Very few characters are as closely associated with the PlayStation brand as Nathan Drake, the affable, adventure-obsessed treasure hunter, and the primary focus of the Uncharted video games. Drake has starred in four of his own mainline games which, interestingly enough, is more leading appearances than Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series.
And yet, even though there's now a blockbuster film about his incredible antics, there may be a few facts about Drake that even dedicated fans don't know. Just in case, here are a few of the coolest pieces of trivia we could find about Nathan Drake.
Updated April 18, 2022 by Cameron Roy Hall: It's been a few weeks since the Tom Holland helmed Uncharted film was released and fans are still cruising on that sweet, sweet Sony nostalgia. In an effort to make your life a little more interesting, we've refurbished this article about Nathan Drake trivia to better suit the world it exists in, one where five actors have played our dangerous hero. But you'll read more about that later. Enjoy!
12 He Shares A Love Of Danger With Nolan North
In Uncharted, although it was played down by his silly demeanor, Drake accomplished spectacular stunts that are truly dangerous to attempt. We're talking about the kind of thing that would get many people killed. Nolan North, the actor who brought Drake to life, is of a similar mindset it seems.
North revealed that he sustained a serious injury prior to filming the motion capture sequences for Uncharted 3 which broke two of his ribs. In true Drake fashion, he went ahead and filmed the sequences anyway. Unsurprisingly, the process was painful for him.
11 Drake's Original Design Was Based On Johnny Knoxville
Nathan Drake's appearance is almost as familiar to PlayStation fans as his name. The double shoulder holsters, the worn-out denim, the three-quarter sleeve shirt, and the messy hair are all part of his iconic look. Drake's original design, though, was a little bit different than what we're familiar with.
Originally, he looked like Johnny Knoxville, the American stuntman best known for his work on MTV's Jackass. Lead designer Richard Lemarchand said in an interview that artists targeted Knoxville because he exuded a "coolness and goodness" that Naughty Dog also wanted Nathan Drake to exemplify. In further installments, Drake's look would also be inspired by Brendan Fraser's attire from "The Mummy."
10 His Character Model Changed From Game To Game
It's standard practice in both the video game and film industries to make adjustments to a product between installments. For instance, Hogwarts underwent at least two major aesthetic changes over the course of eight movies. Drake dealt with the same transformations, although they were admittedly more minor in comparison.
The first change occurred between Uncharted 1 and 2, where Drake's character model bulked up. Considering he's a man in his thirties, this change wasn't out of character. Between Uncharted 2 and 3, however, his eye color changed from brown to blue, and he grew from 5'11" to 6'2".
9 He's A Playable Character In PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
In an effort to capitalize on the Super Smash Brothers craze, Sony created their own character-based beat 'em up for the PS3 in 2012 called Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. Various characters from all around their ecosystem were brought into the game, such as Sly Cooper and Kratos.
Drake was one of the more useful characters, as he featured a litany of firearms and powerful explosive attacks that could cause serious damage with wide areas of effect. Sony even incorporated his famous journal into one of the animated intros that play prior to the start of a new round.
8 He's An ESTP On The Myers-Briggs Personality Test
The MBTI® personality test is popular around the world for giving people an insight into why they do what they do. Various sites categorize gaming characters like Drake, and he usually scores as an ESTP. According to the Myers & Briggs Foundation, a person with ESTP (Extroverted, Observant, Thinking, Prospecting) personality is flexible and focused on immediate results.
Bored by theories, these people tend to prefer action at all times, energetically working on the issue at hand. They're always in the moment, and they learn best through hands-on experience. If that doesn't sound like Drake, then we don't know what does.
7 He Was Originally Going To Fight His Brother In Uncharted 4
Drake's older brother, Samuel, first appeared in Uncharted 4, where it was revealed that Sam had vanished during Nathan's youth. After an initially awkward period, they began to work together. It wasn't always meant to go that way, however.
In an interview done after she left Naughty Dog, the game's original director, Amy Hennig, said she intended Sam to be an antagonist in the story and not a friend. Hennig revealed that Sam's return would have been more antagonistic than reconciliatory. The finished product still saw the brothers fighting, although nowhere near the originally intended scale.
6 He's Technically A Mass Murderer
Drake has spilled the blood of hundreds, if not thousands, of people during his adventures. There's no denying that... it's literally an integral part of the gameplay. Mentioning this usually instigates a lengthy internet argument about his moral standing. Regardless of his motives, even Hollywood feels like Drake's gone too far.
In an interview about the Uncharted film, star Tom Holland said, "It’s something we thought about very seriously. We didn’t want the character to kill people like crazy all the time. Look how far he goes for treasure! So a lot of the time we see violence in the movie it’s self-defense."
5 So Far, Five Actors Have Portrayed Him
Since 2007, when Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was released, five actors have portrayed him across all of the combined media. His primary actor was Nolan North, who provided his voice and motion capture work for the four main Uncharted titles. Billy Unger and Britain Dalton have played his younger iterations Uncharted 3 and 4, respectively.
Fourth, there's Tom Holland, the Spider-Man star who played Drake for the 2022 film. Lastly, there's Nathan Fillion, who portrayed Drake in an independent, non-canonical short that was adored by fans. Unfortunately, the extended audition tape didn't land him the role in Hollywood.
4 Drake Doesn't Really Do Video Games
In Uncharted 4, the Drake brothers attempt to solve a puzzle involving portraits of pirate captains. There is one portrait, however, that neither of them can identify, that's because it's an easter egg about Guybrush Threepwood of Monkey Island fame. The star of the Lucasarts series of point-and-click adventures, Threepwood's whole schtick was trying to become a pirate, with oft-hilarious results.
We know Drake wasn't much of a gamer based on his experience with Crash Bandicoot at the beginning of the game, so it shouldn't be too surprising that he didn't recognize Threepwood.
3 He's Afraid Of Clowns
Considering how Drake always hurtles feet first into danger, it might be easy to believe him fearless, but at the end of Uncharted 2, Drake revealed that clowns absolutely terrify him.
The reveal came after Elena Fisher asked him how scared he was that she might've been dead. Drake casually responded by rating her demise at a four out of ten and, after she demanded to know what a ten would be, he dropped the clown bomb. Don't worry, Drake... we're in the same boat with you.
2 He Nearly Had A Son Instead Of A Daughter
In an interview with Destructoid after the release of Uncharted 4, the game's co-director, Neil Druckmann, revealed that he initially wrote the epilogue about Drake and Fisher having a son. Druckmann confessed that he paid little attention to gender when creating characters, with the unspoken subtext being that he always created characters as men.
But, Druckmann shared that his lead concept artist kept him in check and that he just amiably went with the change, provided that he believed it blended with the story he wanted to tell.
1 There's A Comic And A Novel About His Further Adventures
The 2022 film wasn't Drake's first foray into a new medium. In 2009 there was a four-part "motion comic" called Eye Of Indra that functioned as a prequel to the events of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. There's a vague reference to these comics in the original game, although they weren't written at the time.
Also, in 2011, Drake starred in a non-canonical novel written by Christopher Golden called Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth. It was considered an official standalone story, neither a prequel nor a sequel.