Naughty Dog’s action-adventure series Naughty Dog’s most popular series over a decade later. One question players may have, however, is how old their favorite action hero is. Nate has visibly aged over the course of the games, but the games don’t clearly paint out how old he is.

Thanks to several important clues, particularly in the third game, it’s possible to infer Nate’s birth year, and thus his ages in each of the games. Uncharted fans also seemed to universally agree that Nathan Drake was likely somewhere in his 30s during the events of the game. This impression caused many to appearing far too young. This popular perception of the character seems to line up with the hints given throughout the games.

Nathan Drake Is 35 By The Time Of Uncharted 3

Uncharted 3 Offers The Clearest Estimate Of Nate's Age

It may seem strange to start with the third game, but Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception provides the most important insight into the timeline of the games. During one piece of dialogue, in particular, Sully and Nate reminisce about how they met, mentioning they first crossed paths in Colombia twenty years before the events of the game. “I should have known when I met you that I’d be in prison within a year!” Nate told Sully, who replied, saying, “I always got you out, though!” To this, Nate responded with, “I was 15, Sully!”

The game was released in 2011, and assuming the characters age in real-time, this would mean the duo originally met in 1991. What’s unclear, however, is whether Nate was 15 when they first met or if he was 15 by the time he landed in jail, meaning he would’ve likely been 14 upon meeting Sully. This means Nate’s birth year is either 1976 or 1977, depending on how old he was at the point of his incarceration.

Nathan Drake’s Is 31 In The First Uncharted Game

Nate's Age Can Be Calculated Based On The Year The Game Came Out

Working with the assumption that Nate's birth year is 1976, then he would’ve been approximately 31 when the first game, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, was released in 2007. The Uncharted series, in general, does its best to stay somewhat timeless, avoiding major real-life events or an over-reliance on modern technology that could serve to date the game. Still, there aren't any clear hints that the game is a period piece either, so it seems safe to assume that Uncharted: Drake's Fortune takes place in the same year it was released.

If Nathan Drake ages in real-time, this would put him around 40 in the most recent game.

Nate, being in his early 30s, feels appropriate, given his appearance and attitude. It's clear he's still relatively young, but he has a more mature look than someone in their early 20s. There are also times when Nate is framed as being somewhat immature for his age. Though his behavior doesn't seem too immature for someone still in their 20s, this framing definitely makes sense for a someone in their early 30s.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Is Set Two Years After The First Game

The Game's Events Indicate Time Has ed, But Nate Doesn't Seem Too Much Older

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was released two years after the first game, which also seems like a reasonable amount of time to have ed in the world of the games. In the time between the first and second Uncharted, Nate and Elena got into a relationship and subsequently broke up. Elena also had time to make a pretty major career shift, becoming a journalist working in active war zones.

Nate also doesn't seem all that much older in the second game than he did in the first. It's clear he's slightly more mature after his journey in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, but he hasn't visibly aged the same way he does between Uncharted 3 and 4. This makes it safe to assume that the game only took a two-year jump, making Nathan Drake 33 during the events of the second game.

Uncharted 4 Was The Series' Biggest Time Jump

Uncharted 4 Is The First Game To Focus On Nate's Age Thematically

Going with the assumption that Nate is 15 when meeting Sully and is 35 in the third game, it is easy to pinpoint an age for Nate in the fourth title in the franchise. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End came out five years after the third game, in 2016. And so, if Nathan Drake ages in real-time, this would put him around 40 in the most recent game. It’s completely possible that Nathan Drake may be a year or two younger, particularly if he meant he was in jail at age 15 and met Sully at age 14.

Nate, being in his 40s now, also fits really well with the way the game presents him. This is the first time the series pays explicit attention to him getting older and makes it part of the game's narrative. A story about Nate feeling like he's over the hump and longing for the exciting adventures he used to take feels very appropriate for someone entering a new decade of their life and wondering if it is going to live up to the last one.

In a lot of ways, Nate's actions in Uncharted 4 can be seen as a sort of midlife crisis, though the game provides a lot more exciting events than Nate simply buying a gaudy car. Still, this seems to cement Nathan Drake as being in his late 30s or early 40s by the time the game takes place. Uncharted 4's story proved to be very effective thanks to its focus on Nate's struggles with getting older, so it seems like Naughty Dog made the right choice to age their protagonist up with the series.