Damon Baird

 ( Fictional Aerospace Engineers ) 

Baird was chosen as the lead character of due to his status as a fan favorite character from the original trilogy who never had the spotlight. Lead level designer for Judgment Jim Brown thought of Baird as an interesting character who offers compelling storytelling opportunities. Writers Tom Bissell and Rob Auten wanted to explore an aspect of the series lore which is connected to the Emergence Day event; the story arc of Judgment, about the downfall of Kilo squad led by Baird, is presented in the aftermath of Emergence Day, a watershed moment that started the overarching narrative of the franchise. The creative team also wanted to depict Baird's character in his youth as the enthusiastic young leader of a squad, before he experienced his military career downfall and becomes a character widely regarded as the "cynical jerk" in the original trilogy.

Prior to the game's official announcement, Game Informer revealed shaded cover art featuring the silhouette of a muscle-bound man in chains; many fans initially assumed the unidentified man was Marcus Fenix. Bleszinski disclosed in an interview that the mysterious cover made for a "cool reveal", while fan interest in Baird was another motivator. The nature of Baird's interactions with the members of his squad in Judgment, including Cole as they had only known each other for one month by that point, were meant to convey the impression that Kilo Squad is not a cohesive military unit. The writers felt that this creates an interesting, "jagged" dynamic which had not existed in the original trilogy; the creative process was further informed by real life military servicemen who recounted their experiences to the writing team about working closely with team mates they had a genuine dislike for.

Within the series, Baird is depicted as a comic relief character and a mechanical genius who is very well-versed with technology, but also possesses an abrasive arrogance with a sarcastic tongue. Fred Tatasciore, who voices the character in all media, consider him to be an "annoying big brother" archetype who has a "big heart" but prefers a "tough love" approach. Producer Rod Fergusson disclosed in a 2012 interview that Baird is one of his favorite characters as they share similar personality traits, and that Baird makes sarcastic remarks that he would say in real life. Bissell and Auten explained in an interview with IGN that Baird is a rich kid who always wanted to be a mechanic and loves tinkering with machinery and robotics, aspirations his wealthy parents disapproved of. In terms of game mechanics, Baird or his robot companion Jack often fill the role of unlocking a locked or blocked door which represents a gameplay obstacle for the player at predetermined points of the single player campaigns in the series.

Baird's expertise in engineering and robotics is further emphasized in the sequels to the original trilogy where he is CEO of Damon Baird Industries, which mass-produces advanced automated robots and mechs for COG. In Gears of War 4 he provides the protagonists with a pair of militarized giant mechs, controllable and armored versions of standard builder mechs armed with giant staple guns, to aid them in combat against the Swarm, successors to the original Locust Horde. In Gears 5 he works closely with the COG in their war effort against the Swarm; his laboratory is situated in a side wing of a government building in the COG capital city of New Ephyra, where he introduces the player to new technology and mission updates. The dark and dingy design of his laboratory is contrasted with the polished halls of the building it is housed in, reflecting his personality differences with the politicians and government members of the COG.

Baird appears as the main character in Gears of War: Judgment, where it is revealed that he previously held the higher rank of lieutenant and was the leader of Kilo Squad. After using a weapon known as the Lightmass Missile to try to kill General Karn, Baird was put on trial for his actions and while the charges were ultimately dropped, Colonel Loomis demoted him to private and destroyed any chance of him becoming a commissioned officer again. The Aftermath campaign for Judgment showcases his return to the city of Halvo Bay in search of a ship to reach Azura during Gears of War 3 and his reunion with former Kilo squadmate Garron Paduk, who reveals that the fourth member of Kilo, Sofia Hendrick, was kidnapped by COG forces before Baird's arrival.

After the events of 3, Baird left the military to set up his own company, Damon Baird Industries, and used his engineering and mechanical expertise to help the world rebuild after the war. He created the automated robots, known colloquially as "DeeBees" after his own initials, to collect garbage and rubble. The DeeBees were eventually incorporated by COG into its security forces and weaponized, and they would appear as recurring enemies of the Outsider faction in Gears of War 4. Baird appears in the last act of 4 with his best friend Cole and his partner Samantha Byrne to aid Marcus, his son J.D. Fenix, and their friends Kait Diaz and Delmont "Del" Walker to fend off Swarm forces. He reveals to J.D., with whom he shares an antagonistic relationship, that he had been monitoring him and his friends from behind the scenes in order to protect him from COG leadership for deserting; in this manner, Baird was secretly responsible for helping JD, Del, Kait and Oscar Diaz escape Jinn's forces during a settlement raid earlier in the game. He plays a larger role in Gears 5 as he provides tactical and technical support for the reformed Delta Squad and their allies in their war effort against the Swarm and spearheads the mission to restore the Hammer of Dawn behind Jinn's back with the help of Garron Paduk.