Aaron (The Walking Dead)
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Aaron is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and television series of the same name. He is portrayed by
Ross Marquand Roscoe Wayne Marquand (born August 22, 1981) is an American actor. He has played Aaron on the television series '' The Walking Dead'' since 2015, Red Skull and Ultron in various projects connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and has voiced ...
in the television series. In both media, he acts as a recruiter for the Alexandria Safe-Zone located in
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for
Rick Grimes Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the post-apocalyptic comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and the first nine seasons of the television series of the same name, in which he is portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Creat ...
and his fellow survivors on the road. Although initially mistrusted by Rick's group, he gradually gains their trust and becomes a respected and resourceful ally to the group. Aaron is the longest surviving Alexandria character and is notable for being the comic book's first openly gay character.


Appearances


Comic book series

Aaron is introduced as a recruiter for the Alexandria Safe-Zone Community who came into contact with Rick's group shortly after they exterminate the Hunters. He and his fellow recruiter and boyfriend Eric watch over the group from afar for several days until they find them suitable for the community. Although the survivors are initially suspicious of Aaron's motives, they go along with him to Washington, D.C. and eventually join the Alexandria Safe-Zone. The leader of Alexandria, Douglas Monroe, is hesitant about the prospect of the group staying, but Aaron defends them, sensing that they are the genuinely good people they are. He remains fiercely loyal to Rick and company from then on. Days after the group's arrival, Eric is stabbed by a random woman whom they had been trying to recruit. Eric is taken back by a panic-stricken Aaron and is quickly healed by the town's surgeon, Denise Cloyd. In the wake of this traumatic event, the couple mutually decides to stop recruiting and focus on maintaining things within the safety of their walls. A zombie attack puts the community in disarray and culminates in Rick becoming leader in the wake of Douglas' death. Aaron and Eric are both assigned inventory together where they keep track of the community's rations, as well as supplies to ensure that things continue to run properly. They also both further indulge in training with Rick and the rest of the group, in order to defend themselves better against the
undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...
. The two soon begin to grow more comfortable venturing outside the walls again, assisting other members in supply runs, while occasionally stealing items like bottles of wine for themselves. Aaron and Eric are both shaken by Abraham's death at the hands of the Saviors, with the two of them attending his memorial service. They later participate in the war with the Saviors, led by
Negan Negan, later revealed as Negan Smith in the television series, is a fictional character in the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and in the television series of the same name. He was the leader of the Saviors, a group of survivors in the S ...
, and form The Militia, an army consisting of many members from Alexandria, The Hilltop Colony, and The Kingdom. Eric is killed in battle with the Saviors, leaving Aaron devastated. His grief quickly turns into fury, however, as he vows to kill every remaining member of the Saviors in order to avenge Eric's death. Two years later, however, he appears to have moved on from Eric's death and continues to be a productive member of the community. He is attacked by the Whisperers and is taken to the Hilltop to recover. When the Whisperers invade and burn down the Hilltop, despite his injuries, Aaron manages to rescue Rick's son
Carl Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of te ...
. After the war, he starts a relationship with
Paul "Jesus" Monroe Paul "Jesus" Monroe (known as Paul "Jesus" Rovia in the television series) is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'', as well as the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by Tom Payne. Jesus s ...
. When out on the road they are ambushed by Whisperer leader
Beta Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labiod ...
and his last few remaining followers. In the ensuing fight, Aaron shoots and kills Beta.


Television series

Prior to the events of the series Aaron became a recruiter for the Alexandria Safe-Zone, along with his boyfriend Eric. At some point Aaron recruited a group of three led by Davidson, who Aaron believed would be a good addition to the community. However Davidson's violent nature led to Deanna exiling him and Aaron, Aiden and Nicholas were forced to escort Davidson's group out, taking all their weapons and leaving them only a few days worth of supplies.


Season 5

In the episode "
Them Them or THEM, a third-person plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fiction by Welsh ...
", Aaron (
Ross Marquand Roscoe Wayne Marquand (born August 22, 1981) is an American actor. He has played Aaron on the television series '' The Walking Dead'' since 2015, Red Skull and Ultron in various projects connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and has voiced ...
) introduces himself, first, to
Maggie Greene Maggie Greene, later Maggie Rhee in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'', portrayed by Lauren Cohan in the television adaptation of the same name. In the comic book series, Maggie beco ...
(
Lauren Cohan Lauren Cohan (born January 7, 1982) is an American-British actress best known for her role as Maggie Greene in the AMC post-apocalyptic horror television series '' The Walking Dead'' (2011–2018; 2020–2022). Her other notable TV roles inclu ...
) and Sasha Williams (
Sonequa Martin-Green Sonequa Chaunté Martin-Green (; Martin; born March 21, 1985) is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles as Michael Burnham, the main character in the streaming television series '' Star Trek: Discovery'', and as Sasha W ...
), stating his name and that he wishes to speak to the leader, which he already knows is Rick. Then he notes that he has good news for the group. In the next episode, " The Distance", Sasha and Maggie take him as a prisoner and bring him to Rick. Aaron tells them that he has been following them for quite some time and wants to invite them to live in a safe community nearby. Rick does not believe him and orders everyone to check if the things he said are true. They come to the conclusion that Aaron is telling the truth and decide to go along with him to the community. Rick, Glenn (
Steven Yeun Yeun Sang-yeop ( ko, 연상엽; born December 21, 1983), known professionally as Steven Yeun (), is a South Korean-born American actor. Yeun initially rose to prominence for his roles as Glenn Rhee in the television series '' The Walking Dead ...
),
Michonne Michonne ( ), later revealed as Michonne Hawthorne, is a Character (arts), fictional character from ''The Walking Dead (comic book), The Walking Dead''. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the The Walking ...
(
Danai Gurira Danai Jekesai Gurira (; born February 14, 1978) is an American-Zimbabwean actress and playwright. She is best known for her starring roles as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2012–2020, 2022) and as Okoye in the ...
) and Aaron are attacked by walkers, but they manage to reunite with the rest of the group and Aaron's partner, Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson). Together they enter the community, which lies in
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
. In the episode, "
Remember Remember may refer to: Film and television * ''Remember?'', a 1939 film starring Robert Taylor and Greer Garson * ''Remember'' (1926 film), an American silent drama film * ''Remember'' (2015 film), a Canadian film by Atom Egoyan, starring Chris ...
", Aaron leads the group in Alexandria while carrying Eric inside. After letting Eric go off to the infirmary, he stays at the gate with
Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglicanism, Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the n ...
(
Michael Traynor Michael Traynor (Irish: ; 1917 – fl. 1970) was a leading member of Sinn Féin in the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Belfast in an area with a mix of Protestants and Catholics, at an early age, Traynor saw the dead bodies of three Irish Republican A ...
) as the group enters. Aaron asks that group comply with Nicholas' orders to turn over their weapons, and that they will need to speak to the leader,
Deanna Monroe Deanna Monroe is a fictional character from AMC's television series, '' The Walking Dead'', and was portrayed by Tovah Feldshuh. The character is an adaptation and gender-swap of Douglas Monroe from the comic book series, on which the show is ba ...
(
Tovah Feldshuh Terri Sue "Tovah" Feldshuh (born December 27, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and playwright. She has been a Broadway star for more than four decades, earning four Tony Award nominations. She has also received two Emmy Award nominations fo ...
). After she spoke with Rick, Aaron guided Rick and Carl to the two vacant houses in the Safe-Zone, and that he and Eric will be four houses down if Rick or anyone else needs anything. In the episode " Forget", Aaron follows
Daryl Dixon Daryl Dixon is a fictional character from AMC's horror drama series '' The Walking Dead''. The character was created for the television series by writers Frank Darabont, Charles H. Eglee and Jack LoGiudice specifically for Norman Reedus, and do ...
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Norman Reedus Norman Mark Reedus (born January 6, 1969) is an American actor best known for starring as Daryl Dixon in the AMC (TV channel), AMC horror drama series ''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Walking Dead'' (2010–2022). He also starred as Murphy Mac ...
) out of the safe-zone, under the guise of hunting rabbits. Aaron then joins Daryl on the hunt, during which they find Buttons, a wild horse they have been trying to wrangle for months. When Daryl attempts to get Buttons, they are attacked by walkers and flee the area. The two bond over being seen as outsiders - Daryl because of his survivalist background, Aaron because he is gay. Soon after, Aaron is attacked and Daryl rescues him. They come to find Buttons being devoured by walkers, so both Aaron and Daryl kill the walkers, with Aaron shooting Buttons to put him out of his misery. Aaron goes back to the safe-zone but did not attend the party so that he could help mend Eric's broken ankle. When Daryl arrives to the Monroe house but declines to go inside, Aaron invites Daryl over for spaghetti. Aaron and Eric then surprise Daryl with a motorcycle they built themselves, and reveal that Eric is retiring as a recruiter and Daryl is to take his place. Daryl is grateful and forms a friendship with Aaron and Eric. In the episode "
Spend Consumption is the act of using resources to satisfy current needs and wants. It is seen in contrast to investing, which is spending for acquisition of ''future'' income. Consumption is a major concept in economics and is also studied in many o ...
", Daryl and Aaron head out to find other recruits for Alexandria. In the episode "
Try Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * " Try (Ju ...
", Daryl spots a light some miles away, but when he and Aaron investigate, they find a group of mutilated walkers and their human victim; the latter has a "w" carved into her forehead. In the season finale "
Conquer Conquer may refer to: *Conquer (Soulfly album), 2008 * Conquer (Carl Thomas album), 2011 * "Conquer" (''The Walking Dead''), an episode of the television series ''The Walking Dead'' See also * *Conquistador (disambiguation) * Conqueror (disambi ...
", Daryl and Aaron find evidence of other people moving around the forest and begin to track them. Aaron tells Daryl about a group of survivors he recruited led by a man named Davidson who were ultimately exiled from Alexandria, and he personally had to escort them out without their weapons. They then see a lone survivor wearing a red poncho in the middle of a field and follow him. They lose track of the survivor and decide to scavenge supplies from some abandoned food trucks. However, they set off a trap that unleashes a horde of walkers on them and they are forced to take shelter inside a car. Daryl offers to risk his own life to help Aaron escape, but Aaron is adamant that they both escape together. At that moment,
Morgan Jones Morgan Jones may refer to: *Morgan Jones (actor, born 1879) (1879–1951), American silent film actor and screenwriter *Morgan Jones (actor, born 1928) (1928–2012), American film and television actor *Morgan Jones (broadcaster), Welsh television ...
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Lennie James Lennie Michael James (born 11 October 1965) is a British actor, screenwriter, and playwright. His work includes playing Morgan Jones in the television series, '' The Walking Dead'' and in its spin-off, '' Fear the Walking Dead'', and starring ...
) arrives and, with his help, Daryl and Aaron are able to escape. Aaron offers to bring Morgan to Alexandria, but Morgan politely refuses, saying that he needs to get to Washington, D.C., and shows them the map he picked up in the church, which Daryl recognizes. Daryl, Aaron, and Morgan arrive back at Alexandria in time to witness Rick executing Pete Anderson ( Cory Brill), a traitorous community member who had murdered Deanna's husband Reg (
Steve Coulter Steve Coulter is a team owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.Covitz, Randy (2003) "NASCAR trucks season preview: Rookie Kvapil moves in to championship truck", ''Kansas City Star'', 2003-02-16 His team, Xpress Motorsports, won the Truck Seri ...
). Meanwhile, the Wolves find Aaron's backpack, containing evidence of Alexandria's existence.


Season 6

During the finale of season 6, " Last Day on Earth", Aaron and several others volunteer to help Rick get medical attention for Maggie, who is labor. En route to Hilltop, the group discover all the roads are being blocked by a hostile group calling themselves the Saviors. The group realize they are being lured into a trap, and Aaron points out that one of the many walkers left by the Saviors as a diversion on a road had strands of Michonne's hair stuck to it. At one point, while the Saviors are taunting the group, a man they caught is being hung over a bridge with a chain tightly wrapped around his neck. Aaron wants to help him, but Rick tells him they need to save their bullets, and leave the man to die. Eventually,
Eugene Porter Eugene Porter, later revealed as Eugene Hermann Porter in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and is portrayed by Josh McDermitt beginning in the fourth season of the American televis ...
(
Josh McDermitt Josh McDermitt (born June 4, 1978) is an American film and television actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Eugene Porter on AMC's '' The Walking Dead''. In 2006, McDermitt appeared on ''Last Comic Standing'' as a contestant. McDermitt ...
) devises a plan to take the RV alone at night to lure the Saviors away from the others. However, while taking Maggie through the woods on a stretcher, the group are captured and disarmed by dozens of Saviors. They are then reunited with Daryl, Glenn, Michonne and
Rosita Espinosa Rosita Espinosa is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and is portrayed by Christian Serratos in the American television series of the same name. She accompanies Eugene Porter and Abraham Ford on a mission to Wa ...
(
Christian Serratos Christian Marie Serratos MovieTome ( born Bernardi, ; born September 21, 1990) is an American actress who played Rosita Espinosa in AMC's '' The Walking Dead'' TV series, based on the comic book of the same name. She is also known for playing Suz ...
), who are already held captive. After the group is lined-up on their knees, the Saviors' leader,
Negan Negan, later revealed as Negan Smith in the television series, is a fictional character in the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and in the television series of the same name. He was the leader of the Saviors, a group of survivors in the S ...
(
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966) is an American actor of television and film, best known for playing the character Negan in the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2016–2022), for which he has received critical acclaim. He ...
), introduces himself, and after telling them his plans for the group, he selects one of them to be beaten to death with a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire he calls "Lucille" as a punishment for killing his people. Negan chooses who is to die by playing "
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe"—which can be spelled a number of ways—is a children's counting rhyme, counting-out rhyme, used to select a person in games such as tag (game), tag, or for selecting various other things. It is one of a large group of s ...
", and the beating is shown from the point-of-view of whoever Negan says is "it".


Season 7

In the season premiere "
The Day Will Come When You Won't Be "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" is the seventh season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series '' The Walking Dead'', which aired on AMC on October 23, 2016. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Gre ...
", the murdered person is revealed to be
Abraham Ford Sgt. Abraham Ford is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and was portrayed by Michael Cudlitz in the American television series of the same name. In both mediums Abraham traveled the country with his girlfrien ...
(
Michael Cudlitz Michael Cudlitz (born December 29, 1964) is an American actor known for portraying John Cooper in the NBC/TNT drama series ''Southland'' for which he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2013, S ...
). Negan kills Glenn as well after an enraged Daryl attacks him. Aaron is forced to witness all of this. In the episode "
Service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...
", while the Saviors sack Alexandria, Aaron and Eric watch the commotion from their front porch while the Saviors steal a mattress out of their house. Eric tries to confront Rick concerning what he plans to do about Negan, but Aaron tries unsuccessfully to stop him, telling him that it is not the right time to start that discussion. In "
Go Getters "Go Getters" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series '' The Walking Dead'', which aired on AMC on November 20, 2016. The episode was written by Channing Powell and directed by Darnell Martin. ...
," Aaron is at Rick's house preparing for a race to collect supplies for his weekly offering to the Saviors, and goes to the stairs to let Rick have a private moment with Michonne before leaving to race. In the episode " Sing Me a Song," Aaron and Rick leave a box truck and stop there to rest for the night. Aaron and Rick approach a door with a sign that reads, "Go on, the only thing here is that you have problems." Under pressure to find supplies for the Saviors, they jump the door, and find another warning sign; this time, the writer threatens to shoot anyone who comes for their food, supplies or ammunition. Undaunted, they move beyond the signal and find a pond full of walkers. They see a dilapidated houseboat floating in the center of the pond. In the final mid-season episode, "
Hearts Still Beating "Hearts Still Beating" is the eighth episode and mid-season finale of the seventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series '' The Walking Dead'', which aired on AMC on December 11, 2016. The episode was written by Matthew Negrate ...
," Aaron and Rick risk their lives to get the supplies. However, the Saviors beat Aaron up anyway when they return to the Alexandria Safe-Zone after Negan takes offense to a note he left him.


Season 8

In season 8, Aaron joins the Militia to fight the Saviors alongside Eric. During a battle in " The Damned", Eric is shot and mortally wounded. In "
Monsters A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
", Eric urges Aaron to leave him and rejoin the fight. When Aaron returns, he is devastated to discover that Eric has died and reanimated as a walker. He watches in agony in Eric staggers mindlessly away with a nearby herd of walkers. In "
Something They Need "Something They Need" is the fifteenth and penultimate episode of the seventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series '' The Walking Dead'', which aired on AMC on March 26, 2017. The episode was written by Corey Reed and directe ...
," Aaron joins the others in going to the Oceanside community to take their weapons, but Oceanside gets the better of them and takes several of the hostage, including Aaron. For the rest of the season, Aaron stays in the Oceanside area alone, attempting to convince the women to help. As a result, he becomes
emaciated Emaciation is defined as the state of extreme thinness from absence of body fat and muscle wasting usually resulting from malnutrition. Characteristics In humans, the physical appearance of emaciation includes thinned limbs, pronounced and protrud ...
and weak. After killing a group of walkers and passing out, Aaron makes a speech to the women that rallies them to the Militia's aid. In the season finale, Aaron returns to the Hilltop with the women of Oceanside in time to ambush a group of attacking Saviors, killing them all with firebombs. After the war, Aaron adopts the baby Gracie, whose Savior father died in the same battle in which Eric was killed.


Season 9

Eighteen months after the end of the war, the communities live in peace, albeit a fragile one due to tensions between the Saviors and the other communities. Aaron is part of the crew working on a bridge. When a herd of walkers approaches the workers' camp, Aaron's left arm is crushed under a pile of logs. Daryl frees him, but community doctor Enid (
Katelyn Nacon Katelyn Nacon is an American actress. She played Elisia Brown in the go90 web series ''Tagged'' (2016–2018) and Enid on '' The Walking Dead'' (2015–2019). Personal life Nacon attended Woodstock High School, in Woodstock, Georgia. Career Na ...
) is forced to amputate his arm. Rick apologizes to Aaron as he recuperates, but Aaron reassures him, saying that thanks to him, "It's not the end of the world anymore... It's the start of a whole new one." Six years after Rick's disappearance, Aaron, his missing arm replaced by a metal prosthetic, has become a member of the council of the Alexandria Safe-Zone. When Rick's daughter Judith (
Cailey Fleming Cailey Presley Fleming is an American actress. She is known for her role as Judith Grimes on the AMC horror-drama television series '' The Walking Dead'' (2018–2022), and as young versions of Rey and Sylvie in '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' ...
) saves a group of people led by a woman named Magna (
Nadia Hilker Nadia Hilker is a German actress and model, known for her roles in ''Spring'' (2014), ''The 100'' (2016–2017), and '' The Walking Dead'' (2018–2022). Career Hilker was on camera for numerous German and international magazines and fashion co ...
), Aaron leads her group back to Alexandria. Aaron is a key participant in Alexandria's war with the Whisperers. He is present when the hostile group kills Jesus, and joins the Hilltop, Kingdom, and Alexandria communities in mourning him. After the Whisperers' leader,
Alpha Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , whic ...
(
Samantha Morton Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress and director. Known for her work in independent cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for tw ...
), murders several members of all three communities as punishment for her daughter
Lydia Lydia (Lydian language, Lydian: ‎𐤮𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣𐤠, ''Śfarda''; Aramaic: ''Lydia''; el, Λυδία, ''Lȳdíā''; tr, Lidya) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the mod ...
's (
Cassady McClincy Cassady Marie McClincy is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Lydia on the AMC horror-drama television series '' The Walking Dead'' since 2019. Life and career McClincy was born in Ohio and raised in Georgia. She got an agent a ...
) defection, Aaron accompanies Michonne and the remaining Alexandrians to help the Kingdom residents travel safely and move to the Hilltop.


Season 10

Months later, Aaron forms a militia to battle the Whisperers and destroy walkers. Aaron radios Gabriel at Alexandria to warn him about the recently discovered Whisperer mask at the beach, suggesting they go on lockdown. He and Michonne go the hunt for walkers, and he spots a few on a bridge and rushes in to kill them. Michonne saves him and angrily reminds him not to cross into Alpha's border. However, Aaron reminds her about the people they have lost and declares that he is "goddamn sick of being nice". Aaron and the others decide to cross Alpha's border to put out a fire caused by a crashed satellite in order to keep it from spreading to Oceanside. They discover the remains of the satellite and start combating the fire. The group runs out of water as a herd of walkers approaches the group. Aaron and the other start fighting off the herd. Later, the fire is put out and everyone recovers. Over the next two days, they fight wave after wave of walkers pouting in through the community's gates. After they destroy all of the walkers, Aaron helps clean up the mess. During a community meeting, Michonne tasks Aaron with leading a team to destroy another wave of walkers coming from the south. Under protest, Aaron takes Negan, whom he blames for Eric's death, as a member of the team. The two are immediately at odds, with Aaron demanding to know why Eric had to die, and Negan justifying his past actions as necessary to protect his people. When Negan says that Eric died because of Aaron's failure to protect him, an enraged Aaron replies that, by that logic, Negan is responsible for the death of his beloved wife Lucille, and that she must have died hating him. At that moment, a walker surprises them and attacks Aaron; he kills it, but gets blood in his eyes, leaving him blind and helpless as a herd closes in. Negan saves his life, however, and washes the blood from his eyes, restoring his vision. Despite owing Negan his life and eyesight, however, Aaron tells the council that he is too dangerous to be kept alive. When Negan escapes their captivity, Aaron leads the search party for him, during which he encounters a mysterious woman named Gamma (
Thora Birch Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress and producer. She made her feature film debut in 1988 with a starring role in ''Purple People Eater'', for which she received a Young Artist Award for "Best Young Actress Under Nine Years ...
), whose skill with killing walkers leads him to believe she would be a useful addition to the Alexandria community. He persuades her to come back with him. She turns out to be Alpha's sister and right hand, however, and tries to kill him. He is saved by Lydia and
Carol Peletier Carol, later revealed as Carol Peletier in the television series, () is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'', and the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Melissa McBride. Carol is intro ...
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Melissa McBride Melissa Suzanne McBride (born May 23, 1965) is an American actress. Her breakout role was Carol Peletier on the AMC series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2022). She has garnered critical acclaim and received multiple awards and nominations for h ...
). Aaron meets Gamma at the border on the bridge again and she asks if her infant nephew, who was left to die outside Hilltop, is still alive. Aaron says he was rescued by a family and is named Adam. She offers him information in exchange for seeing the boy. Before accepting any type of deal, Aaron makes her take off her mask and to tell the truth. Gamma says her real name is Mary, and reveals to him the location of Alpha's horde. Upon arriving back at Alexandria, Aaron is informed about
Siddiq Siddiq ( ar, صِدّیق, ; meaning "truthful") is an Islamic term and is given as an honorific title to certain individuals. The feminine gender for Siddiq is Siddiqah. The word is sometimes used as a title given to individuals by the Islamic pr ...
's (
Avi Nash Avi Nash is an American actor. He played Siddiq in the AMC television series '' The Walking Dead'' (2017–2020). Early life Nash was born in the United States, his father is Indo-Guyanese and his mother is from Mumbai. Nash started acting i ...
) death at the hands of the spy
Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
( Juan Javier Cardenas), whom Aaron had recruited. When Carol tells him not to blame himself, he reveals that he has been talking with a Whisperer and she has told him the location of Alpha's horde, explaining she just wants to see her nephew Adam. Daryl tells Aaron to summon a group from Hilltop to help them with the mission. He attends Siddiq's funeral, and then goes home to watch Gracie, telling her the story of how he and Eric first met. The following day, Aaron and the others go after Alpha and her horde, but she leads them into a cave and traps them with the horde. They navigate the cave and find a cord of dynamite, with which they try to destroy the herd. The explosion causes the cave to begin collapsing, trapping Magna and her friend
Connie Connie is a given name. It is often a pet form (hypocorism) of Concetta, Constance, Cornelia, or Cornelius. Given name or nickname Women * Connie Achurra, Chilean chef * Connie Binsfeld (1924–2014), American politician * Connie Booth ...
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Lauren Ridloff Lauren Ridloff (; born April 6, 1978) is a deaf American actress known for her roles as Connie in the TV series '' The Walking Dead'' and Makkari in the film '' Eternals''. Her breakthrough role was in 2018 with her lead performance in the Broa ...
) inside. Aaron returns to Alexandria to find that the Whisperers have attacked and killed several residents. They regroup at Hilltop, but are followed by the Whisperers' new leader,
Beta Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labiod ...
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Ryan Hurst Ryan Douglas Hurst (born June 19, 1976) is an American actor, known for his roles as Gerry Bertier in ''Remember the Titans'' (2000), Sgt. Ernie Savage in ''We Were Soldiers'' (2002), Tom Clarke in '' Taken'' (2002), Opie Winston in the FX dram ...
), and the horde of walkers. During resulting battle, Hilltop is nearly destroyed, but Aaron manages to escape with a wounded Luke (
Dan Fogler Daniel Kevin Fogler (born October 20, 1976) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He has appeared in films including ''Balls of Fury'', ''Good Luck Chuck'', ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'', '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grin ...
). In the nearby woods, Aaron encounters Negan, who tries to convince him that he is not a threat, but Aaron is too angry to hear Negan out. The confrontation is interrupted by the approach of a small herd, forcing Aaron to fight them off to protect the still-unconscious Luke while Negan escapes. At Oceanside, Aaron and Alden act as lookouts, and radio what they see to Gabriel. They manage to fight off the Whisperers, who are then further assisted Maggie, who had returned to help. Aaron, along with Alden, Maggie, and her escort, arrive at the Tower just in time to kill the invading Whisperers and save Gabriel's life. At the end of the war, after helping to defeat Beta and the horde, Aaron takes Gracie to reintroduce Maggie to her.


Casting

Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman (; born November 30, 1978)Löchel, Ingo"The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie – Robert Kirkman" Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013. is an American comic book writer, screenwriter and television producer. He is best known ...
briefly alluded during the ''
Talking Dead ''Talking Dead'' is a live television aftershow in which host Chris Hardwick discusses episodes of the AMC television series '' The Walking Dead'', '' Fear the Walking Dead'' and '' The Walking Dead: World Beyond'' with guests, including celebrity ...
'' episode for '' The Walking Dead'' episode "
Coda Coda or CODA may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * Movie coda, a post-credits scene * ''Coda'' (1987 film), an Australian horror film about a serial killer, made for television *''Coda'', a 2017 American experimental film from Na ...
" in November 2014 that the second half of the season would introduce a prominent gay character. Before Ross Marquand received the role of Aaron, he auditioned for the role of Gareth. Due to his comedic roots, the casting director thought Marquand was better suited to play Aaron, who has a more humorous personality, and so he returned to audition for the role. The casting call for Aaron used the codename Logan.


Development and reception

Aaron first appeared in the season five episode "
Them Them or THEM, a third-person plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fiction by Welsh ...
", and some critics compared his introduction to that of an
Other Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
from the
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television series, ''
Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
''. Laura Prudom for ''
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'' commented on his appearance at the end of the episode, as "a stranger called Aaron (Ross Marquand), the 'friend' who delivered their suspicious water supply, who may hold the key to their continued survival. But will the group be able to trust him — and is he worthy of their trust?" Ron Hogan for
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
commented that Aaron "pops up at the end of the episode looking entirely too clean and well-fed". Matt Fowler of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
noted that Aaron appears "in the final scene - a character comic fans will know well - off to lead our survivors into their next major arc." Ted Berg for ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' commented that "At the end of the episode, we meet a new dude, Aaron. Aaron's super preppy and way too clean for this world, so we can guess he's doing something evil even if the internet says that's not how it played out in the original graphic novel series." Although Aaron and Eric are boyfriends in the comic series, many viewers were still surprised due to the same-sex kiss the two shared in the episode " The Distance". In reviewing the episode "
Remember Remember may refer to: Film and television * ''Remember?'', a 1939 film starring Robert Taylor and Greer Garson * ''Remember'' (1926 film), an American silent drama film * ''Remember'' (2015 film), a Canadian film by Atom Egoyan, starring Chris ...
", Troy L. Smith commented that "Both Aaron and Eric play significant roles in the comic book. But their biggest contribution is their connection. The bond between the two should provide a sentimental element the show has been lacking a bit." Matt Fowler of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
reviewed " Forget" and commented that "Aaron, despite his short time on the series, has already leapt out as a really engaging character. More so than a lot of other characters were able to do in the past when they were newly introduced. ..You can easily see now why Aaron makes a great recruiter. He has a way of talking to people, as an "outsider" within his own community, that truly reaches them. And it was that outlying status that helped him get through to Daryl. Well, that and their time out with Buttons." Sean McKenna for ''TV Fanatic'' comments on Daryl saying "it was great to watch him and Aaron bond (after some angry hesitancy from Daryl) to the point where they had each other's backs, and Daryl was even willing to stop in for some spaghetti." Shane Ryan for ''
Paste Magazine ''Paste'' is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with studios in Atlanta and Manhattan, and owned by Paste Media Group. The magazine began as a website in 1998. It ran as a print publication fro ...
'' also commented on Daryl, "makes the biggest strides this episode, thanks to the kindness of Aaron, who shows some belief in the crossbow-wielding outdoorsman" and that Daryl "just needed somebody to believe in him, and to give him a purpose. Aaron did just that, and now he’s back in the fold". Patrick Kevan Day for the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' commented that Aaron and Eric "genuinely seem to be as pleasant as they seemed at first. Barring any horrific twists, it seems these two are as genuine as they come". Matt Fowler of IGN reviewed the episode "
Spend Consumption is the act of using resources to satisfy current needs and wants. It is seen in contrast to investing, which is spending for acquisition of ''future'' income. Consumption is a major concept in economics and is also studied in many o ...
" and commented that "I don't even think Aaron feels like an 'outsider' in Alexandria because he's gay. I think it's because he's a capable, caring person who will fight by your side. Unlike so many others." Zach Handlen of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' in a review of the episode "
Try Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * " Try (Ju ...
" commented of the Alexandrians that "that these people are absolute shit at going on runs outside the fence, unless it's Aaron on a recruiting trip". Chris Oshea for ''
Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...
'' in a review of the fifth season finale "
Conquer Conquer may refer to: *Conquer (Soulfly album), 2008 * Conquer (Carl Thomas album), 2011 * "Conquer" (''The Walking Dead''), an episode of the television series ''The Walking Dead'' See also * *Conquistador (disambiguation) * Conqueror (disambi ...
" commented that "Aaron and Daryl are likely going to start off next season with matching friendship bracelets." Ron Hogan from ''
Den of Geek! ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
'' in his review of the sixth season episode "
Now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Now ...
" appreciated the scene in the sewer tunnel with Maggie and Aaron after revealing her pregnancy: "It was wonderful work from Cohan, and while it just confirms what everyone's expected all along about just why Maggie has been staying home all season, it's still really well done because Aaron is a great character and we're all invested in Glenn and Maggie’s relationship." Eric is killed in the season eight episode "
Monsters A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
"; in the TV series he died from a gunshot wound, but in the comics he was killed instantly by a shot to the head. Cameron Bonomolo for comicbook.com commented that "Eric succumbing to his wounds, alone, is arguably a hell of a lot worse than taking a bullet to the head: at least comic book Eric didn't see it coming. Comic book Eric also didn't have to reanimate, and it may be hard for Aaron to get closure knowing his beloved is out wandering around as just yet another Walker in a herd of corpses. Though the specifics of their fates differed, both Erics died as result of a battle with Saviors — and we just may yet see a vengeful Aaron on the horizon." Eric Kain of ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' criticized the acting in the sequence where Aaron finds Eric, saying "The bad fake crying scene between Aaron and Eric could have been fixed so easily, so I'm a little confused why it ended up so unbelievable." In the ninth season episode " Who Are You Now?", Aaron was revealed to be a member of the council of Alexandria, with Erik Kain of
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describing him as "sporting his cool beard and a metal arm". After the death of his character in "
Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
", the actor who portrayed
Paul "Jesus" Monroe Paul "Jesus" Monroe (known as Paul "Jesus" Rovia in the television series) is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'', as well as the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by Tom Payne. Jesus s ...
commented on how Jesus and Aaron did not get into a romantic relationship, saying "I think it's unfair to the audience, to tease that Aaron and Jesus relationship. But it's also great that we have it in there. I’m happy they did that. ..I liked that they had a friendship, but I felt like a further relationship wasn’t necessarily required. I thought it would have been a bit lazy". In a review of the next episode "
Adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
", Kirsten Acuna for ''
Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...
'' said that "we see that Aaron is among those characters who's deeply affected by his friend's death, apologizing to Michonne on the mid-season premiere for not listening to her when it came to leaving their own community." In the tenth season episode "
Walk with Us "Walk with Us" is the twelfth episode of the The Walking Dead (season 10), tenth season of the Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic Horror fiction, horror television series ''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Walking Dead'' ...
", Aaron has an encounter with
Negan Negan, later revealed as Negan Smith in the television series, is a fictional character in the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and in the television series of the same name. He was the leader of the Saviors, a group of survivors in the S ...
who has joined the Whisperers as part of a plan to stop them. Noetta Harjo of ''Geek Girl Authority'' reviewed the episode, writing "Aaron is dragging an injured Luke (Dan Fogler) on a makeshift stretcher. When he sees Negan walk by in his Whisperer mask, Aaron grabs his sword. Negan tries to say it's not what Aaron thinks, but Aaron thinks he wants to kill Negan." Erik Kain for ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' said that "Negan tries to protest, but the only thing that prevents a fight is a handful of walkers showing up. Maybe Aaron will finally trust Negan when he learns the truth—or maybe he'll just trust him for one more episode before flipping again." Robert Balkovich for ''
Looper Looper may refer to: Animals * Cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni''), a member of the moth family Noctuidae * Inchworm, of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies People * Looper (surname), a Dutch-language surname with the meanin ...
'' commented in his review for the episode " One More" that "Both Gabriel and Aaron struggle with their relationship to their family — the community of Alexandria — throughout this episode. Gabriel's faith in the possibility of maintaining a safe home for them wavers, while Aaron occasionally loses sight of what it takes to keep their family alive and well. But in surviving their ordeal with Mays, it appears that each man gains a bit more resolve to refocus and keep pushing forward." Writing for ''TV Fanatic'', Paul Daily said that "The character development for them both is excellent, but Aaron is too much of an optimist, and I hope the altercation with Maes will veer him away from trusting people blindly." Marquand explained of Aaron in an interview about this episode that "I think it's certainly redeemable, but I think it's going to give Aaron pause, and it's going to make him really question the kind of man Gabriel is moving forward ..I don't think there's any way Aaron couldn't be wildly affected by that and not look at Gabriel as someone who may have changed irrevocably." A group led by Aaron encounters some Whisperers in the eleventh season episode " Out of the Ashes". Renee Hansen for ''Undead Walking'' said that "This episode shows some excellent screen time for Aaron and the inner turmoil he is fighting. He is teamed up with Jerry, who always puts a positive spin on things no matter the circumstances, and Carol, who tries to be a voice of reason to him." Erik Kain for ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' commented that with the Whisperers, "Aaron goes full torture-mode with one of them and there's a scuffle and ultimately Aaron has to cut the guy's hand off after he has a walker bite it as part of the interrogation." Alex McLevy for ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' said that "Carol is trying to learn empathy again, and Aaron's anger and fear were justified—but some acts can't just be shrugged off. Keith had to cut off his own hand, and that's on Aaron. So to leave him with a weapon and a group of people who are probably pretty pissed off at them, now? That’s not compassion; that’s foolhardy."


References

{{Portal bar, Comics, Speculative fiction/Horror Characters created by Robert Kirkman The Walking Dead (franchise) characters Comics characters introduced in 2009 Fictional LGBT characters in television LGBT characters in comics Fictional gay males Fictional amputees Fictional torturers