Bayonetta 3 is set to release in less than 2 weeks, and to say that people are excited for it is an understatement. It’s been a long time coming, having been announced at The Game Awards in 2018. Since, we’ve been all at the edge of our seats and now the game is almost here. However, there’s been one odd exclusion that wasn’t immediately noticed, and that’s to Bayonetta’s voice. The original voice of Bayonetta Hellena Taylor was curiously not reprising her role for the character, and at the time it was just disappointment since we were told that she had other obligations that conflicted. Were it just that, then I wouldn’t be writing this. But an unfortunate development has come up and it really does give us an idea of how voice acting is treated.
Hellena took to Twitter, making several videos outlining why she isn’t Bayonetta, how this situation came about, how it’s affected her mental health and well being, and with a plea for those who love Bayonetta to not buy Bayonetta 3. I encourage everyone to give those videos a watch (see videos below), but the big reason why she didn’t pick the role up again was because she was offered $4,000 for the role. Mind you, Bayonetta sold 1.35 million copies worldwide and Bayonetta 2 on the switch sold 1.04 million copies. This is to say nothing about Bayonetta’s cameos in other games, merch, and so on. This game is no slouch when it comes to making money and I wouldn’t call the fanbase for her tiny. So to call the offer “insulting” wouldn’t be off base.
Helena’s account of the situation with Bayonetta 3
The question then becomes, how in the world did this happen? Bayonetta is a recognized and beloved character, but the woman who brings her to life is paid scraps? It makes me wonder how much they paid Jennifer Hale for it. Given her resume, it couldn’t have been cheap to hire her on. In case you don’t know her, here’s a few characters Jennifer has voiced: Ashe (Overwatch), Commander Shephard (Mass Effect), Kimmy Howell (No More Heroes 2 & 3), Tanya (Mortal Kombat X), Phoenix (Marvel vs Capcom 3), and many many others. There’s no way she would have worked for that little, so why undercut Hellena?
I strongly encourage those who read this to go watch her videos instead of getting the perspectives from other publications so that you can come to your own decisions and conclusions. Whether or not you boycott the game should come from you after you know the facts. I’m just disappointed in PlatinumGames, Hideki Kamiya, and Nintendo. I wish the best for Hellena and that she gets some sort of justice in this situation.
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