Following Boromir’s death in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) received a small but touching alteration to his costume in honor of his late comrade. Peter Jackson’s first outing in Middle-Earth is full of minute details and blink-and-you’ll-miss-them elements that help make the story feel fleshed out. One of these moments came toward the conclusion of the first film in the Lord of the Rings series, which not only kept a fallen hero alive in spirit but also acted as great character development for a surviving fellowship member.
Depicted as arrogant and vulnerable to the Ring’s power, Boromir (Sean Bean) was the son of the Steward of Gondor, Denethor II. He led their armies to victory time and time again prior to the War of the Ring, which made him a perfect candidate to join Frodo Baggins’ (Elijah Wood) expedition to destroy the One Ring. Also on the team was a well-aged Dunedain ranger Aragorn, whom it was later revealed was a descendant of Isildur - making him the heir to the throne of Gondor. He and Boromir were fundamentally different in terms of personality and aspirations, but this did not prevent them from working together well in battle.
Though he lost control at the mere sight of the Ring, even attempting to harm Frodo for it, Boromir redeemed himself in the eyes of his peers in his final moments. In the third act of Fellowship of the Ring he is killed by Lurtz, a ruthless Uruk-hai, a far more dangerous breed of creature relative to Sauron’s orc army. Lurtz and his forces were sent by Saruman to hunt down Boromir and his companions. Boromir’s sacrifice in order to protect the Hobbits Merry and Pippin was honorable, as Aragorn noted. After laying him to rest, the ranger found a way to keep his comrade’s memory alive.
Aragorn took Boromir’s bracers before sending him off to his final resting place over the Falls of Rauros, as a way to remember the heroic choice Boromir made in order to defend his friends. This was not only a part of the first film, but throughout the trilogy. From the Battle of Helms Deep to the walk through the Paths of the Dead, those armor pieces remain on Aragorn’s person. Though the two characters were not necessarily close, there was a mutual respect between one another as not only impressive warriors but as individuals with good intentions.
Both on and off camera there was a great sense of camaraderie between the members of the fellowship. It would only be appropriate for Aragorn to take a memento of sorts to work as a constant reminder of his lost ally. No matter how the Lord of the Rings story is broken up in the books, the one consistency between them all is that Boromir did not last long.
Boromir’s presence is there visually in every film. It might be small, but it aids in keeping his memory alive beyond Fellowship of the Ring and in establishing Aragorn as a noble leader who identifies a good man when he sees one.
Next: Lord of the Rings: Why Peter Jackson Couldn’t Adapt The Silmarillion
