| Aiden Pearce | |
|---|---|
| Watch Dogs character | |
 Aiden Pearce from Watch Dogs | |
| First appearance | Watch Dogs (2014) |
| Last appearance | Watch Dogs: Stars and Stripes (2022) |
| Created by | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Voiced by | Noam Jenkins |
| In-universe information | |
| Aliases | The Fox The Vigilante Joe Smith Nicholas Crispin |
| Origin | Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | Irish-American |
Aiden Pearce (also known as The Vigilante and The Fox) is a fictional character and the overarching protagonist of the Watch Dogs video game series developed by Ubisoft. He first appeared as the main protagonist of the original Watch Dogs (2014), in which he was portrayed by Noam Jenkins via performance capture.[1] He also made a minor, non-speaking appearance in Watch Dogs 2 (2016), and returned as a playable character in Watch Dogs: Legion (2020), with Jenkins reprising his role. In Legion, Aiden serves as one of the two protagonists of the Bloodline expansion, alongside Wrench from Watch Dogs 2. The character has also appeared in media outside the games, such as the novels Watch Dogs //n/Dark Clouds (2014) by John Shirley, and Watch Dogs: Stars and Stripes (2022) by Sean Grigsby and Stewart Hotston.
In the franchise, Aiden is portrayed as a highly skilled grey hat hacker and vigilante based in Chicago, who utilizes the fictional ctOS system to manipulate the city's infrastructure and security features. After an attempt on his life results in the death of his young niece, Aiden embarks on a quest for revenge against those responsible, while slowly attempting to move on from his trauma.[2] In Legion, which takes place nearly two decades after the events of Watch Dogs, Aiden relocates to London, where he tries to reconnect with his estranged nephew and becomes involved with the local hacking syndicate DedSec, which seeks to liberate the city from the control of an oppressive private military company.
Aiden was first revealed by Ubisoft at the E3 2012 conference in a demo trailer.[3][4] According to director Jonathan Morin, Breaking Bad's main protagonist Walter White was a direct source of inspiration for Aiden, as they were both intentionally designed to be flawed antiheroes.[5] Aiden's character has received a generally mixed reception, with many reviewers criticizing his perceived unlikability and lack of growth, although his appearance in the Bloodline expansion for Legion was met with more positive responses.
- ^ Tim, Ford (4 March 2024). "Lights. Camera. Controller: inside the world of video game voice acting". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ Hollingsworth, Kieran (9 July 2021). "Everything You Need to Know About Watch Dogs' Aiden Pearce". GameRant. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ Goldgarb, Andrew (5 June 2012). "E3 2012: Ubisoft Reveals Watch Dogs". IGN. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ Langshaw, Mark (5 June 2012). "E3 2012: 'Watch Dogs' announced by Ubisoft - watch video". DigitalSpy. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ Rougeau, Michael (11 June 2012). "E3 2012: "WATCH DOGS" COULD BE THE "BREAKING BAD" OF VIDEO GAMES". IFC. Archived from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2024.