Bio about the characters

[Boromir88]

I will be helpful and get you the scoop of some of the characters here, quickly though.

Gimli- Attended Council of Elrond (with his father Gloin). Of course you are familiar with his travelling in the Fellowship. After the destruction of the Ring, Gimli starts a dwarf colony in the Glittering Caves (Aglarond), the caves you see in Helm's Deep. Then heads off to Valinor with Legolas. PJ mistook Dwarves, for being slow, dragging behind runners, but actually they were quite endurant. About as endurant as orcs.

Aragorn- Before meeting the Hobbits, Aragorn did a lot, and his background explains why Denethor doesn't like him too much. At 2 years old Aragorn's father (Arathorn) dies, and his mother Gilraen gives him to Elrond, to watch, and his whole ancestry about being King is concealed. Gilraen basically disappears and dies later on. At 20 years old, Elrond tells Aragorn of his "destiny," and gives him the shards of Narsil. A few years later, Aragorn meets Gandalf, as well as Arwen.

Then for about 10 years, Aragorn goes and serves under the current King of Rohan (Thengel), and Steward of Gondor, (Ecthelion, Denethor's pa). He is given the alias name "Thorongil" to hide his ancestry again. Denethor feared that his father would step down to Thorongil, and shortly after his fathers death starts viewing the palantir, fearing that Thorongil would try to claim the throne. Aragorn doesn't claim the throne, he leaves, and goes to Lorien, where he meets Arwen again.

Then 9 years before Frodo leaves the Shire, Aragorn helps Gandalf search for Gollum (but at this time was captured by Sauron). Gollum is released one year before Frodo leaves The Shire (3018), and that's when Aragorn catches him in the Dead Marshes, and hands him over to the Mirkwood Elves.

That is a summary of what Aragorn did before we meet him in Bree, and holds importance to why Denethor feared him, the friendship between him and Gandalf, him and Arwen, and many more....