When Watch Dogs debuted in 2014, Aiden Pearce was quickly written off by many as a pensive, cliché protagonist.
He was branded as bland and soulless, a carbon copy of Batman without the gadgets. The reception to him was so overwhelmingly negative that Ubisoft seemingly overcorrected with Watch Dogs 2.
Aiden Pearce wasn't born a hero, nor was he born a criminal. But he was raised in violence and learned quickly that striking first was the only way to survive. Born in Belfast and raised in Chicago, Aiden grew up under a father (an Irish immigrant) who seemed to bring just as much danger into their lives as he kept out. Aiden always stood guard over his sister and her kids, a trait that would later define his entire existence.
When Watch Dogs begins, Aiden is already neck-deep in hacking and cybercrime. Aiden and his former partner, Damien Brenks, break into the Merlaut Hotel and accidentally uncover something bigger than either of them expected. The repercussions come fast and brutal: a hit is put on Aiden, but instead of him, his niece Lena is killed. After that, guilt and a desire for vengeance take over his life.
But what people miss is that his story was as much about control as it was about revenge. Aiden's entire character is built around his obsession with making sure nothing like Lena's death happens again, and in doing so, he becomes a force of destruction just as much as he is a protector.
People usually compare Aiden to Batman, and it's pretty clear why. Both are vigilantes who operate outside the law and use technology to stay one step ahead of their enemies. The loss of a loved one haunts both of them and have turned that pain into their motivation.
But while Batman exists in a world that's black and white, Aiden's is anything but. Gotham is corrupt, but it's still a city with heroes and police officers trying to do the right thing. On the other hand, Watch Dogs' Chicago is a world where corruption is the foundation on which everything is built. Aiden isn't up against villains in capes but politicians, gangsters, and corporate overlords running the city.
And unlike Batman, Aiden doesn't hold himself to a strict moral code. He doesn't process grief like a hero would. He kills without hesitation, manipulates those around him, and justifies every action as necessary for his crusade. More importantly, Aiden's journey isn't one of self-imposed responsibility.
He doesn't feel a moral duty to clean up Chicago. He's a man who got in over his head and lost someone he loved, and now he's clawing at any sense of purpose he can find. That's not Batman. That's something much darker, much more real. This is a man who believes he's the only one capable of protecting his family, even when his actions only serve to push them further away.
The way Watch Dogs frames Aiden's behavior is subtle but powerful. He watches his sister in secret, not with ill intent, but because he genuinely believes he's keeping her safe. He manipulates his allies to help, seldom giving them a real choice. He murders in the name of justice but never stops to question if his brand of justice is any different from the people he's hunting.
The game even gives us a glimpse into Aiden's mind through the Digital Trips. In the 'Alone' simulation, he is stalked by unseen enemies while an omnipresent voice blames him for everything that has happened. Deep down, Aiden knows he's not the hero he tries to be. He knows he's a destructive force, but he can't stop himself. His need for control overrides everything else, and that's what makes him such a tragic character.
Back in 2014, the conversation around Watch Dogs was dominated mainly by the infamous E3 downgrade and the disappointment over the game not living up to its initial promise. But with time, players started to appreciate the game for what it actually was rather than what they expected it to be.
The rain-drenched streets of Chicago, the heavy atmosphere, and the morally ambiguous protagonist came together to make a game that had more depth than people initially gave it credit for. The hacking mechanics may not have been as groundbreaking as expected, but they still offered a nice mash-up of stealth, combat, and strategy that few other games managed to pull off.
And at the center of it all was Aiden Pearce—a character who may not have been "likable" in the traditional sense but was undeniably fascinating. Players started coming back to Watch Dogs with a new perspective over time.
It took years for people to realize what Watch Dogs did right, and Ubisoft probably won't revisit the same tone that made Aiden's story so compelling.
If you look past the surface and really get into his character, it becomes clear that Aiden Pearce wasn't a failed protagonist.
He was one of the best the genre had to offer, and we just weren't ready for him the first time around.