While the Nintendo Switch has always been marketed as the ideal console for kids and families, there have always been plenty of adult-oriented games on the system. From the very start of the console's life-time, games like Skyrim, Doom, and Wolfenstein have all been available on the Switch. But there's one adult-oriented series that made the leap to Nintendo before those others, and its third installment, Bayonetta 3, is one of the most anticipated releases of this year.
Set to release on October 28, 2022, Bayonetta 3 is the next installment in the risqué, leather-bound, witch-centric hack-and-slash series by Platinum Games. With the series debuting all the way back in 2009, it's only natural that fans of Bayonetta are quite fond of the voice actor who's played the titular witch since the beginning, but it's currently unclear whether they're returning for Bayonetta 3.
Is Bayonetta's Voice Actor Changing?
Hellena Taylor has played the sassy British Bayonetta since the very first game all the way back in 2009. Along with an animated Bayonetta film in 2013, she also reprised her role for the sequel, Bayonetta 2, in 2014. Over the last decade and a bit, Hellena Taylor's unique voice has become synonymous with the Bayonetta character, and has become a vital element of the series as a whole, as it plays a large part in giving Bayonetta her beloved snarky and witty personality.
So, when fans didn't recognize Hellena's standout voice during Bayonetta 3's first trailer, things started to get a little tense. The general consensus among fans following the first reveal of Bayonetta 3 was that Hellena must have been replaced, as the voice sounded distinctly different to her portrayal in the last two games. Fans took to Twitter, and asked Hellena directly. In a Tweet that said they couldn't imagine Hellena not in the role, she replied with "you might have to," which quickly led to a storm of confused fans asking her to clarify. Hellena replied to a few of these Tweets, but only by saying that she couldn't reveal any more about the situation.
Right now, it's still unconfirmed if Hellena Taylor is returning to voice Bayonetta in the upcoming sequel. Though the IMDB page for the game does list her in the cast, this doesn't necessarily mean anything, as this information hasn't actually been confirmed by Platinum Games, Nintendo, or anyone else directly involved in the project. In the most recent Bayonetta 3 trailer, it does seem as though Bayonetta's voice has changed quite a bit, which would lend credence to the idea that Hellena has been replaced, however, there could be another answer.
Based on the footage released so far, and the game's description, it seems as though Bayonetta 3 is going to revolve around a multiverse-like narrative, in which a handful of different, alternate timeline, Bayonettas appear. If this is true, then it could be the case that Bayonetta 3 puts players in the knee-high boots of a different Bayonetta from the first two games, living in an alternate dimension. It could also be the case, then, that Hellena Taylor's Bayonetta appears later in the game's story, either as a fellow protagonist, or in a different role entirely. With such a lengthy connection to the character, it would be a shame if Hellena didn't return to voice Bayonetta in at least some regard in the upcoming sequel.
Bayonetta 3 releases on October 28 for Nintendo Switch.
