"I don't look back anymore. I don't regret. I look forward. Everything is connected, and I'll use that to expose, to protect, and if necessary… to punish."
―Aiden embracing his role as "the Vigilante" right before the ending credits.
Aiden Pearce (also known as "the Vigilante" and "the Fox" by citizens and the media) is the protagonist of Watch Dogs. He is a highly skilled grey hat hacker who has access to the ctOS of Chicago using a highly specialized device, the Profiler, to which Clara Lille later adds more capabilities. Because his actions led to a family tragedy, Aiden has taken to a personal crusade against the powers that be. His obsession with security, surveillance, and control borders on the paranoid and dangerous, extending to monitoring his own family (unbeknownst to them).
Appearance
Aiden is a Caucasian male with green eyes, brown mid-length hair, and light facial hair. While having his mugshot taken, it is shown that he is six feet tall (183 cm) and appears to be of mesomorphic build. In the trailers Aiden wears a grey, long-sleeve, zip-neck sweater, usually un-tucked, though his clothes can be changed to several other jackets of similar style. On top of the sweater, Aiden wears a modern, brown, knee-length trench coat. Aiden wears dark grey trousers and brown boots. He also has a deep, gravelly voice.
Aiden also keeps a neckwarmer scarf tucked into the neck of his sweater, which he may pull up so that it covers his face up to the bridge of his nose. Aiden also wears a dark brown cap with a logo that can be debated to be either a stylized 'Nexus' logo or a fox.
Personality
Aiden grew up learning about computers, when he became an adult he used the knowledge he had gathered growing up to commit clandestine scams. Pearce has a background as a criminal which has given him links to the underground of Chicago knowing the wrong people for all the wrong reasons.
Aiden is a protective person, wanting to keep the people he cares about close and safe. He is very protective of his family; (as seen in the game, his sister and nephew), and will do anything to keep them safe. His compassion for his family is strong enough to become a vigilante and extradite revenge on those who have harmed them. Aiden is very calm under pressure, able to keep a clear mind and work through the problem systematically and with composure. His approach is often light-hearted, especially in situations that can lead to his own death or that of others. He has also shown himself to be quite athletic, capable of performing parkour to escape the police, sprint with speed and agility. His physical strength is also demonstrated when chasing down criminals and silencing them with his telescopic baton.
Although he has compassion for the people he is close to, Aiden doesn't hesitate in taking another life if he has to. Because of this, others often see him as cold hearted and without conscience, but he does what he does to stop the corruption plaguing his city. The player can also finish the game and not kill anyone except the three main antagonists of the game.[1]
History
Background
Aiden Pearce was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on May 2nd, 1974.[1] It is implied during an audio log that his mother took both him and his sister, Nicole Pearce, to the United States in order to escape their father.
2012
In 2012, Aiden Pearce, along with Damien Brenks, hacked into the Merlaut Hotel, owned by Dermot Quinn, in order to siphon peoples' bank accounts. Quinn, otherwise known as Lucky Quinn, thought he was being hacked for a video of Chicago's mayor murdering a woman named Rose Washington. He issued hits on Aiden and Damien to scare them into submission. While driving with his nephew and niece, Aiden Pearce's car tires were shot by Maurice Vega, a hitman hired by the Club. The car drifted, and shortly after, rolled upside-down. This killed his niece, Lena Pearce, and set Aiden out for revenge.[2]
