Nathan Drake: The Importance of Companions (Uncharted Video Game Analysis)
Nathan Drake has the most important contributor to any feeling of long-term life fulfilment: good companions.
Nathan Drake, the athletic, adventurous, bold, charming lead of the Uncharted video game series, is an excellent example of what an exciting life can look like. His life is filled with twists and turns, ups and down, excitement, emotion, and a few periods of normalcy and boredom. All in all, Nathan Drake, or “Nate” as his allies refer him to, has had a relatively purposeful and enviable life. He is one of the best, if not THE best treasure hunter in the business, and he has contacts from everywhere around the globe. He has discovered list cities, reaped vast amounts of treasure, and has conquered almost every human fear imaginable.
However, not alot of people know about what is probably his primary reason for his success: his many companions. We can see how much Nathan Drake values his companions. He trusts them, is loyal to them, and will do what is necessary to do right by them. He sometimes messes up, however he always comes through for his allies in the end.
As thrilling as the next adventure may be, in the end, you’re always left with that same feeling.
Nathan Drake (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)
So how does each of his companions benefit the life of Nathan Drake. Well, here are his main companions on his long journey:
Victor “Sully” Sullivan (The Father Figure)
Victor Sullivan, or “Sully”, as his allies affectionately refer to him as, is the father Nathan Drake never had. He guides, admonishes, protects, advises, and cares for our swashbuckling, daredevil hero. From the games, we see him deeply caring for Nate, and guiding him to make the right decisions. At times, Sully is frustrated at Nate, particularly when Nate’s headstrong nature gets the better of him, which lead him to make reckless and impulsive decisions, but in the end is understanding of Nate and does his best to protect Nate from himself at times. Sully knows from a deep, fundamental point who Nate is and what drives him, and such an understanding, built from their many adventures together over the years, is what has built their father-son-like bond.
Sully discovered the young, teenage Nathan Drake as a street-wise pickpocket on the streets of Cartagena, Columbia, where Sully was completing a hired job. Nate attempted a pickpocket on the more experienced Sully, which failed. Ironically, the failed attempt impressed Sully enough to take Nate under his wing, which then led to their almost 20-year partnership. Through their partnership, Sully has been a guiding force for the young adventurer as he matured, teaching him the world of treasure-hunter as well as giving him life lessons Nathan has taken to his life in the future.
Sully and Nate have a more unusual father-son-like dynamic compared to most found in the world, in the sense that their relationship is more like equal sparring partners rather than an authoritative parenting dynamic. If the history of Sully and Nate was unknown to us, we would think that the two could fit together in a buddy-cop film. However, their partnership highlights how important good mentors and parental figures are in one’s life to guide us and to help us make good life decisions, especially when we are in the heat of emotion. Like Sully and Nate, find such figures in your own life, people with more experience than you and that are willing to teach you without commanding you like a child. Good, nurturing, encouraging parental figures, such as maybe teachers at school, people from the older generation you are close to, or even (of course) your biological parents, are invaluable for your own progress though life.
Samuel “Sam” Drake (The Blood Brother)
Samuel “Sam” Drake, Nathan Drake’s older brother, is just as enigmatic, free-spirited, and reckless as his younger sibling. He is a representation of the past that Nate tried to leave behind. Incredibly sentimental of his past adventures and obsessive of claiming glory and accomplishment within the treasure-hunting world the same way Nate has, he at times make even more reckless decisions that Nate. Their dynamic is strange, in that it has shifted from an older-younger sibling dynamic from their youth to a dynamic where both Nate and Sam are at equal footing with each other as both has matured.
Nate and Sam were both born as Nathan Morgan and Samuel Morgan, and took up the name Drake in order to evade the authorities and start a new life. On one mission during their time as young adults, Nate was forced to escape a prison without Sam, leaving Sam for dead as Nate believed he was killed by gunshot. This led to Sam spending the next 15 years in that same isolated prison, away from society and the brother he loves dearly. When Sam was finally released from prison, the brothers met each other, and their brotherly connection was rekindled, with Sam holding no resentment towards Nate for leaving him in the prison. Even though their paths eventually diverged, then converged again, their adventures together as well as apart captures perfectly the courageous and adventurous spirit that runs in their blood.
Sam does alot of questionable things throughout his time after being released from prison, such as lying to Nate in order to find a treasure with him. Despite this, his actions come from a place of love, a yearning for self-fulfilment, and even a bit of impulsiveness and short-sightedness. Many times, Sam needed Nate to rein him in and straighten him out, essentially switching sibling roles with Nate at times and taking on the role of younger brother. It is clear that his time in prison has slowed own Sam’s maturation process, but that has not diminished his capacity for concern, brotherly love, and internal values. Sam is the only one in the series that has literally taken a bullet for Nate, which demonstrates his deep love for his brother. Sam is not perfect, but he is still an important part of Nate’s life, and a valuable companion in Nate’s journey.
The sibling dynamic between Sam and Nate is one born from the glorious past. Sam represents the past in that he wants to make up for lost time in finding treasures and going on adventures. He also wants to make up for lost time with his brother, even if it means lying to Nate and pulling him on one more treasure hunt before Nate accepts the responsibility of family and leaves the game behind. This is the great advantage those with siblings have. If you have a sibling, you have someone that you can share adventures (or misadventures) with, care for and protect. You will have a sparring partner, someone that will push you to be better and someone that can, in turn, teach you a thing or two as well (given that you have an open mind). A sibling, especially a blood sibling, is someone you can reminisce the past with, while at the same have the support of no matter path you take into the future.
Siblings are not the only ones you can share this kind of bond with. If you have a best friend that you treat as a sibling, you can experience the same benefits. A loyal, caring, honest best friend that will admonish you with love when you’re wrong but is also open to your suggestion is as valuable as a blood sibling. Find a sibling figure in your own life and treat them as such, and they will treat you the same way, which will enrich your life in incredible ways.
Chloe Frazer (The Past Fling)
Chloe Frazer, the sultry, daring, feisty, courageous, loyal treasure-hunter of Indian-Australian descent, shares a complicated history with Nathan Drake. Chloe is a past love interest of Nate, and she has shared Nate’s love for risk-taking, adventure, and flamboyant heroism. She shares Nate’s impulsivity and willingness to jump into danger. One can even argue that she is what Nathan Drake would be if Nathan Drake was female! Such similarities between Nate and Chloe is probably what has led to them being attracted to each other and eventually becoming lovers. Despite her dark qualities of ambitious aggression and sexuality, she still exhibits admirable qualities such as loyalty, and compassion, even if her will for self-preservation can sometimes take the lead in her decision-making. Her relationship with Nate represents the part of Nate’s life that is essentially predicated on freedom, adolescent adventure, and living in the present moment.
Chloe Frazer makes her first appearance in the second game, and makes a later appearance in the third game. She is introduced in the second game as a past sexual partner to Nate, however it was never serious. The bantering and flirtations between the two continues throughout the second game, which underlies the explosive sexual tension between the two. We see Chloe making exploit after exploit in the games, which contributes to Nate’s attraction to her. As Nate is also just as dangerous and risk-seeking as she is, not to mention just as physically attractive, Chloe can’t help but feel intense attraction to Nate as well, although neither of them acted upon them after the first few parts of the game where they make out in a hotel. However, their relationship has become much more platonic and professional in the third game, which indicates that Chloe is not as attractive to Nate due to Nate’s maturing and development throughout the series. Due to Nate never committing to her long term, it is clear that Chloe is just some harmless fun to Nate. Someone that can give Nate benefits while not requiring any commitment. She represents Nate’s adolescent side, like the frat boy that like to pick up girls at college parties. She is a representation of pure passionate, sexual love without the emotional depth or long-term commitment.
Through Chloe Frazer’s inclusion as a character, we get a glimpse of what youthful desire can make people do. She represents all of Nate’s adolescent desires without the burden of responsibility. If you are in such a relationship, make it clear to your partner, and have self-awareness for yourself that you are still in that immature phase of your life. Understand that there will come a time where you must take on more mature responsibility for your chosen partner, whoever she is, and resolve to commit to them long term. Youthful, impulsive, uncontrolled desire can stunt one’s maturation, so it is best to leave such behaviour to the transience of youth.
Charlie Cutter (The Professional Contact)
Charlie Cutter, the English treasure hunter that first appears in the third game of the series, takes on the role of a professional associate to Nathan Drake. He is smart, dependable, and tough-as-nails, and he serves as a representation of what a good, reliable colleague would be. His imposing physical presence belies his expertise, intellect, witty banter and trustworthiness. During his adventures with Nate, he provides expert skills, string principles, and exciting verbal sparring that will give the ever clever Nate a run for his money, even on a good day. He is a go-to guy for Nate whenever a job becomes too difficult for Nate to tackle alone.
Charlie helps Nate throughout the third game as a valuable member of the team, providing strength, leadership by example, and knowledge of the world of treasure-hunting. We can easily see that Nate has tremendous respect for what Charlie represents and what Charlie brings to the table. Despite his rugged and lumbering appearance, Charlie exhibits professionalism and finesse in carrying out his missions. He is a valuable resource to the team until he breaks his leg while with Nate and the team in Syria, forcing him out of the game’s subsequent missions. His persistence in completing the job and his vast skills, all the while throwing out clever quips and a few fists to their enemies, is crucial to the completion of any mission he is aiding Nate in completing.
If Charlie Cutter and Nathan Drake were typical work colleagues in the real world, Charlie would be well beloved by the entire office. He is a metaphor of someone that you would have a good, friendly, yet highly competitive professional relationship with. His appearance in the games should inspire us to search out good peers that are either on the same level of expertise as us, or slightly greater to push us forward. In the school yard, search out an academic rival, befriend them, and push each other to be better. In the workplace, find a high-performing colleague that is as skilled and talented as you are, and build your professional relationship with them. In your sports league, find a worthy rival, follow their exploits, build a connection with them, and see where you can get the advantage over them. Search out your friends that you can spar with and compete with on a personal level, and create a little rivalry between you two. Find your own Charlie Cutter, or even be a Charlie Cutter to another, and have that constant example of professionalism in your own circle of companions.
Harry Flynn (The False Companion)
Harry Flynn, the two-faced, double-crossing, deceitful, treacherous secondary antagonist of the second game, is a representation of wolves in sheep’s clothing when it comes to friends and allies. Harry Flynn, the British treasure hunter whose betrayal of Nate eventually lands the latter in prison for 3 months, starts off as the charming, albeit cocky companion of Nate at the start of the game. He eventually turns on Nate when he realizes that his interests are better served by working against our main hero. His actions gives us warnings to how dangerous false friends can be in our lives, and how a false companion can slow down one’s progress in life.
Harry re-enters Nathan Drake’s life by requesting his assistance on a job in Turkey. During this job, Harry betrays Nate and makes off with the prize, leaving Nate to languish in a Turkish prison for 3 months. As a result of this, Nate swears to beat Harry Flynn to the treasure he was seeking as revenge. We later see Harry working in cahoots with the antagonists of the second game, hindering Nate’s progress every step of the way. Throughout the game, Harry is a dangerous thorn to Nate’s side, although Nate is never able to finish him off properly.
His cocky, arrogant demeanour, and petty quips all brim with hidden resentment towards Nate, however the reason for these ill-feelings towards Nate was never clearly explored in the game. Or could it be that it was never anything personal against Nate, and it is in Harry’s nature to look out only for himself and to deceive and harm those that stand in his way? Even if those people in his way include his closest allies? Harry even shoots Nate in the abdomen and leaves him for dead in the Himalayas, hanging off a derailed train. Harry’s final act before his suicide by grenade was to gravely wound Elena Fisher. Throughout his experience in hunting the treasure of the second game, his narcissism, conniving and lying character turned many of his former allies against him.
This is a situation that is all too familiar to us in our journey through this world, and we should all be aware of this constant danger: the danger of the false companion. This behaviour is most commonly found in high school, although it can be found among adults that exhibit high levels of excess grandiosity, selfishness, and insecurity. Much like Harry Flynn, the attitude of the false friend seems to be one of immense self-love, charisma, and energy. However, the truth hiding behind the positive façade of the false ally is one of self-hatred, self-deception, entitlement, resentment, backbiting, whining, and envy. Many times, the false friend feels an immense amount of hatred and envy towards their target, much like how Harry felt immense envy and insecurity towards Nate for being a far more competent treasure hunter. A false companion will harm you, psychologically, emotionally, or even physically, as in the case of Harry shooting Nate. The dangers of the false companion are numerous and very real.
If you have received warning signs of a false ally, whether it is throughout word of mouth from others or from your own observation, you have options on what to do. First option is to maintain the current dynamic between you and the false friend, and to keep them as an ally. However, this is the most dangerous and could potentially cause you the most damage, and it will not stop their harmful actions or change their insidious nature. Second option is to engage directly with your “friend” guns blazing and have one final battle before the friendship goes up in flames. However, this could cause your friend to fight back with more ferocity and show their true colours, much like what Harry did to Nate and his allies. Third option: slowly cut them out off your life. Stop talking to them as much, stop interacting with them as much, stop entertaining them as much. With the passage of time, their presence in your life will disappear. This is the most effective option, however this will take the most planning and decision. It will also require alot of patience, but the results are worth it. In the end, it is up to you how you deal with a false companion, as long as you are willing to put in the work and face the consequences.
Elena Fisher (The Life Partner)
Elena Fisher, the beautiful, smart, plucky, down-to-earth love interest of Nathan Drake, is the quintessential series representation of the lifetime companion. Elena and Nate began as working with each other with joint interests, which eventually developed into an eventful romantic relationship. Elena is the only one Nate can truly be vulnerable and himself with. She knows every part of his character, light and dark, and out of all of the characters in the series, has the most positive impact on Nate. She was alsothe only one that was able to influence Nate to leave the treasure hunting business (temporarily at first, permanently later on). Though their relationship began as full of complications, drama, and adventure, Nate eventually takes Elena as his wife and settles down with her to begin a family.
Elena is the very first character we see Nathan Drake interact with in the series, which should already indicate to us how important she is to Nathan Drake. Their relationship began very professionally, with Nate double-crossing her and underestimating her capabilities for risk-taking and survival, seeing her as a cutesy, “white bread, picket-fence” type of girl. He later sees that she can hold her own, and is capable of strength in dire circumstances, all the while holding on to her virtues and humanity. This complexity in her character, as well as her resilience and feminine nature, was what attracts him to her. On the other hand, it is Nate’s initial capacity to seek risk, channel his aggression, and his strong ambition and sense of purpose that attracts Elena to him. Not to mention that they are both incredibly physically attracted to each other. As the series progressed, their relationship continued to mature into a responsible, mature relationship with more order and stability, while still having that small hint of danger and adventure.
When it comes to how a relationship develops, Elena and Nate is the perfect example, filled with uncertainty, ups-and-downs, third parties, and ultimately mutual growth. Elena’s role in Nate’s life is to push him to be the best man he can be. She nurtures him through his pains and follows his lead, and Nate in turn protects her and provides her with emotional, psychological and physical security. The masculine and feminine dynamic that is crucial to every thriving romantic relationship is present between Nate and Elena. When you find the right partner, one that you feel immense attraction towards, pushes you to be better, one you see a future with, and one where you support each other emotionally through good and bad times, there really is only one thing to do: hold onto them, do not let them go, and put a ring on it! We see how much Elena’s presence benefits Nate’s life, and the right romantic partner will be the same for you and more. The right romantic partner will be a life partner, and will be your closest companion through this life.
Each of Nathan Drake’s companions contribute something to his life, depending on their role. They are either blessings, or lessons. Whichever category they fall under, they have formed the man that is Nathan Drake through their shared experiences. Much like Nathan Drake, every companion we have in our lives serves some kind of purpose, so choose your companions well.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him — a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Nathan Drake cannot do the things he does without all the people he has met over his lifetime, and the people he has encountered are numerous, complex, and interesting. The story of Nathan Drake through the Uncharted series demonstrates to us a fundamental truth about life: the importance of companions.
