10. Sam Drake – Uncharted 4
After so many treasure hunting adventures Nathan Drake’s brother Sam, who Nate believed to be dead, joins the cast of characters. Although Sam was a brand new addition in Uncharted 4, the character, voiced by Troy Baker, feels right at home in the game’s world. Not only do we get to see how Nathan reacts to his presumed-dead brother actually being alive, but we also see a few flashback segments of the two’s childhood. Sam and Nate’s relationship is the most backstory we’ve seen for Nate, in terms of what he was doing before the first Uncharted and Golden Abyss.
In Uncharted 4, Nate has married Elena and is trying to live a quieter life, but the older and more reckless Sam convinces Nate to come out of retirement. Sam is still all about treasure hunting, and acts as a mirror for Nate to see the old life he used to live. Eventually, the two come to a head, and the disagreement ultimately forces Nate to come to grips with what’s really important to him, his family.
Now keep in mind that Sam may not be the best sidekick in the strictest sense, as he causes a lot of trouble and grief for Nate in Uncharted 4. Still, after everything is said and done, Nate is thrilled to have his brother back, a person whom also happens to be one of the few people on the planet that can claim to be Nate’s equal in terms of exploration skill. The pair have one last rollicking adventure, and learn just who they each want to be along the way.