Elena Fisher

Elena Fisher as she appears in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Series	Uncharted
First game	Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007)
Voiced by	Emily Rose

Elena Fisher is one of the protagonists¹ of the Uncharted series created by developer Naughty Dog. Fisher appears in both video games in the series: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. While not a playable character, Fisher acts as both a sidekick and love interest for main character Nathan Drake. Emily Rose both voiced Fisher and did the motion capture work for the character.

Though originally a brunette, Naughty Dog made her a blonde with a more severe chin before the first game's release. She is an independent, strong female who acts as an equal to main series protagonist Drake. In the games, she is a reporter who accompanies Drake on his adventures. Reception to the Fisher has been mostly positive. She has been called one of the strongest video game females, and her equality with male characters has been praised. However, the character has drawn criticism for her unrealistic combat prowess and abrasive personality. She has also drawn attention for her attractiveness, and has made multiple lists of most attractive video game characters.

Creation and conception

Fisher originally had brown hair and a more rounded appearance.

Emily Rose, the voice actor for Fisher,² also performed the motion capture work for the character. The dialog was recorded while the scene were being performed.³ Fisher was meant to act as both a sidekick and a romantic interest for the main series protagonist Nathan Drake.⁴⁵

Originally, Fisher was presented as a brunette with a soft face. However, close to the release of the first game, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, her chin was further defined, and her hair made blonde. When questioned about the purpose of the change response, Sony said "they just preferred her blonde."⁶

Attributes

Personality

Fisher is a journalist, originally out to make a name for herself through documentary work, then later news broadcasting.⁷ Regarding her career, she has been described as a "spunky and nubile camerawoman".⁸ She proves herself a resourceful and capable ally to Drake.⁹

Rose commented that Fisher matured between the first game and the sequel: "In the first game, she's a lot younger, she's a lot more naive, and she looks at things as being very possible, and in the second (game), has seen murders and adventure...the way that any person grows, you see that in her. She's a little bit more hesitant, a little more cynical".¹⁰

Outward Appearance

In the first game, Fisher wears a dirty purple tanktop and khaki jeans, with a white tank top underneath. In the second game, she wears a number of articles of clothing, including a parka and a journalistic khaki jacket. Originally, Fisher had brown hair, and Sony showed her this way in the original advertising. However, shortly before the first game's release, her hair was changed to a dirty blonde tone.⁶

Appearances

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

In the 2007 game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Fisher follows Drake around, videotaping his findings for her cable television show.⁴ As the game opens, she and Drake uncover the coffin of Drake's ancestor Sir Francis Drake, which Drake located from coordinates on a family heirloom ring he wears around his neck.¹¹ The coffin contains Sir Francis Drake's diary, which gives the location of El Dorado. Pirates attack and destroy Drake's boat, but Drake's friend Victor "Sully" Sullivan rescues the two. Once safe, Sully and Drake decide to ditch Fisher and go after the treasure, though she manages to rendezvous with Drake after he discovers that El Dorado is a giant gold idol.

On the way to the island, anti-aircraft fire forces Elena and Drake to bail out of the airplane and they are separated. Once they meet, they discover that Sully, who appeared to die of a gunshot wound, is alive.¹² After discovering that the statue is cursed, Drake must stop Roman Navarro from using its power, and save Fisher in the process. After doing so, Fisher, Drake, and Sully drive off in a boat loaded with several small boxes of treasure.¹³

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Drake stumbles upon Fisher by accident in Nepal. Fisher now acts as an investigative journalist. She and a cameraman are attempting to prove that war criminal Lazarevic is alive, contrary to the beliefs of the United Nations.¹⁴ Drake is trying to stop Lazarevic from finding the entrance to Shambhala and the legendary Cintamani stone. After she, Drake and the party find a temple (which conceals the secret map to Shambala), Elena and her cameraman are ambushed, and the cameraman, Jeff, is eventually executed by Lazarevic. Elena and Drake escape, and she helps him catch Lazarevic's train.

The pair find each other in a remote mountain village in Tibet, where the two meet Karl Schäfer, a German who had led a Schutzstaffel expedition to Shambhala, who he ended up killing in order to stop them from obtaining the Cintamani Stone. Drake and Elena track Lazaravic to a monastery, where they find the entrance to Shambhala. Once inside, they discover that the monsters Drake has been seeing in the area are guardians of the city. Drake and Elena are apprehended by Lazaravic but escape him when the guardians attack. Drake confronts Lazaravic at the Tree of Life, the sap of which comprises the Cintamani stone.¹⁵ Drake wounds Lazaravic, leaving the guardians to kill him, and returns to the village, where he and Elena kiss and begin a relationship.

Reception

Reception to the character of Elena Fisher has been mainly positive. Blaine Kyllo praised Rose's performance as Fisher, calling it some of the best work in video gaming,¹⁶ while Meagan VanBurkleo of Game Informer called Fisher one of her "favorite leading ladies."¹⁷

Reviewers have commented that she is a strong, female lead uncommon to video games. Dave Meikleham of GamesRadar UK called her one of the strongest females in gaming. He states that she provides a great playoff to Drake, and a good shot to aid the players through levels. However, he also criticized her for a lack of realism, finding it hard to believe that as a reporter who had never fired a gun before could so quickly become such an accurate, fearless shot.¹⁸ IGN said, "She is a true survivor with an array of unusual skills".¹⁹ IGN also named her the fourth best video game heroine, praising Naughty Dog for creating a female protagonist equal in every way to her male counterpart: "She won't let the camera stop rolling, she won't take Drake's crap, and she's not afraid to throw a punch. When you're pinned down by enemy fire, Elena will cap the bad guys for you. When Drake's trapped in the enemy camp, Elena will rip walls down to save her friend. When you're in need of a solid, fleshed-out character, Elena's there as a prime example. "²⁰

Fisher has also garnered attention for her attractiveness. Bret Dawson of the Toronto Star compared Fisher's appearance and mannerisms to those of Jennifer Aniston.²¹ GameDaily named her one of the top 26 video game brunettes, noting: "No adventure story would be complete without a damsel in distress. Elena Fisher certainly fits the bill, a reporter who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fortunately, she holds her own as she accompanies Nathan Drake deep into the jungle, occasionally managing a grenade launcher."²² GameDaily called her attractive, but annoying: "Elena plays the stereotypical 'you're a total jerk and you're not going anywhere without me' babe. Unlike Peach, we actually enjoyed our time spent apart. If only she disappeared more often."²³ GameDaily named her the 49th hottest video game babe of all time.²⁴

References

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