Samantha Cook
The famous gunter and blogger who captures Wade Watts' heart and helps him complete the quest.
Samantha Cook is a character in the Ready Player One novel, known as the real name of the avatar Art3mis. She is a famous female gunter and blogger, and the romantic interest of protagonist Wade Watts. Her as Wade's crush, but it is Wade who independently discovers the location of the Copper Key before she completes the First Gate. Her avatar name is Art3mis, and she clears the First Gate shortly after Wade. Later, Wade finds the Jade Key after about six months of searching, not Samantha. Wade confesses his feelings to her, but she declares their relationship a mistake and ghosts him. At the end of the novel, Wade and Samantha meet in person in Columbus, Ohio, and share their first kiss.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Famous female gunter and blogger
- Affiliation
- Gunter
Lore & Background
Samantha Cook, known in the OASIS as Art3mis, is a prominent figure in the Easter egg hunt. She is a skilled gunter, but it is Wade who first discovers the location of the Copper Key on the planet Ludus and beats the AI Acererak. After Wade completes the First Gate, Art3mis clears it shortly afterwards. Wade later finds the Jade Key after about six months of searching. Wade grows increasingly close to her, but when he confesses his feelings, she rejects him, saying their relationship was a mistake, and ghosts him. This drives Wade to become more serious about the hunt. At the novel's climax, after she contacts him, Wade sends her the solution to the Second Gate's riddle (the 'Tempest' clue), which she did not know, and she uses it to get through the Second Gate and obtain the Crystal Key. After the final battle, Wade meets Samantha in person in Columbus, Ohio, and they share their first kiss.
Reader's Guide
Samantha Cook, as Art3mis, is one of the top gunters in the world. She is known for her blog and her skill in the hunt. She independently discovers the Copper Key location on Ludus, though she does not beat Acererak before Wade. She clears the First Gate shortly after him. After five months, she finds the Jade Key. She is also one of the four gunters who storm Castle Anorak at the end, using a mecha to fight Sorrento's Mechagodzilla Kiryu. After the battle, she meets Wade in person in Oregon, where they kiss. Her real name is Samantha, and she is the romantic interest of the protagonist.
More in Avatars & Players
Elsewhere in Ready Player One
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced