# Fictional characters who were probably virgins at an unexpectedly late age. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053 "2014-04-26T14:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/1 "2014-04-26T14:19:47Z")
Some months ago, during one of the periodic _Lord of the Rings_ discussions hereabouts, it occurred to me that Aragorn son of Arathorn was probably a virgin until his wedding night. Or possibly it occurred to **Elendil’s Heir** and I just agreed; I don’t remember. That would mean that Aragorn was chronologically in his 80s (though physiologically probably in his 30s) when first he made the two-backed beast. Back in the 90s, I remember it being made explicit on _Lois & Clark_ that the Last on of Krypton, being a romantic and a Boy Scout, had been saving himself, if not for marriage, at least for the woman he would fall in love with and commit to marrying, and so his first time at bat was in his mid-20s with a certain snoopy reporter chick. And my baby sister always claimed that Wonder Woman was a virgin. Well, a heterosexual virgin, anyway. What other fictional characters kept their virginity to an atypically late age? ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/2 "2014-04-26T14:31:15Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Some months ago, during one of the periodic _Lord of the Rings_ discussions hereabouts, it occurred to me that Aragorn son of Arathorn was probably a virgin until his wedding night. Or possibly it occurred to **Elendil’s Heir** and I just agreed; I don’t remember. That would mean that Aragorn was chronologically in his 80s (though physiologically probably in his 30s) when first he made the two-backed beast. Why would you think that? Which heir is **Elendil’s Heir** , anyway? Perhaps he knows first-hand. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/3 "2014-04-26T14:37:56Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Why would you think that? Aragorn was raised in Rivendell by elves, and thus probably had an elvish view of sexual morality. The Elves considered voluntary sex pretty much equivalent to marriage. Aragorn would not have considered himself betrothed to Arwen if he’d ever had sex with her (or anyone else); he’d have considered himself married to her. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/4 "2014-04-26T14:40:12Z")
Honor Harrington was 44 I believe when she lost her virginity. A combination of early shyness, a rape attempt, and being consumed by her job. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/5 "2014-04-26T14:47:37Z")
Hercule Poirot maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/6 "2014-04-26T14:49:47Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Aragorn was raised in Rivendell by elves, and thus probably had an elvish view of sexual morality. The Elves considered voluntary sex pretty much equivalent to marriage. Aragorn would not have considered himself betrothed to Arwen if he’d ever had sex with her (or anyone else); he’d have considered himself married to her. Makes sense. Then again, he must have visited a lot of inns and taverns… I think there was some speculation in a recent thread about whether Steve Rogers (the recent version) was in his 90s by the time he got some or not. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/7 "2014-04-26T14:55:37Z")
Arwen was well over 2700 when she married Aragorn. Presumably she was also saving herself. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/8 "2014-04-26T14:56:35Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > Arwen was well over 2700 when she married Aragorn. Presumably she was also saving herself. Yes, but I was talking about _characters_. Characters have personalities. All Arwen had was boobs. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/9 "2014-04-26T14:59:50Z")
Henry Higgins. Sherlock Holmes. I mean … isn’t it kind of obvious? :dubious: Dunno about Col. Pickering or Dr. Watson. Being army vets, they were probably enticed into exotic brothels by their fellow officers at young ages. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/10 "2014-04-26T15:04:36Z")
Granny Weathwerwax is in her eighties, and can still handle a unicorn. ---
**Author:** ![Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambrosio_Spinola)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/11 "2014-04-26T15:08:48Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Dunno about Col. Pickering or Dr. Watson. Being army vets, they were probably enticed into exotic brothels by their fellow officers at young ages. In “The Sign of Four”, Watson claims to have had experience spanning many nations and three different continents, so definitely not him. I’d suspect neither Sherlock or Mycroft ever got around to having sex at all. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/12 "2014-04-26T15:19:46Z")
> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#): > > In “The Sign of Four”, Watson claims to have had experience spanning many nations and three different continents, so definitely not him. I’d suspect neither Sherlock or Mycroft ever got around to having sex at all. Such “experience” doesn’t imply some sort of … carnal knowledge? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/13 "2014-04-26T15:23:51Z")
Sheldon Cooper is pushing 30, at the low end. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/14 "2014-04-26T15:30:02Z")
> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#): > > In “The Sign of Four”, Watson claims to have had experience spanning many nations and three different continents, so definitely not him. Aha. As in “He’s definitely not a virgin.” Gotcha! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/15 "2014-04-26T15:47:39Z")
In Sherlock’s case, there is a school of thought among some Sherlockians that during his hiatus he got together again with Irene Adler and had a child, supposedly an ancestor of Nero Wolfe. According to noted Sherlockian William S. Baring-Gould, he would have been 37 at the time. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/16 "2014-04-26T15:50:53Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > All Arwen had was boobs. Field of Honor, sirrah, if you have any. You have defamed a Lady. Most of the wizards at Unseen University would quality, I think. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/17 "2014-04-26T15:54:59Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Honor Harrington was 44 I believe when she lost her virginity. A combination of early shyness, a rape attempt, and being consumed by her job. Consumed one piece at a time. ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/18 "2014-04-26T15:58:19Z")
Oops. Looking over the book further, I see that the theory is that the child himself was Wolfe. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/19 "2014-04-26T16:03:02Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Field of Honor, sirrah, if you have any. You have defamed a Lady. :: shoots silenus in the back of both knees, walks off whistling :: ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053/20 "2014-04-26T16:06:52Z")
But back to the OP… How about Ms. Marple? She was never married, and is from a time period before sexual liberation was common. Possibly a closet lesbian, but I’ve never seen any indication of that. At the time of the story “At Bertram’s Hotel” she is in her early 70s. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-characters-who-were-probably-virgins-at-an-unexpectedly-late-age/687053.md?page=2)