Neurodivergent (Headcanon) Alley: Aziraphale (Good Omens)

Now before anyone goes, “Hold on, he’s an angel!”, let me point to the existence of Saraqael. If there are angels who use wheelchairs, it stands to reason that there are also autistic angels. And once I latched onto this reading of Aziraphale, I couldn’t let it go. (More on Crowley another day, naturally!)

Aziraphale simply radiates the energy of a being that doesn’t fully know how to behave. His actions, by and large, are firmly led by his principles—which always spur him to help others, even if his help is sometimes misguided—and his personal loves—from human magic tricks to fine food to Crowley. They’re the reason why he miraculously fixes Anathema’s bike despite the risk of being caught out, why he exchanges eight months’ rent for a single Shostakovich record, and why he refuses to believe that Crowley would kill Job’s children.

So those are Aziraphale’s actions. His behavior, on the other hand, is frequently a bundle of nervous casting-about for what he’s meant to be doing. Whether it’s interacting with humans in a way that won’t rouse their suspicions, trying not to give anything away to a demon who’s come poking around, or attempting to play the part of the dutiful angel in front of other angels, he gets stuck in his head and constantly second-guesses himself. He comes across as someone whose skin doesn’t quite fit right. He’s a little too eager, lays on his deceptions a little too thick, and is a little too slow to pick up on where the situation is heading.

Part of the issue is that, while Aziraphale has slid into “shades of very, very light gray” over the millennia, he’s still attached to rules and quite beholden to what other angels think of him. On Neurodivergent Alley, I often talk about not caring about society’s rules/expectations as a deeply autistic trait, but the converse can be true too. Aziraphale is comforted by the idea of rules and structure, of always knowing the “appropriate” way to respond, but 1) he can struggle to actually do what’s expected of him and 2) when Heaven’s edicts contradict his own moral code, he gets tied into knots.

His tendency to get flustered and paralyzed with indecision can sometimes make Aziraphale feel like the damsel compared to Crowley’s doer, but he’s far from helpless. When he can get out of his way and act—often prompted, once again, by those guiding lights of his—we see someone who’s both knowledgeable and capable. His deep love of books makes him an ideal candidate for going into research mode, and once his mind latches onto something, he’s like a dog with a bone until he figures it out. He can be compassionate to a fault, putting himself in danger for the sake of helping others, but once he’s given his word to help someone, he intends to keep it at all costs.

Lastly, I want to talk a bit about what Aziraphale likes. As an angel, he doesn’t need to eat or drink, but he adores fine food and beverages. He likes the ritual of dining, and eating/drinking is an indulgent sensory experience for him. His deep and abiding love of books has helped him fill his shop with favorite volumes, rare treasures, and homey comfort objects, to the point that he can’t bear the thought of actually selling any of them. And he loves human magic tricks, which are one thing guaranteed to bring out happy-stimming in him. The mere thought of performing magic makes him light up, and when he and Crowley visit the magic shop in season 2, you can see him all but physically bursting with excitement at every trick the proprietor shows him. His love for it is so guileless and unbridled, and it’s really lovely to see.