Vintage LOTR: Aragorn’s Unexpected Decision to Hunt the Orcs | Lord of The Rings (1978) In the 1978 Lord of the Rings animated film, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli face a critical choice after the Fellowship is broken. While Frodo and Sam head toward Mordor, Aragorn turns his gaze toward the captured Merry and Pippin — taken by the orcs. In this rare and forgotten version of Tolkien’s tale, Aragorn declares that they must follow the orcs, not Frodo. It’s a powerful moment of leadership and loyalty,