It is no secret that Breath of the Wild revolutionized the Zelda series by reimagining nearly every system and mechanic. From the open-world concept and physics engine to breakable weapons and slight role-playing elements, Breath of the Wild catapulted the franchise to new heights. While fans remain lukewarm to certain changes, the community gladly welcomed the introduction of voice acting into the series. Although the production quality varies by character, perhaps the star performance is Joe Hernandez’s rendition of the Goron Champion Daruk.
In Creating a Champion, Cinematic Lead Naoki Mori stated that he wanted Daruk “to feel like an experienced leader you can count on.” As a result, safeguarding friends and family is of the utmost importance for the stout Goron Champion, which makes the Daruk’s Protection ability a natural fit for the character. Additionally, Daruk’s encouragement towards Zelda’s trepidation is heartwarming, and his confidence in the face of Calamity Ganon’s return is inspiring. While the aesthetic and musical tones adequately convey Daruk’s personality, the voice acting performance adds depth and credence to the character.
During a Cat with Monocle interview in 2018, Joe Hernandez provided a glimpse behind the Zelda team’s development curtain by revealing Nintendo’s audition process for the voice acting roles. Not only was Joe clueless as to the role, but he also was unaware of the specific project or game.
“Originally, I was sent the audition around March of 2016,” he explains. “As is the case with some high profile video games, we were never told specifically what we were auditioning for. I remember the specs calling for a British/Mid-Atlantic voice, which was in my wheelhouse. I remember nothing in any of the audition copy made reference to Link, Zelda, Hyrule, etc. so again, we were a little in the dark as to what project it was.”
Joe admitted that it is rare for developers to share detailed information during auditions; however, the casting director James D. Mortellaro provided a correlation that helped Hernandez secure the role. Mortellaro associated Daruk’s character and setting with the dwarf Gimli in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. According to Hernandez, Mortellaro’s comparison “helped set the tone” for the audition by allowing Joe to connect with the studio’s vision for Daruk. Joe’s performance impressed Mortellaro so much that Joe not only secured the voice acting role for Daruk but also secured the role for Yanubo.
Joe’s outstanding performance as Daruk in Breath of the Wild launched his voice acting career to new heights. His follow-on work includes roles in several critically acclaimed titles, such as Kingdom Hearts III, The Last of Us: Part II, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Although the aforementioned works are prestigious, Zelda fans will be happy to know that Joe Hernandez is also back as the voice actor for Daruk and Yunobo in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Except this time around, Joe was probably a little more well-informed as to the project and his role in the game.
To celebrate the recent launch of Age of Calamity, we are dedicating all of our regular columns this week to the mighty Champions! Check out our Champions Week 2020 page.
