The mainstream public did not really know who Viggo Mortensen was before he appeared as Aragorn, son of Arathorn in The Lord of the Rings movies, and brought this famous and complex character to life. Mortensen was great in this role in a lot of ways, but the main one would have to be that he made Aragorn humble, modest, and likable.
In the books, Aragorn is a lot more arrogant, likely the way Tolkien thought a king should be in the classic romantic sense. He's portrayed as a Messiah-like figure while also being inspired by historic figures that lived in exile before returning to claim a throne. It's an image that works better in a novel than in a movie, so there are a lot of details about Aragorn that only book readers know.
6 Just Can't Wait To Be King
Characters like Sam and Faramir fill in the human element in the books, while Aragorn remains stubbornly aloof. He behaves more like a typical King, not so much "a man of the people" but a capable leader famous for his heroic deeds.
That doesn't mean that Aragorn waves his ancestry and inheritance around like it doesn't matter, but he doesn't exactly keep it a secret, either, invoking his kinship and the name of Isildur openly and often. The Aragorn in the movies seems almost hostile to the idea of being King, pushing back against Elrond when he talks about uniting the human races under one leader. Book Aragorn was all over the idea and could barely wait to get started.
5 Traveled with the Dunedain
This shadowy group appears in the books occasionally as Aragorn moves with the Fellowship and on to Minas Tirith, giving the reader the impression that they're never very far away. These aren't just a company of Rangers loyal to Aragorn, but also his friends and closest family. In the movie, this group is mentioned but never appears.
The book actually has the company joining Aragorn fairly often, with the most open and notable time during the journey through the Paths of the Dead. This is another moment when the character is going public with his ancestry, and it makes sense for a whole company of Aragorn's supporters to join him and bolster his forces. Unlike the movies, there was never a question The Dead would join them, as they were bound by an ancient obligation.
4 Watched Over By Elrond
The Lord of Rivendell has a nickname in the books that is not mentioned in the movies, Elrond Halfelven, and this refers to a human ancestor from times past. Elrond's close relationship with the leaders of Men, in particular the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, is why Imladris is a haven for the heirs of Isildur.
Aragorn doesn't just stop by Rivendell occasionally, which is all the movies have time for, but he spent most of his childhood and early life in the town, which is one of the reasons he's fluent in Elvish. He was close to Elron's sons growing up, and the three of them achieved a variety of heroic exploits together. Aragorn didn't meet their sister Arwen until he was 20 because she spent so much time with her grandparents in Lothlorien.
3 Had A Pseudonym To Hide His Identity
This was actually Elrond's idea. Even distant relatives of Isildur seemed to have bad luck when it came to accidental deaths like shipwrecks, while others fell in battle or were the victims of an assassin. He was renamed Estel, which means Hope in Elvish, as he was the last heir of Isildur and the only remaining hope for their return.
Aragorn's true identity was such a closely guarded secret that even he didn't know about it until he was 20. It was then that Elrond explained who he was and gave him not only the Shards of Narsil but also the Ring of Barahir, an heirloom of his family. This ring is a distinct accessory in the movies, and Grima Worntongue describes it to Saruman in one scene.
2 Had Permission To Marry Arwen – Once He Was King
In the movies, Elrond doesn't approve of his daughter's relationship with Aragorn, but in the books, he felt very differently. Arwen and Elrond had the same human ancestor, and his daughter was free to embrace the Gift of Men, also known as death, should she choose.
The literary Elrond was more concerned with Aragorn earning Arwen's hand in a place of prestige. The Queen of Gondor was the only title worthy of Arwen Evenstar, and to Elrond's credit, he never had a doubt that Aragorn would succeed and become his son-in-law.
1 Ruled For A Hundred Years, And Not Just Gondor
The total years of Aragorn's reign actually come out to 122, and he ruled under the name that Galadriel has used to greet him, Elessar. His son Eldarion succeeded him, and the line of kings that began during this time was called the House of Telcontar. This is the Elvish word for "Strider," a reference to the name Aragorn was given when he lived and worked in Bree.
King Elessar's kingdom didn't just include Gondor. The lost kingdom of Arnor was established upon Aragorn's return, and this included the Shire, Brandywine, and Bree. Elanor Gamgee, the daughter of famous hero and Ringbearer Samwise, served as a lady-in-waiting to the reigning Queen Arwen.