After the third official trailer for The Legend of Zelda : Kingdom Tears was released, Gannondorf’s voice actors were confirmed by Nintendo to confirm their roles. In the trailer, the voice of the villain of The Legend of Zelda series is loud and clear, delighting Zelda fans who are waiting for more news about the game.
Beginning with The Legend of Zelda for the NES in 1986, most games in the Zelda series feature Ganon as the main antagonist. Though he alternates between the boar-like Ganon and the Gerudo named Ganondorf, the villain’s goal of capturing the Triangle of Forces and conquering Hyrule remains the same. Ganondorf’s appearance appears in the trailer for Tears of the Kingdom, wearing a samurai-inspired outfit and hairstyle. Zelda fans had heard the villain’s voice once when Ganondorf stood up and declared himself king, and many of them claimed to know who Ganondorf’s voice was.
On Twitter, Matthew Mercer confirmed that he will play Gannondorf in Tears of the Kingdom. Mercer, known for his voice roles as Dungeon Master on the web series Critical Role and Cole Cassidy on Overwatch, said on Twitter that he considers playing Ganondorf a huge honor and that he hopes to pass on his performance Come and bring justice to the villains. Mercer later tweeted photos of his time in the Zelda franchise, saying he’s been a fan since childhood.
Mercer first played Ganondorf in February, in the second trailer for Kingdom Tears, which was shown at the end of the Nintendo Direct. While keen-eared Zelda fans were quick to point out that Ganondorf’s voice resembled Mercer’s, the voice actors and Nintendo remained mum when asked about the subject. Mercer did not say he was given permission to reveal his role until two months later. Mercer said he knew it was a heavy burden to play one of the most iconic villains in video game history, and thanked Nintendo for entrusting it to him.
In 2017’s Breath of the Wild, Ganon played the game’s final boss, Calamity Ganon. Sealed within the city of Hyrule, the behemoth of Calamity Ganon’s malice permeates Hyrule. With Ganondorf’s return in Tears of the Kingdom, a voice befitting the legendary villain was necessary, and Nintendo announced their selection. Only time will tell if Mercer’s performance is up to par.
The Legend of Zelda : Tear of the Kingdom launches on Nintendo Switch on May 12.