Aech

Living... in 2045, in an increasingly grim world.

Visiting... the OASIS, the expansive virtual reality entertainment universe where people can do anything or be anyone they want. The sky’s the limit, and Aech’s avatar is a burly, deep-voiced purple giant.

Profession... mechanic. Since people mostly live in the OASIS any way, that’s where Aech works too. He’s an ace mechanic who designs custom vehicles on commission. He can also fix just about anything too.

Interests... racing, building cars, working on a custom version of The Iron Giant. He spends most of his time with his best friend Wade Watts. They’ve never met in the real world, but Wade and Aech have each other’s backs no matter what. 

Challenge... finding the Golden Easter Egg. In addition to working as a mechanic, Aech is also a “Gunter” or “egg hunter.” Gunters are obsessed with completing the challenge left behind by OASIS creator James Halliday after he died. Whoever can find three hidden keys and the accompanying Golden Egg will be granted total ownership of the OASIS. Though they aren’t officially part of a “clan,” Aech and Wade often work together on their egg-hunting quest. After all, anything would be better than seeing the OASIS fall into the hands of the evil corporation Innovative Online Industries and its villainous CEO Nolan Sorrento. Aech isn’t quite the expert on Halliday and his love of 1980s pop culture in the way that Wade is. But his mechanic skills always come in handy.

Personality... it’s complicated. Part of the appeal of the OASIS is that you can be anyone you want to be inside of it. So how Aech appears in the game might not actually reflect what he’s like in the real world. As Aech warns Wade when he starts to fall for a beautiful Gunter named Art3mis, “She could actually be a three hundred pound dude who lives in his mama’s basement in suburban Detroit. And her name is Chuck. Think about that.” Still, no matter the universe, it’s clear that Aech is loyal, brave, and always quick with a joke.