Patricia Summersett Interview: Bringing Strength and Struggle to Zelda in Breath of the Wild

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down (via Skype) with actress, singer, and frog-lover Patricia Summersett to talk about her role in bringing Princess Zelda to life in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You can enjoy our conversation right here:

I had a few questions that I've been dying to ask Patricia; questions that have been on my mind for weeks after finishing Breath of the Wild. Obviously I wanted to know a little bit about what it was like behind the scenes working on what has turned out to be a generation-defining game, but I was more interested in learning about Zelda herself. We've never had such a complex 'human' character in Zelda before, and this is the first time that we've ever watched a fully-voiced Zelda express herself at length. It was a huge moment for us all, and fan reactions were all over the place.

Most of the negative feedback came from those who were disappointed in Zelda's passive role. Leading up to launch, there were rumors speculating that we'd have the option to play as a female protagonist this time around. When it was revealed that a female Link (or Linkle) wouldn't be featured, it was speculated that we'd get to play as Princess Zelda during parts of the game. When those rumors were debunked, a vocal minority rose up to express their disappointment that we would once again be saving a stereotypical damsel in distress.

I, however, think that Breath of the Wild's Princess Zelda is anything but helpless. Without spoiling too much for those of you who haven't played the game, it's not at all hyperbolic to state that without Zelda's power and sacrifice Link and the whole of Hyrule would be annihilated before the canonical events of Breath of the Wild even begin. Zelda plays pivotal roles in the beginning of the game, throughout Link's adventure, and at his journey's end.

Let's hear a little more from Patricia about what it meant to bring such an iconic and complex character to life, and what she'd bring with her if she had to contain the incarnation for one hundred years. Afterward you can peep our Breath of the Wild review right here.