Controversy Erupts Over Black Aragorn in 'Lord of the Rings'

The depiction of Aragorn, a character from Lord of the Rings, as a black man in a Magic: The Gathering card game has sparked controversy online. While some argue that race-swapping improves representation in popular works of fiction, others say it is not true to the source material. Aragorn is described in the books as of Numenorean descent, a fictitious group of people who were fair-skinned. However, in a letter, Tolkien wrote that Numenoreans were "best pictured in (say) Egyptian terms," though it is debated whether he meant in cultural or ethnic terms.