Matt Mercer’s Ganondorf Is Lacking “Bass” And “Grit”
Matt Mercer is one of the most celebrated voice actors in the industry, known for dozens of roles across TV, film and games, including Attack on Titan, Resident Evil, Persona, Fire Emblem, Death Stranding, Baldur’s Gate, Like a Dragon and Final Fantasy.
While he is praised for every performance, his portrayal of Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda series has drawn mixed reactions. He first voiced the villain in 2023’s Tears of the Kingdom, returned for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, and now appears in the Switch remake of Ocarina of Time.
Fans of the original series have long expected a deeper, more resonant voice for Ganondorf. In Tears of the Kingdom the delivery was seen as thin, leading many to label it their least favorite version of the character. With Ocarina of Time now released, the debate has reignited, and many gamers feel Mercer is not the right fit for the role.
On ResetEra the performance was described as “one of the biggest miscasts in gaming,” though some called the comment harsh. Commenters pointed out that the new voice breaks immersion, saying they imagined a deeper, accented tone.
“I always imagined Dorf to have a very deep, likely accented voice. When he talks in these newer games, it breaks the immersion so much,” one user wrote, a sentiment echoed by others.
Additional criticism came from users Zekes, who said “Love Matt Mercer, but he just doesn’t have enough bass,” and Boopers, who added that they were not a fan of the voice but noted the character’s limited presence.
The conversation also shifted to Nintendo’s voice direction, with some blaming the studio for the shortcomings. Lumination noted that BotW and TotK have “some of the worst voice direction in recent memory,” while Papercuts argued the dubs are “horrific in general regardless of talent.”
Reddit users expressed similar disappointment, with one commenter saying the casting felt like “generic American voice acting.”
Regardless of the criticism, Mercer will appear again soon as Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, giving fans another chance to see his range.
