Phantom Blade Zero: Longtime Sonic and Ezio Voice Actor Roger Craig Smith to Voice Protagonist Soul

According to developer S-Game, industry veteran Roger Craig Smith—renowned for voicing iconic characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Ezio Auditore, Chris Redfield, and Batman—has officially taken over the role of Soul, the protagonist in Phantom Blade Zero. Smith steps in to replace former voice actor Jay Maksenuk, whose performances remain featured in several earlier promotional trailers and gameplay showcases.

You can experience Smith’s debut performance as Soul in the official launch trailer for Phantom Blade Zero below:

Game Informer has reached out to S-Game for an official statement regarding the late cast change and will provide updates should further details emerge.

To pull back the curtain slightly, this transition appears to have happened remarkably close to release. Throughout the vast majority of my review period with Phantom Blade Zero (which you can read here), Soul was still voiced by Maksenuk. Because the English vocal delivery didn’t quite resonate with me initially, I opted to play most of the adventure using the stellar Chinese voice track. However, roughly a week into evaluating the game, S-Game informed me that Soul’s dialogue had been refreshed—a substitution the development team had previously hinted would take place.

Although S-Game did not disclose specifics at the time regarding who had stepped into the booth, Smith’s unmistakable, legendary vocal signature made his identity immediately obvious upon listening to the updated files. Because I was already nearing the conclusion of the campaign, I had limited time to experience the new lines in context, but overall, I thoroughly appreciate Smith’s addition to the cast.

Regardless, players diving into Phantom Blade Zero on day one will experience Soul entirely through Smith’s portrayal. Once you’ve spent some quality time with the game, share your thoughts on the new voice direction in the comments below!

In the meantime, be sure to check out our comprehensive Phantom Blade Zero tips and tricks guide.

[Editor’s Note: This article has been revised to improve clarity.]

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