Magic: The Gathering has its own lore to follow, but the game is set to play in another universe with Universe Beyond’s The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. The game is set to premiere online soon, and they’ve revealed our first look at their version of Aragorn, who is black; and as expected of any race-bending of a well-established character, it was not met well by a chunk of the fandom.
First off, here’s the post:
"And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Andúril, Flame of the West." pic.twitter.com/zi1JQBCHjb
— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) May 28, 2023
For context, the most popular version of Aragorn is the one played by Viggo Mortensen in the Lord of the Rings films, and it’s this version that’s influenced so many other takes on the character throughout the years.
Just like with Halle Bailey on The Little Mermaid, a lot of backlash is already flooding the comment section with more or the less the same kind of comments on how racebending Aragorn is a political move by the studio.
Despite what the angry nerds are saying, there are some who think that the design is great, and I honestly love how original it feels; especially with the signature flair of the Magic: The Gathering art style.
Aragorn is just one piece of art that’s been revealed, but Magic is set to give us a better look at the game on their Youtube channel. Hopefully we’ll be able to see a new take on other characters like Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, Gimli, and the rest of the Fellowship. You can check out the countdown here:
The official description reads:
You’re invited to a party of special magnificence at your local game store where you can join in fun Prerelease events and get one of the Bilbo’s Birthday Scene Cards.
Note: The comment section on the Youtube video isn’t pretty either.
Watch out for the Magic: The Gathering| The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth reveal which takes place on May 30. Prerelease for the game is said to take place on June 16.
