Uncharted Fans Split Over Nathan Drake’s Replacement For Uncharted 5

Uncharted 5 rumors are back on the menu after Naughty Dog’s Shaun Escayg posted a photo on Instagram for “research…” and, naturally, fans have been in a frenzy since. We have not had a new game in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted franchise for almost nine years, and debate has been ongoing about whom a fifth game would feature as its playable protagonist.

A Reddit post from user Dandelion172 has once more stirred this debate, sharing their thoughts as to whom they would like to see as its lead. Uncharted 5 is not confirmed to be in development, to be fair, but it is interesting how plausible so many characters would be as potential playable protagonists.

Will Uncharted 5 Replace Nathan Drake?

Mocking Poe Dameron’s line in Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker, user FootballRacing38 writes, “Somehow, Nate has returned,” in response to user bloodyzombies1 positing that the fifth mainline installment be called “Uncharted 5: A Thief’s Return.” However, this is assuming that Nate is actually reprised as the franchise’s protagonist, which seems fairly unlikely due to how Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End chose to close the curtain on his story with a touching epilogue.

Of course, a 50-year-old Nate embarking on action-packed expeditions and performing the same acrobatic feats with superhuman stamina would suddenly not be completely out of the realm of possibility, and would perhaps even be celebrated, thanks to Resident Evil Requiem’s Leon S. Kennedy.

Knightofsparta suggests that Nate could play a significant supporting role this time around: “It could have an aged up Nate take the role of Sully and have his daughter be the main focus.” This appears to be the likeliest route for a fifth Uncharted game, with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End having Cassie be playable in the epilogue.

Uncharted 5 Could Be A New Era For The Series

uncharted lost legacy chloe nadine — Screenshot from *Uncharted: The Lost Legacy*.

Uncharted has already proven that it is fully capable of moving on from Nate via Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’s Chloe Frazer. Unfortunately, while she is a terrific protagonist and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was a superb half-sequel, Naughty Dog apparently decided that this game would be the series’ last—until now, supposedly. User 2Parley supports the idea of bringing back that story, stating that they “would love to play as Chloe again.”

Traditional-Lie-8841 has a specific wish for a new Uncharted game: “I’d love to play a Young Sully game where he’s globetrotting and tomb raiding in the 60’s/70’s.” Anything is possible, and only time will tell if Uncharted 5 is legitimately in development, let alone who its playable protagonist will be.