This is a list of characters found in Uncharted Waters: New Horizons.
Playable characters
Tropes that all Player Characters have in common:- The Captain: Each one of the six is the master of a ship or an entire fleet.
- Dub Name Change: The Japanese PC-98 version of the game gave the characters different names from the US version, with differences ranging from Spell My Name With An S (Pietro -> Piedro) to completely changing the name outright (Ernst von Bohr -> Ernesto Lopez). Incidentally, the US version names would be backported and used in later Japanese ports of the game (for example, in the Playstation port).
Joao Franco (US) / João Ferrero (JP PC-98)
Adventure beckons
A Portuguese explorer and the only son of Leon Franco, the first game's protagonist, Joao is effectively kicked out by his father soon after coming of age, in order to achieve fame as a sailor of his own. Although he is considered an explorer, he is really a jack of all trades, as his storyline involves both trade and naval battles.- Bold Explorer: Joao does a fair bit of exploring, although his storyline involves an equal amount of naval battles.
- Edible Theme Naming: In the Japanese PC-98 version of the game (Ferrero is a popular brand of chocolate).
- Informed Ability: Joao playing a lute.
- Like Father, Like Son: Enforced by Leon who wants Joao to become an maritime adventurer himself.
- Phenotype Stereotype: As the "default" European protagonist of a (Japanese-made) game, Joao, of course, sports blond hair and blue eyes. Even though those aren't as frequent in his native Portugal as they are in, say, England...
Catalina Erantzo (US) / Catalina Errantzo (JP PC-98)
You better believe you didn't kill her brother
A pirate from Spain, out to avenge the deaths of her brother and her fiancee at the hands of the Franco family (or so she believes). A Fiery Redhead, she has the best (initial) combat skills of all six characters but starts the game with a literal armada of privateers on her tail.- Action Girl: Has swordplay stat of 92 (out of 100 maximum) at the beginning of the game.
- Dashing Hispanic: A short-tempered, sharp-tongued Spanish captain who deserts from the royal navy to pursue a personal vendetta. Also, her swordplay skill is second to none.
- Fiery Redhead: You really don't want to piss Catalina off when there is a sword within her reach.
- Pirate Girl: Catalina, though she is the only example in the game.
- Spell My Name With An S: The Japanese PC-98 version of the game spells her family name as Errantzo.
- The Smurfette Principle: Catalina is the only female captain in the entire game.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: See Catalina de Erauso
.
Otto Baynes (US) / Otto Spinola (JP PC-98)
Pardon me while I kick your arse, good sir
An English privateer on a secret mission from Henry VIII to defeat the Spanish Armada and to prevent the Spanish domination of the Atlantic.- As Long as It Sounds Foreign: His family name in the Japanese PC-98 version of the game is just basically gibberish.
- Blue Blood: The only protagonist who starts the game with a noble title, though it is unclear whether he was born into the nobility or was raised into it for his service.
- Experienced Protagonist: Starts the game at levels 10 and 12 in sailing and battle, respectively.
- Officer and a Gentleman: As befits an English knight, Otto is very courteous, even to his enemies, which leads to some rather amusing exchanges with the sharp-tongued Catalina.
- Older and Wiser: The oldest playable character in the game and also starts off at the highest combined Character Level.
- Privateer: His job description, although he can also engage in outright piracy.
Ernst von Bohr (US) / Ernesto Lopez (JP PC-98)
The world is huge and full of wonders
A Dutch explorer and cartographer aiming to compile a map of the entire world for his friend Gerardus Mercator.- As Long as It Sounds Foreign: His name in the Japanese PC-98 version of the game sounds Spanish and not Dutchlike at all.
- Bold Explorer: Ernst is the best example in the game, since his overarching quest is to explore and map the entire globe.
- The Von Trope Family: A nobleman by name, Ernst does not hold an actual nobility rank at the start of the game, however.
Pietro Conti (US) / Piedro Conti (JP PC-98)
I'm only in it for the treasure, Duchess
An Italian explorer and treasure hunter, who has inherited astronomic debts from his father and seeks ancient treasures to repay them.- Bold Explorer: Pietro is mainly after buried treasures, but doesn't shy away from cartography and discoveries, either.
- Expy: Bears uncanny resemblance to Han Solo (including having to look after an idealistic younger character, in this case, Joao).
- Fiery Redhead: Like Catalina, Pietro is red-headed and short-tempered.
- Loveable Rogue: Manages to charm a Portuguese duchess (who happens to be Joao's mother) into sponsoring his adventure despite having very little to prove his trustworthiness.
- Spell My Name With An S: The Japanese PC-98 version of the game spells his first name as Piedro.
Ali Vezas (US) / Al Vezas (JP PC-98)
Buying the Mediterranean, one port at a time
A Turkish trader who grew up in extreme poverty but slowly works his way up to the richest merchant in the Mediterranean, while searching for his long-lost sister.- Do You Want to Haggle?: Ali can do it better than anyone since his haggling is capped to his navigation level.
- An Entrepreneur Is You: Pretty much the entire Ali storyline.
- Intrepid Merchant: His storyline summed up in two words.
- Last-Name Basis: His name in the Japanese PC-98 version of the game is basically just "Mr. Vezas".
- Lonely at the Top: Eventually. This is specifically something that Howell warns him of at the beginning of his story.
- Rags to Riches: From an orphaned street urchin to the richest noble in the Ottoman Empire.
Other characters
Leon Franco
The protagonist of the original Uncharted Waters, now a Portuguese duke and Joao's father.- Previous Player-Character Cameo: As Joao, you occasionally get to see a much older and stricter Leon from the first game (who happens to be Joao's dad).
- Sink or Swim Mentor: His approach to parenting boils down to "Here is my old ship, now go and don't come back until you're the greatest sailor in the world."
Rocco Alemkel
Leon's old First Mate from the original game, taking back to the seas to look after his son.- Crutch Character: Serves as Joao's First Mate, starting off with a crazy character level. Later in the game, when they are attacked by Catalina, Rocco steals the spotlight to duel her (even if you've built Joao as a fencer and he can fend for himself).
- Father Neptune: Starts the game at 65 years old and has a magnificent beard.
- Undying Loyalty: To Joao and likely to the entire Franco family.
Matthew Loy
Otto's first mate, a boisterous, hard-drinking veteran sailor.- The Alcoholic: In the PlayStation/Saturn/PC release, at least. In the SNES and Genesis adaptions, he's a Big Eater instead.
- Drunken Master: Masterminds the theft of a new Spanish galleon while completely wasted.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Sports a massive scar across his left cheek.
Hans Starten
Ernst's first mate, a tough sailor in the Royal Dutch Navy with a soft spot for children.
Marquis Martinez
A conservative Portuguese nobleman and bitter rival to Leon Franco.
- Big Bad: While his influence is felt in all the stories, he's only directly involved in Joao and Catalina's stories, where he's the Final Boss via proxy.
- Final Boss: His pirate army is this for Joao and Catalina.
- The Man Behind the Man: By the end of the game, he's in charge of most of the pirates.
- Take Over the World: Using the story of Atlantis, he's built a fortress in the Amazon to launch his assault.
Roberto Ezequiel
Commander of the Spanish navy, a stern, by-the-books commander.
- Big Bad: Otto's main target and a secondary foe for Catalina, even if he's a bad guy at all.
- Final Boss: Otto fights him at the end of his story, shortly after Martinez's defeat.
- Hero Antagonist: He's after Catalina because she's a pirate and a deserter, while Otto's after him solely because of his job. He's a genuinely good person, to the point where he's willing to make a truce with Catalina and Joao when he learns of Martinez and let them go after the final battle; Joao even says he'd like to be friends with the guy.
- Honor Before Reason: A firm believer in this. After Martinez's defeat, he lets Catalina go while warning her and Joao that they'll meet again. In Otto's story, should you refuse a fair duel, the game will mock Otto and rename him Loser until you agree to the duel and beat Ezequiel, at which point he'll be renamed Winner.
