Aragorn was less tempted by the One Ring than Boromir was in The Lord of the Rings, and there are a few reasons why. Aragorn was the primary hero of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, exemplifying the knight in shining armor archetype, despite Frodo being the main character. Heroes must be brave, rather than fearless. As such, Aragorn was tempted by the One Ring, which is why his resistance required strength and courage. But he was uniquely able to resist, along with a few other standout characters.

The Hobbits were remarkably resistant to the temptations of Lord of the Rings’ One Ring, which was a comment on their species as a whole. Gandalf wasn’t fond of these homely types for nothing – they were happy with their lot and not seeking world domination in any way. Humans, on the other hand, were easily swayed in LotR. Faramir was a hero among heroes, enticed by the ring like Aragorn but wise enough to discern its corruption. However, Aragorn and Boromir were the only two Men traveling alongside the ring. Aragorn had a few advantages over Boromir in resisting.

Aragorn Wasn’t As Interested In Power As Boromir In The Lord Of The Rings

Boromir Was Motivated By Power In Lord Of The Rings

Boromir was more susceptible to the One Ring’s temptations than Aragorn because he was motivated by power, and Aragorn was not. Boromir was following in his father’s footsteps, his father being Denethor. Denethor was misrepresented by The Lord of the Rings movies, although Peter Jackson carved him into an iconic movie villain all his own. The Denethor of the book was a just ruler, even a brilliant one. Nonetheless, he was small-minded compared to Aragorn. Raised by Denethor, Boromir’s endgame was ascending to Ruling Steward of Gondor, in his father’s footsteps.

Aragorn pursued the throne for Arwen’s love. Elrond banned Aragorn from marrying Arwen unless he became king, proving himself worthy. Aragorn’s claim to the throne in Lord of the Rings was not just romantically motivated, but spiritually hygienic. There was cosmic justice in Middle-earth, demonstrated again and again. And Aragorn was on the right side of it. Love bore marriage, which bore lineage, which bore royalty. Aragorn was destined for the throne for the right reasons, and Boromir was not. Aragorn had faith in his destiny, which was ordained by Middle-earth’s authorities, whereas Boromir sought power that clashed with destiny.

Aragorn Wanted To Avoid Repeating Isildur’s Failures

Aragorn Was Self-Aware And Resistant To Mistakes

Aragorn was conscious of repeating his ancestors’ mistakes, which helped him resist the temptation of the One Ring. Boromir had no such personal training or blueprint. The Lord of the Rings movies’ Aragorn differed from the book in one key way – Aragorn believed in himself in the book but grew his self-belief in the movies. This modern character development helped make J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1950s text relatable to contemporary moviegoers. The movies emphasized what was implicit in the book – that Aragorn had to surpass Isildur.

The Lord of the Rings was published in three parts between 1954 and 1955.

Whether or not Aragorn felt the pressure, the need for him to better his ancestor when it came to the One Ring would have been noted by all the most powerful in Middle-earth. No LotR character had as much wasted potential as Isildur. Isildur could have single-handedly ended Sauron by destroying the One Ring, but he wasn’t mentally equipped to do so. Instead, it got lost, leaving Aragorn to pick up the pieces of his mistake centuries later in the Fellowship of the Ring. Aragorn was rightly determined to succeed where Isildur had not.

Aragorn’s Upbringing Likely Factored Into His Resistance Of The Ring

Aragorn Was Raised To Greatness In Lord Of The Rings

Somewhat uniquely, Aragorn was a leader from the realm of Men raised by Lord of the Rings’ Elves, which would have helped him on his path. Aragorn was a Dúnadan, a descendant of Númenóreans. Aragorn was of the royal line that sprung originally from Elros, Elrond’s brother. Elros was part-Elven but was offered the choice between an Elvish or human biology, and he chose the human. Aragorn had Elvish blood. As the Chieftain of the Dúnedain, he was given to Elrond to be raised, as per Dúnedain tradition. Elves were not as easily corrupted as Men in LotR.

Viggo Mortensen has been asked to star as Aragorn in the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

In this sense, Aragorn had an advantage over Boromir from the start when it came to internal defenses against the corrupting influence of the One Ring. Not only did Aragorn have Elvish blood, but he had an Elvish upbringing. He was educated in Elvish lore and practices from an early age, aware of the mistakes of Men like Isildur and Eärnur. If the folly of these Men teaches anything, it is the danger of prideful, egotistical ruling. Elrond ruled Rivendell with a fair hand and one of the Elven-rings of Power. He would have taught Aragorn the dangers of dark magic.

Aragorn Accepted Frodo As Ring-bearer, While Boromir Questioned It

Boromir Showed His Hand Early On

Boromir displayed his vulnerability to the One Ring from the start, when he questioned Frodo’s status as Ring-bearer. At the Council of Elrond, it was clear that Boromir wanted the One Ring. He did not disguise his desire, championing the One Ring’s usage over its destruction. Lacking Aragorn’s education, this was a fair conclusion to arrive at, logically. But logic was only a small part of a human’s response to the ring. The bigger part was a selfish desire for greatness and authority, which the One Ring exploited if it saw in a person.

Faramir proved that one didn’t have to be 87 to rule from a place of love, which exists in service to others.

This trait was immature in Middle-earth, while wise leadership served others. Boromir can not be blamed for his relative lack of maturity in comparison to Aragorn, who was about twice his age during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring movie. But his brother, Faramir, proved that one didn’t have to be 87 to rule from a place of love, which exists in service to others. But whether Faramir could have resisted the ring for as long as Aragorn did will never be known. Ultimately, Aragorn’s unique strength made him the perfect ruler in The Lord of the Rings.