If you have been playing The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom over the weekend, you’re far from alone. There have been millions of gamers waiting for this title, and they have been spending every minute that they can in the game so that they can see all that it has to offer. But beyond the gameplay experience, fans have been enjoying the return of voice acting in the series, and right off the bat, the voice of Zelda was prevalent in their ears. Zelda is once again played by Patricia Summersett, whom many fans enjoyed in the first game and its spinoff.
In an interview with IGN, Patricia Summersett talked about what it was like being Zelda and how the casting audition wasn’t exactly what you would expect:
“It just looked like an RPG fantasy,” said Summersett. “I didn’t have any other information than that it was for a princess character who had a lot of weight on her shoulders. I have a feeling that if I knew what it was, I would’ve overthought the process. I’m happy I went in blind.”
A princess with a “weight on her shoulders” is a pretty good description for the first game, as we saw a very emotional Zelda having to deal with her destiny while everything was crumbling around her and still finding the strength to hold back Calamity Ganon so that Link could live and save the day.
Given that her debut title sold tens of millions, you can imagine how people who know her name and voice treat her, and she was happy to talk about that too:
“In terms of fandom, playing Zelda has been next level. I’ve traveled the world and seen fans everywhere,” said Summersett. “It’s fascinating to see the differences and similarities people from different countries celebrate the franchise. You become a symbol for people. It’s not so much about you, but how much they love the series. You get to be the person they shake hands with. I have a special place in my brain for all the Zelda tattoos people have shown me. I wish I could thank them all.”
It’s important to remember that Summersett is technically the first “voice of Zelda” in the franchise. Yes, there were voices in certain non-canon spinoff games, but fans don’t like talking about them. Plus, they didn’t have the depth or power she gave in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor.
So if you do get to meet her one day, be sure to show your appreciation.
