Nathan Drake - Character Profile

Game = Uncharted

Biography

Youth and teenage years, (1982-1997)

Nate's birth name is unknown, although by the time he was a teenager, he had come up with the name "Nathan Drake" for himself.

By the time Nate turned five, his mother had committed suicide and his father relinquished custody of him to the state. He ended up in the Saint Francis Boys' Home, where he was raised by nuns and taught Latin. As he grew, he learned a great deal about the voyages of Francis Drake. By the time he was fifteen this knowledge led him to Cartagena, Colombia, where the Maritime Museum was holding a Francis Drake exhibit.

Included in the exhibit were Francis Drake's ring and astrolabe. Nathan's intention was to steal the ring, although he later stated that he was there to "reclaim" it, as it belongs in his family. While making preparations for the theft, he encounters both Victor Sullivan and Katherine Marlowe. Sullivan had been hired by Marlowe to steal the ring, and a confrontation ensues when both parties attempt their heists at the same time. After Marlowe ordered her men to kill Nate, Sullivan turned against her and helped Nate escape. They strike up a friendship, and Sullivan, impressed by Nate's skills and potential, becomes both a mentor and father figure to Nate.

1991-1992

As Nate and Sully's respect and relationship begin to grow within a year of meeting each other. Sully's words begin to stick with Nate about how he still has a lot to learn when he gets himself locked up in prison. Sully, who stood true to his words, bailed him out of the situation. This showed Nate how much he cares for him.

Character design

Personality

Perhaps Nathan Drake's most prominent trait is his humor and rather callous reaction to death. When overcoming enemies, he'll usually crack a joke, which might make him seem heartless, but could be seen as a result of his rather unorthodox lifestyle. This coupled with his disregard for the law and it's not surprising he grew up as a thief. Despite this, Drake is a good person. He prefers to stick to thieving and only kills in self defense. He is more compassionate than his associates, (besides Elena) and risks his life to save both Schafer and Jeff, even though he had known them for extremely short times.

Drake's personality is very much divided into two aspects, which present themselves more prominently with whoever he is with at the time. With his darker associates, such as Sully, Chloe or Flynn, he has a lesser regard for others and is willing to go through them to get what he wants. Examples of this being how he prepares to use Elena to fund a hunt for personal gain in U1 and how he goes behind Flynn's back and sleeps with Chloe, despite the latter claiming that she and Flynn shared a more than professional relationship.

When with Elena, his more compassionate side comes out. He makes a greater effort to help those around himself, as seen when he risks his life for Jeff, who he barely knew, but since Elena cared, so too did Nate. This side of his personality also displays itself when with his friends. Nate is extremely loyal, going to great lengths if those he loves are in danger. This may be a result of his phobia of commitment; he will stop those in his life from leaving him, but at the same time he distances himself repeately, this being the main reason Elena and Nate were enstranged during the events of U3.

Developer Comments

Nathan Drake's personality was based on the stereotypical romantic action-adventure hero, with inspirations stemming from early movie serials to modern action films.[11] Creative director Amy Hennig singled out the main characteristics this stereotypical hero - an "irreverent, roguish sense of humor", and "charm."[11] Inspiration was also taken from various screwball comedies, with the aim being a game that didn't take itself quite as seriously.[11] At the 2008 Game Developers Conference, lead game designer Richard Lemarchand revealed that Nate's character was based in part on Johnny Knoxville.[12] Lemarchand went on to say that they wanted to capture Knoxville's "coolness and goodness" in the character.[13] Amy Hennig later clarified that Knoxville was just one of the people that influenced Nate's design, with others including actors like Cary Grant.[11] She also attributed much of Drake's charm and charisma to Nolan North, saying that he was, in a way, their greatest inspiration.[11]

Lead cinematics animator Josh Scherr said that the ultimate intention with Nate was to create a character with an everyman persona; an "ordinary guy...who really had to work hard for every leap and climb, and who got visibly nervous when under fire."[14] His hand-to-hand skills are described by Sam Thompson, producer of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, as "fallible."[15]

Appearance

Nate is a Caucasian male, with dark brown hair and eyes which have changed throughout the games. They appear both blue and green at different points, if one looks at the in game shots in the Official Game Guide for U3. He has a muscular physique, a tan skin-tone, and is either 6'1 (North's own height) or 5'11, the later with minor evidence due to his mugshot stating him as six foot with shoes on) but his height has never been confirmed. Nate's face is square and angular, with a cleft-chin and squinty-eyes. His hair is short and spiky, and he usually sports a five o'clock shadow.

http://uncharted.wikia.com/wiki/Nathan_Drake

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