The Voice of Zelda, Patricia Summersett, Chats Returning for Tears of the Kingdom

If you're anything like us, you've probably sunk dozens of hours (if not 100-plus) into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with zero regrets, and part of what makes the game so magical is its expanded story, branching into Hyrule's ancient history.

Of course, there's no one as crucial to this latest Legend of Zelda entry as Princess Zelda herself, and she wouldn't be the same without the ultra-talented actress and musical artist Patricia Summersett to bring her to life. We first fell in love with her work when she voiced the iconic character in Breath of the Wild back in 2017. After getting to chat with her about bringing Zelda to life for the first time, we just had to catch up with her six years later to discuss the new game! Read our full interview with her below.

Sweety High: What does it mean to you to come back to the role of Zelda after all these years?

Patricia Summersett: First off, it's lovely to chat with Sweety High again—this time for a sequel. Six years later? Wow. It really doesn't feel that long. It's such a gift to revisit a role like this, now for a third time (as Hyrule Warriors was stuck in the middle there, too). Some of the primary source material for researching the role is now stuff I've already helped to create. There's a confidence in this foundation of experience. Also, it feels like revisiting an old friend you will always love.

 

SH: Tears of the Kingdom takes place a few years after the events of Breath of the Wild. How did you take that into account when voicing her this time around? Did your approach to the character differ at all?

PS: Inevitably certain pieces of a character will morph and evolve—they must. I do feel there is a kind of groundedness about her in this one, the natural nuances of age, especially after what she has lived through—so physical and mental age. Six years on, a pandemic later, it's not hard to inject a bit of this into characters I've played recently!

 

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SH: Zelda also has a bit more to do this time around. We don't want to spoil too much, but was it fun to get to play around with her character a bit more?

PS: Without saying anything about the content whatsoever? Absolutely! When I saw what we would be working with in this one, I was so excited. I tried to remain composed and thoughtful on the outside, but my inner child was screaming at the canyons.

(The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom via Nintendo)

 

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SH: What was your favorite thing about returning to this high-profile role?

PS: It's really fun to play an iconic character, to be associated with one who represents many beautiful things to many different people. I love celebrating this with fans. But you can't live there forever. As an artist, I want new roles, to stretch and grow. Resting on past work is deadly in a creative sense. So, returning to such a role, but for a new game, new team, new process? It's actually the best of both worlds! It's a rare privilege.

 

SH: Have you been playing the game at all? If so, what's your personal adventure in the game been like so far? What other projects have you worked on recently that you're the most proud of?

PS: I just got hold of the game today. I was traveling, then I was launching an album with my band and producing that live show, then I was working on a Pcap project. It's been a little nuts, not gonna lie. So I haven't touched it, but I've been tuning in and witnessing the crazy machines and flying contraptions people are creating. A Trojan horse? The many wild robot creatures? Korok revenge? People are insanely creative.

 

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SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

PS: I guess on that note, last week, our little indie folk band Summersett just released our sophomore LP called More of the World. I sing and co-write on this with a pianist. We are a duo and an eight-piece and it was years in the making. And we just received our vinyls a few days ago, which feels amazing!

Other than that? Thanks for the chat and I wish everyone the most exhilarating gaming!

 

Want to dive even deeper into Patricia's story? Click HERE to read our interview with her on Breath of the Wild from 2017.