The Uncharted series is experiencing a significant revival in interest thanks to Tom Holland’s role as the titular character in a movie based on the video game series. Nathan Drake’s adventures lasted over four major titles, while there’s also a notable spin-off that stars Choe Frazer.
The games are known for imparting some wisdom along with the usual treasure hunting experience, which is more than likely to show up in the movies as well. A lot of the quotes from the characters allude to their personalities, so it’s worth diving deeper into them to understand how their mindsets work and the lessons that fans can derive from them.
Nathan Drake
“As Thrilling As The Next Adventure May Be, In The End, You’re Always Left With That Same Feeling."
Although he likes to joke around, Nate is probably Uncharted 4, where he told Sam that he realized going on treasure hunts ultimately wasn’t fulfilling because it just made him feel empty.
Sam acknowledged Nate’s words but didn’t have it in him to retire as Nate did, with the latter gaining closure on his adventures after this revelation. Nate was right in his belief since he’d been on so many hunts yet never felt fulfilled as he did when he decided to settle down with Elena.
Victor Sullivan
"You've Got Your Pride All Tangled Up In This. It's Making You Reckless. I Taught You Better Than That."
Sully’s generally a funny guy who’s had his fans for the way he behaves. Still, he’s had many moments of wisdom as well, with Uncharted 3 revealing that Sully was the one who essentially raised Nate and was the latter’s mentor growing up.
He had this to say when Nate went to dangerous lengths to fight Katherine Marlowe, in a treasure hunt that saw Chloe and Charlie bow out because it wasn’t worth it. Watching Sully be so serious for a change proved that he knew when it was time to be realistic and how to appeal to Nate.
Elena Fisher
"Nothing Worthwhile Is Easy."
Nate ired Elena mainly because she had the same tenacity of spirit as him but was firmly intent on the idea of justice rather than personal gain. Uncharted 4’s climax saw Elena arrive at the island to save Nate, even though she was angered he’d lied to her and gotten into such a fatal scenario.
Nate was unsure if she would stick around and claimed that it was dangerous, to which Elena replied with this quote. What makes it so good is the fact that she was actually referring to her relationship with Nate, as she was fighting to save their marriage and ensuring she got to see her husband live through the adventure.
Samuel Drake
"I Always Felt That We Were Destined For Something Great."
Those who had come up with movie turned out to be right in thinking it will feature Nate’s brother, Sam. The elder Drake was more adventurous in spirit and used this quote to convince his younger sibling that they were meant to be treasure hunters.
The quote also sums up Sam’s personality, as it conveys his wanderlust and his flair for the unknown. Sam couldn’t help himself but remain in the hunting life because that’s all he knew what to do. It was evident when Uncharted 4’s epilogue revealed he retired about two decades after Nate did.
Nadine Ross
"I Was Looking Forward To Kicking Your Ass Again."
Those who haven’t haven’t discovered the fact that Nadine becomes an ally later on. She was a villain in the fourth entry but returned as Chloe’s partner in the spin-off, eventually making friends with Sam as well, despite their original antagonism.
Nadine utters this when she sees her former enemy again, referencing their past interaction where she absolutely dominated him in a fight. Although Nadine does have her detractors, there’s little doubt that she’s a sheer force, and the way she delivered this line carries a lot of style with it.
Nathan Drake
“Greatness From Small Beginnings ...”
These words were inscribed on the ring Nate carried around with him in the first three games. They inspired him to go along with Sam’s claims of their destiny, as Nate felt a kinship to Francis Drake based on the ring and what it was supposed to mean.
They paralleled Nate’s own journey since he went on to uncover magnificent pieces of history that no one else knew about, which was a far cry from the orphanage he once dreamed of escaping. In the end, Nate managed to live up to the words that drove him and achieve greatness as he saw fit.
Zoran Lazarevic
"Comion Is The Enemy. Mercy Defeats Us."
Lazarevic is largely considered the best antagonist in the series for his no-holds-barred attitude and pure evil nature. He established his villainy earlier on but truly displayed it when he executed his own man when Nate tried to use him as a bargaining chip to escape.
Lazarevic claimed that the most feared people in history were “great men” because they had the will to kill their own people and achieve greatness. The other villains seemed to have something holding them back, while Lazarevic went all-in in his evil nature to become Nate’s biggest challenge to put down.
Chloe Frazer
"You're Both Mental ... But Let's Go Save Your Bloody World."
Chloe is a fan favorite because she’s similar to Nate in many ways but has some more anti-hero elements. Her allegiance was up in the air during Uncharted 2 but was confirmed to be with Nate in the end, although she still wanted to escape Shambhala rather than stop Lazarevic.
The inner good in Chloe came through, however, when Elena and Nate asked her to them in fighting Lazarevic and saving the world, to which Chloe responded with this quote. It proved that, while she wasn’t a hero in the traditional sense, her heart was in the right place.
Victor Sullivan
"Real Greatness Is What You Do With The Hand You're Dealt."
Sully comforted Nate over losing the ring in the ending of Uncharted 3 by pointing out that he didn’t need something to symbolize the greatness that Nate wanted to pursue. Moreover, Sully claimed that Nate should regard personal happiness over any pursuit of adventure and encouraged him to reconcile with Elena.
The hand that Nate was dealt at that point was that the treasure hunt had brought him back to Elena, with whom he’d been estranged. Sully’s words motivated Nate to try and patch things up with his wife, which brought him far more happiness than any treasure in the world could have.
Nathan Drake
"I Don't Know. I Haven't Thought That Far Ahead."
Nathan’s catchphrase during Uncharted 2 appeared to be this quote, which he repeated various times when it was the last thing he should have said. He said it one more time at the end of the story when Elena asked him what he planned on doing now that the adventure was over.
The point of the quote was to portray Nate’s casual energy that had got him so far, as he’d decided to be with Elena but wasn’t going to think about where that would go. Nate’s way of thinking was to basically live by these words since he had a habit of winging it and making the best with what he had.
