Aragorn's Skills as Both a Swordsman and Marksman: Exploring His Combat Proficiency

Oddly, there's no explicit mention of Aragorn even touching a bow in The Lord of the Rings. The legendary character, Gandalf, refers to Aragorn as the 'greatest traveller and huntsman of this age of the world', and Aragorn himself underplays his hunting skills, stating, 'I have some skill as a hunter at need.' These statements certainly suggest that he knows his way around a bow, but the text never explicitly confirms this.

The Lack of Bow Usage in The Lord of the Rings

Throughout the narrative, there are no instances of Aragorn using a bow. Narsil, the sword, appears prominently but remains mostly unused in the text, only being reforged as Anduril for significant battles. This raises the question of whether Aragorn, a skilled warrior, was actually proficient with a bow, or if his primary weapon was the sword.

The Influence of Video Games on Aragorn's Image

One possible source of the idea that Aragorn was a skilled marksman might be the video game adaptation of The Two Towers. In this game, Aragorn, along with Legolas and Gimli, can use both close-range and long-range attacks. Aragorn's long-range attack is a bow, which was likely implemented to ensure consistency and balance in gameplay, rather than reflecting accurately his skills described in J.R.R. Tolkien's books. The close-range options in the game, on the other hand, are much more faithful to the text: Aragorn uses his sword, Legolas uses a knife, and Gimli throws axes.

Aragorn: Trained as a Knight and Skilled with Swords

It is important to note that Aragorn was trained to be a knight. Knights historically used swords and spears rather than bows and arrows. This training is reflected in the text, where Tolkien mentions Aragorn's sword skills but not his bow proficiency. When Aragorn leaves Imladris as a young man, Tolkien describes him embarking on an errantry, a term typically applied to knights seeking to build their resumé. In the narrative, Tolkien consistently refers to sword training and combat, indicating that swords were Aragorn's primary weapon.

As a Ranger, Aragorn likely learned to use a bow. However, given his extensive training as a knight and his role as a leader and warrior, it is reasonable to assume that his primary weapon and skill were the sword. This suggests that while he may have been competent with a bow, his expertise lay in the art of the sword.

Conclusion

In summary, while Aragorn's abilities with both weapons are intriguing, the evidence from The Lord of the Rings suggests that his primary weapon was the sword. His training as a knight and his continued emphasis on sword combat in the narrative indicate that his skills in this area were superior.