Highlights
- After the 2023 State of Play broadcast, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans speculated that Matt Mercer was the voice actor behind Vincent Valentine. Mercer confirmed his role as Vincent at New York Comic Con, taking over from Steve Blum who portrayed Vincent in previous works.
- Mercer has portrayed iconic villains such as Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda and Fyrakk in World of Warcraft.
- He also plays some famous gaming heroes like Cole Cassidy and Yusuke Kitagawa, showcasing his range as a voice actor.
After the September 2023 State of Play broadcast, many Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans took to social media after hearing Vincent Valentine speak for the first time in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake saga. Though it was not officially confirmed by Square Enix then, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans were keen on the idea that Matt Mercer was the voice actor behind Vincent Valentine. Over a month later, Mercer confirmed the news at the 2023 New York Comic Con and officially revealed his role as Vincent.
Mercer took over the role of Vincent from Steve Blum, who portrayed Vincent in the movie Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children and the standalone game Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7. Though fans may know Mercer for his work as the DM of the Critical Role web series, and for his work in anime dubs such as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Mercer's video game voice-over resume goes back years before his upcoming part in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
The Fiery and Villainous Resume of Matt Mercer
In perhaps one of Mercer's most significant roles, he was chosen to portray the Demon King Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Though Ganondorf had a "voice" in previous Zelda games, it was little more than grunts and laughter. However, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom gave some iconic Zelda characters voices for the first time, and Ganondorf was no exception. Mercer portrayed the Demon King in both his skeletal and fleshed-out forms, with a malicious growl and diabolical tone fitting for one of the most iconic villains in video game history.
Ganondorf is not the only villainous video game role Mercer took on in recent years. In World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Mercer lent his talents to the voice of the fiery Primal Incarnate, Fyrakk. With two different vocal ranges in both his Visage form and Dragon form, Mercer managed to give spite and madness to Fyrakk, even as the power Shadowflame continued to corrupt him. At the time of writing, World of Warcraft players will soon be able to confront the fiery villain in the Guardians of the Dream content update. Fyrakk will be the final boss of the raid "Amirdrassil, the Dream's Hope" in Patch 10.2. Only time will tell how the encounter will play out, and how it will shape the future of World of Warcraft.
Matt Mercer's Heroic Roles
The gruff, Overwatch's cigar-smoking cowboy Cole Cassidy has not had an easy life. As a New Mexico farmhand turned founder of the Deadlock gang, Cassidy joined Blackwatch prior to the fall of Overwatch. After some in-fighting sent the organization under, Cassidy went solo as a mercenary for a time. Despite his career path, Cassidy's penchant for dispensing justice in his style remained his own, which is further emphasized by Mercer's portrayal. With his Peacekeeper revolver and his controversial Magnetic Grenade, Cassidy is one of the deadliest damage dealers in Overwatch 2.
In addition to his work with Blizzard, Mercer is also known to Persona fans as the voice of the well-mannered art student Yusuke Kitagawa. As a member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Yusuke was granted the codename "Fox" upon joining the group and awakening his Persona, Goemon, during the second dungeon of Persona 5. In combat, Yusuke uses a katana and assault rifles along with Goemon's physical and ice attacks. With a soft and polite tone, fans of Mercer's work may not notice his voice at first, given Mercer's reputation for his gruff roles. The ability to change tones on a dime and portray a youthful character is a testament to Mercer's range.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches on February 29, 2024, for PS5.