90s Disney Princess confirms she’s been in Metal Gear Solid all along

Some fans suspected as much, and now they must be feeling validated (Konami/AP)

It turns out the original Metal Gear Solid 3 starred one of the most iconic voices from Disney animated movies and a genuine princess.

There has been one ongoing mystery involving the Metal Gear Solid series that’s perplexed fans even more than the games’ bizarrely complex plots: who actually voiced the character of EVA in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater?

The easy answer is she was voiced by one Suzetta Miñet, since that’s the name featured in Metal Gear Solid 3’s credits. Except when people looked her up to see what else she had done, Suzetta Miñet didn’t appear to exist.

It’s long been assumed this was a pseudonym and while one actress was suspected of being the voice of EVA, it’s never been explicitly confirmed… until now.

Who is the voice of EVA in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater?

With Metal Gear Solid 3 back in the spotlight thanks to the upcoming remake, entitled Metal Gear Solid Delta, Konami has been putting out documentary videos about its history.

The latest focuses on a few members of its original voice cast, including David ‘Naked Snake’ Hayter, and kicks off almost immediately with Suzetta Miñet’s true identity: Jodi Benson.

If the name doesn’t ring a bell, her most famous role will, as she was the voice of Disney Princess Ariel from the original The Little Mermaid. It’s a role she’s maintained ever since 1989, reprising it for various other movies, TV shows, theme park attractions, and video games.

So, how come she never used her real name for Metal Gear Solid 3? As Benson herself explains, it was because, at the time, her name was primarily associated with media geared more towards families and little children. Other examples include an animated Thumbelina movie from Don Bluth and the Robin Williams’ comedy Flubber.

We don’t need to explain why the Metal Gear Solid series is not family friendly. So, voice director Kris Zimmerman Salter suggested Benson go under a different name, using the name of Benson’s pet dog at the time – Susan Monet – as a basis.

Despite Benson’s involvement being kept under wraps, plenty of fans have long suspected it was her. In fact, Benson recalled a specific anecdote of a fan approaching her at a convention and asking her to sign a copy of Metal Gear Solid 3: ‘I said, ‘Do you know? Do you know my deep dark secret?’ and he said, ‘Yes I do know!’ and I said ‘Shh… keep it quiet.’

While it may have been a conscious decision to keep her involvement a secret, it’s nice to know Benson can finally claim credit for her performance all these years later.

Hayter did reiterate how the remake will be re-using the voice performances from the original Metal Gear Solid 3, though he also appeared to suggest there will be some new lines recorded, asking Benson and Lori Alan, voice of Snake’s mentor The Boss: ‘What was it like stepping in and doing some of the new lines, and stepping into those characters again?’

We recommend giving the whole video a watch, since it also provides some behind the scenes insight on the voice acting, with Hayter and Benson discussing how they handled a certain romance scene between Snake and EVA.

Plus, you get to enjoy all three sharing their first time reactions to footage from the remake and gushing over how good it all looks.

The remake is still slated to launch by the end of 2024 (Konami)

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