Patricia Summersett discusses voicing Princess Zelda as the franchise marks its 40th year

Patricia Summersett, the English voice behind Princess Zelda since the 2017 release of Breath of the Wild, revealed that she crafted the princess’s voice by following script specifications without realizing the character’s identity, as the project was kept secret. She auditioned for several roles, chose a higher-pitched, classic English tone that felt natural, and later discovered she had landed Zelda. Over the past decade she has voiced Zelda in multiple games, including Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom, and finds the recording process physically relaxing.

Celebrating the series’ 40th anniversary, Summersett reflects on her quarter-century involvement and the franchise’s enduring appeal. While she cannot confirm involvement in the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake or the live-action movie featuring Bo Bragason as Zelda, she expresses excitement for fans. Currently she is working on undisclosed video-game projects and exploring music, writing, and interactive technology in her personal artistic work.