chapotraphouse

He rules over an entire continent. He absolutely isn't king of nothing. I agree that Tolkien is the only true anarcho monarchist and managed to keep that contradiction as part of his work. But Aragorn did the stuff kings are expected to do and his kingdom was the most extensive in a few thousand years with many thriving communities. I made a big post about it elsewhere in the thread, but while the world is 'diminished' from the pov of the powerful in lotr its generally a reflection of their own powers having been diminished because it was dispersed into the upkeep of the land, the defense against sauron and that 'energy' is still present within the world. The world is more and the people within it lesser the further you go in the Tolkien legendarium and itd because aside from Men, making an influence in the world requires some commitment of your own essence.