Aragorn vs. Boromir

[Guest Red_Dragon]

Suppose Aragorn and Boromir had come to blows on the top of the Misty Mountains when Frodo dropped the ring in the snow. Who do you think would have come out on top?

[kainboa]

Aragorn, without a shred of doubt.

[Guest bigballerju]

Boromir's experience allows him to give Aragorn a good fight. However Aragorn is too skilled and eventually would win.

[Indolent]

Aragorn pimpslaps Boromir.

[Guest sirmethos]

"Boromir's experience allows him to give Aragorn a good fight."

 

Except for the fact that Aragorn has about... twice the experience that Boromir has.

[Guest Dinsdale Piranha]

Boromir's only advantage I can think of here is brute strength. He might do okay in a wrestling match with Aragorn, but that won't work with swords.

[Guest Jason Redfield]

Boromir's only advantage I can think of here is brute strength. He might do okay in a wrestling match with Aragorn, but that won't work with swords.

 

That advantage doesn't exist. Aragorn is the stronger of the two. He's got Elven and Numenorian blood in his veins, making him considerably more superhuman than Boromir who is only peak human or slightly meta.

[Guest Omega11]

It's been awhile since I've read through The Fellowship of the Ring, but I seem to remember it being implied(perhaps not directly) that Boromir was the stronger of the two while Aragorn more skilled/agile.

 

In any case Aragorn should handily win this fight. Boromir was a great warrior, no doubt about it, but Aragorn was a cut above.

[Guest Jason Redfield]

It's been awhile since I've read through The Fellowship of the Ring, but I seem to remember it being implied(perhaps not directly) that Boromir was the stronger of the two while Aragorn more skilled/agile.

 

That wouldn't really make much sense. I know the books imply Boromir to be a bit of a "bruiser/scrapper" and a tough bastard when it came to fighting (and he's certainly stronger than your average Gondorian), but based on the Tolkien system of hierarchy and heredity there's no way he should be able to match the superhuman stats of Aragorn and his bloodline. Aragorn's a lot closer to the Elves and First/Second Age men in terms of genetics, which is what matters.

 

Aragorn's also got the better strength feats to my knowledge, in the books and movies alike. The books have him cleaving cleanly through an orc's helmet and skull in a single swing. In the movies, we see him:

 

-- Shove a troll backwards after impaling it with a spear.

 

-- Toss a fully-armored, heavily-armed Dwarf several meters onto a causeway as it's a menial task.

 

-- Parry blows and go toe-to-toe in a swordfight with a mountain troll.

 

-- Slice cleanly through armor, flesh, and bone throughout the series.

[Guest Omega11]

That wouldn't really make much sense. I know the books imply Boromir to be a bit of a "bruiser/scrapper" and a tough bastard when it came to fighting (and he's certainly stronger than your average Gondorian), but based on the Tolkien system of hierarchy and heredity there's no way he should be able to match the superhuman stats of Aragorn and his bloodline. Aragorn's a lot closer to the Elves and First/Second Age men in terms of genetics, which is what matters.

 

Aragorn's also got the better strength feats to my knowledge, in the books and movies alike. The books have him cleaving cleanly through an orc's helmet and skull in a single swing. In the movies, we see him:

 

-- Shove a troll backwards after impaling it with a spear.

 

-- Toss a fully-armored, heavily-armed Dwarf several meters onto a causeway as it's a menial task.

 

-- Parry blows and go toe-to-toe in a swordfight with a mountain troll.

 

-- Slice cleanly through armor, flesh, and bone throughout the series.

 

Meh, the genetic strength levels in Tolkien's world were never really that clear cut from what I remember. Certainly nothing like what's used in the Inheritance books.

 

In the book Boromir led the way in clearing a path through the snow of the Misty Mountains, and in the movie he carried both Pippin and Merry while jumping across the gap in the staircase.

[Guest Dinsdale Piranha]

It's been awhile since I've read through The Fellowship of the Ring, but I seem to remember it being implied(perhaps not directly) that Boromir was the stronger of the two while Aragorn more skilled/agile.

 

In any case Aragorn should handily win this fight. Boromir was a great warrior, no doubt about it, but Aragorn was a cut above.

 

I agree with this.

 

I'm basing my assessment of Boromir's strength on some of the things he did in Moria, like pushing a massive stone door shut. It's possible that Aragorn was that strong or even stronger, but I don't remember him doing anything like this. 

[Indolent]

Dunno, I'd think being able to duel with a friggin armored Mountain Troll and actually parry blows and whatnot is a notch above being able to close a stone door? o,o

 

Since you know, twas a mountain troll that busted through said stone door as well   I think suffices to say Boromir certainly comes close to Aragorn in strength if the case need be?

[Guest Dinsdale Piranha]

If you use the movie versions, you can make a good case for Aragorn being unnaturally strong. If you use the book versions, not as much. There are no descriptions of him parrying troll blows in the books that I can remember.

[Guest Jason Redfield]

If you use the movie versions, you can make a good case for Aragorn being unnaturally strong. If you use the book versions, not as much. There are no descriptions of him parrying troll blows in the books that I can remember.

 

Which still leaves you with the feat of chopping through a orc's metal helmet and skull in a single swing. There's also the fact that IIRC, Aragorn was actually capable of harming the cave troll in Moria whereas Boromir swung at it and all he got was a notch in his sword for his troubles.

 

And, as I pointed out, there is a pretty clear hierarchy when it comes to bloodlines and superhuman stats. Aragorn is a lot closer to the Captain America-like ancestors of Third Age Men than Boromir.