Patricia Summersett Voiced Zelda Without Knowing It — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Patricia Summersett has voiced Princess Zelda in the English dub since 2017's 'Breath of the Wild,' and says she crafted the now-iconic voice without knowing it was Zelda — the project was presented under code names as a secret fantasy RPG.
- Summersett pitched her natural voice up and aimed for a 'classic English' sound based on script specs alone, calling the creation of the voice 'organic' and saying she likely would have 'tried too hard' had she known the character's identity.
- Summersett also voiced Zelda in 'Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,' 'Tears of the Kingdom,' and 'Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment,' but told Variety she cannot confirm involvement in the 'Ocarina of Time' remake (set for November) or the April 2027 live-action film.
- Bo Bragason is cast as Princess Zelda in the upcoming live-action movie; Summersett, asked how to best adapt the character, said she'd 'be the last person to weigh in' on the filmmakers' approach.
- Summersett describes voicing Zelda as physically relaxing — the soft, steady vocal range leaves her feeling 'very nice and warm' after recording sessions — and notes she's spent a quarter of the franchise's 40-year history as part of it.
- Summersett grew up more of a 'Mario' player on the NES and moved to LA right before landing the Zelda role as one of her first auditions in the city, describing the adrenaline rush of learning she'd gotten the part as 'drinking five Red Bulls.'
Why it matters: Nintendo's secretive casting process — code names, NDAs, RPG-style framing — meant Summersett built one of gaming's most recognizable voices without ever knowing who the character was. With the franchise's 40th anniversary coinciding with an 'Ocarina of Time' remake in November and a live-action film in April 2027, whether Summersett returns is an open question fans are tracking closely.
Ask SkimNews
