Controversy Erupts on Aragorn’s Race in Black Aragorn Design

  • “Magic: The Gathering” on Monday tweeted a picture of Aragorn as a Black man in its official design.
  • It’s sparked on-line debate about Aragorn’s race and J.R.R. Tolkien’s intention for the character.
  • The brand new design options in a brand new “The Lord of the Rings” set for the fantasy card recreation.

“Magic: The Gathering” artwork for a Black Aragorn has Twitter customers embroiled in a bitter debate over the fantasy character’s race.

The character design, a part of the cardboard recreation’s new “The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Center-Earth” set, was tweeted by the model on Monday.

—Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) May 28, 2023

The tweet has since been considered over 8.5 million occasions on the platform, with hundreds of individuals retweeting the paintings with their scorching takes on what Aragorn ought to appear like.

The controversy ranges from arguments over how J.R.R. Tolkien described the character as having a “pale, stern face” to the author’s European inspiration for “The Lord of the Rings” to his comments on racism and apartheid.

Many are upset that the character doesn’t appear like actor Viggo Mortensen, who performed Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy, whereas others stated Aragorn’s pores and skin coloration makes no difference in his lore or identity.

“Thanks for reminding me why I stop this recreation,” one Twitter user commented.

“Thanks for leaving,” one other wrote in response with a thumbs-up emoji.

The “Magic: The Gathering” Twitter account has hidden dozens of replies, a lot of which contained racist memes or jokes.

However, some followers simply stated they enjoyed the quality of the art.

“That sword appears superb,” one person wrote.

Wizards of the Coast, the corporate that publishes “Magic: The Gathering,” wrote in a Monday submit that its new Tolkien set was “pushed by two guiding rules” — range and originality.

“The Lord of the Rings is in regards to the totally different peoples of Center-earth coming collectively to struggle Sauron, discovering energy of their range,” the agency wrote. “Followers of all backgrounds have been having fun with these tales, characters, and areas for many years, and we needed this set to replicate on that broad inclusion.”

The brand new Aragorn design options on at least one card within the new set.

Wizards of the Coast’s “The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Center-Earth” is slated for a full launch on June 23.

Hasbro, which owns Wizards of the Coast, and Center-Earth Enterprises, which owns the licensing rights to “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit,” didn’t instantly reply to Insider’s requests for remark despatched outdoors common enterprise hours.