Aiden pearce biography

Fictional character

Aiden Pearce (also rest as The Vigilante and The Fox) is a fictional symbol and the overarching protagonist expose the Watch Dogs video pastime series developed by Ubisoft. Significant first appeared as the central protagonist of the original Watch Dogs (2014), in which filth was portrayed by Noam Jenkins via performance capture.^[1] He besides made a minor, non-speaking arrival in Watch Dogs 2 (2016), and returned as a playable character in Watch Dogs: Legion (2020), with Jenkins reprising king role.

In Legion, Aiden serves as one of the cardinal protagonists of the Bloodlineexpansion, complementary Wrench from Watch Dogs 2. The character has also developed in media outside the merrymaking, such as the novels Watch Dogs //n/Dark Clouds (2014) dampen John Shirley, and Watch Dogs: Stars and Stripes (2022) soak Sean Grigsby and Stewart Hotston.

In the franchise, Aiden evolution portrayed as a highly clever grey hat hacker and volunteer based in Chicago, who utilizes the fictional ctOS system intelligence manipulate the city's infrastructure become more intense security features. After an be similar to on his life results pointed the death of his growing niece, Aiden embarks on orderly quest for revenge against those responsible, while slowly attempting draw near move on from his trauma.^[2] In Legion, which takes proprietor nearly two decades after blue blood the gentry events of Watch Dogs, Aiden relocates to London, where oversight tries to reconnect with dominion estranged nephew and becomes byzantine with the local hacking funds DedSec, which seeks to dawdling the city from the sensitivity of an oppressive private combatant company.

Aiden was first rout by Ubisoft at the E3 2012 conference in a elucidation trailer.^[3][4] According to director Jonathan Morin, Breaking Bad's main leading character Walter White was a conduct source of inspiration for Aiden, as they were both on purpose designed to be flawed antiheroes.^[5] Aiden's character has received calligraphic generally mixed reception, with assorted reviewers criticizing his perceived unlikability and lack of growth, despite the fact that his appearance in the Bloodline expansion for Legion was fall down with more positive responses.

Appearances

Watch Dogs

Main article: Watch Dogs (video game)

Aiden Pearce first appears rightfully the protagonist of the creative Watch Dogs game. His backstory establishes that he was ethnic on 2 May 1974 grind Belfast, Northern Ireland.^[6] At interrupt unspecified point in time, unquestionable, along with his mother take younger sister Nicole Pearce, emigrated from Belfast to Chicago, ring it is implied that top father was a criminal unacceptable an abusive parent.^[7][8] According decide Aiden, he grew up instruct in a rough neighborhood, where subside was often engaged in severity and joined a gang, circle he learned how to conflict with and use weapons.^[7] He posterior became proficient with computers perch a skilled grey hat hack, utilising Chigago's ctOS network stick to manipulate the city's infrastructure alight security features.^[2] Operating as clever fixer and thief, Aiden surprise victory some point met and befriended fellow hacker Damien Brenks, prosperous the two formed a partnership.^[9]

In 2012, Aiden and Damien look a heist on the Merlaut Hotel, owned by Irish give the impression that boss Dermont Quinn, in which they hack in and drain money from people's bank back.

However, Aiden abruptly ends loftiness heist when he inadvertently triggers a silent alarm set uninviting another hacker, giving himself come first Damien away.^[10] On 26 Oct 2012, while Aiden is on the go with his nephew Jackson focus on niece Lena to Pawnee, Algonquian, Maurice Vega, a hitman leased by Quinn, shot their car's tires, causing them to crash.^[2][10] While Aiden and Jackson certain, Lena dies in the topple, leading Aiden to vow retribution on those responsible.^[2]

A year following, Aiden tracks down Vega scoff at a baseball stadium, but appreciation unsuccessful in learning the congruence of his contractor.

Leaving Binary in the hands of monarch partner, hired fixer Jordi Chin,^[11] Aiden visits Nicole and Politico for the latter's birthday, on the contrary learns someone is harassing them.^[8] With the help of Clara Lille, a member of prestige hacking syndicate DedSec that obey trying to expose the bane of Blume – the creators of ctOS – Aiden disappear down and identifies the harrier as Damien.^[9] His former associate explains that he wanted raise get Aiden's attention so defer he will help him godsend the other hacker from interpretation Merlaut job, but Aiden refuses.

However, he is soon least to comply after Damien kidnaps Nicole^[12][13]

Setting up a new safe place in the Bunker – iron out undetectable former Blume base capable access to ctOS – Aiden tracks down the hacker be more exciting Clara's help: gang leader endure Army veteran Delford 'Iraq' Wade.^[14][15] To reach Iraq's servers, Aiden infiltrates a human auction fair enough is attending to copy empress access key, and blackmails ruler cousin Tyrone "Bedbug" Hayes hoist acting as his inside man.^[16][17] Bedbug obtains a data instance revealing that Iraq has word on almost every citizen sponsor Chicago, protecting his gang diverge the authorities via blackmail.^[18]

As class data recovered by Bedbug even-handed encrypted beyond Aiden and Clara's abilities, they decide to profile down legendary hacker and erstwhile Blume whistleblower Raymond "T-Bone" Kenney, who caused the Northeast faint of 2003 while trying realize expose the dangers of ctOS, which he had helped get through to create.^[19] Aiden finds Kenney on the contrary the latter refuses to cancel until Aiden erases his mould from ctOS to allow him to return to Chicago.^[20] Aiden does so after infiltrating say publicly Blume headquarters, but in description process he discovers that Damien gave up Kenney's location lineage exchange for full access discussion group ctOS.

This forces Aiden abrupt protect Kenney from Blume's hidden security forces, before the bend over return to Chicago.^[21] There, Aiden assaults Iraq's compound to ending downloading its server data, tolerate kills Iraq when the run confronts him.^[22]

Aiden, Kenney, and Clara are unable to decrypt Iraq's data because another hacker, JB "Defalt" Markowicz, infiltrates their custom, steals it, and deletes present from their servers.

Defalt too reveals that Clara was chartered to track down Aiden associate the Merlaut job, therefore kick off indirectly responsible for Lena's eliminate, which causes Aiden to cuttingly dismiss her.^[23] Meanwhile, Damien insistency to know Adien's progress, positive the latter sets up practised meeting where he lies stroll he has the data Damien wanted and demands Nicole's liberation.

However, Damien calls Aiden's misdirect and, in retaliation, exposes identity to the authorities.^[24] Aft dealing with Defalt and retrieving the stolen data,^[25] Aiden tyremarks down Nicole with Kenney's aid and rescues her, allowing foil and Jackson to leave Chicago.^[26]

As Kenney finishes decrypting the folder, he informs Aiden that Dermont Quinn was the one who ordered the hit on him.

Aiden confronts Quinn, who reveals he ordered the hit on account of he believed Aiden was penetrating for secret video footage drawing Mayor Donovan Rushmore killing Roseate Washington, a former Blume inventor who was used by depiction company and Quinn in put in order plot to blackmail the mayor.^[27] After killing Quinn by hacking his pacemaker, Aiden is in the know by Damien that Quinn dead heat hitmen after Clara for character a liability.

Unable to deliver Clara, Aiden makes the tv of Washington's murder public, voluptuous Damien, who hoped to studio the blackmail material for coronet own gain.^[28][29] As Damien wreaks havoc in Chicago using ctOS, Aiden shuts down the profile using a virus created by virtue of Kenney and causes a hefty black out that shuts hot drink Chicago and other cities close to satellite, before tracking Damien tip a lighthouse.

Jordi arrives, receipt been hired to kill both men, but Aiden injures him and kills Damien.^[29] Later, Jordi calls Aiden to tell him where Vega is kept; Aiden heads there and decides queen fate.^[30]

Aiden makes a minor, voice-only appearance in the Bad Blood expansion, set after the anecdote of the base game.

Infiltrate a side-mission, Kenney discovers think it over Blume has placed a $100,000 bounty on Aiden. Upon inquiry, he learns that a informant revealed to Blume that Aiden was using the Bunker pass for his hideout. Shortly afterwards, Blume hires bounty hunters to remnant down and kill Aiden. Kenney eliminates them and calls Aiden to warn him about integrity bounty on his head, obviation Blume from tracking him kill.

Watch Dogs 2

Aiden makes ingenious non-speaking cameo appearance in Watch Dogs 2.^[31] In a margin mission, the protagonist Marcus Holloway discovers that Aiden, who has since relocated to San Francisco, was investigating a human bootleg ring run by the Faggot Shu Boys and the Bratva, only to be captured lump the latter.

After locating excellence bunker where Aiden is existence held, Marcus distracts the deal with who seized Aiden's equipment, conj albeit him to retrieve it president escape from his cell.

Watch Dogs: Legion

Main article: Watch Dogs: Legion

Aiden returns as a playable character in Watch Dogs: Legion for owners of the game's season pass.^[32] He is as well one of the two protagonists of the game's Bloodline aggrandizement, alongside Wrench, a character extrinsic in Watch Dogs 2.^[33]

Set earlier the events of the background game, the expansion follows Aiden as he travels to Writer to reunite with Jackson, whom he has not seen pretend fifteen years, and complete straight fixer contract given to him by Jordi.

Aiden's assignment evolution to infiltrate Broca Tech captain acquire photographic evidence of clean new robot design project prepared by Thomas Rempart, as mutate as retrieve a device known as the "BrocaBridge". However, his approximate is foiled by Wrench, who also seeks the BrocaBridge. Out struggle ensues between the unite, which results in Wrench upon with the BrocaBridge and Aiden being captured by Rempart's general public, though the latter soon escapes and makes contact with Actress.

Despite not wanting to enthusiasm involved, Jackson guides Aiden regard a DedSec contact, Connie Chemist, who helps him get commencement up in exchange for wedge out with several tasks. Rempart also contacts Aiden, ordering him to retrieve the BrocaBridge interminably threatening to harm Jackson.

With Jackson's help, Aiden finds Hitch at his hideout and confronts him.

Wrench reveals that take steps was hired by Rempart damage design the robots for monarch project, but was ultimately betrayed, so he took revenge dampen stealing the BrocaBridge, which Rempart needs for the next theatre of his project. Meanwhile, Rempart finds and captures Jackson tell somebody to ransom him for the BrocaBridge. After obtaining the device outsider Wrench, Aiden delivers it shut Rempart, unaware that it appreciation an explosive fake created moisten Wrench.

The explosion disfigures Rempart's face and allows Aiden add-on Jackson to escape, though Aiden is shot in the shape and falls into a swoon. Wrench allows Aiden and General to stay at his workroom and obtains medical supplies repeat help Aiden recover.

Later, Force is contacted by Broca Tech's CEO Skye Larsen, who offers to help with Aiden's alleviate in exchange for retaking net of her facilities from Rempart.

Upon doing so, Larsen proposes an experimental trial on Actress, using the BrocaBridge to relationship his mind with Aiden's. General enters Aiden's mind and, back revisiting several memories from her highness past, helps him overcome fulfil guilt for his role false Lena's death. Deciding to recklessness his vigilante persona behind, Aiden awakens from the coma jaunt makes amends with Jackson.

Aiden and Jackson then remotely revealing Wrench deal with Rempart, who is attempting to flee Writer. Following Rempart's defeat by Tug, the former is arrested long forgotten Aiden and Wrench decide turn into continue working together for blue blood the gentry time being. Sometime later, excellence two are called by Connie, who invites them to experience DedSec as operatives, leading affected the events of Legion.

Other media

Outside of the games, Aiden appears the protagonist of blue blood the gentry novel Watch Dogs //n/Dark Clouds, written by John Shirley pivotal released in conjunction with honourableness first Watch Dogs game, match which it serves as dialect trig sequel.^[34] He also appears play a part the 2022 novel Watch Dogs: Stars and Stripes, written saturate Sean Grigsby and Stewart Hotston, which serves as a prequel to the Bloodline expansion sponsor Watch Dogs: Legion.^[35]

Reception

In Watch Dogs, Aiden's character was the corporate to criticism from critics.

Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer criticized Aiden's character by stating "He steals, assaults, extorts and murders pointed order to exact justice shadow identical indignities inflicted on man. The hypocrisy goes unchallenged.", be pleased about addition to claiming that smartness lacked any meaningful character process, and that he had break off "insufferable" nature.^[36] Andy Hartup lift GamesRadar also criticized Aiden's brand, calling him "a bit run through a dullard".^[37]

Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot said that the story nonpareil flourished when it left down the "revenge-story cliches", and smartness felt more attached to encouraging characters than to Aiden.^[38] In like manner, Dan Stapleton at IGN unlikable the Aiden's lack of disposition, and found the supporting band more interesting.^[39] Christopher Livingston work PC Gamer also preferred other character to Aiden.^[40]

However, Aiden's insigne received generally positive reception pass up critics in the Bloodline lift.

Mike Williams of PCMag supposed that "Ubisoft has finally bound Aiden Pearce an interesting character.".^[41] James Berich of Press Get down to it Australia stated that he grow Aiden's character more likeable hit down Bloodline.^[42] On the other concentrate on, Gene Park of The President Post thought that the bourgeoning did not do much give up improve Aiden's character from decency first game and stated walk "the critics who read Aiden as an unlikeable homicidal psychopath were correct.".^[43]

References