Swords, and weapons in general, always have a lot of significance in fantasy stories. They often have names and can be a symbol of legacy, being passed on through generations and carrying the stories of their previous owners with them. Stories as far back as the legends of King Arthur put great importance on weapons, both magical and mundane. The Lord of the Rings is no stranger to this and has an assortment of weapons that carry a great deal of meaning and significance.

One of these is Aragorn's sword, Andúril. This sword becomes an actual plot point in the story rather than just a weapon that Aragorn carries, and it ties back to the themes of Aragorn's story surrounding legacy, destiny, and leadership. But what is it about this particular weapon that's so important? What is the history of the blade, and why does it affect the story of Lord of the Rings as much as it does?

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The sword itself was known as Narsil for a very long time and was forged in the First Age, long before the War of the Ring. In the Second Age, the island nation of Númenor became one of the most prominent powers in Middle-Earth...until Sauron destroyed it. The survivors of this attack made their way to the mainland and founded their own (new) kingdoms. One of these kingdoms was Gondor, which was founded by the brothers Isildur and Anárion. Their father, Elendil, founded Arnor in the north, and was the owner of the sword Narsil.

lotr aragorn narsil

Elendil and his sons eventually went to war with Sauron, and this battle is depicted in the opening of The Fellowship of the Ring film. Wielding Narsil, it seemed like Elendil was unstoppable, taking down Sauron's forces left and right with the blade. The good guys launch a siege on Barad-dûr, which lasts for seven years, and eventually Sauron tires of the battle and decides to join the fray himself, in hopes of finishing things once and for all. He fights against Elendil and slays him, the sword Narsil shattering beneath Elendil as he falls. At the last moment, Isildur picks up the broken sword and uses it to slice the One Ring off of Sauron's hand, which wins the war for the Last Alliance and gets rid of the threat of Sauron (for a time, anyway).

After this battle, Narsil became understandably legendary. Because it was shattered, the blade was unusable, but Isildur decided to keep it as an heirloom of his family anyways. However, on the journey home from the battle, Isildur was attacked and killed by Orcs (which is also what resulted in the One Ring being lost and eventually found by Smeagol). His esquire managed to escape with his life, as well as the shards of Narsil. He made it to Rivendell, where Isildur's son was living under the protection of the Elves. The pieces of the sword were left in Rivendell for thousands of years, while Isildur's son Valandil became king.

Cut to the Third Age, where the heirs of Isildur wander in the north as the Dúnedain (also known as Rangers) while Gondor continues on in the south. This is where Aragorn comes in, as the last chieftain of the Dúnedain and heir to Narsil. In the books, Elrond gives Aragorn the pieces of the sword when he turns 20, along with the prophecy that taking the sword signifies his acceptance of a great destiny. He carries the sword with him for decades and has it reforged before the Fellowship leaves Rivendell on their journey. He gives the sword a new name when it is reforged: Andúril, which means "Flame of the West".

lotr aragorn

The movies, however, take a different approach toward Aragorn's journey with Andúril. In these adaptations, Aragorn is not given Andúril until The Return of the King, where Elrond delivers the newly reforged sword to him, urging him to finally take hold of his destiny and become who he was born to be. It's a significant moment because it marks a turning point in Aragorn's journey. Until now, he has been reluctant to take on his birthright role of being the heir of Isildur and the rightful king of Gondor. His acceptance of the sword - and subsequently the responsiblitiy that comes with it - signifies the change that his character has gone through over the course of the films. The sword is also necessary to enlist the Army of the Dead and convince them that Aragorn is the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor.

Though the story behind Andúril and Aragorn changes substantially between the books and movies, the significance behind the sword remains the same. The sword has so much history behind it, being used in multiple wars against Sauron, and signifies Aragorn's great heroism. It has plot significance because of how it's used in battle, but it's almost more important as a symbol for Aragorn's character. It's a symbol of the legacy that Aragorn is at first burdened with, and then eventually accepts as his destiny. His decision to take the sword and wield it as his own is a physical representation of his decision to take up the responsiblity of his ancestors and rule his people, becoming the king that Gondor needed after all that time.

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