Arguably Middle-earth’s most famous couple, Aragorn and Arwen, are actually related and deliberately written that way by The Lord of the Rings author, J.R.R. Tolkien. But before doing anything rash, fans should note that their common ancestor is 3,000 years up their family tree. So, let’s look at how exactly the two characters are related and what that means.
One of the things Tolkien did in his extensive writings about Middle-earth and the other lands referenced in his books was to create intricate lineages and family histories to illustrate the major players in his world. But two major factors influenced the records stored in the halls of Gondor and the Elven cities. First, Aragorn was a descendant of the Kings of Númenor. It makes sense to have accurate information regarding the throne for legitimacy purposes. Moreover, those particular kings have prophecy and legend clinging to them like jewels. Losing track of a family member when waiting to see if they’re the one foretold would be odd.
But for Elves like Arwen, 3,017 years on her family tree is just a branch or two. It’s easy to trace family members back to your uncle, and that’s because the love of Aragon’s life was 2,700 and some odd years old when she snagged her distant cousin Aragorn. Arwen is the daughter of Elrond and the granddaughter of Eärendil, who gave his kids the choice to live as men or elves. Elrond chose to be an elf, and his brother Elros chose the path of humanity. Tolkien describes the men of Númenor as long-lived since they have Elven blood, but since Aragorn is only a tender 88-years-old when the events in The Lord of the Rings go down, on Elros’ side, many, many generations have passed since Elros.
Within the fandom, there is an argument that they are not related, but if Tolkien’s lineages are canon and carefully traced, this argument can be proven false. Yet, it is reasonable to see where the mistake could occur. To understand, the events preceding those which unfold in The Lord of the Rings need explaining. Briefly, Elros’ direct male line ends with his 26th grandson, Ar Pharazon, who Sauron manipulated into a fatal venture.
After this, the thrones of Men passed to the children of Elros’ great-granddaughter, Silmariën. Her twentieth great-grandson was Isildur, whom most fans will know as the king who failed to toss the One Ring into Mount Doom at the culmination of the first battle against Sauron. And it’s repeatedly mentioned throughout The Lord of the Rings that Aragorn is Isildur’s heir, though a further 50 to 80 generations pass before Aragorn is born. So, yes, Arwen and Aragorn are related, but not in any impactful way, aside from both being the bearers of one heck of a family legacy.