Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is widely considered to be one of the greatest games of all time, and a masterpiece of open world design. Critics and fans just couldn't say enough good things about the game when it came out back in 2017, and the upcoming sequel is one of the most highly anticipated titles in recent memory. It also broke new ground for Zelda games in several ways, including featuring voice acting for the first time, and it turns out that the voice cast of Breath of the Wild is gorgeous in real life. Here's a look at the people who helped bring the game to life.
Category
🎮️
GamingTranscript
00:00The voice actors who make up the cast of Breath of the Wild have been featured in a variety
00:04of anime and television series. They're also a very attractive bunch, brimming with actorly
00:09charisma and warmth. Elizabeth Maxwell voices the imposing Gerudo champion Obosa, as well
00:16as Riju, the young queen of the Gerudo people.
00:19Yet another traveler. How did you get in here?
00:24In real life, Maxwell isn't nearly so intimidating as her tall, warlike counterpart, but she
00:29is beautiful and accomplished. Maxwell has a long list of credits, including regular
00:34roles on massively popular animated shows like Fruits Basket, RWBY, and Attack on Titan.
00:40In the video game world, Maxwell has appeared in Genshin Impact, Astral Chain, and Fire
00:44Emblem Heroes, to name a few.
00:46Maxwell also has a fondness for pets and her fellow humans. She once tweeted,
00:50"...I literally have never met a dog I didn't immediately love and think was perfect in
00:54every way. Doesn't matter the shape, size, breed, color, they are all the goodest of
00:59boys and girls, and I know I'm not the only one. I wish we could all treat people that
01:03way too."
01:04Maxwell's sentiment extends to her activism work. She's spoken out in support of the LGBTQ
01:10Plus community and strives to be a good person in the face of an ever-changing world. One
01:14likes to think that Obosa might feel the same about others, even if she'd likely be a little
01:19sterner about showing that affection.
01:22Edward Louis French certainly looks like he could voice Revali. The actor has appeared
01:26in various period pieces, like Anna Karenina, and has even appeared in Tom Hooper's Les
01:31Miserables as a dancer at the musical's infamous wedding. According to IMDb, French made some
01:36uncredited contributions to the role of Revali in Breath of the Wild, although French has
01:41suggested that the voice lines he recorded may not have made the final version of the
01:45game. Whatever the case, French's previous credits have made him an actor to keep an
01:49eye on.
01:50French made his stage debut in New York during the 2019 Tony Awards ceremony, which he described
01:55as a dream come true. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, French frequently
02:00spoke out in support of partners that wanted to attend and participate in their children's
02:04birth. As a new father himself, French understood the precautions being taken during the pandemic,
02:10but felt that every woman should be able to have someone there to support her during one
02:14of the most difficult times in her life. While his participation in Breath of the Wild might
02:18be clouded in mystery, French certainly looks the part of handsome, playful champion.
02:24Patricia Somerset is beautiful. She has an actress's charm and a brilliant smile, and
02:28she also happens to share many traits with the character she voices in Breath of the
02:32Wild. Somerset is the voice of Princess Zelda in-game, bringing an adventurous edge to the
02:37iconic character.
02:38"...should Ganon ever show itself again, we'll be well-positioned to defend ourselves."
02:43While Somerset has appeared in a variety of films and television shows, Zelda may be one
02:47of her most recognizable roles, and for good reason. Breath of the Wild is one of the few
02:52Zelda titles to include voice acting, meaning that for many players, Somerset is the Princess
02:57Zelda. Fans wanted voice acting in Breath of the Wild, and they got it. Somerset seems
03:02to love being the voice of Zelda. She's posted about the role frequently on her Twitter account,
03:07even sporting a Zelda-themed Blood Moon t-shirt in a candid selfie.
03:11Whether it's repping her princess or interacting with fans, Somerset shows that she loves being
03:15part of the Zelda franchise. Somerset is also a musician, and a new album from the Somerset
03:20band is coming out before the end of 2021. While she's made music in the past, this will
03:25be Somerset's first full-length project of this scale.
03:29If you play video games, chances are good you've heard Sean Chiplock's voice, even if
03:33you didn't know it at the time. The prolific voice actor got his start in video games way
03:37back in 2003, when he shared his talents in MapleStory. Since then, Chiplock has voiced
03:42a variety of familiar characters in both anime and games, including Reel Veldt in Hunter
03:47Hunter, Dante Mogro in Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans, and Eyelashes in One
03:53Punch Man. Additionally, he's voiced both Noob Saibot and Karan in Mortal Kombat 11,
03:59as well as Kai in Guilty Gear Strive. In Breath of the Wild, he voices two very different
04:03characters, the arrogant Revali and the grandfatherly Deku Tree.
04:08If his experience in the world of video game voice acting wasn't enough to solidify his
04:20credit as a gamer, Chiplock also frequently tweets about the games he's enjoying, providing
04:24detailed reviews to his fans. For example, he gave a shout-out to the indie game Monster
04:29Sanctuary on the Nintendo Switch, calling it one of the most impressive games he's played
04:33in a while.
04:34He advocates for celebrating his fellow voice actors and rejoicing in each other's successes,
04:39which isn't always a given in such a competitive industry.
04:43Emilia Gotham has worked on a handful of movies and television shows, but she flexes her acting
04:48muscles as the adorable champion Mipha in Breath of the Wild. While Mipha might be cute
04:52and gentle, she also packs the powerful gift of healing magic. Gotham herself looks just
04:57as charming and beautiful as the character she portrays, and seems kind to boot.
05:01"...always getting yourself hurt at every turn. Every time, I would heal you."
05:08In an interview with Behind the Legends, Gotham explained that she started acting at the Lake
05:13Tahoe Shakespeare Festival when she was 16. When she found out that people could actually
05:18make money from acting, her fate was sealed. Gotham said that when she was pursuing acting
05:22jobs in Los Angeles, she felt frustrated with how casting directors wanted to typecast her.
05:27She said,
05:28She's always like the pretty girl number two, but with voice acting, you can be anybody.
05:33Voice acting opened up a world of possibilities for Gotham, and in Mipha, she portrayed qualities
05:37of beauty and strength.
05:39Gotham said that voice acting is often unpredictable, and that talent never really knows what they're
05:43going to get after they audition. Gotham originally read for the role of Princess Zelda, but ended
05:48up being cast as Mipha instead.
05:51"...It has been quite a long time, Link. I am much older now, but you remember me, don't
06:02you?"
06:03Like many of the names on this list, Andi Gibson can be heard in a variety of TV shows,
06:06films, and video games. She's typically cast as motherly characters, and she's particularly
06:11skilled at giving personality to some of the raspier characters in the gaming world. She
06:16does just that in Breath of the Wild as Impa, the kind old Sheikah woman that helps Link
06:20uncover the secrets of the Sheikah Slate.
06:23A few years after Breath of the Wild was released, Gibson reprised her role as Impa, albeit a
06:27much younger version of the character in Hyrule Warriors. Gibson shares her beautiful personality
06:32in many short videos posted to Twitter, demonstrating her love of makeup and singing.
06:38Gibson also uses her Twitter account to tease and excite Breath of the Wild fans about what's
06:42to come. She recently asked,
06:44"...What's the consensus on Breath of the Wild 2? Do we think Impa will make an appearance?"
06:48Even though Gibson may already know the answer to this question, she asked her fans anyway,
06:53refusing to provide more context. While she's likely barred by Nintendo from discussing
06:57the particulars of Impa's presence or lack of presence in Breath of the Wild 2, her willingness
07:02to engage with the game's fanbase shows that she's invested in the game's success and wants
07:06gamers to stay engaged with the content.
07:09Since it has fully voiced characters and has been released in multiple regions, Breath
07:13of the Wild naturally has several different language tracks. Understandably, each language
07:18has an almost entirely different cast, specially selected to help international players have
07:22a complete game experience.
07:24The German version of Breath of the Wild features a prolific German actor, Thomas Schmirkart,
07:29as the Goron champion Daruk. Unlike most of the casts of Breath of the Wild, the game
07:33seems to be one of Schmirkart's only video game roles. However, he's still done a good
07:37bit of voiceover work, dubbing television shows like Sonic Boom and Dragon Ball Z Super
07:42for German audiences. Remarkably, his turn as Daruk is one of Schmirkart's most well-known
07:47roles at this point, introducing him to an entirely different demographic than his usual
07:52roles attract. Through Schmirkart's brooding charm, which is conveyed perfectly through
07:56his voice, players can certainly see how Daruk is supposed to be handsome and fierce, the
08:01perfect example of Goron strength.
08:04In Breath of the Wild, Purah is an ancient scientist in a child's body, but her maturity
08:08doesn't stop her from keeping the sense of wonder most often found in younger Hylians.
08:12In many ways, Kate Higgins is also full of wonder. She's voiced a variety of iconic characters,
08:18like Sailor Mercury in various incarnations of Sailor Moon, Sakura in Naruto, and Barbie
08:23in Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse. It's safe to say that Higgins played a huge role in
08:27many gamers' childhoods, or at least their favorite series during their childhoods. Higgins
08:32got her start at an early age, when she voiced Angelica in the Lupin III English dub, but
08:37she's continued to consistently work in voice acting since then, making an entire career
08:42out of using her voice.
08:43Higgins often expresses surprise at her achievements, like her inclusion in Naruto. She celebrated
08:48the long-loved series by tweeting a picture of her in a pink wig to mimic her character
08:53Sakura, and expressing her excitement and disbelief over the franchise's 20th anniversary.
08:59Higgins reprised her role as Purah in Hyrule Warriors. In Hyrule Warriors, Purah is young
09:03again, lively but somewhat older than she appears in Breath of the Wild.
09:07Aw, yeah! Check it!
09:11James Mortallaro has done extensive work in the sound design industry, serving as a voice
09:16director for a multitude of video games, including Hitman, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Devil May Cry
09:215. He also worked as a voiceover director for Breath of the Wild, but fans of the game
09:26will recognize him as someone completely different. That's right, Mortallaro voices fan favorite
09:31Prince Sidon.
09:32Pardon the entrance, but you're a Hylian, aren't you?
09:36I was hoping perhaps you'd have a moment to talk.
09:38Prince Sidon is Mipha's brother, and he helps Link on his quest to tame the four divine
09:42beasts and save Hyrule. The Red Prince is popular both in the game and outside of it.
09:47In Breath of the Wild, a certain group of Zora follow the Prince's every move, while
09:51out of game the character has inspired fan art and not-so-official fan club merch.
09:56Mortallaro clearly loves being part of the Zelda series, and has posted contests on his
10:00social media, giving away merchandise and encouraging fans in the voice of the Prince
10:05himself.
10:07Kengo Takanashi is one of the few actors that provide the voice acting for a single character
10:11across all language tracks in Breath of the Wild. As Link, Takanashi doesn't have much
10:15to say, but each grunt and shout provides a way for gamers to better understand the
10:20mysterious character. Takanashi has appeared in a smattering of Final Fantasy video games,
10:25and also voiced Nelson in King of Fighters XIV.
10:28However, fans of Japanese pop culture might know him best from his work in the long-running
10:32Kamen Rider franchise. Takanashi's IMDb shows that he will reprise the role of Link in Breath
10:37of the Wild 2, just as he did for Hyrule Warriors and its sequel.