Inside the Mind of the Fox: A Psychological Analysis of Aiden Pearce

“It’s impossible to say for certain what he’s really like. He masks his personality and he’s very good at it … This is a very smart man who is looking to gain the upper hand in every situation.”
~ Dr. Yolanda Mendez
Fictional characters are quite odd. Though they exist solely in our minds and through creative media, they represent so much more - our aspirations, desires, resentments, and pains. Embedded in their diegeses, their experiences often derive from our own, contributing to the construction of a novel universe, one that (hopefully) is immersive, compelling, and above all else, resonant. For me, that universe was the fictionalised Chicago found in the first Watch Dogs game. I was fascinated by every inch of it: the neo-noir cinematic elements, the verisimilitude of a hustling-bustling digital microcosm, the flawed protagonist too broody for his own good. Of my decade of experience with video games, not one has had me as hooked as this one, and I quickly found myself returning to this title again and again, noticing finer details and departing with new thoughts on the narrative with every iteration.
Around two years after I first played the game, I enrolled in an introductory psychology class at my university in partial fulfilment of my program of study, and coincidentally, I again got the nostalgic itch to boot up the game once more. As the class progressed and I learned more about the theories rationalising the workings of the human mind, I began to see connections between the game and the class material. Very quickly, I started to realise how strongly the theme of psychology saturated the fictional world of Watch Dogs, especially with respect to the protagonist, Aiden Pearce. What once was this “cool” (and I mean that in every imaginable definition of the word) super-hero-like figure hellbent on seeking revenge became this complex and nuanced character whose multidimensional psyche had something more to offer, though admittedly still hellbent on revenge. Hence, this video essay seeks to present some of my newly informed thoughts on Pearce’s character, using established psychological concepts and academic literature to profile and rationalise the markedly atypical behaviours of a tormented mind.
Special thanks to my psychology professors and the Watch Dogs community for making this project possible.
Errata:
At 50:53, I said "adaptive pathway to cognitive dissonance," when I meant to say "cognitive consonance."
At 57:56, Lance Brenner is not grievously injured by Pearce, but by his accomplice, Jordi Chin. Brenner is optionally killed by the player following a cutscene. Thanks to Julia Rose for pointing this out.
Table of Contents:
00:00 Introduction
2:14 Chapter 1: The judge, jury, and executioner
9:25 Chapter 2: A dish best served cold
23:08 Chapter 3: Ctrl + Alt + Del
35:21 Chapter 4: Blissful ignorance
53:01 Chapter 5: I am as I am
1:13:22 Concluding remarks
An exhaustive list of sources for this video can be found here: bit.ly/3nGGIzH
Follow me on Twitter if you’re interested in seeing behind the scenes tidbits: / __prizma
Track my progress on future videos through Discord: / discord
Have feedback or suggestions? I’m always trying to improve, so let me know your thoughts in the comments.

[@blckorb6322]

IGN: “Aiden is just an empty trench coat” Me:huh?

[@wolfensniper4012]

The San Francisco Dedsecs are a bunch of empty nerd kids then

[@a.j.9359]

Huh? They said that? Another reason I don't watch IGN since 2012 xD

[@JoshMC2000]

Play 1 all the way through then play 5 minutes of 2 and I bet most people would be begging to go back to 1 I know I was. The is a reason ive finished watch dogs 1 4 times across 3 different platforms where as I only finished 2 once

[@therealnoxdog]

Ikr

[@therealnoxdog]

@@trickytheimprobableclown2211 I get what u mean but I liked both of them the same

[@hawkofthereborn43]

After killing Quinn, and Aiden monologues about "not feeling empty" and comments about that expected revenge trope, but instead says "lol no fuck you I feel amazing" is the very reason I think it's great character development.

[@buzzard3983]

And actually this is an reference to GTA IV and Niko finally getting his revenge.

[@rosaria8384]

Yep, agreed on this. He clearly breaks the usual trope.

[@andrestl7052]

@@buzzard3983 I say it's the antithesis of the ending of GTA IV, when Niko gets his revenge he feels empty, when Aiden gets it he feels full.

[@TheReck12]

@@andrestl7052that’s because GTA iv is a satirical critique of the American dream while watch dogs is just edgy for the sake of it

[@czarnakoza9697]

@@TheReck12 "edgy for the sake of it" brother gta 4 was edgy for the sake of being edgy aswell

[@snaker473]

Here before people start liking Aiden Pearce because of his come back

[@TaHoMasWilliams]

Og fan here too. Hearing how he's making a return made me want to get Legion

[@FrankByDaylight]

Also an OG fan! Loved his game. His character. Bought his hat and mask and even his fugurin. And soon when he comes out Legion I'ma make him my main!

[@TaHoMasWilliams]

@@FrankByDaylight My man!

[@FrankByDaylight]

@@TaHoMasWilliams Gotta respect Aiden! Dude deserves so much more credit and shouldn't be put down as a bad protagonist because Ubisoft lied about the graphics before the first watch dogs release! Aiden forever!

[@OMGITZFUTUR3]

@@FrankByDaylight same here brother

[@dublethetruble4620]

Ain’t it funny how people complain about watchdogs being cliche, but not John wick? It’s just aNoThEr typical revenge story.

[@brandonvanzyl7725]

An emotional enough revenge story can still be really good... John Wick does get extra points for pulling on puppy heart strings though so that's something to consider... though I think WATCH_DOGS is a pretty good game overall anyway, when you look at it from a perspective not butthurt by the launch day controversy

[@imembridibuddha]

WaTcH dOgS tAkEs ItSeLf ToO sErIoUsLy!!

[@JoshMC2000]

I personally enjoy both however I find Aiden more interesting as a character where John for me is carried more by Keanu's performance

[@CelestialDraconis]

@@brandonvanzyl7725 So what you're saying is, everyone would've loved Watch_Dogs if they not only killed Lena, but her puppy as well. God dammit

[@knightghost1782]

Thing is though it started out to be a revenge story and it flipped don Aiden. He didn't get his revenge until after the game.

[@thevoidone3105]

I am so glad someone decided to analyze Aiden without hating on the game for once. And for it to be a well-researched and fascinating video on top of that, you are so underappreciated and I hope your channel grows.

[@realdealofskills]

I feel the same way as you do when it comes someone analyzing Aiden too. I will say this I prefer him over Marcus any day, at least Aiden was consistent for what he does as the vigilante.

[@samrg94]

Aiden is badass whoever doesn’t like him, just a shame i mean idc if people dont like them but it’s ridiculous.

[@realdealofskills]

@@samrg94 I agree with you on what you’ve said about Aiden. Many players who didn’t like him really didn’t look into the deeper meaning of Aiden’s character.

[@MyShortsAreWet_]

nice pfp

[@eezlummockelchev420]

The people who don't like Aiden but Marcus are the teenagers that just don't want to admit that their Instagram life is not real; they don't want to look into the complexity of the real life. And when their bubbles burst, they either go mad and become Karens complaining about everything or they run again to look for a bubble to get into, grow tired and give up. P.S. these are pop and hip-hop music listeners. That's why they like Marcus.

[@elfercho1147]

I don't get people who say that "Aiden is boring" there is so mucho to him, he is such a badass, he is the punisher of video games, great video!

[@laszlonagy02]

Exactly

[@anihilisticmisanthrope]

I would say batman than punisher (I feel like aiden pearce could've been more brutal than using an baton or anything)

[@jaffarebellion292]

The voice actor could've done a lot better. His line delivery comes off as really flat and forced, as if he's doing his best Clint Eastwood impression rather than playing a character. I think the voice acting is behind a lot of the criticism.

[@Johnatron]

​@@jaffarebellion292Tbf a flat delivery adds to his troubled feelings as he's struggling to adapt to a death and lost emotionally

[@jaffarebellion292]

@Johnatron2008 Sure, but there's a difference between deliberately flat and "trailer voice".

[@SnowRemnant]

Everyone: Aiden Pearce is an empty, unlikely and not insteresting. Me: Why would he want to be insteresting?

[@solblackfire3237]

Exactly, he wants to be Uninteresting, blending in the shadows

[@thereseemstobeenanerror1219]

That's not what people meant.

[@stevevigilante9944]

@@thereseemstobeenanerror1219 Marcus is boring

[@thereseemstobeenanerror1219]

@@stevevigilante9944 the hero from two? I mean, the worse I could say is that his character can be inconsistent. Especially if the player goes lethal.

[@misaelalvarez3661]

Man has mastered the ways of the grey men. There are a interesting videos about this. Weird but intriguing way to live

[@jesentry5339]

This was an amazing listen, Aiden in my eyes has always been a complex character that I can relate to in a many instances and have sometimes came to question if some of our motives are similar. Sure he’s a bad guy but the intent is good whether it’s for personal gain or satisfaction and maybe even believing you’re making a difference. I will definitely be coming back to this video every once in a while after more play throughs of the game. Had to have beaten it 10+ times and I’m always interested in learning more about his character.

[@_prizma]

Absolutely, I really enjoyed his character as well! The details and minutiae in the game's narrative really do offer more nuance than critics gave him credit for during release. I always love discussing this kind of thing, so if you gain any new insights from your future playthroughs, feel free to share them here - I would love to hear them! Thanks for stopping by!

[@jesentry5339]

@@_prizma You know what, I will take you up on that offer. You’ve also earned a subscriber! One thing I wanted to bring up, for Aiden’s destructive nature do you think in the Demon Digital trip with the muscle car (can’t think of it off the top of my head) I was thinking it was Damien trying to compare Aiden again. Compare him to his more destructive and adventurous behavior. By saying the terms “There’s nothing wrong with showing off” “You think you’re better off without me? Prove it” and others. What’s your input?

[@_prizma]

Hmm, this is a really good point! I think across the narrative, there was this motif with Damien constantly challenging Aiden to do better, or even a competitive rivalry between the two (see the dialogue in Sometimes You Still Lose). It would make sense to say that Damien's voice in the Madness digital trip is supposed to represent an internalisation of that relationship. It's definitely possible that this plays a part in Pearce's aggressive patterns of behaviour, where goal attainment has been impressed as a priority via social learning. Especially when combined with other ideas like social strain and reinforced deviance, I think you could make a case that Aiden is socialised to resolve problems with direct, and often destructive action. Of course, this is mostly speculation as I'm not too familiar with the literature on the social/cognitive/emotional processes behind reckless and destructive behaviour, but this line of reasoning is at least cogent on a prima facie level.

[@jesentry5339]

@@_prizma To definitely back up your idea on Damien challenging Aiden and his skills, the first few missions has Aiden and (at the time) Badboy17 to track a crank call and locate a hidden signal eventually bringing him to Damien. Damien even says “Hope you don’t mind the games, wanted to see if you’d lost your edge” either meaning to see if he’s still up to the task or to even see if Aiden is willing to reunite the old team again. I know Aiden pursues dangerous activities to either help him cope with his emotions but that leads me to another question. Do you think Aiden went to San Francisco to continue the chain of revenge involving anyone connected to Quinn or do you think he had to continue his work as a vigilante somewhere else since there was too much heat with him staying in Chicago? In the mission leading up to freeing Aiden you find and audio log from one of the gang members saying “Physco’s following threads out of Quinn’s fuck up in Chicago” so we have the group he’s going after but not his internal motive.

[@_prizma]

Yeah, that's right! I completely forgot about that line from Damien. With respect to Aiden's appearance in WD2, I interpreted it as being more rooted in general vigilantism than in revenge. It seemed to me that by the end of the first game, Aiden was fairly satisfied with what he had done in Chicago. In Guys Like Us, he tells Maurice that he's the final loose end, implying that his quest for vengeance had effectively come to an end. But I suppose that the player's choice in this mission is somewhat meaningful as well: if you spared him, you are communicating that Aiden has the willpower to end that chain of revenge; if you killed him, who's to say that Maurice would actually be the last? I've heard from modders that the game files consider killing Maurice as the canonical ending, but ultimately, it's really hard to say what his motivations are after the events of WD1, considering the 2-3 year gap between it and WD2. As I mentioned in the video though, his continued long-term participation in vigilantism might be evidence that it's an example of the sublimation defense mechanism, but beyond that it's anyone's guess. Love these questions, they really get you thinking! What are your thoughts on this?

[@sandorviktorfelker8344]

Funny how I've just played WD for the first time, and was completely baffled about Aiden - I only remembered that he was not a well-received character at all. By the end of the game, my disappointment grew as well, but not about Aiden himself - rather about the fact that WD2 won't feature him. :) I found him very compelling, and his revenge/vigilante story was one of my favourite campaigns from these last few years. I've only had time to watch the first fifteen minutes, but I'll come back to it. Keep it up, it was really engaging from the start (though you could work on your speech a bit, sometimes it's a bit fast and not quite clear :) ), and I'm really happy that someone else thought that Aiden's character is worthy of such a deep analysis.

[@_prizma]

Thanks, I'm glad this is an interesting topic! I know my VO can be a bit difficult to understand at times, and that's definitely something I'm still trying to improve. I should mention that all of my videos are captioned in English, so hopefully that can remedy any ambiguity in the narration.

[@deadchanneldontwatch7347]

Aiden shows up in a side mission in WD2 called "shadow" i think you dont get to talk to him but you break him out and he looks at the camera and nods (like saying thank you)

[@AustinNGrayson]

He’s in Watch Dogs 2 through a side mission. You don’t talk to him though.

[@stevevigilante9944]

@@AustinNGrayson that doesn't mean anything. the second game is trash

[@AustinNGrayson]

@@stevevigilante9944 yeah you’re in the minority there. Got better reception than the first game. But yeah I prefer the first game over all but that doesn’t mean the second game is bad. I love the second game like most people do. It was a nice contrast in tone to the first game. Good balance between the two.

[@TheWorkingRobot]

Great video! Also Aidens controlling behaviour seems to not be entirely based on trauma from being unable to prevent the death of his niece, considering how he's already mentioned both by Damien and himself as being pretty proficient at social engineering prior to the incident. One of my friends suggested that his drive to control people and the world around him is an adaptation to his inability to relate to other people from early childhood, not due to psychopathy/aspd, but due to a form of HFA.

[@_prizma]

Hm, that's a really good point and something that I hadn't thought about. I originally had a section in the video about Aiden's lack of interpersonal trust that got cut, but I think that this perspective would explain both that and several other aspects of his behaviour. Well done!

[@weishen2407]

You know that is a really good point, especialy after Bloodline

[@cchristianjeremy]

"Everything is connected, and I'll use that to expose, to protect, and if necessary - to punish." - The Vigilante

[@SadGamersWD]

he didn't say that

[@dynimo_8841]

@@SadGamersWD you didn’t finish the game did you

[@Sceptonic]

​@@SadGamersWDi thought you knew everything about the game. Did you only play decryption this whole time?

[@rehtric7166]

I’m so happy and relieved people still talk and make content about this game. One of my favourite characters

[@milk1187]

WD1 is underrated imo the story isn't anything ground breaking but Aiden is great. The modding scene is kinda crazy also

[@realdealofskills]

@Rehtric I’m happy and relieved about that too. He’ll always be one favorite video game character. Vigilantism really can help stop lots of crime in very corrupt cities especially Chicago since it’s one of the most dangerous city in the u:s.

[@vnturahdez95]

This guy presenting this as his homework meanwhile he looks his professor on the eye "I'm gonna destroy this whole's man career"

[@ahmedmamdouh3964]

With all these spelling errors? I doubt it

[@LieFieLiFi]

I’ve loved Pearce as a character since release. Glad to see his depth is being recognised

[@weishen2407]

This guy is the closest to a modern day Assassin, i will be replaying WD1 soon, loved Bloodline

[@killerhellhound]

Yeah except he isnt intrested in a creed he cares about people He doesnt hunt people because they are templars he does so because of their actions Something some of the assassin creed games forget

[@chasethecringewolf2195]

I like Aiden due to his past making him the guy he is now. His unnecessary need to fix things for his sister as well as walking in his Dad’s shadow alongside his moral ambiguity mentioned in the watch dogs artbook really makes me wonder if Aiden was protrayed incorrectly or it was intentionally this way.

[@lukas.ferreira3916]

I’m pretty sure it was intentional. I remember seeing an interview many years ago where a dev (think it was Dominic Guay) said that Aiden was meant to be a deeply flawed character, as that’s what helped move the narrative forward.

[@chasethecringewolf2195]

@@lukas.ferreira3916 I meant more so the acting, Aiden’s actor is awesome abd Bloodline proved the character is great. But I wonder if they directed him right. More so because he monologes too much. I could see someone passive on Aiden not liking him. Also I think if more characters were critical on him more people would get it. Not just Damien and Jordi

[@lukas.ferreira3916]

@@chasethecringewolf2195 Reason being because he masks his personality so that nobody knows who really he is, which is why Damien was such a powerful antagonist: because he was the only one who could make Aiden snap. And much of the characters’ opinion (especially the general public) depends on how the player plays the game. I mean, sure, regardless of how you play there are people in-universe who think he’s a goddamn psychopath. But if your reputation is at “Vigilante”, there is absolutely no reason why the general public shouldn’t support him. Especially when all his efforts are directed towards bagging scumbags who are hated by just about everyone. One way or another, he’s a way better character than people at the time gave him credit for.

[@chasethecringewolf2195]

@@lukas.ferreira3916 Mind you i literally agree with everything you say butttt... In game if you look at news stations some list Aiden Pearce as the suspect who is the Vigilante...as early as the baseball mission. So this entire time there were news reports on Aiden that Jackson and Nicole watched and they thought, “That vigilante guy is cool,” Obviously it isn’t intended but thats the point. This game had went through alot of changes before release, the Defalt club is now what the demo used to be and while gameplay is obviously different (You could summon help with Fixxers as well as let someone ride cameras and hack shit for you, wish it was still in there. Along side just having one pistol and the weapon wheel would be a hacking wheel.) The story probably has just as much change in it too. True it could be better than what they planned but it could also be worse than what they planned too you never know. My point is in the demo we see the same Aiden, he talks different and he emotes more than main game Aiden, just from a simple conversation with Aiden and Joesph Demarco’s “Message,” its still better than main game. It makes me think they were going to have Aiden do more in terms of personality than what we got. The Watch Dogs artbook told me that Aiden was designed to be visually ambiguous and blend into crowds while also representing his moral greyness and thats when the character clicked for me. I didn’t get that from the main game and as a result I thought it was trying to make Aiden better than he was, but no he’s pretty good in fact. Aiden is definitely my favorite protagonist so far in Watch Dogs maybe even the whole of Ubisoft series, (tied with Jason Brody and Shay, and maaaaybe Ezio but idk) But I get the feeling there are things left out about Aiden that should’ve made it to the main game. Just happy to see Bloodline doing that, having characters criticize him and point out his faults. While its not completely subtly it 1, reels in people who might’ve hated Aiden and 2 Makes people who like him love him even more. But one fantastic example I love of this in the first game is the Fixer mission where you and Jordi take down a boss and then interrogate him to find out who is trying to figure out Aiden’s identity. In the end you find out its a guy names Angelo. So how does Aiden find this guy? But going through his fucking niece. Sound familiar? It’s such a subtle detail I doubt no one gives it any mind at all but holy shit thats perfect in terms of story through gameplay. Just wish there was more of that in the story.

[@lukas.ferreira3916]

@@chasethecringewolf2195 Completely agree. The presentation could’ve been better. His banter with Jordi in the 2012 demo was great and I really wish he stayed somewhat like that, but I still love what they went with. Another great example is Bedbug. Bedbug is a criminal who thinks he deserves more than what he has, but he’s also a kid who’s facing a lot of uncertainty and despair. Aiden gives him a fearsome reputation but also blackmails him, forcing him to get inside the Viceroy’s nearly impenetrable fortress and potentially put his own life at risk. “I can give, but I can also take.” But even as he threatens to ruin his life, Aiden still cares about him and does his best to not get him hurt. Hell, he even opens up to him and reveals the reason why he’s going after the servers: because his family got hurt. When Bedbug nearly dies, Aiden genuinely worries for his safety, asking himself if he got him killed for… what? A portion of the data? And when Aiden finds out he’s still alive, he feels relieved, thanks him for a well done job, and lets him go without a second thought instead of forcing him any further. When push comes to shove, Aiden does whatever he feels necessary, believing in “taking one life to save a thousand”. But he also knows the value of a life, and taking one away is not a decision he makes lightly.

[@zamsparkle6883]

Within less than 5 minutes, i wondered "man, why haven't I seen this guy before?" and then I realized how small this channel still is! Would've never guessed from the incredible quality of the video! This was amazing. I hope this blows up because I really want to hear more of your analysis

[@_prizma]

This really means a lot, thank you so much!

[@_prizma]

Many thanks to everyone for watching and leaving such encouraging comments! I am overjoyed by the positive responses and will strive to maintain (if not improve) the quality level on future videos. A couple things I wanted to note though: 1) Erratum: At 50:53, I said "adaptive pathway to cognitive dissonance" in my narration, when I meant to say "cognitive consonance." 2) Erratum: At 57:56, Lance Brenner is not grievously injured by Pearce, but by his accomplice, Jordi Chin. Brenner is optionally killed by the player following a cutscene. Thanks to Julia Rose for pointing this out. 3) Video production is a time consuming process, and as a student, time is a resource in short supply. As such, it often takes me months to get my research and footage together. Please keep this in mind if you are considering subscribing to my channel. 4) My interests span across a diverse set of subjects, so my future videos will likely have little to do with character analysis. Again, please take this into consideration if you wish to follow my future projects. Once more, thank you all so much for watching (and reading in this case). Hope y'all have a good day! -John

[@FrankByDaylight]

Hey, you made a video basically making it super easy for us Aiden fans to tell haters that he isn't a bad character. He is very complex and we'll thought out. And for that. You have my respect. My love. And my Subscription! You deserve it!

[@Shanetor]

@@FrankByDaylight preachhh

[@FrankByDaylight]

@@Shanetor thank you brother!

[@zekelerossignol7590]

Any thoughts how it could have been different if the psychology for him was well researched?

[@RogeneA]

Despite the negative comments for this character, i love playing as Aiden and the way he was in the game. He is so fit to be a hacker/vigilante.

[@indianagent47]

This was a fantastic analysis, well done! I liked the concluding remark that the writers may not have done that much research for Aiden but his character sure is worthy of discussion, awesome, detailed work and I hope to see more of these types of videos! (Character suggestions: 47 from the Hitman franchise and The Father from Far Cry 5)

[@_prizma]

Thank you so much for the kind words! I'll definitely give Agent 47 and The Father some consideration; there's a lot to unpack especially with The Father.

[@imembridibuddha]

and Kane & Lynch

[@Xyler94]

I clicked to see how complex Aiden Pearce's personality really was... I'm left with a new found love of the topics of psychology, x3

[@dogestranding5047]

I have this video in my playlist, but haven’t watched it fully yet. I’ve gotta say that Watch_Dogs Legion and Watch_Dogs 2 did a disservice to the character of Aiden Pearce. In WD2, the main issue is that he gets captured. Watch_Dogs 1 shows him as a man who is always steps ahead of others. He’d never let himself get captured without reason. In Watch_Dogs Legion, they show him getting captured after getting knocked off a drone by Wrench. In his dialogue, he seems very tired of repeating the same cycles of revenge and had previously retired from Fixer contracts. This is a guy who saw the worst of Chicago crime- murder, serial killers, corrupt politicians, gangs, human trafficking, etc. and in WD1, he was always in control of every situation he was in. It seems very uncharacteristic of him to suddenly feel like being the Vigilante is too much for him, but it’s definitely possible for him to have grown tired. I think his final dialogue about not looking back, but looking forward was ignored in Legion. Legion shows it as Lena haunting his mind, but I think at the end of WD1, he had come to terms with her death and realized how much good he could do for the world by stopping these criminals, corrupt politicians, and corrupt businessmen. The vigilante aspect of WD1 was one of the most appealing parts of the game, and you can save so many regular citizens from criminals. That’s the part that’s missing from Legion and WD2.

[@rippedtidegaming1349]

Totally loved part 1, HATED part 2 and am thoroughly enjoying the blend of tones in Legion. Can't wait for the Bloodlines DLC to finally release to play as Aiden in London.

[@laszlonagy02]

In Watch Dogs Dedsec was a hacker group what people feared or cheered. In Watch Dogs 2 it was a total dissapointment to see who they really are. Bunch of kids. Not respecting Ray at all and stuff. I really love too that they bring him back in Bloodlines.

[@atas2561]

@@laszlonagy02 In Legion they were better. A reeistance.

[@parixitchaudhary5823]

@@laszlonagy02 i mean dedsec does have different cells across the world that operate differently. Horatio even says that in one of the Audio logs in WD2. Like the San Francisco cell avoids killing it's targets, the London cell doesn't hesitate to go lethal. Plus the Chicago cell is more hostile in how it operates than the SF cell

[@dogestranding5047]

@@laszlonagy02 Unfortunately they seemed to have completely forgotten about T-bone. I think they went too far in time and should’ve focused more on Aiden’s story. He had potential to become a great video game icon, but they probably skipped over a lot of his story because of the negative feedback to WD1 from people who just hated the game because it wasn’t exactly the same quality as the gameplay previews.

[@timbojimbo5898]

Really cool video, man. My only real note is that you should perhaps speak a bit slower and try to enunciate your words more cleanly. You tend to slur your speech a bit due to the speed at which you're speaking. Other than that, really dope and thorough examination of a character that gets slept on by most, even though his game has quite a few relatively major issues.

[@JoshMC2000]

Aiden has always been my favourite character in the Watch dogs Games I think they did a lot right with an at the time pretty over used concept. Aiden isn't the first Gun toting Vigilante in video games but I personally think his one of the most intresting

[@pie8863]

I absolutely loved this video, and was very surprised to see many people didn’t see Aiden’s deeper character traits. I felt it was very prevalent at some points in the game, but maybe it depends on how you play the game to some degree? I personally played it run-and-gun and focus abused, so it was very present Aiden was a mass killer. I guess that‘s a prime example of ludonarrative dissonance, as much as I feel the term is overused. :) definitely think you should do more of these character analysis! Would love to see your takes on movies too.

[@_prizma]

Thank you, I'm glad the video still holds up all these months later. If I come across another character that I feel adequately exemplifies certain theories (and of course is as interesting as Aiden), then I will consider it :)

[@Caliborino]

Holy shit, this channel is small and it’s surprising because this is some good shit.

[@Messi-rw9ng]

Lemme just say, I love it when people link their sources and I love it when it's correctly formatted. Absolute kudos to you.

[@TigerChamp99]

I always liked Aiden Pearce. Aiden got way too much hate back in the day. People misunderstood Aiden. He was never meant to be a likeable character in the first place. He was only meant to be interesting, nothing more. I like him because he is similar to Batman and Walter White (two of my favourite movie TV/show characters). Aiden definitely has a personality, he is a protective person who will do anything to keep his family safe. That's exactly what gives him a personality. Aiden is definitely one of my favourite videogame protagonists alongside Niko Bellic. Fortunately I wasn't biased by the E3 crowd because I learned about the existence of WD1 after it was already out. I even upgraded my PC to play this game back in early 2015. Now, WD1 is one of my all time favourite videogames alongside GTA IV and NFS Carbon. Remember, always play the game by yourself (or watch a good gameplay video) and form your own opinion. Never trust reviewers. Amazing video btw (Actually a masterpiece). This video needs more attention from the Watch Dogs community. Thank you for making an amazing character analysis video. Btw, your channel is underappreciated.

[@obarek798]

Damn i wish Watch Dogs had more attention

[@realdealofskills]

Me too, this game really is compelling in its own way.

[@wolfensniper4012]

The video itself is extremely well done not to mention the educational value. Speaking of Machiavellitism, it’s interesting that Aiden also manipulates random mobsters if he have a chance in game (that when the player used the distraction feature, the message he types on the individual’s phone is often related to his CtOS scan results mentioning certain weak points of his target), in my opinion that pattern might trace back to aiden’s criminal past with Damien. Also it would be interesting if Aiden used his social engineering skills on himself to analyze his own psychological self-image and weakness. I really like Aiden. Such deep character cannot be found on his successors.

[@Dcode117]

I absolutely love watch dogs 1 and aiden is an amazing character. I like he is almost a anti-hero and he is complex and even crazy I love it so glad he is back for bloodline however I wish he got a second game entirely

[@CT_Phipps]

You should totally do a video about Bloodlines Aiden.

[@kaiserion_yt]

And now in Watch Dogs Legion: Bloodline we can actually see what’s going on in his mind

[@Ray_not]

aiden pierce.... his life in watch dogs 1 is just sad and emotional. it all started because of a fail heist and then the lost of his niece. he then started his plot for revenge against the one who destroy his life only to dig too deep to the point it endangered not only him but his entire family as well. but, he didn't stopped. he knows that the world is against him, he knows there will be many walls that he needs to tore down and he just go through it all like nothing. in the end of watch dogs 1 he promised to himself that he WILL use his power so he can protect the weak and punish the evil ones. in watch dogs 2 we can see his rampage against once more and in legion he also done it again. and that's what i like about him. HE IS THE VIGILANTE. and he take that name seriously. his such a underrated character in gaming. his story, life and history is just well written, emotional and amazing. i wish more people know more about this character.

[@CallMeDrump]

Human psychology and criminology have always been a joy for me to research and read about not to mention that I love Watch Dogs. Thanks for the deep analysis man. You deserve a sub from me

[@atas2561]

Aiden Pearce is honestly my number 1 favourite Ubisoft character so far. I love the way he’s written.

[@SkyTied]

Absolutely insane that you only have 400 subs. Remember me when you go viral.

[@GabrielPearce3407]

Underrated, Aiden is my favorite character of all the time! You should do Arthur Morgan, Keep Your work man

[@gerardwaysway5999]

Aiden pearce is awesome, he was my profile picture for at least 3 years

[@callmeraust4286]

Well. Ofcourse he's your favorite. Bro you litterally are Aiden Pearce lmao. Godda love yourself dawg

[@cekay6008]

my favorite video game of all time, i love that somebody else see's it the way i do and gives it the attention it deserves. i love this video.

[@peacefist4413]

Now this is high quality analysis and perfectly made essay. Thank you for huge work sir, I really love Aiden as a character, he had a rough times in his life, yet he still does his thing and his believes are strong and true.

[@TheArchive91]

Deserves waaaay more views, from an academic standpoint. Well done!

[@Mr_Vigors066]

This is such an underrated channel thanks for the great analysis.

[@logc1921]

Nice video! Supprised by the quality, it looks like something that will stream on some high-quality documentary streaming website.

[@_prizma]

Thank you, that means a lot to me! I took a lot of inspiration from more professional creators like Vox and Ahoy. Still nowhere near their production quality, but who knows, maybe one day.

[@katiem9128]

@@_prizma Awww, don't put yourself down! It really was fantastic. Background footage was spot on and editing was great.

[@logc1921]

@@_prizma You are near their level of quality! Don't say that! I am looking forward to more of your works take your time, ahoy takes months to create a video and he delivers so do you!

[@_prizma]

Aw, thank you guys so much, I really appreciate your confidence. I'll do my best to deliver!

[@richard_henry1358]

Great video, hope this gets more attention. Ive always loved the first Watch Dogs and really liked Aiden Pearce especially since, to me, he is relatable. Pearce’s story is something I want to explore more and this more gritty “real” story keeps me coming back to this game.

[@re11ek]

Dude, this editing absolutely *SLAPS*

[@Cay_den2593]

Best character hands down.

[@josegoncalves4319]

I came for Watch Dogs, I stayed for the Criminology - a Criminologist

[@Yumduck]

Most underrated video ever

[@GothicGator]

WD1 is literally the only game where you play as a sociopathic vigilante other than Max Payne 1. And I love it for that.

[@lukas.ferreira3916]

Disagree about the “sociopathic” part, though. Both characters care about other people’s well-being much more than they say they do.

[@GothicGator]

@@lukas.ferreira3916 isn't that a sociopath? I'm pretty sure sociopaths are the emotional driven/impulsive and psychopaths were the emotionally disconnected/calm?

[@lukas.ferreira3916]

@@GothicGator But it’s much more than just being driven by impulse. They don’t lack empathy, they don’t compulsively lie or manipulate, etc. The word you’re looking for is “antihero”. They fight for the right reasons, but don’t always use morally acceptable methods. Both ARE good, non sociopathic people. It’s just that they’re willing to go the extra mile.

[@pie8863]

trust me it is not the only game lol. but it is one of the best

[@m_v_j]

Holy moly this was really good. When I first saw this I imagined you as being a very popular youtuber, just by the sheer level of quality. But I see now that you are a hidden gem. I'll definitely be checking out your other videos and giving you a sub. Keep up the good work man.

[@_prizma]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

[@TigerChamp99]

"Bury Your Dead" mission from WD Legion Bloodline is the answer to the people who say that Aiden has no personality. I'm glad that Ubisoft never left Aiden behind and fleshed out his character alongside Wrench/Reggie. I always liked Aiden Pearce. He's one of my favourite videogame protagonists alongside Niko Bellic, Jonathan Klebitz, Luis Fernando Lopez, John Tanner, Catherine Anne Archer, and Raymond Eugene Kenney (T-Bone).

[@icegame4375]

Arthur Morgan?

[@laszlonagy02]

John Tanner. Now that's a name I don't heard from other gamers yet. I'm glad you mentioned him. Fun fact thaz without Driver from Ubisoft, Watch Dogs never would be a thing. They wanted to make a new driver game but they gone with this whole hecking thing and eventually made Watch Dogs. That's why the driving in the game is that weird and car phisics are different than you would think.

[@Mophony]

This is the type of video I've been looking for. Very well done

[@juliuspeter2293]

Aiden is a combo of john wick and batman plus the first game was soo good man its sad these games will die because nowadays is soo hard to please people. We will miss these games hopefully we will leave to see another watch dogs with Aiden as the main character hopefully during his troubled youth times

[@bluscout6440]

Holy fucking shit this channel is so underrated

[@iko4670]

This deserves a lot more views man

[@katiem9128]

Hello Prizma! Thank you for working so hard to produce such an amazing, incredibly in-depth, satisfying and enjoyable video. Admittedly I watched it late at night whilst looking for content to listen to whilst organising some files, but I still loved it nevertheless. I especially loved the clips of Chicago you used as background. I enjoy getting to see Aiden calmly walking through the streets. I like to imagine he's somberly walking in the rain whilst you discuss the subconsciousness, and awkwardly shifting his weight between his feet during the psychopathy section, hehe. Granted, probably wouldn't be feeling anything, now that you've thoroughly outlined his character, but I think it'd be cute. Thanks for conducting a well-needed psychoanalysis on Aiden's character. I typed "Aiden Pearce character analy--" on KZbin and was taken aback to see it auto-fill and for your video to be the top result. I was pleasantly surprised! Especially more so that it was released just 11 days or so ago. Perfect timing for Watch Dogs Legion, eh? How long did it take you? You study psych, so I'm sure you had a lot of knowledge of it beforehand, but I'm still curious. I always knew deep down that Aiden was a complex character with a lot of nuance and depth to him than just being a "strong, aggressive white male" and I was always disappointed seeing others call him boring and bland, and label the classic revenge plot cliché. I've always been an empathetic person and prior to your video, I had my own reasons why I liked and could empathise with Aiden more than the main characters in Watch Dogs 2. Because we have more opportunity to spend alone time with Aiden, listening to his monologues, learning his past, and aiding him on his very personal mission, plus the fact that the other characters weren't forcibly included for screentime, it was easier to grow attached to him. I also think the easily understandable plot makes it easier to understand and hence the player will have a better time with plot points slowly added on over the course of the storu. Heck, I actually think the camera perspective also makes a significant difference. In Watch Dogs 2, the camera is much farther away from Marcus than in WD1, where the Player is directly behind Aiden, like his companion. Marcus feels like a very distant character to us -- someone we're controlling but perhaps ultimately someone whose life we're watching. Our visual closeness to Aiden, I feel, plays at least a minor role in our attachment to him. I honestly hadn't realised that Lena's death could lead to so much trauma within Aiden, fuelling his attitude and behaviour like this. It's a misguided belief on my part. I noticed another comment here discussing that perhaps the developers needed to do a bit more research when writing Aiden's character, and this video has ultimately taught me the importance of that. As a creative writer, this video definitely helped me think about how to make characters much more raw, relatable and realistic. I personally like to think that the good rep/Vigilante route is canon, especially given the ending credits sequence where the police are implied to have some level of gratitude towards him. Since it's described in his WD2 appearance I like to believe he starts actively pursuing giant crime rings, especially targeting human and sex trafficking. Perhaps he sees Lena in these people, particularly women and young girls. Heh. As an ending note, isn't it amazing how many people called Aiden "bland and boring" and then likely many of these same people are cheering about Aiden's return in Legion? Classic. I wonder what his story will be this time. "Older but not necessarily wiser"... at least his mask is realistic to carry around readily and put on quickly! Sorry for all the rambling in my comment, I just wanted to share my thoughts and experiences with Aiden's character, hehe. I hope you found it entertaining. Your channel is so criminally underrated, and it's such a crime that there's so little comments here. You've earned my sub, Prizma! Looking forward to the new content.

[@_prizma]

Hi Katie, Thank you so much for this message, it really made my day! To answer your question, I started working on this video in September of last year, so it took a little over a year to get everything together. The majority of my time was spent doing research because 1) psychology was a subject matter that I didn't have too much background in, and 2) I wanted to make sure my writing was supported at least somewhat by literature (though admittedly subject to a bit of confirmation bias). This meant I spent September of last year to June of this year reading up on the science and trying to put together a cogent argument. Most of the actual video production was done over the past few months in my free time. I originally hadn't planned to publish the video alongside the release of Legion, but because it got delayed from earlier this year, in addition to announcing that Aiden would return in Bloodlines, things kind of worked out by complete coincidence. I definitely agree with your thoughts on the presentation of Aiden's character, and I think part of the reason why so many people brushed him off as a bland character is because most don't have the time or energy to invest themselves into the lore. I'm a sucker for this kind of linear narrative world-building, so it was really interesting learning about Aiden on a deeper level through supplemental story elements. I really like your point about the camera placement of both WD1 and WD2 as well, I hadn't actually thought about it that way. It makes a lot of sense though; where WD1 is about one individual seeking personal revenge, WD2 is much more focused on the social aspect of a close-knit group. This of course doesn't make one game better than the other, but it's interesting how such a small mechanical change like camera placement can demarcate the drastic tonal shift between the two. Anyways, thank you again for your kind words, I really appreciate messages like these. More videos will be coming eventually, though they'll probably be about something totally unrelated. Cheers, -John

[@gamerl2220]

Oh My God you are so underated, your channel is gonna blow up. Here before 1 million

[@TheRagingbull4136]

The first watchdogs game was the best. I still remember waiting outside of game ten minutes before opening so I could get a copy on release.

[@jstered]

Are my eyes seeing right? 1.8k subs with a video of this high production quality and research, time put into it? Unbelieveable. Seriously keep this work up, you'll get that plauqe.

[@Journey_Awaits]

3:10 "Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines and brother, I hurt people"

[@chris_player2995]

and now he is back for the Bloodline DLC

[@jesentry5339]

Duly Noted

[@jutszkie5603]

I don’t know what to say, such thorough analysis just for Aiden Pearce. Underrated content here, sir. You got my respect and sub

[@Thomalini]

This is the single most comprehensive and Informative character analysis I've ever seen, thank you for your efforts to bring the nuances and details about one of my favorite protagonists to light.

[@realdealofskills]

This is very fascinating to listen on your comprehensive psychological analysis on Aiden. I’m very impressed on how you explained the philosophy and the concept of vigilantism which does play a very significant role into Aiden’s character and I loved how you’ve analyzed Pearce’s thought and actions in each chapter of the video. You put so much hard work and dedication into this video and I love it! You deserve more than 5000 billion views on this one.

[@zonk2955]

This channel does not have enough subscribers. There is an extremely satisfying editing style and a clear explanation to all possibly unclear terminology showing a deep understanding and research we need to promote this guy

[@Shanetor]

I've been waiting for the right time to watch this video in one sitting and was skeptical to begin with, but I was surprisingly impressed with the quality and your deep analysis. I don't think this game gets the credit it deserves and the character of Aiden Pearce is much more complicated than people think. Clichés will exist until the end of time and no piece in modern day storytelling is without some. Thank you for the insight.

[@tylertheguy3160]

I think Watch Dogs 2 is great, but I personally prefer the much darker and grittier tone of the first game. I also think Aiden and his crew were more interesting than Watch Dogs 2's group of young hipsters. I'm excited to see what Aiden is up to by the events of Legion, but I wasn't too big on Legion as a whole, as I feel like it went a little too futuristic. Watch Dogs 1 and 2 worked better because their settings were mostly realistic and were therefore much more relatable.

[@feir1046]

Idk what I like more I like both tones but think that to keep both fans here they need a nice mix both worlds

[@MattBuckhout]

Great work loved this video very underrated you deserve more recognition for your hard work would love to see more videos on watch dogs and Aiden Pearce

[@Amigmamale]

Please make a part 2 including bloodlines since i think the dlc did wonders for Aidens character

[@_prizma]

It might take a while to sort through everything floating around my head, but I'm determined to revisit this topic in the near future. Stay tuned.

[@an-animal-lover]

@@_prizma great!

[@letsgodraco]

Damn dude an hour on a video game character?! Hell yeah!

[@achilles9739]

This was really well done, good job man

[@ThatARKHAMguy]

Some people think that aiden is a boring generic character but he really isn't

[@Supernova236YT]

This video needs more popularity...good job

[@dohnjoe9211]

Really intelligent commentary: deserves more views.

[@DingusDotCom]

Not sure how you only have 1k subscribers, but you deserve so much more. Your editing, presentation and pacing are perfect! Keep it up dude, youll be well known in no time

[@mrmeow2297]

underrated franchise for sure

[@d3d53c3]

Your very underrated! Keep uploading every few months and well maybe you'll reach a thousand subs one day! Good Luck

[@restant8845]

Holy shit how do you not have more subs? This video was great!

[@mohammedshaik9647]

The whole campaign was about Aiden avenging his niece's death

[@realdealofskills]

It sure was.

[@schmeetsonbeetson7168]

No shit sherlock

[@amitgilbert1771]

You deserve way more subscribers, the audio and editing is amazing. In the future you're going to be big

[@_prizma]

Haha, thank you so much for saying so. I really appreciate your vote of confidence.

[@Gwilherm]

This video is straight gold. Remarkable job!

[@legendaryspider3335]

The whole time I have no idea what was happening but I still listen because it sounds interesting

[@GGPlex_]

Ngl, I don’t like Watchdogs for its hacking; I like it’s driving. Get a Nissan and start driving like you’re being chased, and it feels surprisingly good. The NPCs aren’t borderline suicidal like in GTA, and that helps more in driving than you think.

[@userfury5403]

This is a very great video man!

[@TheBuster0926]

God-Tier content. Emplemon-levels of Editing and Research. I hope some Ubisoft Montreal Devs/Writers see this. Good work.

[@virgo1986ful]

Jodi was the one that grievously injured Lance Brenner

[@_prizma]

Good catch, I completely forgot about that (though I suppose there's still guilt by accompliceship). I've added an erratum correcting the mistake. Thanks for bringing it up!

[@fullmetalastro]

75 minutes of scholarly breakdown of the misunderstood hero of a tragically underrated franchise? I'm at half mast Edit: I had to slow the video down to 90% to keep up with you, and that's a compliment

[@SpectreMkTwo]

People just hate on him and find him boring and can't relate to him because they personally haven't been found themselves in the same dark spot as Aiden's character

[@TheReck12]

👺👺👺

[@paul.dhaliwal]

This is quality I only see from people with 1min subs! You're insane!

[@_prizma]

Thanks, really means a lot to me!

[@baller42061]

I’m loving your watch dogs videos bro Absolutely fantastic

[@Sice64]

this is really well made, good work

[@that.vigilante]

Honestly, im not even 10 minutes in and im hype for the whole thing. Im definitely subscribing, you are spectacular! Aiden has honestly been something i’ve been having a lot of questions about, and this will surely answer them all!

[@instinct4956]

Just finished my second play through of Watch Dogs and was dying to dive deeper into Aidan’s character to prove that he wasn’t as one dimensional as critics make him out to be, and here you pop into my recommendeds! Amazing video, picked at my brain and made me really think, which I love when it comes to documentary like videos like this! Odd request, but, do you ever plan on doing more character analysis’s like this? And if so, I would like to make a request for the next character- that being either Arthur Morgan or Dutch Van Der Linde from the Red Dead Redemption series! I love Arthur more, but I do think Dutch is a much more interesting character to pick apart in terms of mental interest. Thank you for making such brain picking content! I hope you find the time to do more!

[@_prizma]

Hey, thank you so much for the kind words! In terms of future content, I'm currently experimenting with a couple different subjects so I don't have any character analyses planned at the moment. I really enjoy working on that kind of content though so it'll definitely make a return eventually and I'll keep Red Dead Redemption characters in mind. Thanks for stopping by!

[@feir1046]

Last thing is it weird how I think am a lot like wrench but also a lot like Aiden I just relate to both of them a lot

[@antoniomassaro8952]

This video is a gem. Thank you so much.

[@StaelTek]

Me who has autism and beaten the game 5 times on Realistic and trying to investigate evidences, solving crimes to keep the good reputation, first now understands that i am trying to be a good guy to justify my actions i put against the civilians and other people to achieve my personal gain.

[@Rainbowhawk1993]

So... Captain Walker from Spec Ops the Line.

[@skyline2601]

This video is way too underrated, this analysis is great so far, just like Aidens character!

[@zoltankullar1715]

This video is amazing. Keep doing what you doing!