Princess Peach Voice Actor Replaced for Switch 2 Launch

Samantha Kelly as Princess Peach and Toad in Nintendo games

Voice actress Samantha Kelly learned her 18-year role voicing Super Mario characters Princess Peach and Toad had ended on Nintendo Switch 2's launch day — when Mario Kart World arrived without her involvement.

While not widely recognized by name, Kelly had portrayed Peach and Toad across more than 70 Nintendo titles spanning DS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U and Switch platforms since her debut in 2007's Mario Strikers Charged.

Nearly Two Decades of Iconic Voices

Kelly lent her voice to these beloved characters across the Mario franchise — from mainline platformers like Super Mario Bros. to spin-offs including Luigi's Mansion, Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. She particularly shined when her characters took starring roles, such as in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and last year's Princess Peach: Showtime!

Her vocal performances extended beyond Nintendo-published titles to include third-party Nintendo system games like Ubisoft's Mario + Rabbids series and Sega's Olympic crossover titles.

Multimedia Presence

Beyond gaming, Kelly voiced the characters for Lego's Super Mario toy line, Nintendo's theme parks, and various Toad roles in the blockbuster Super Mario Bros. Movie.

When fans noticed her absence from Mario Kart World's credits, Kelly confirmed on Instagram that Nintendo had recast the roles without prior notice:

"Thank you for so many years of friendship and joy. I'm sad that it's over—I truly would have wanted to voice Peach and Toad forever. Nintendo informed me yesterday they decided to recast these roles. I'm grateful for the opportunity to bring these strong, beautiful characters to life for so long."

Nintendo's Secretive Approach

Nintendo maintains strict control over credit disclosures, often withholding development team information until game releases. This policy appears to have extended to voice talent notifications in Kelly's case.

Currently, the new voices for Peach and Toad remain unidentified, though fans speculate the changes may align with the Super Mario Bros. Movie's casting.

Another Veteran Voice Missing

Observant fans also noted the absence of Takashi Nagasako, Donkey Kong's voice actor since 2004's Mario Power Tennis. The credits list Koji Takeda instead, suggesting Nintendo may be unifying game and film voice talent.

This follows Nintendo's 2022 retirement of Charles Martinet (Mario's voice for nearly 30 years), who transitioned to an ambiguous "Mario Ambassador" role.

IGN has reached out to Nintendo for comment on these casting changes.