Uncharted is a franchise full of strengths. Nathan Drake is one of the most beloved characters in video games due to his sense of humor, absurd luck, and excellent performances from Nolan North. The series had groundbreaking visual fidelity at the time of each game’s release, and every title has some iconic set pieces like Uncharted 2’s train or Uncharted 3’s cargo plane. With a great supporting cast and fun stories, too, there is plenty to love - though villains are rarely a point of praise.
With so much of the story being about Nathan Drake and his companions, whether it be his lost time with Sam or his closeness to Sully, it makes sense that villains often get the short end of the stick in the many Uncharted games. Still, as franchises like Far Cry have shown, a memorable villain can elevate a narrative and make it far stronger than it would have been otherwise. Whenever the next game comes, it should give its antagonist just as much time in the spotlight as its protagonist.
Uncharted’s History of Weak Villains
The original Uncharted got things off to a rough start when it comes to villains, as Gabriel Roman lacked any truly interesting traits. A British crime lord who Sully owed money too, Roman’s death likely had little impact on players since he was hard to care about one way or another. While Navarro betrayed Roman, he turned out to be even less interesting. The minor character Eddy Raja was the closest the game came to a memorable foe, but he was ultimately a pushover, meaning his unique mannerisms and flashy gun meant little.
Uncharted 2 did slightly better with its antagonists, as Harry Flynn’s betrayal of Nathan Drake made players at least a bit determined to go after him. Unfortunately, fans do not see much of their relationship prior to this double cross, so it is hard to feel truly hurt by what happens. Zoran Lazarevic has a tough boss fight and looks intimidating, but beyond being big, scary, and Serbian, there is not much too his character.
Uncharted 3’s Katherine Marlowe was at least a bit interesting, as she had a past with Sully and came from a secret order determined to control the world. Despite this decent backstory, and clear knowledge about Nathan that could make her formidable, she never had the impact she should have. Her assistant Talbot was just strange, being tied directly to the lackluster hallucinations that happen throughout the game.
Uncharted’s PS Vita-exclusive prequel Golden Abyss misses the mark with a stereotypical corrupt general being the villain, and Asav from the Chloe-led Uncharted spin-off Lost Legacy does nothing to stand out from the crowd of one-dimensional foes. Only Uncharted 4’s Rafe Adler escapes the trend, as though he is certainly not one of gaming’s best villains, Warren Kole plays him very well. His obsession with success parallels Nate’s own need for adventure, and moments where he becomes unhinged like the final sword fight show that he is someone worth fearing.
Assuming that the next Uncharted game focuses on a new protagonist like Nate’s daughter Cassie, Chloe Frazer, or Sam Drake, Naughty Dog should deliver a villain that has a proper issue or relationship with the protagonist. More often than not Nathan Drake has just stumbled onto treasure that a warlord, monster, or fellow treasure hunter also wants. There is rarely anything setting the two apart besides one treasure hunter having good intentions and the other having bad ones, and most Uncharted villains exist purely to drive the plot instead of feeling like a distinct character. Rafe was a step in the right direction, and future Uncharted games should prioritize their antagonists, giving them stories just as deep as what the protagonists get.
