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The Lord of the Rings franchise has had many iconic quotes throughout the core trilogy and The Hobbit movies, but this crucial Aragorn line from 24 years ago continues to be the one that defines the best fantasy franchise. In recent years, when the topic comes to the fantasy genre, HBO's Game of Thrones franchise tends to be the main one that comes to mind.
After all, the original became one of the best TV shows of all time, and HBO has since gone on to release multiple successful Game of Thrones spin-offs. That said, it is not the only fantasy franchise to have become more popular recently. For instance, on Prime Video, Critical Role's shared universe of Exandria with shows like The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein have gained quite a few fans.
However, looking at all the fantasy releases thus far, it is hard to find a better franchise than The Lord of the Rings. From the carefully crafted source material from J.R.R. Tolkien to the grand adaptation by director Peter Jackson to The Hobbit trilogy, The Lord of the Rings franchise is as close to perfection as it comes in the fantasy genre.
The Lord of the Rings has endured the test of time, thanks to its complex characters and the many iconic quotes that have come from quite a few of them. Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn was one of the fantasy movies' main players, always inspiring those around him. That was exactly what he was doing with this quote that perfectly sums up what the best fantasy franchise is all about.
Aragorn's "There Is Always Hope" Quote Defines The Lord Of The Rings Franchise
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The Aragorn quote in question comes from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the second movie in the high fantasy trilogy, which was released in theaters on December 18, 2002. Set before the Battle of Helm's Deep, Aragorn turns to the young Haleth, who is visibly nervous as everyone around him prepares for the coming fight. He tells Aragorn of the men's fears that they will not survive the night and that fighting is hopeless. This is where Mortensen's character comes in with the perfect piece of wisdom. Aragorn turns to Haleth and says, "There is always hope."
Not only are those reassuring words for the young man at a difficult time, but that quote pretty much defines the entire The Lord of the Rings franchise. After all, both the movies and the original Tolkien story are about characters facing insurmountable odds. In fact, as a whole, The Lord of the Rings franchise always keeps coming back to the concept of true good versus evil, with characters sometimes getting lost along the way only to find their way and prevail at the end.
Like Aragorn mentions, there is always something worth believing in on Middle-earth, even now in Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, where Galadriel and others keep holding on to the idea that they can beat Sauron.
Aragorn Is Set To Return To The Lord Of The Rings Soon
Now, 24 years after Aragorn's simple, yet franchise-defining line, the fan-favorite character gets ready to make his long-awaited return to the big screen. However, it will not be with Mortensen in the role. The 67-year-old actor has made way for Fifty Shades of Grey franchise star Jamie Dornan to take on the role of Strider/Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which will be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.
This will follow a different period in the character's life, as Aragorn was still going by Strider and living as a ranger in the wilderness, with The Hunt for Gollum mostly set between the events of The Hobbit trilogy and Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies. As such, with this new actor and role for Aragorn, so could come exciting lines that further cement the character as one of those who helped define The Lord of the Rings franchise.
Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.
