After the third official trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released, the voice actor for Ganondorf was given approval by Nintendo to confirm their role. In the trailer, the voice of the iconic Legend of Zelda series villain was heard loud and clear, which pleased Zelda fans waiting to hear more news about the game.Starting with 1986's The Legend of Zelda for the NES, most games in the Zelda series have featured Ganon as the main antagonist. While he alternates between the boar-like Ganon and the Gerudo called Ganondorf, the villain's goals of taking the Triforce of Power and conquering Hyrule remain consistent. Ganondorf's appearance was revealed in a trailer for Tears of the Kingdom, with a samurai-inspired outfit and hairstyle. As Ganondorf rose up to proclaim himself a king, the villain's voice was heard once by Zelda fans, many of whom claimed to know who the voice of Ganondorf was.On Twitter, Matthew Mercer confirmed that he will portray Ganondorf in Tears of the Kingdom. Known for his work as the dungeon master of the web series Critical Role, and for voice roles such as Cole Cassidy in Overwatch, Mercer tweeted that he considers playing Ganondorf an immense honor and that he wants to do the villain justice with his performance. Mercer then tweeted pictures of his experiences with The Legend of Zelda series, stating that he has been a fan since childhood.
Mercer's first appearance as Ganondorf was heard in February, during the second trailer for Tears of the Kingdom shown at the conclusion of a Nintendo Direct broadcast. While keen-eared Zelda fans were quick to point out Ganondorf's voice being similar to Mercer, the voice actor and Nintendo remained quiet when asked about the subject. It was not until two months later that Mercer said he was given the go-ahead to reveal his role. Mercer stated that he knows the role of playing one of the most iconic villains in video game history is a heavy burden, and thanked Nintendo for entrusting him with it.
In 2017's Breath of the Wild, Ganon appeared as Calamity Ganon, the final boss of the game. A gargantuan beast sealed away within Hyrule Castle, Calamity Ganon's malice was felt all around Hyrule. With Ganondorf's return in Tears of the Kingdom, a voice befitting the legendary villain was necessary, and Nintendo made their choice known. Only time will tell if Mercer's performance will live up to the bill.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches May 12 for Nintendo Switch.
