The Lord of the Rings offered many members of the Fellowship of the Ring the chance to go to the Undying Lands, but Aragorn did not go. The Undying Lands were Valinor and its island of Tol Eressëa, located in Aman, the continent to the west of Middle-earth. The moniker of “Undying Lands” appears to attribute Aman almost mythical status, denoting a heavenly afterlife. Aman was no post-death paradise, but its mythical status was warranted. It was removed from the Circles of the World in the Second Age, so for someone like Aragorn to go would have been an honor.

Aman was uniquely beautiful and powerful. When Lord of the Rings’ Eru Ilúvatar removed it from the Circles of the World (in response to an attack from humans), it became inaccessible by sea to mortal Men. Elves could still sail the straight road to get to Aman, as many had lived there peacefully once upon a time. What’s more, Elves were subject to fading outside of Aman in the Third Age and had to return to resist this process. Elves allowed special individuals to come with them, but Aragorn was not one of these for a few reasons.

What Happened To Aragorn After Lord Of The Rings

Aragorn Stayed In Middle-earth After The Movies Ended

Aragorn ruled Gondor and Arnor after The Lord of the Rings ended. Peter Jackson famously adapted J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novel, published in three parts between 1954 and 1955. Adapting one part of the novel per movie, Jackson portrayed Lord of the Rings’ Aragorn becoming king at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Aragorn’s coronation confirmed the reunification of the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor and made him the ruler of this new realm, which is where he stayed until he died, the odd journey notwithstanding.

Aragorn married Arwen in Lord of the Rings, as seen at the end of The Return of the King, and ruled as the High King of the Reunited Kingdom. Aragorn carried out many great acts during his reign, which were detailed by Tolkien in the appendices to The Lord of the Rings. For instance, he made peace with the Haradrim, who had fought for Sauron in the War of the Ring. He subdued the threat of the Corsairs of Umbar and appointed Sam, Merry, and Pippin as counselors. Aragorn died in the year 120 of the Fourth Age at 210.

Would Aragorn Have Been Allowed To Go To The Undying Lands?

Aragorn May Well Have Been Allowed Into Aman

Although Men were banned from entering Aman, Aragorn could have been allowed in. He was one of the main heroes of the War of the Ring, and the majority of these were allowed into Aman. Aragorn was one of the most powerful characters in The Lord of the Rings, bearing in mind his Elvish upbringing, lineage, and personal successes. This led to him playing a huge part in the destruction of the One Ring and Sauron’s defeat. Gimli and Samwise Gamgee were admitted to Aman for deeds of arguably lesser stature, making Aragorn’s hypothetical admittance likely.

Like Men, Hobbits and Dwarves were not normally able to sail to Aman, but the Dwarf Gimli and the Hobbits Frodo and Sam did. Exemplifying these exceptions, Gimli made friends with Legolas and Galadriel, repairing broken diplomatic relations between Elves and Dwarves. In addition to Gimli’s ᴀssistance in defeating Sauron, this allowed him access to Aman. So, he sailed there with Legolas many years after the War of the Ring. If Gimli’s actions were worthy of admittance to Aman, Aragorn’s probably were too. If he had gone to Aman, Aragorn could have forged a useful bond with the Valar.

It Makes Sense That Aragorn Didn’t Go To The Undying Lands

There Was No Reason For Aragorn To Go To The Undying Lands

Aragorn would probably have been allowed to sail to Valinor if he had asked or if the Elves had requested it, but it would not have made narrative sense for Aragorn to go. Moving to Aman after the war may have afforded Aragorn some advantage, but for him to seek this advantage would not have been in character. In any case, this advantage was dubious, as Aragorn had all he needed. Aragorn had been made king of the Reunited Kingdom and was probably the most powerful person in Middle-earth. Moving to Valinor would have complicated his rule significantly.

The whole strength of Aragorn’s character was built around his acceptance of his natural, inborn kingship, as opposed to his harboring a lust for power. Since he already ruled Middle-earth, Aragorn seeking to go to Aman and bask in the knowledge and favor of the Valar could have been a greedy and unnecessary pursuit of power or even immortality. It is precisely this greedy and unnecessary pursuit of power that his ancestors – the Númenóreans who attacked Aman – were punished for by being banned from Aman. Aragorn could have visited his friends in Aman, but had no reason to relocate.

Why Arwen Couldn’t Go To The Undying Lands After Aragorn’s Death

Arwen Made The Choice Of Lúthien

There is a good chance that Arwen could not have gone to the Undying Lands after Aragorn’s death because she chose to be mortal. Arwen chose to be mortal so that she could fully enjoy her time with Aragorn, who was a mortal Man. She did not want to endure long ages without him after his death, as in love with him as she was. The original dialogue created by writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson for the LotR trilogy expressed this well. Lord of the Rings’ Elves were allowed into Aman, but mortal Men were not.

In choosing mortality, Arwen essentially gave up her Elf status and became one of the mortal Men. Exceptions were made when it came to letting non-Elves into Aman. Gimli and the Hobbits, for example. Aragorn would probably have been let in too. However, in marrying Aragorn, Arwen made a pointed choice to become mortal and give up her Elvish benefits. This was called the choice of Lúthien, after an ancestor who made the same choice in the First Age. Arwen had access to this choice in The Lord of the Rings as she was part-human, like her father, Elrond.