually no, they weren't. While they may have done it under that consideration, they were not obligated to do anything. Some may have, but others wouldn't. Not every ranger came from a descendant of Numenor either, some were just normal men, so they would not view him as a king any more than Frodo did when they first met.
I have read all of HOME (and had before I posted this).
Aragorn was a Ranger of the North. The man he met was a Ranger of the South - one of those who scouted for Gondor.
shareThe land was very vast. They were all in exile and living in small scattered groups, or as individual rangers, actually. Aragorn did not reveal his real name, he only introduced himself as Strider, a regular ranger in other words.
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