The voice behind Yusuke and Cole Cassidy lends his talents
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom might be a direct sequel to the renowned Breath of the Wild, but it takes its own direction for this version of Hyrule. Finally bringing back Ganondorf as a main character, rather than simply a malevolent form of chaos, his voice actor has been officially revealed.
Who is the voice of Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
I just got the go-ahead from Nintendo, so I can FINALLY announce my absolute pleasure to be voicing Ganondorf in the Legend of #Zelda : #TearsoftheKingdom.
An immense honor that I have thrown myself into doing justice. pic.twitter.com/GDtoWRUHDx
— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) April 14, 2023
Ganondorf was shown in the final pre-launch trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Calamity Ganon is no more, and fans will get to see a more familiar look for the iconic series villain. This time around, Ganon will have a voice actor who will bring him to life unlike ever before.
The return of Ganondorf in Tears of the Kingdom sees the highly-talented Matthew Mercer take on his role. Mercer confirmed the info himself on Twitter, noting that it’s an “immense honor” to be the voice behind this infamous Zelda antagonist.
Those who want to hear Matthew Mercer’s take on Ganon should check out the recent trailer, where he can be heard as the memorable villain’s latest incarnation.
Matthew Mercer’s past video game roles, explained
Matthew Mercer is an impressive pick for the official voice of Ganon in the video game series. Since Calamity Ganon was mostly a monstrous being with almost no characterization, players didn’t get to enjoy the voice of him in Breath of the Wild.
Thankfully, Mercer is one of the best options for bringing Ganondorf to life. Mercer previously voiced many other iconic characters in video games and anime alike. When not part of the beloved Critical Role DnD crew, you can find Mercer in many video games.
For instance, he is the voice of Yusuke Kitagawa, one of the Phantom Thieves members in Persona 5. In addition, he played Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 6, though he didn’t reprise that role for the recent RE4 Remake.
He is no stranger to Nintendo games, either, previously voicing both Chrom and Ryoma in the Fire Emblem series. But perhaps the most surprising role in his career is one that likely prepared him well for his upcoming role as Ganon in Tears of the Kingdom.
This is not actually the first time Mercer has played Ganon in a Nintendo game. He also voiced Ganondorf in the Super Smash Bros. series. Though his lines in these games were minimal, he’s already proven he can nail the leader of the Gerudo.
