Aragorn's Original Hobbit Name is Still Lord of The Rings' Craziest Secret

Before he was the mighty king of Gondor in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, the hero named Aragorn was introduced to the Hobbits (and the world) as simply "Strider," a humble Ranger of the northern wilds. But fans will be shocked to learn that the author's original plan for the character not only bore a far more ridiculous name, but he wasn't even planned to be a human being, at all.

Aragorn Was Named "Trotter" in Tolkien's First Version of The Book

The Planned Introduction To Strider Originally Went Very Differently

While many authors keep their discarded first drafts or scrapped ideas out of public view, Christopher Tolkien completed countless hours of work to organize and publish his father's drafts, letters, notes, and even paper scraps. Thanks to the release of "The Return Of The Shadow: The History of the Lord of the Rings, Part One" fans can see how Bingo's quest--sorry, Frodo's quest began, as the author wrote, re-wrote, changed, and evolved the tale every step of the way.

And there are few more shocking moments in the volume than the Hobbits' arrival in Bree to meet a cloaked, mysterious friend of Gandalf. There is no mention of a tall guardian named Strider in this first draft, only a man named "Trotter." A travel who claims to get "the creeps" from the legendary Black Riders of Sauron, and who was given his nickname due to the sounds made by his odd wooden shoes.

The 'Wild Hobbit' Version of Aragorn is Still Hard To Believe

How Different Could Tolkien's Trilogy Have Been If Trotter Remained?

Devoted fans of Tolkien's Middle-earth will already know that the movie version of Aragorn differed from the novels, but no amount of characterization or re-writing can possibly compare to the evolution implemented by Tolkien himself. Beyond the name, the original image of Trotter was still a 'ranger,' but with a completely different meaning. Instead of referring to one of the noble descendants of a long-extinct race of Men patrolling the northern wilds, the moniker labeled Trotter as 'a wild Hobbit,' preferring to live in the wilderness as opposed to the comfort-loving Hobbits of Hobbiton.

Yet it is almost more surprising to find that, beyond the surface-level details, the two characters are eerily similar at heart. Tolkien would shift elements across his story, like taking the wooden shoes meant to protect Trotter's feet after torture by the enemy, and applying the backstory to Gollum. But even though it was written in 1938, Tolkien's first scenes of Trotter still read exactly as fans would expect... if he happened to be a Hobbit, blessed with their humor and humility. Which means fans will keep asking what The Lord of the Rings would have been, if it was truly a Hobbit story, through and through.

Fans will see Aragorn next when The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum arrives in December 2027.