Aaron (TV Series)

"I know you’re feeling like an outsider. It’s not your fault, you know. Eric and I, we’re still looked at as outsiders in a lot of ways. We’ve heard our fair share of well meaning but hilariously offensive things from some otherwise really nice men and women. People are people. The more afraid they get, the more stupid they get. Fear shrinks the brain."

- Aaron to Daryl about his experiences of being an outsider.

Aaron is a main character and survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. Aaron is a recruiter for the community of the Alexandria Safe-Zone. Aaron's good-natured and charitable personality mixed with his survival skills and good judge of character made him a valuable asset to recruiting new members for the community. He went along with his boyfriend Eric, who both met before the apocalypse and fell in love. Aaron was responsible for bringing Rick's group into Alexandria and developed a close bond with Daryl Dixon due to both of them being outsiders, as Aaron and Eric are still victims of homophobia within the community.

Personality
Aaron is described as "an affable, good-natured, adventurous guy. Despite feeling like a bit of an outsider for most of his life, he's passionate about people and the good they can do. He doesn't think twice about putting himself in danger if he believes something positive can come from it."

Aaron had been mistreated and ostracized most of his life, mostly due to him being openly gay and the reaction of people's homophobia, including abuse from his own mother. Despite this, Aaron consistently saw the good in these people even though they were being offensive. He has a good judge of character and sees the best in everyone. Aaron is very altruistic and always wanted to help people, causing him to join a NGO and give supplies to those living in the Niger River Delta.

Alongside his charitable personality, Aaron also has a sense of humor and optimism. He aims to keep people at ease with him. Sometimes his humor goes over people's heads, but he still aims for people to see the brighter side of things as he does. One of the things he enjoys doing is photography and collecting memorabilia from the places he had visited. After the apocalypse, he began collecting license plates from each state to create a mural on a wall in his house.

Aaron extremely loves and cares for Eric, his boyfriend. Both had been outsiders, treated with bigotry, and were the only people in the world who understood each other. Both worked together in recruiting outsiders for Alexandria as well as collect license plates for their collection. Aaron is willing to tolerate many things, but one thing he can't tolerate is Eric being threatened or harmed in any way. He would even result to violence, something he is usually against, if it meant defending Eric, including putting himself in danger.

After Aaron brought Rick's group into Alexandria, he and Eric grew a close-bond to one of the group members, Daryl. Aaron saw that, like himself and Eric, Daryl was an outsider to both his own group and Alexandria and that people fear him even thought they do not know him. Because of Eric's near-death experience, Aaron had him retire and gave the position to Daryl so that Eric could stay safe and that Daryl could get out more and be himself. Aaron's affection gave Daryl purpose and was willing to sacrifice himself for Aaron's safety.

Washington D.C.
Little is known about Aaron's life before or after the outbreak began. Aaron is openly gay and, as a child, was forced to eat food he did not like by his mother to 'make him more manly'. He lived in Washington D.C. and had worked for a non-government organization as an adult where he was tasked with giving supplies and food to people in need in the Niger River Delta and often encountered dangerous people in the process.

Through working in the NGO, he met Eric. Aaron and Eric soon became best friends and worked well together in Nigeria, with Eric knowing how to handle the nature of the Nigerian terrain. The two developed a deep-trust and eventually fell in love and soon lived together in D.C. But when they were out together, both of them were victims of homophobia by people who, according to Aaron, were well-meaning but otherwise offensive and bigoted.

Post Apocalypse
Aaron and his boyfriend, Eric, were living together in Washington D.C. when the outbreak went global. Due to being in D.C. at the time, Aaron and Eric were directed by the military to evacuate to a safe-zone in Alexandria, Virginia in a suburban area. Ohio Congresswoman, Deanna Monroe, and her family had also been evacuated there, being told that the military would return for them. The military, however, never arrived. Aaron and Eric remained with the Monroe family and several others, as they saw promise with the safe-zone. Eventually, walls were built around the area and a community was formed.

The community now had Deanna as leader. She believed that who people were mattered in sustaining the community. Because of Aaron and Eric's work in the NGO, their charitable nature, and ability to travel in dangerous terrain, it made them assets in the recruiting program designed to bring in more survivors. Aaron and Eric were tasked with finding survivors and monitoring them for several days and see if they were eligible for the community. Aaron would then approach the survivors with the news, with Eric being his guard, and bringing the survivors back to the safe-zone for "auditioning."

In their spare time, Aaron and Eric began a hobby of collecting license plates from abandoned cars from each state, making a mural of all fifty states in their home. They also collected other vintage items to decorate in their home. In order to convince survivors to join the safe-zone, Aaron took up photography and took pictures of the community as evidence. Back at the safe-zone, despite rescuing a majority of the members there, the community still treated Aaron and Eric as outsiders because of intolerance towards their relationship, causing Aaron to avoid any gatherings and events of the community.

At one point, Aaron and Eric recruited a man named Davidson who was the leader of a small group, but the group could not reside peacefully in the community. Deanna exiled them and had Aaron, Nicholas, and Aiden drive them out. The recruiting for larger groups was suspended, focusing now on lone survivors. This occurred for several months until Deanna realized that in order for the community and its members to survive, they would need more people who have been out there longer to teach them how to handle the new world and thus Aaron started to look for larger groups along with Eric.

"Them"
As Sasha and Maggie watch the sunrise, Aaron appears from the woods and carefully approaches the women. He comes off as friendly and cautious, greeting the pair and asking to speak with their leader before informing them that he has good news.

"The Distance"
Maggie and Sasha bring Aaron to the barn where the rest of the group is. They have taken all his possessions away beforehand. Aaron wants them to come back to his community with him. Rick chooses not to believe him, and tells the group that Aaron has another agenda. Aaron shows them a small set of photographs of his community which he taken as evidence of its existence. As Aaron is explaining what his community is about and emphasizing on its security, Rick punches him in the face, knocking him out. After he wakes up, Aaron remains positive towards the group.

Rick asks Aaron about the number of people waiting for his group. Aaron responds saying how it does not matter whether he informed him of how many, as it would not affect whether or not he would trust him any more than he does then informs him that there is only one. Aaron also reveals that he and his accomplice have vehicles that they had tried to bring closer to the barn, but had been blocked by the trees. Rick orders Abraham, Rosita, Glenn, Maggie, and Michonne go to check out the vehicles, whilst everyone but Rick and Judith stand guard. As the groups leave, Rick warns Aaron that if his people do not return in one hour, he would kill him. When Judith starts crying, Aaron offers Rick some of the apple sauce in his bag. Rick forcefeedss it to Aaron before Judith to ensure it is not poisoned. When everyone returns with the food from Aaron's vehicles, Aaron again tries to persuade them to leave for his community, which Michonne persuades the others to do. He gives them instructions on a clear route, but Rick decides to take an uncleared at night.

Aaron rides in a car with Michonne, Glenn and Rick to his community. When showing Michonne the pictures from his community, she wonders where the pictures of his people are and grows concerns. She asks him Rick's three questions which reveals hess killed a lot of walkers and two people who tried to kill him first. After the group runs into numerous walkers, the car eventually crashes and stalls due to walker parts in the engine. When a lit flare is seen from afar, Aaron starts to panic, concerned of his partner's safety. He frantically requests for his freedom, but after the group denies him, he starts to become violent, kicking the door open and knocking Michonne over, running off into the forest. The others follow him, with Glenn saving his life when a walker attacks him. They then save Rick and Michonne from a group of walkers attacking them. When they arrive at where the flare was fired, they reunite with the group. Aaron shares an emotional reunion with his boyfriend, Eric, who has twisted his ankle. Aaron then thanks the rest of the group for saving Eric and tells them they'll leave in the morning. Rick tries to keep him from sleeping next to Eric but Aaron is determined, saying he'd rather be shot. In the morning, Aaron is in the RV watching over Eric. He tells Noah that at his community there is a doctor who could fix his leg. He is then seen exiting the RV when they reach the safe zone.

"Remember"
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 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. 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.

"Forget"
Aaron went out of the safe-zone as Daryl was and followed him, under the guise of hunting rabbits. When Daryl spotted Aaron, he questioned Daryl if he could really tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy. Aaron then joins Daryl on the hunt. During which, they come across Buttons, a wild horse Aaron and Eric have been trying to wrangle for months. When Daryl attempts to get Buttons, they are attacked by Walkers and flee the area.

Aaron reveals that he knows how Daryl feels, like an outsider. Aaron went on to explain how before and even now back at the safe-zone, him and Eric are seen as outsiders because of people's homophobia. Aaron goes on to mention that people fear what they don't understand and that Daryl should join the safe-zone's welcoming party. 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 out of its misery. Aaron went back to the safe-zone but didn't 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 and reveal that Eric is retiring and Daryl is to take his place. Daryl is grateful and forms a friendship with Aaron and Eric.

"Spend"
Aaron can be seen in his car, behind Daryl. The two of them are going on a mission to find new recruits.

"Try"
Aaron and Daryl are out in the night and they saw something and they go check it out. When they were still out in the woods they found a body ripped apart then they found a walker tied up and she had a W on her forehead then Daryl kills it then they keep moving.

"Conquer"
Aaron first appeared in the episode along with Daryl. The two were following a man with a poncho, smearing mud all over his face. Aaron asked Daryl what the man was doing, and Daryl told him the man knew how to keep the bugs by using the mud. The two then kept on following the man, up until they lost him, and went to a seemingly abandoned building with large trucks on the parking lot. The building was gated. He then told Daryl that they needed more food for the people at Alexandria. The two then began to kill the walkers that were near the place by drawing them to the gates. As they finished, they opened the gate, and Aaron was thrilled to have finally find another plate number he has been searching for many times before. The truck was locked, and Daryl opened it up, only to be shocked by a stream of walkers from each of the truck, where the walkers closed their attention to the two of them, filling the once empty parking field as they try to reach both him and Daryl. The two were forced to get into a car. While, they are searching for a thing to block the windows, he found a note from someone who was trapped in the car before, the note says; "Don't Stay, Bad People Coming".

Upon finding the note, Daryl, and Aaron engaged in a conversation. Aaron told Daryl that he knew he and Rick's group were good people, after he saw Daryl telling his group about the barn he found when he was alienating himself from the group. And when Daryl told Aaron to stay put while he would try to run to the gate, Aaron refused to stay and insisted he would go with Daryl. Daryl gave him a smile, and Aaron smiled back. Just a second before the two opened the doors, a man saved them, which was none other than Morgan. After they were saved, Aaron introduced himself and Daryl to Morgan, and asked him to join Alexandria. Morgan refused, and asked for directions instead. As he gave the map to Daryl, Daryl was surprised that the map Morgan used was Abraham's map with Abraham's handwriting of how sorry he was for being a douchebag towards Rick, and that the new world was gonna need Rick Grimes.

Later on, right after Reg died, and Pete was executed by Rick, He, and Daryl returned along with Morgan. Aaron was seen shocked by what happened before he returned.

Season 6
Aaron will appear in this season.

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Aaron has killed:
 * Buttons (Out of Mercy)
 * Two unnamed hostile survivors
 * Numerous counts of zombies.

Eric
"This is your fault, you know?... Because I love you."

- Eric to Aaron after the two reunite

Eric is Aaron's boyfriend who both met before the apocalypse. Aaron had been working in an NGO based in Washington D.C. that gave supplies and relief to those living in the Niger River Delta, and through working in the NGO he met Eric. The two worked together and then fell in love. Afterwards they lived in D.C. together as partners. However, when they were together, they both were treated with homophobia by people who saw them together. Aaron fiercely loves Eric and does whatever it takes to defend him, even if it means resulting to violence.

When the outbreak went global, Aaron and Eric were in D.C. and by the military were directed to the Safe-Zone in the Alexandria community. Led by Deanna Monroe, she gave the role of recruiters to Aaron and Eric due to their experiences in the NGO. While in Alexandria, they have a house together which is decorated with vintage nicknacks and photography. While on their outings, Aaron and Eric would collect license plates together from each state and then create a mural on a wall in their house. Despite the end of the world and being partly responsible for the rescue and safety of a majority of Alexandrian residents, Aaron's relationship with Eric was still met with hostility and being ostracized. Being together outside of the walls during recruitment was one of the few times Aaron and Eric could be together without anyone judging them.

The two care for each other deeply, as evidenced by Aaron visually sterned when Rick threatened to kill them both, and again when the chaos starts within the group. Aaron became extremely distraught by the flare being shot by Eric, signaling that he was in danger. Aaron was willing to let himself be in danger just try to get to where Eric was. And again, when the two reunite, the two kiss passionately, as Eric said it's Aaron's fault he got injured, because he loves him. Aaron is also shown to be very protective towards his boyfriend, as shown when Rick didn't allow Aaron to be with Eric since he doesn't trust either of them. Aaron warned Rick that nothing can stop him from being with Eric other than shooting him. Because of Eric's near-death experience, Aaron became to worried for Eric's sake and had him retire with Daryl replacing him.

Rick Grimes
"Does it matter?... I mean, of course it--it matters how many people are actually out there, but does it matter how many people I tell you are out there? Because I'm pretty sure no matter what number I say--Eight. Thirty-two. Four hundred forty-four. Zero.--No matter what I say, you're not going to trust me."

- Aaron to Rick.

Rick is initially highly suspicious of Aaron, to the point of tying him up and interrogating him. Rick also threatens to kill him even though Aaron has given evidence of his community and how his community is. Nevertheless, Aaron still has a soft spot for Rick and the rest of his group, as shown how he willingly risks his life to talk with Rick and his boyfriend's life to follow Rick several weeks back before the two eventually decide to confront the group.

Later when Pete was executed by Rick, after Pete killed Reg, he, and Daryl returned along with Morgan. Aaron was seen shocked by what happened before he returned. How this will affect him remains unknown.

Glenn Rhee
"We can make it together, but we can only make it together. You said that. I was listening."

- Aaron to Glenn

Aaron and Glenn have a fair relationship. Glenn appears to be distrustful along with his group towards Aaron and what he offers. Glenn does not appear to be in shock when Rick punches him in the face, knocking him out. The distrust that Glenn has towards Aaron elevates when he and some of his members go to where Aaron says where his car is. Glenn tells the group to shoot anyone whom they come across. However, despite the distrust Glenn has, the two reconcile, as shown by when Glenn finds Aaron, still tied up, and puts down by a walker attacking him. Glenn sets him loose and tells him to run off while there's still a chance. Aaron disagrees, saying that they need to stay together, no matter what, because that's the only way they can survive.

Daryl Dixon
"I know you’re feeling like an outsider. It’s not your fault, you know."

- Aaron to Daryl

Aaron and Daryl have formed a close-bond with each other and have become good friends. When Aaron and Daryl first met, Daryl treated him as dangerous and had no patience with him. After Aaron brought the group into the Alexandria Safe-Zone, he had Deanna hold out a position for Daryl in the community. Since Eric was almost killed in the last recruitment, Aaron had Eric retire too keep him safe. He followed Daryl out of the safe-zone and revealed that Daryl knows better than Rick when it comes to deciding whether or not people are good. Aaron explained that he understands Daryl because he knows that Daryl's an outsider. Aaron said that he and Eric have been seen as outsiders their whole lives, and even still back at the safe-zone, because of people's homophobia. Aaron invited Daryl to the welcome party being held by Deanna. That night, Daryl arrived but instead declined to join. Aaron stayed at home with Eric and invited Daryl to have dinner with them. Aaron surprised Daryl with his own motorcycle and gave him the position as a fellow recruiter. Aaron and Daryl thus began their friendship.

Afterwards, Aaron and Daryl ventured out together to look for new recruits. Along the way, they came across camps that were scavenged and destroyed by the Wolves, including one woman being horrifically murdered. When attempting to recruit a lone survivor, they came across a food plant and looked for supplies, unaware of it being a trap set by the Wolves which involved herds being locked in the trucks and released upon triggering it. When trapped in the car in the lot, Daryl was willing to sacrifice himself to let Aaron get out and back to the Safe-Zone, Aaron argued that they were in this together, and that it was Daryl that made him decide to take his group in when Daryl saved the group by bringing them to the barn. After being saved by Morgan, Aaron and Daryl fought the Walkers and brought him back to Alexandria.

Morgan Jones
Morgan and Aaron first interact when he rescues him and Daryl when they are trapped in a van surrounded by walkers after falling for a trap set up by the Wolves. Grateful, Aaron tells him of Alexandria and though he refuses at first but upon learning of their connection to Rick, Aaron takes him back.

Season 5

 * "Them"
 * "The Distance"
 * "Remember"
 * "Forget"
 * "Spend" (No Lines)
 * "Try"
 * "Conquer"

Trivia

 * Robert Kirkman hinted on a Talking Dead special in November 2014 that the second half of Season 5, "will contain a very prominent gay character from the comics", likely referring to Aaron. Ross Marquand was later confirmed in January 2015 by TVLine to be playing the character.
 * Before Ross Marquand received the role of Aaron, he auditioned for the role of Gareth. Because of Ross' comedic roots, the casting director thought he would be better suited for Aaron because of the character's humorous personality and had Ross return shortly after auditioning for Gareth to audition for Aaron.
 * The codename for the casting-call of Aaron was Logan.
 * Ross Marquand confirmed that Aaron and Eric were in a relationship before the apocalypse. That they met through work in their NGO and lived together in D.C., becoming one of the original members of the Safe-Zone.
 * Aaron is the first openly male homosexual in the series and the third openly homosexual character, the first being Tara Chambler, followed by Alisha.