Among The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom‘s many strengths, Patricia Summersett’s performance as the titular Princess stands out. She characterised the long-eared heroine well, and – for many fans – has become the definitive voice of the classic character. As fans look forward to news on the franchise’s future for its 40th anniversary, the actor is saying she isn’t done with the role yet… if Nintendo wants to keep her around.
Nintendo Everything’s interview with the English-dub voice actor (hat tip to Nintendo Life) is an interesting one for many reasons, but Summersett’s comments on the character’s future post-BotW timeline (as we know Nintendo is moving away from it) stand out: “I don’t desire – or need – to pass a torch. There are already many torches, many versions of Zelda, each shaped by hundreds of artists before me. We can all exist at the same time, welcomed into a global community.”
Summersett has been playing Princess Zelda since 2017’s Breath of the Wild; her run also included the big Koei Tecmo-developed Age of Calamity and Age of Imprisonment Musou spinoffs, where Zelda actually had way more to say. By all accounts, it’s been a good one if you ask any fan or casual gamer who got into The Legend of Zelda thanks to these recent games, but it’s no surprise to see people wondering about the actor’s future in this universe.
While she’s grateful for the opportunity and admits “these things are never ever a given,” she clearly wants to stick around, so it seems that whatever happens with Zelda next will just be a matter of the creative direction Nintendo wants to take with her portrayal and the dub. For now, Summersett is still fascinated by BotW and TotK’s lasting impact and having fun with famous bits of lore: “I must dutifully warn them of the Blood Moon’s rise. It’s serious. The Worm Blood Moon just occurred at 4am last week and I was up all night.”
At the time of writing, Nintendo’s plans for The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary this year are unclear. We know the live-action movie will arrive in 2027, but one would expect a new big project, remake or not, to arrive before 2026 ends. Keep an eye on future Directs.