The Legend of Vox Machina

For the Vox Machina campaign of Critical Role, see Critical Role campaign one.

The Legend of Vox Machina
Screenshot of title card
Genre	Action-adventure [1] Comedy-drama [2] [3] Fantasy
Created by	Critical Role Productions
Based on	Critical Role (campaign one)
Developed by	Chris Prynoski Critical Role Productions
Showrunner	Brandon Auman [4]
Voices of	Laura Bailey Taliesin Jaffe Ashley Johnson Matthew Mercer Liam O'Brien Marisha Ray Sam Riegel Travis Willingham
Composer	Neal Acree
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	36 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Chris Prynoski Sam Riegel Travis Willingham Brandon Auman Laura Bailey Taliesin Jaffe Ashley Johnson Matthew Mercer Liam O'Brien Marisha Ray Shannon Prynoski Ben Kalina
Animators	Production Reve Red Dog Culture House (#19–20)
Running time	24–30 minutes
Production companies	Metapigeon Titmouse, Inc. Amazon Studios
Original release
Network	Amazon Prime Video
Release	January 28, 2022 (2022-01-28) – present

The Legend of Vox Machina is an American adult animated fantasy action television series produced by Metapigeon, ^[5] Titmouse, Inc., and Amazon Studios, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 28, 2022. The series is based on the first campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role . It stars Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Liam O'Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Travis Willingham, reprising their roles from the campaign.

The first season consists of twelve episodes, the first ten of which were funded via a Kickstarter campaign. In November 2019, ahead of the series premiere, it was renewed by Amazon for a second season which premiered on January 20, 2023. In October 2022, ahead of season two's premiere, Amazon renewed the series for a third season, ^{[6] [7]} which premiered on October 3, 2024. It was renewed for a fourth season the same month. ^[8]

The series received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences, with praise for its animation, voice acting, action sequences, story, writing, emotional weight, and faithfulness to the campaign.

Premise

Setting

The series is set on Exandria, ^{[9] [10]} a fictional world created by Matthew Mercer in 2012 for his personal Dungeons & Dragons campaign, which then launched as the actual play web series Critical Role in 2015. ^{[10] [11] [12]} Most of the story takes place on the continent of Tal'Dorei in locations such as the metropolis of Emon and the city-state of Whitestone. ^{[9] [10] [13]}

Synopsis

The first two episodes of the series ^[14] depict "an all-new story about the seven-member Vox Machina team at D&D Level 7 on their first 'grown-up' mission, which occurs prior to Critical Role's first RPG show". ^[15] The series then adapts the Briarwood arc from the original web series, ^[10] "in which the Vox Machina crew avenge the murder of the rulers of the town of Whitestone and most of their offspring by the evil Lord and Lady Briarwood". ^[15] In the second and third season the series also adapts "other classic Vox Machina story arcs", ^[16] such as the Chroma Conclave arc. ^[17]

Cast and characters

Further information: List of The Legend of Vox Machina characters

The members of Vox Machina are the following seven characters (and one significant pet):

• Laura Bailey as Vex'ahlia "Vex" Vessar, a half-elf ranger ^[18] and the twin sister of Vax'ildan. Their mother was killed by a dragon before the events of the series, so Vex has studied dragons in the hope of eventually finding the one responsible; she feels a pain in her head whenever a dragon is close by.
• Taliesin Jaffe as Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, a human gunslinger ^[18] whose family were once the rulers of Whitestone, a city-state within Tal'Dorei. He barely escaped alive from a coup d'état led by the Briarwoods, and during the first season he sought vengeance for the murder of his family. (Jaffe also voices Percy's father Lord Frederick de Rolo.)
• Ashley Johnson as Pike Trickfoot, a gnome cleric ^[18] of the goddess Everlight who initially struggles to harmonize her faith with her love of violence and other vices.
• Matthew Mercer as Trinket, a grizzly bear who serves as Vex's pet and companion. Mercer also voices the vampire Lord Sylas Briarwood, the shadow demon Orthax, the black dragon Umbrasyl, ^[a] and various other background characters throughout the series. ^{[20] [21]} A character based on Mercer's likeness appears in every episode of the show as an easter egg. ^[22]
• Liam O'Brien as Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar, a half-elf rogue ^[18] and the twin brother of Vex'ahlia, the two being very protective of each other. O'Brien also voices the white dragon Vorugal.
• Marisha Ray as Keyleth of the Air Ashari, a half-elf druid. ^[18] She is currently undergoing her Aramenté – a quest which acts as the Ashari trial of leadership. ^[23]
• Sam Riegel as Scanlan Shorthalt, a gnome bard ^[18] and raunchy hedonist whose most frequently useful spell is a giant purple floating hand.
• Travis Willingham as Grog Strongjaw, a goliath barbarian ^[18] and the best friend of Pike, known for his incredible might and slow wit.

Episodes

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	12		January 28, 2022 (2022-01-28)	February 18, 2022 (2022-02-18)
2	12		January 20, 2023 (2023-01-20)	February 10, 2023 (2023-02-10)
3	12		October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)	October 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)

Season 1 (2022)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"The Terror of Tal'Dorei – Part 1"	Young Heller	Brandon Auman	January 28, 2022 (2022-01-28)
The failure of multiple mercenary groups to defeat an unidentified beast burning the farmlands leads the Tal'Dorei Council to advertise a substantial reward for the beast's death publicly. This draws the attention of Vox Machina after a barfight emphasizing their lack of funds. Following a musical introduction by Scanlan, only General Krieg argues in favor of giving Vox Machina a chance. Sovereign Uriel entrusts the task to them because he is impressed with Vex's bear, Trinket. The group is taken to the Shalesteps where the creature was seen last. Following a lead from a village child, Vox Machina encounters the creature – the blue dragon Brimscythe. A battle ensues; Brimscythe leaves after nearly killing the group, leaving them reluctant to continue their quest. Vex reveals that a dragon killed the twins' mother when they were young and informs the group that she sensed something draconic when they met with the Council. They once again pass through the Shalesteps on their way back to find the village destroyed and its inhabitants killed. Feeling guilty over the deaths of the villagers, Vox Machina resolves to kill Brimscythe or die trying.
2	2	"The Terror of Tal'Dorei – Part 2"	Alicia Chan	Brandon Auman	January 28, 2022 (2022-01-28)
Brimscythe swiftly wipes out a battalion of Emon soldiers; General Krieg is among the few survivors. When updating the Council, Vex surmises that Sir Fince may be in league with the dragon based on her dragon sense. At Gilmore's Glorious Goods, Vax and Pike ask Shaun Gilmore if he knows anything about dragons. While flirting with Vax, Gilmore reveals a bit of cryptic poetry on blue dragons from a book. Scanlan and Grog stealthily follow Fince to Krieg's mansion. Vox Machina breaks into the mansion and confronts Fince before Krieg kills him. They follow Krieg through a portal into a cavern, where Krieg reveals that he is Brimscythe as he shifts forms. During the battle, Vax realizes that the poetry indicates the dragon's weakness is its neck — the group comes together to allow Grog to land the killing blow. The council rewards Vox Machina with honorary titles and the keys to their own keep in Emon, along with an invitation to an upcoming banquet of important people from across Tal'Dorei. Meanwhile, Lord Sylas and Lady Delilah Briarwood are ambushed by bandits while traveling to Emon. Sylas brutally slaughters the attackers before the couple casually continues their journey.
3	3	"The Feast of Realms"	Stanley Von Medvey	Eugene Son	January 28, 2022 (2022-01-28)
Settled into their new keep, Vox Machina is informed that the banquet will be held the following evening. At the banquet, Percy is shocked at the arrival of the Briarwoods; Percy informs the group that they are the ones who violently deposed his family to take control of Whitestone. Vax infiltrate the Briarwoods' suite. During the meal, Sylas magically charms Uriel into ignoring any suspicious activity coming from Whitestone, while Delilah claims that the de Rolos abdicated in shame. Percy publicly accuses Delilah of lying before the Briarwoods retire to their suite. Vax discovers a hidden book in the suite that mentions an entity known as the Whispered One. When the Briarwoods catch Vax, Sylas displays vampiric qualities before Vax escapes. The Briarwoods' pursuit of Vax draws the rest of Vox Machina into a battle with the couple in the courtyard, while Scanlan distracts the banquet guests with a musical performance. Although the Briarwoods outmatch Vox Machina, the couple focuses on escape, leaving their coachman Desmond behind. Percy, enraged and overtaken by a shadowy force, shoots Desmond and attempts to question him about the Briarwoods, but is interrupted by Sovereign Uriel, who orders the arrest of Vox Machina.
4	4	"Shadows at the Gates"	Young Heller	Ashly Burch	February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04)
Sovereign Uriel orders Vox Machina to be arrested for disrupting the banquet and for assaulting the Briarwoods' coachman. Lady Allura manages to temper Uriel enough that Vox Machina is placed under house arrest at their keep, rather than jailed immediately. Throughout the same night, undead beings risen and controlled by the Briarwoods attack the keep to retrieve Delilah's book and eliminate Vox Machina. With Pike's connection to the Everlight broken, her magic is unavailable to help in the onslaught. After fending off the incursion after Keyleth generates sunlight to weaken them enough to be destroyed, Jarrett, the sole survivor of the city guard detail tasked with detaining Vox Machina, allows the group to escape after they promise to avenge his men and free Sovereign Uriel from the magical charm of the Briarwoods. Pike chooses to stay behind, feeling it necessary to visit a temple as part of rebuilding her connection with the Everlight.
5	5	"Fate's Journey"	Alicia Chan	Jennifer Muro	February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04)
After getting supplies from Gilmore, Vox Machina sets out to Whitestone. Along the way, Vex attempts to help Percy express his emotions while Grog is depressed by Pike's departure. The group is attacked by undead monsters sent by Delilah to retrieve her book. Scanlan, holding the book, is taken by the creatures but the group manages to save him at the cost of losing the book as well as their supplies and transport. While resting for the night, the group tells stories and jokes while Vax and Keyleth slowly bond, despite Vex telling her brother not to do so. Percy does not participate in the revelry and later lies awake spinning the barrel of his gun; five of its six chambers are engraved with the names of people involved with overthrowing and killing his family. Meanwhile, Pike stays at a temple in hopes of connecting with the Everlight. The group arrives at Whitestone which is now a desolate slum with many of its citizens hiding indoors. They come across the Sun Tree at the center of the city and are horrified to find villagers, including children, hanging from the tree dressed like them.
6	6	"Spark of Rebellion"	Stanley Von Medvey	Mae Catt	February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04)
Several rebellion members against the Briarwoods, led by Percy's old friend Archibald Desnay, are captured by Captain Kerrion Stonefell. After a failed interrogation led by himself and Duke Vedmire, Stonefell orders Archibald to be executed the following day. Vox Machina agrees to help rescue them after learning this from Keeper Yennen, a religious leader who secretly supports the rebellion. After breaking into the prison the group manages to free the rebels and Archibald, only to be caught and surrounded by Stonefell and the guards. The rebels and Vox Machina fight the guards and slowly retreat, while Percy stays behind to confront and execute Stonefell, whose name is magically erased from Percy's gun upon his death. While escaping and burning down the prison, Archibald informs Percy that his sister Cassandra is alive and under the Briarwoods' care.
7	7	"Scanbo"	Young Heller	Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham	February 11, 2022 (2022-02-11)
A flashback shows Professor Anders tutoring Percy and Cassandra on the powers of residuum – a mineral which can enhance arcane powers and is refined from whitestone rocks. The children witness an argument between Anders and their parents as they deny his request for a residuum refinery. Having rescued Archibald in the present, Vox Machina return to a resistance basement hideout. Vax, Vex and Scanlan confront Percy about pointing his pistol at allies during the prison break. Percy explains how the plans for his pepperbox pistol came to him in a revenge-fueled dream. The tension is diverted to Keyleth when she accidentally starts a fire whilst trying to heal the Sun Tree – the roots of which partly come through the wall of the building. The next morning Vox Machina and Archibald plan a rescue of Cassandra. Scanlan proposes he provides a distraction in a solo mission to burn down Duke Vedmire's house. The other members of Vox Machina doubt his ability, yet reluctantly agree to his offer. With Scanlan's distraction successful; Vox Machina move on Professor Anders' house – only to find they have walked into a trap. Anders cuts Cassandra's throat in front of Percy.
8	8	"A Silver Tongue"	Alicia Chan	Marc Bernardin	February 11, 2022 (2022-02-11)
Professor Anders attacks the group and then attempts to escape after slitting Cassandra's throat; Keyleth saves her with druidic healing. Vox Machina's pursuit leads to a fight where Anders uses magic to take control of Grog, Vex, Keyleth and Vax to force them to try and kill Percy. Percy’s eyes flicker black as he figures out how to ricochet a bullet through Anders' mouth disrupting the magic. Percy then puts on his plague mask and becomes wreathed in black smoke as he uses the Pepperbox to kill Anders, horrifying his friends and Cassandra; Anders' name dissipates from Percy's gun barrel. Vox Machina finds evidence for an upcoming ritual on the solstice but do not know what it could be. Keyleth creates the crest of De Rolo in the sky, and in response, Delilah Brairwood casts a spell to summon zombies to attack. Elsewhere, Pike tries to reconnect with the Everlight and attempts to find balance between her faith and her friendships. Scanlan encounters the zombies and rejoins his friends.
9	9	"The Tide of Bone"	Stanley Von Medvey	Kevin Burke and Chris "Doc" Wyatt	February 11, 2022 (2022-02-11)
In a flashback, Delilah makes a deal with the Whispered One to keep a dying Sylas by her side; he is restored as a vampire. Back in the present, the safe house that Vox Machina and the surviving resistance members are hiding in is attacked by the undead. Pushed on to the streets, Archie is killed by Vedmire during the onslaught. Cassandra convinces Percy to take up the mantle of leadership, and he rallies the people of Whitestone to join the fight. Vax confesses his love to Keyleth while Vox Machina and the resistance prepare to make a last stand at the Sun Tree, only for an astral projected Pike to appear and bless everyone's weapons with the power of the Everlight, allowing them to defeat the horde of undead. The townspeople kill Vedmire, and Vox Machina proceed to the Briarwoods' castle, entering through a secret tunnel to the dungeons. There they find Dr. Anna Ripley imprisoned, who offers to give them information on the Briarwoods in exchange for her release, but Percy holds her at gunpoint with black smoke emerging around him.
10	10	"Depths of Deceit"	Young Heller	Jennifer Muro	February 18, 2022 (2022-02-18)
A flashback reveals Ripley's role in the murder of the de Rolo family and Percy's subsequent torture under her hands. In the present, Percy holds Ripley at gunpoint, but Cassandra stops him. Pike uses divine magic, sensing a demonic force clouding his soul. After a tense negotiation, Vox Machina has Ripley lead them to the ziggurat deep below Whitestone Castle. Eventually making their way to the residuum refining room. Cassandra's name appears on the barrel of Percy's gun, as she hits a button trapping Vox Machina and Ripley in the room. Only Vax is able to slip under the descending transparent walls. However, Sylas is once again able to charm him. Percy demands answers from Cassandra, her eyes revealing she is also charmed - she declares she is part of the Briarwood family. As the Briarwoods, Cassandra and Vax walk away, the room rapidly fills with acid. Scanlan uses magic to hold the party above the acid and Vex refocuses Percy with a slap. Together, the group determines how to switch off the acid. Vox Machina then races towards the ziggurat. Meanwhile, Delilah notes to Sylas that they have two potential sacrifices as the four ascend the steps of the ziggurat.
11	11	"Whispers at the Ziggurat"	Alicia Chan	Eugene Son and Travis Willingham	February 18, 2022 (2022-02-18)
Vox Machina and Ripley continue to chase after Cassandra, Vax, and the Briarwoods. Meanwhile Delilah and Sylas are preparing for the ritual dedicated to the Whispered One. Once Vox Machina reaches the ziggurat, Ripley flees, taunting Percy that he is unable to shoot her without alerting the Briarwoods to the group's presence. A battle between the two groups ensues, in which Vex and Percy try to subdue their enthralled siblings while Keyleth, Pike, and Grog fight Sylas, with Keyleth eventually killing him by channeling the power of the Sun Tree into a blast of sunlight, freeing Vax and Cassandra from his charm spell. A devastated Delilah flees into the ziggurat and tries to complete the ritual early, mortally wounding Keyleth when Vox Machina enters to stop her. The ritual seemingly fails because it was performed before the solstice, summoning only a spinning black orb in place of the Whispered One. Distracted by this, Delilah is shot twice in the back by Percy. Pike tries to heal Keyleth but her astral projection is interrupted.
12	12	"The Darkness Within"	Stanley Von Medvey	Brandon Auman and Sam Riegel	February 18, 2022 (2022-02-18)
A healing elixir has no effect on the lifeless Keyleth. Scanlan deduces that all nearby magic is being blocked, including Pike's astral projection. The party leave the ziggurat, dragging Delilah behind them. Grog retrieves Sylas's sword, which seems to whisper to him. Back in the refining room, Keyleth is healed the same way she did Cassandra. Percy is possessed by the smoke demon, Orthax, who reveals that he gave Percy the idea for the pepperbox and that he feasts on the souls of those killed with it. Percy is nearly tricked into killing his friends but shoots through his own hand – seemingly dispelling Orthax. Delilah attempts to escape, but Cassandra kills her. Thinking the demon is gone; Percy goes to recover the pepperbox, but Scanlan stops him and throws it into a pool of acid. An effigy of Orthax rises from the gun as it melts. Percy places Cassandra in charge of Whitestone, and Vox Machina depart for Emon. Reunited with Pike, they are summoned by Sovereign Uriel. In an abdication speech he cedes the government to the Tal'Dorei Council and praises Vox Machina for saving them. Suddenly, alarm bells start to ring as four dragons fly towards the city.

Season 2 (2023)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
13	1	"Rise of the Chroma Conclave"	Young Heller	Brandon Auman and Eugene Son	January 20, 2023 (2023-01-20)
Emon is invaded by four dragons known as the Chroma Conclave: Raishan, a green poison dragon, Umbrasyl, a black acid dragon, Vorugal, a white ice dragon, and their leader, Thordak, a red fire dragon. They easily obliterate the city's defenses and inflict heavy casualties, including Sovereign Uriel. Separated, Vox Machina make their way to Gilmore's shop to regroup. Percy deduces that these dragons must have been planning this for years by ordering the disguised Brimscythe to dismantle Emon's army. After saving Gilmore in the wreckage of his shop, and taking what they want from his goods, he teleports them all to Vox Machina's keep. As refugees pour in, the keep is attacked by Vorugal. Keyleth uses her magic to help and some survivors escape to Whitestone. Keeper Yennen suggests seeking help in Vasselheim; the next morning, Yennen describes a tree in Vasselheim that Keyleth can transport to. In the ruins of Emon, two dragons meet with Thordak, and Vorugal reports of Vox Machina's escape but Thordak refuses hunting them down until their plan to conquer the realm is completed. Thordak will allow Umbrasyl, however, to kill the group if he happens upon them.
14	2	"The Trials of Vasselheim"	Alicia Chan	Colleen Evanson	January 20, 2023 (2023-01-20)
After being denied help in Vasselheim, Vox Machina are secretly advised to find the patron of the Slayer's Take. The twins have a history with this monster hunting guild. Grog, however, wonders off after being distracted by his new sword's voice. At the Take, the rest are met with hostility by an old "friend" of Vex's, a tiefling named Zahra and her human partner Kashaw. Zahra reveals that Vex had poached from the Take and stolen the reward money. Pike fails to rally the hunters to help fight the Chroma Conclave, however, Vox Machina are sent to meet with the patron who is revealed to be a sphinx named Osysa. As she points out each of their flaws, Grog is drawn to the Stormlord's arena and loses a brutal fight to Earthbreaker Groon. Groon states Grog must find the source of his strength if he is to become stronger. Osysa reveals to the group that they can only defeat the dragons by finding powerful weapons known as the Vestiges of Divergence. Once they have recovered a nearby vestige in the tomb for the Matron of Ravens' champion, they should find her mate who will reveal more.
15	3	"The Sunken Tomb"	Eugene Lee	Todd Casey	January 20, 2023 (2023-01-20)
In a series of flashbacks, it is revealed that the twins were treated harshly by their elven father due to their mixed heritage; the twins grow closer after running away. In the present, Pike has a divine vision of the dragons reporting to Thordak on the conquest – Westruun is now on the brink. Vox Machina arrive at a frozen lake which Scanlan scouts. He is saved from the Adaro, humanoid fish people, by Zahra and Kashaw who were sent to aid the group. Utilizing magic, Kashaw locates the tomb under the lake and Zahra and Keyleth open a path to the Matron's temple. Within they fight more Adaro and then, they realize Zahra and Kashaw have gone ahead to steal the Vestige known as the Deathwalker's Ward. Vax insists that they stay put while he checks for traps and descends through a crater where he finds a small mural depicting Osysa's mate. Percy notices a floor panel which reveals a sarcophagus. Vex considers waiting for Vax to return, but Percy convinces her to open it anyway. As Vex starts to feel guilty, Percy examines the armor accidentally setting off a trap which instantly kills Vex. Vax returns and breaks down in tears as he cradles her lifeless body.
16	4	"Those Who Walk Away"	Young Heller	Eugene Son	January 27, 2023 (2023-01-27)
During a flashback, a young Vax saves Vex from imprisonment at a bandit camp. While hiding, they come across a dying bear which Vax kills to end her suffering. They then find her cub which they bring with them when escaping; Vex names it Trinket. In the present, efforts to magically revive Vex fail while Vax starts to see a vision of the Matron of Ravens preparing to take Vex's soul. Vax offers his own life in exchange for Vex's – Vex suddenly comes back to life and Vax is suddenly wearing the Deathwalker's Ward. As they leave the temple, Zahra summons an uncontrollable monster which petrifies. Vax begins to have visions of a battlefield and fighting the Matron's champion as the real monster starts to turn the group into stone until only he and Kashaw are left. After surrendering to death in the vision, Vax unlocks abilities from the Vestige which allow him to single handedly kill the monster while Kashaw restores the others. Outside Zahra apologizes and departs with Kashaw. Vax has another vision of the Matron taking the soul of a dying man; he then tells Vex about his visions. Unknown to Vox Machina, Anna Ripley is shown magically observing them as she walks towards Westruun in flames.
17	5	"Pass Through Fire"	Alicia Chan	Meredith Kecskemety	January 27, 2023 (2023-01-27)
Opening with a flashback, Keyleth's mother Vilya explains to a young Keyleth the connection between the air and fire elements before Vilya departs on her Aramenté. In the present, Vox Machina come across an under attack Pyrah, the Fire Ashari settlement which guards the Fire Plane rift. They find Keyleth's father as well as Allura and Kima, who explain their escape from Emon and that they had originally sealed Thordak away in the Fire Plane. Thordak's escape tore open the rift; fire elementals have been attacking ever since, leaving Pyrah to be overwhelmed by the endless tide of creatures. Keyleth initially struggles but recalls her mother's words and passes through the rift. On the other side, she transforms into a giant fire being and closes the tear. The Fire Ashari leader blesses her mastery of air and fire; she has yet to master water and earth. Allura and Kima stay behind to continue helping the Ashari but will then head to Whitestone. Vex through the episode acquires and learns how to use a flying broomstick. A group of goliaths are shown in Westruun offering tribute to Umbrasyl. Ripley approaches and asks to speak with Umbrasyl regarding Vox Machina.
18	6	"Into Rimecleft"	Eugene Lee	Mae Catt	January 27, 2023 (2023-01-27)
Grog has a nightmare where he endlessly kills people with his sword, Craven Edge, including all of Vox Machina. Following Vax's vision, the group heads into the Rimecleft to find Osysa's mate, Kamaljiori. He agrees to grant them more knowledge on the Vestiges if Vox Machina successfully complete a challenge of their choosing; of the options, they settle on the "wound him" challenge. Kamaljiori easily defeats all but Scanlan, who plays a heartfelt song about the love between him and Osysa. This emotionally wounds Kamaljiori, so he bestows Scanlan the Mythcarver Vestige. The sword gives Scanlan visions of other Vestiges: a bow hidden within the Fey Realm and a pair of gauntlets with goliaths in Westruun, causing Grog to feel unnerved. The visions are disrupted by Umbrasyl's surprise attack. In the ensuing battle, Umbrasyl mortally wounds Kamaljiori and takes Mythcarver. Keyleth prepares a shift spell to allow them to flee to the Fey Realm, however, Grog has become consumed by his sword's bloodlust and impales Pike which snaps him out of it. As Keyleth finishes the spell, Umbrasyl disrupts it enough to split the party and only Keyleth, Percy and the twins make it successfully to the Fey Realm.
19	7	"The Fey Realm"	Young Heller	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	February 3, 2023 (2023-02-03)
Keyleth, Vax, Percy, and Vex find themselves in the Fey Realm and struggle to navigate its dangers. Meanwhile, Scanlan, Pike, and Grog land in a rocky landscape where Pike is badly injured, and her wound won't close because her blood is being sucked into Craven Edge. While the blade urges Grog to kill his friends, he overcomes and destroys the sword but is left without his physical strength. In the Fey Realm, the group is attacked by plants and jellyfish-like creatures. Vax and Percy eventually defeat the amalgamated creature; Vax tells Percy that he feels he is being pulled onto a different path from the group's. They encounter a satyr named Garmelie who offers to guide them and discover that the Vestige, a bow called Fenthras, is in the Shademurk Bog. Meanwhile, Thordak and Umbrasyl have a magical conversation about the Vestiges of Divergence; Thordak favors riches over "mankind's baubles" but allows Umbrasyl to keep searching. Ripley tells Umbrasyl that Thordak is a fool for dismissing the power and potential of the Vestiges, but Umbrasyl trusts Thordak's plan. Pike, Scanlan, and Grog eventually arrive at a small cottage. Garmelie leads the others to an overlook of an elven city, which he claims appeared recently and lies between them and the vestige. The twins recognize the city as Syngorn, where they grew up with their father.
20	8	"The Echo Tree"	Alicia Chan	May Chan	February 3, 2023 (2023-02-03)
Garmelie insists on traveling through Syngorn – Vex states that the city can teleport in emergencies. Within the city, they are brought before the twins' father, Ambassador Syldor Vessar who coldly dismisses both the twins' accomplishments and their quest for Fenthras. Percy stands up for Vex and informs Syldor that she is in fact Lady Vex'ahlia, Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone. Percy later apologizes to Vex for springing a title on her and gives her a trick arrowhead; Vex thanks Percy, as no one other than Vax has ever stood up for her. In the bog, the cursed Archfey Saundor draws Vex to the heart of the tree which contains both him and Fenthras while setting tree monsters on the others. Saundor preys on Vex's sadness from Syldor's mistreatment of her, but Vex overcomes and kills Saundor by stabbing him in the heart with the trick arrowhead; she then claims Fenthras. Garmelie opens a portal back to Tal'Dorei as payment for entertaining him. Meanwhile, Pike's great-great-grandfather Wilhand Trickfoot removes the corruption caused by Craven Edge, which should allow Grog to recover his strength. Pike and Scanlan decide to travel to Westruun to retrieve the vestige; Grog reveals his uncle killed him while wielding them.
21	9	"Test of Pride"	Eugene Lee	Sam Riegel & Travis Willingham	February 3, 2023 (2023-02-03)
In a flashback, a young Grog indiscriminately slaughters smallfolk with a band of marauders known as the Herd of Storms, led by his uncle Kevdak. In the present, Pike, Scanlan, and Grog reach Westruun. Scanlan scouts ahead and encounters a gnome named Kaylie, a member of Dr. Dranzel's Traveling Troupe, hiding with the troupe and other locals. Grog tells Pike his brutal history with the Herd; encountering a cowering Wilhand changed his mind on the Herd's behavior. He was then left for dead after being beaten nearly to death by Kevdak, who wields the Titanstone Knuckles Vestige. Wilhand brought Pike to heal Grog, as Grog was banished from the Herd for saving Wilhand. Meanwhile, Umbrasyl and Ripley arrive in the city and admonish Kevdak for the reduced amount of gold. Umbrasyl informs Kevdak that he has three days to increase the tribute, or Umbrasyl will take the Vestige upon his return. Grog and Pike sneak into the city to find Scanlan and help him evacuate the survivors, who are afraid of Grog. At the city gates, Grog decides he must stand up to his uncle even though he hasn't recovered his physical strength. Kevdak beats his son Zanror in front of the Herd for undermining his rule – Grog arrives to challenge him.
22	10	"The Killbox"	Young Heller	Meredith Kecskemety	February 10, 2023 (2023-02-10)
Keyleth, Vax, Percy, and Vex arrive back at Whitestone to find it hidden by a cloaking spell; they discover that three weeks had passed in Tal'Dorei during their three days in the Fey Realm. Allura views Scanlan, Pike, and Grog remotely, revealing that they are in Westruun. Grog calls out Kevdak's cowardice and hypocrisy for submitting to a dragon, then challenges him to single combat. Grog and Kevdak begin a hand-to-hand fight with Kevdak easily overpowering the weakened Grog. Pike and Scanlan are taken captive and, as Kevdak prepares to crush Pike, Grog discovers his inner strength. His rage causes his regeneration and he strikes back. Kevdak activates his gauntlets doubling him in size, and knocks Grog down. Grog states that his strength comes from his friends just as the rest of Vox Machina arrives. During the resulting melee, Vex transports Grog to a high altitude, giving him the momentum to bisect Kevdak with an axe. Grog acquires the gauntlets and names Zanror as the new leader of the Herd; before asking for assistance in killing Umbrasyl. During the post-battle festivities, Scanlan goes with Kaylie to a private bedroom where, after restraining him, she reveals herself as his daughter who is seeking vengeance for her mother.
23	11	"Belly of the Beast"	Alicia Chan	Eugene Son	February 10, 2023 (2023-02-10)
Scanlan does not remember Kaylie's mother; after dressing him down, Kaylie decides against killing Scanlan and leaves him pinned by an enchanted sword that can maintain its position in space. Umbrasyl declares to Thordak that Westruun has been depleted of gold, but wishes to claim the Vestige before returning. Ripley enters and reminds Umbrasyl of their deal—the power of the Vestiges in exchange for his resources. While Grog and Percy explain their plan to trap Umbrasyl, Vax visits a temple of the Matron of Ravens. Stepping into a pool of blood, he communes with the Matron. Their ensuing conversation leads Vax to commit to his role as the Matron's champion; he is charged with safeguarding the sanctity between life and death. Later on, Umbrasyl is successfully ambushed; but manages to break free and cause chaos after turning invisible. Scanlan and Vax magically enter Umbrasyl through his anus, and use Kaylie's enchanted sword to keep him from flying. Despite the best efforts of both the Herd and Vox Machina, Umbrasyl forces the sword through his body and takes off with Vax and Scanlan inside him. Grog hooks himself to Umbrasyl by lodging an axe tied to a rope into the dragon.
24	12	"The Hope Devourer"	Eugene Lee	Brandon Auman	February 10, 2023 (2023-02-10)
Grog is unable to force Umbrasyl to land and is thrown off. He is gravely injured even after Pike depletes her healing magic to stabilize him. Scanlan and Vax cut their way out of Umbrasyl mid-flight; with Vax unlocking his Vestige's wings to prevent them falling to their death. Vox Machina pursue Umbrasyl to his lair, however, Umbrasyl has already recovered from the earlier fight. In the ensuing fight, every member is incapacitated one by one. Scanlan, having spent most of the fight hiding behind a rock in fear, reclaims Mythcarver and stabs it into Umbrasyl's eye. A lyrical tune channels a blast of energy through the sword killing Umbrasyl, while Ripley slips away. Vox Machina initially believe Scanlan to be dead leading to Pike kissing him before Scanlan reveals he is still alive. During a celebratory toast at Whitestone, everyone at the table falls asleep except for Vox Machina and Keeper Yennen, who reveals herself to be the green dragon Raishan in disguise, and tells Vox Machina she is in secret opposition to Thordak's plans and offers her aid. Meanwhile, Thordak is informed by Vorugal of Umbrasyl's defeat, but dismisses Vorugal's warning that Vox Machina will now target the rest of the Chroma Conclave, gazing down upon a large clutch of dragon eggs.

Season 3 (2024)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date  [24]
25	1	"A Deadly Bargain"	Eugene Lee	Sam Riegel & Travis Willingham	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
Raishan discloses that she released Thordak from the Fire Plane in exchange for finding a cure for her curse, which is slowly killing her—a promise Thordak never fulfilled. As revenge, she offers to help Vox Machina find the Plate of the Dawnmartyr in Ank'Harel to defeat Thordak. However, time is short since the vestige is being pursued by another and Thordak's eggs are about to hatch. The group debates her offer; Keyleth retreats to Sun Tree with Vax following her. While kissing, Vax has a vision of Keyleth alone and mourning the rest of the party. They refuse Raishan and return to Emon to verify her claims. In the ruins, Vax discovers Thordak's eggs before encountering Vorugal. Vox Machina barely escape the dragons thanks to Raishan's help, prompting the group to accept her offer despite Keyleth's objections. Gilmore teleports them to Ank'Harel, where they plan to steal the Dawnmartyr. Scanlan leaves to find Kaylie. While infiltrating the manor, they discover the aftermath of a fight with Ripley actively stealing the vestige. They pursue her but she escapes using a teleporting cloak vestige. Percy eventually catches up with Ripley, who reveals that she is working with Percy's demon Orthax. Note: The episode was dedicated to Lance Reddick.
26	2	"Prisoners of Ank'Harel"	Young Heller	Suzanne Keilly	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
Percy is kidnapped by Ripley and Orthax who wish to mass-produce firearms. Ripley tries to convince Percy to help as it will allow the oppressed to liberate themselves. Percy instead attempts to kill Ripley with a sabotaged battery. As Vox Machina trace Ripley, they are confronted by the guard who believe they stole the vestige and killed its owner. Gilmore is captured when he tries to buy the group time to escape. They manage to save Percy but fail to capture Ripley and are instead apprehended. The group is brought before Emperex J'mon Sa Ord, ruler of Ank'Harel, who dismisses their claims of innocence until Percy takes the blame, whereupon he is sentenced to "transformation", and the rest to banishment. Scanlan reunites with Kaylie; he tries to drink away his anxieties, only to become intoxicated and embarrass himself. Colliding into his friends who are being banished, Scanlan rushes to J'mon to prove Vox Machina's innocence by using Mythcarver to reveal Ripley as the true culprit. When J'mon learns of the group's true intentions, they confide that the vestige was a fake. The real Dawnmartyr is with a collector located in the Hells of Despath.
27	3	"Vexations"	Karen Guo	Meredith Kecskemety	October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
In Emon, Thordak become suspicious of Raishan and issues a public bounty for Vox Machina. In Whitestone, Allura reaches out to her former teammate Dohla who is now a member of the Draconian Assembly since Draconia guards a rift to the Hells through which the party might travel. Various relationship moments occur in the evening – Percy and Vex have sex; Vax rejects Keyleth because he does not wish to put her through the pain of outliving him; and Scanlan mistakes emotional support from Pike for a romantic advance. In Draconia, Percy and Vex stay behind to guard the rift as the rest of Vox Machina enter. They are then ambushed by Vorugal; Dohla betrayed them due to her jealousy of Allura and Kima and made a bargain to spare Draconia. Percy, Vex, Allura and Kima flee down the slopes of Draconia, but Dohla summons an avalanche which separates Kima from the group as she tumbles down the mountain. Vorugal eats Dohla when she annoys him; the dragon traps Percy, Vax, and Allura in a cave to hunt Kima. There, Vex declines a relationship with Percy but expresses faith in the rest of Vox Machina, Kima, and themselves.
28	4	"Hell to Pay"	Eugene Lee	Brandon Auman & Travis Willingham	October 10, 2024 (2024-10-10)
The Everlight warns Pike about the dangers of the Hells of Despath. Disguised by Scanlan, Vox Machina explores the city near the portal. Pike feels an entity reaching out to her; when their disguises fail, she leads them to the tower of Zerxus, a collector, and his massive demonic bodyguard, Yenk. Zerxus reveals the vestige was lost in a wager. Pike agrees to a high-stakes card game enforced by a magical contract: if she wins, the Dawnmartyr is hers; if she loses, she becomes his eternal servant. During the game, players must truthfully answer a question or incur a magical penalty. Zerxus manipulates Pike's insecurities about her bond with the Everlight, causing her to reveal her card's location. As a result, Zerxus wins, enslaving Pike. Determined, she challenges him to a rematch, wagering her friends' souls for her freedom and the vestige. Pike turns Zerxus's tactics against him, prompting him to reveal his own emotional conflicts. Seemingly gracious in defeat, he grants Pike the Dawnmartyr and gives them a token to deter other creatures as they leave. Secretly Zerxus feels satisfied, believing he has weakened Pike's bond with the Everlight. He instructs Yenk to pursue and only leave Pike alive.
29	5	"The Frigid Wastes"	Young Heller	Story by : Marque Franklin-William Teleplay by : Mae Catt	October 10, 2024 (2024-10-10)
In a flashback to their adventuring days, Allura and Kima bicker over how to handle a chimera. In the present, Allura, Vex and Percy save Kima and rush to reopen the rift while being pursued by Vorugal. The rest of Vox Machina dive into the rift with Yenk following behind. While aiming at various members of Vox Machina, Vorugal and Yenk hit each other leading to a violent clash between the massive creatures. Vorugal emerges victorious, but heavily wounded. Sensing an opportunity, Kima drives Mythcarver into Vorugal's wounded chest, and Vox Machina follows up with a full frontal assault, culminating in an arrow shot by Vex into the same wound, to which Keyleth attaches vines which constrict and then destroy the dragon's heart. A tree grows from the dying dragon as Kima delivers the killing blow. In Emon, Thordak rages at the outcome, but takes comfort in knowing that his now-hatching progeny only need their first meal to complete their birth. Ripley then appears with a suggestion of where they can get that meal. Back in Draconia, Vex and Percy reconcile and Scanlan uses a magical key he got from Umbrasyl's hoard to create "Chateau Shorthalt" so the party can have a comfortable evenings rest.
30	6	"The Coming Storm"	Karen Guo	Liam O'Brien & Eugene Son	October 10, 2024 (2024-10-10)
In Chateau Shorthalt, the party indulge themselves while Scanlan is depressed over his inability to mend his relationship with Kaylie, inadvertently revealing her existence to everyone. Pike comforts Scanlan with a vision which reveals that Kaylie secretly misses him. The group leaves to Whitestone while Scanlan stays behind to find Kaylie. When arriving, they discovered Whitestone has been attacked by Thordak's hatchlings. Vox Machina manages to drive the hatchlings away, but the civilian population suffers heavy casualties. When Raishan appears, the group at first blames her for the slaughter until Percy realizes it was Ripley's doing. Vox Machina ends their alliance with Raishan while Vex comforts Percy, who vows revenge against Ripley, asking for her help.
31	7	"Cloak and Dagger"	Eugene Lee	Marisha Ray & Eugene Son	October 17, 2024 (2024-10-17)
In a flashback, Ripley's village is attacked by the Cerberus Assembly, killing her father. Scanlan arrives in Nicodranas only to discover Kaylie and the troupe have already left. Percy deduces Ripley's location, and, despite knowing it is a trap, Vox Machina fly to the island of Glintshore to ambush her. Percy tells Vex he wants to make their relationship public, and that he is in love with her, shocking her. Distracted, she triggers a gas trap causing all of the party to experience hallucinations of their worst fears, whilst Ripley sneaks in and takes Percy. Percy again rejects Ripley's offer to work together, causing a shootout between him and her henchmen. Pike, remembering Zerxus, rejects the Everlight's power and instead uses her own blood to revive Vox Machina, at the cost of her energy. Percy subdues Ripley and Orthax, but decides to stop the cycle of vengeance by sparing her, Ripley however shoots and kills him before fleeing. Pike is unable to help, and a distraught Vex cradles his dead body.
32	8	"Siege and Silence"	Young Heller	Meredith Kecskemety	October 17, 2024 (2024-10-17)
In a flashback, Vox Machina break into a prison for a bounty, only to discover the prisoner is already dead. They encounter an imprisoned Percy, and decide to free him. In the present, a funeral is held for Percy. An unaware Scanlan arrives back and is horrified to learn what he missed. Vex mourns, believing Percy died without knowing she loved him back. Vax and Keyleth reconcile and spend the night together. Raishan arrives back in Whitestone, still wishing to work with them despite the end of their deal, and reveals that Thordak is the dragon who killed Elaina, the mother of the twins. The council agree to this, and they part ways to recruit prior allies such as Zahra, Kashaw, Earthbreaker Groon, the Fire Ashari, and the elves of Syngorn, where Vex stands up to her father. The army is met with little resistance, but Vox Machina discover that the back entrance has been sealed, and Raishan has betrayed them. Thordak bursts from the ground and begins attacking the main forces.
33	9	"Thordak's Throne"	Karen Guo	Kevin Burke & Chris "Doc" Wyatt	October 17, 2024 (2024-10-17)
Thordak begins his attack on the army while Vox Machina splits up to help them and destroy the eggs at Grog's suggestion. Vex and Vax lead a small hoard of dragons away from the nest, giving Scanlan and Grog the chance to infiltrate it before they head back to assist their allies. In the ensuing fight, Thordak kills Kashaw, devastating Zahra. Upon arriving at the nest, Scanlan goads Grog into smashing the eggs. Thordak senses this and returns to the nest, only to discover the remains of his offspring killed while Scanlan and Grog barely escape him during which the former is knocked unconscious. Thordak prepares to kill Vox Machina as revenge for destroying his offspring, but Pike manages to absorb his fire breath after overcoming her insecurities about herself and repels it back at him, destroying the crystal on his chest in the process. However, Thordak survives just as Raishan arrives seemingly to aid him. But in a surprising turn of events, Raishan betrays Thordak and attacks him as revenge for not keeping his promise. Thordak attempts to flee, but Vax, remembering his mother's words, flies up into the air and ultimately kills him by flying through his heart. In the aftermath, Keyleth reluctantly thanks Raishan for her aid in killing Thordak and the conclave. However, Raishan reveals her true intentions to Vox Machina and disappears with Thordak's corpse.
34	10	"To the Ends of the World"	Eugene Lee	Suzanne Keilly	October 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
After Raishan disappears with Thordak's corpse, Vox Machina is left shocked by her betrayal, including Keyleth who decides to go off on her own. While Scanlan recovers, Vex decides to go after Ripley in order to avenge Percy, with Vax agreeing to accompany her. Pike finds Kaylie and convinces her to come see her father after showing her a song that he wrote for her. Keyleth reunites with her father Korrin who reveals to her an ancient ritual that can help locate people over vast distances. Korrin is reluctant to allow Keyleth to go through with the ritual because it is dangerous, and that it cannot be performed without the Council's permission. Regardless, Keyleth tells her father to call a meeting. Once the Council members arrive, Keyleth states her claims that she can perform the ritual successfully without fail, but the council's leader Uvenda denies her request, believing that she is not ready because she has not completed all of her trials and that it could kill her. After a moment of thought, Keyleth returns and proclaims her desire to perform the ritual, and the Earth Ashari's leader Pa'tice agrees to help her along with the rest of the council members, much to the chagrin of Uvenda. Pa'tice, Keyleth, and Korrin begin the ritual, but the latter begins to struggle with maintaining the connection. Meanwhile, Vex and Vax arrive at Stilben in search of a way to find Ripley. They find a human-animal hybrid named Katari who has a pepperbox and follow him to retrieve it. Katari incapacitates Vax for a moment, but he soon recognizes him as a member of the Clasp. He takes the twins to the dock where a ship is to arrive soon at night to restock on weapons and then leaves them on their own, not wanting to become involved in their agenda. The ship soon arrives to restock, and Vex attempts to sneak past the crew, but fails, forcing the twins to fight their way through. However, the ship manages to escape. Vex and Vax manage to chase it down and get on board, only to be ambushed and captured by Ripley.
35	11	"Deadly Echoes"	Young Heller	Eugene Son	October 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
Keyleth continues to struggle with maintaining the connection during the ritual while attempting to locate Raishan. Pa'tice realizes that something is holding her back and tells Keyleth not to resist the pull of the world by giving into it. Hearing her words, Keyleth gives in, and upon realizing that her love for Vax makes her stronger, Keyleth manages to complete the ritual and successfully locates Raishan. Meanwhile, Pike brings Kaylie to the castle and encourages her to talk to her father. Kaylie admits that she still misses him just as Scanlan regains consciousness, and they reconcile. Keyleth contacts the rest of Vox Machina and tells them to meet her in Zephrah. Although Scanlan doesn’t want to leave Kaylie again, she encourages him to go save the world with his friends. Meanwhile, Ripley begins taunting the twins about Percy's death, only for them to escape from their restraints and attack her and her crew. After a long ensuing fight between the twins and Ripley, Vex finally kills her, avenging Percy's death. Vax then takes her gun. While resting on a nearby island, Vax reveals to Vex that he heard Percy’s voice from within Ripley’s gun, saying that his soul is probably trapped inside of it by Orthax, but she refuses to believe it before being contacted by Keyleth. After Vox Machina regroups in Zephrah, Keyleth confesses her feelings for Vax before revealing Raishan's location to the team. Keyleth leads Vox Machina to an ancient ziggurat where they discover her performing a ritual with Thordak's corpse. Raishan seemingly kills everyone but Keyleth before attempting to complete the ritual due to the latter's people infecting her with a disease that kept her weak for a long time. Keyleth seemingly kills Raishan, but all of a sudden, the former discovers that the latter has transferred her soul into Thordak's corpse.
36	12	"Souls in Darkness"	Karen Guo	Brandon Auman & Sam Riegel	October 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
Having transferred her soul into Thordak's corpse, a battle ensues between Keyleth and Raishan who attempts to kill her. Vox Machina, having survived the attack from Raishan, also join in to assist her. After a long grueling battle, Raishan seemingly kills Keyleth, but in a shocking turn of events, Keyleth, having survived, ultimately kills her by transferring the disease from her old body straight into Thordak's corpse using her new Earth Ashari abilities. While Keyleth begins her recovery, Vax reaches out to the Matron and asks her for a way to free Percy's soul. The Matron warns him that doing so would bring a huge risk to his life before sending him back to the mortal world. The next morning, Vax tells everyone that he wants to bring Percy back to life by transferring his soul back into his own body, the same way that Raishan transferred her soul into Thordak's corpse, having sensed that his soul is being held prisoner by Orthax from within Ripley’s gun. He is willing to take the risk of bringing Percy back without the Matron's help. The revival ritual begins as Vax calls for Orthax who brings him into his realm. Vax ventures through his realm in search of Percy, all while trying to resist Orthax's influence. He finds Percy, but due to being under Orthax's influence, he doesn’t recognize him. However, Vex confesses her feelings to Percy who manages to regain all of his memories, and as a result, Vax successfully frees Percy from Orthax's domain, and the ritual vanquishes him for good. Percy is soon revived, much to everyone's happiness, and both Emon and Whitestone have begun the rebuilding process. In the end, Vox Machina go their separate ways for now; Vex and Percy return to Whitestone and continue with their relationship, Keyleth and Vax head off on a journey of their own (with the latter's hand showing signs of decay), and Scanlan and Kaylie decide to travel the world together because the former wants to make up for lost time with the latter while Grog and Pike stay behind to say their goodbyes to them. Elsewhere, a group of cultists conduct a ritual which summons a powerful, evil being known as The Whispered One.

Development

Background

As part of a sponsorship deal between Critical Role and D&D Beyond in 2018, an animated ad spot for the platform was produced which featured the Mighty Nein characters in combat. ^[25] The advertisement, which was animated by Kamille and Kevin Areopagita, "opened doors" for The Legend of Vox Machina to be produced. ^[26]

Kickstarter

On March 4, 2019, the Critical Role cast launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a 22-minute animation called Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina Animated Special. ^[27] The animated story was to be set just before the streaming portion of the campaign started—when the players were around level seven—during a time when, canonically, there is an in-game period of roughly six months when the members of Vox Machina were not all together at the same time. The cast projected a cost of US$750,000 for a single 22-minute animated short, fulfilling the other campaign rewards, and the fees associated with a crowdfunding campaign. Not knowing how long this would take to raise, the campaign length was set at 45 days. ^{[28] [29]}

Within an hour of launch, the Kickstarter had reached more than $1,000,000. ^[28] At the end of the first full day, all of the announced stretch goals had been unlocked, and the total had reached more than $4.3 million. ^{[28] [30]} With four 22-minute episodes funded in the first 24 hours, ^[28] additional stretch goals were added, expanding the project into an animated series. The first two episodes would cover the pre-stream story arc. The subsequent episodes would adapt the Briarwoods' arc, also from the Vox Machina campaign. By March 18, 2019, eight 22-minute episodes had been funded. ^{[31] [32] [33]} Finally, on April 4, 2019, the last published stretch goal of $8.8 million was reached during the airing of episode 57 of campaign two, pushing the total length of the animated series to ten episodes. A "secret" $10M stretch goal of Willingham being filmed going around a haunted house was reached April 16. ^{[34] [35]} The final total raised by the Kickstarter when it closed on April 19, 2019, was $11,385,449 with 88,887 backers. ^{[36] [37] [38]} When the campaign closed, it was one of the most quickly funded in Kickstarter history, and was the most funded Kickstarter for TV and film projects. ^{[39] [40]}

A number of the Kickstarter tiers offered production credits. ^[30] Backers at the $2,500 and higher tiers were given a "crowd funding associate producer" credit in the end credits of the first ten episodes of season one. Those who pledged more than $20,000 were listed as "crowd funding executive producer" on those episodes.^{[ citation needed ]}

Production

The Critical Role cast reprise their respective Vox Machina roles, with the exception of Orion Acaba. ^{[41] [42]} The animated series was written by Jennifer Muro and others ^{[28] [43]} with Brandon Auman as the showrunner; ^[4] the series was animated by Titmouse, Inc with character design by Phil Bourassa ^{[44] [14]} and other animation renderings by South Korea's Production Reve. ^{[45] [46]} Willingham told Inverse that "it took outsider perspectives to make the stories they told in tabletop comprehensible for newcomers and fresh for existing fans"; Willingham said that "the Briarwood Arc was around 35 hours. We had to squish that down into about six". ^[4] The music for the series was primarily composed by Neal Acree, with Sam Riegel and Mr. Fantastic contributing to Scanlan's songs. ^[47]

In November 2019, Amazon Studios announced that they had acquired the streaming rights to The Legend of Vox Machina, and had commissioned 14 additional episodes (two additional episodes for season 1 and a second season of 12 episodes). ^{[15] [37]} The cast went with Amazon as it "gave them the most freedom" in developing the show such as keeping it as an adult animation project. ^[48] Ray, in an interview with Polygon, said "we lucked out with Amazon. There were other potential distributors that we were talking about that were more interested in making it maybe a children's show, or wanting to go a different direction, or [make it into a] more serious political fantasy, a la Game of Thrones". ^[48] The project was originally slated for release in late 2020; however, in June 2020, it was announced that the debut would be missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^{[49] [50] [51]} The release was delayed to 2022. ^[52]

The show was renewed for a third season before the season two premiere. ^[6] Riegel has been quoted that the show could run for "possibly five seasons". ^[53]

Changes from the campaign

Cori McCreery, for WWAC in 2019, highlighted that Orion Acaba and his character Tiberius would not appear in the animated series "despite his being present for some" of the original adventures since "the Critical Role team had a falling out with" Acaba which led to the actor and his character "leaving the game pretty early on into the stream". McCreery wrote that "part of the beauty of adaptations is that you can change things that no longer fit the story you want to tell". ^[41] On adapting hundreds of hours of a live streamed actual play, Riegel explained that "Vox Machina as a group" was altered the most. ^[54] He noted that during the third season, the party goes "to different places in different orders" and split up and "reunite in different ways" so "the whole linear arc of the season differs from the campaign a lot". ^[54] Ashley Johnson highlighted that they were able to weave her character Pike into the adaptation in places where her character didn't appear in the original campaign due to Johnson's scheduling conflicts when filming Blindspot. ^[54]

Mercer commented that "hindsight" and the expansion of Exandria's history since the original campaign allows them to incorporate later developed aspects of the lore at earlier moments in the animated adaptation. Petrana Radulovic of Polygon highlighted the "impactful" inclusion of Zerxus Ilerez, played by Luis Carazo, who was originally created for Exandria Unlimited: Calamity – in the canon, the Calamity occurs "centuries before the events of The Legend of Vox Machina", however, Zerxus as a character "didn't even exist till five years after the original Vox Machina campaign ended, so the entire interaction with Pike is new to the show". Radulovic noted that "the current story can now more directly seed in bigger world-building and overarching plots that will come into play down the line" since it can take the original "unscripted moments" and turn them into "more deliberate foreshadowing". ^[55] Harvey Randall of PC Gamer noted that The Legend of Vox Machina "hasn't been a stranger to narrative departures from its source material, obviously, but those changes have mostly been in the service of efficiency" until the third season which featured more impactful narrative changes. ^[56]

Release

An update posted to the Kickstarter campaign in 2019 assured backers they would have free access to the first season. ^{[16] [57] [15]} In January 2022, Critical Role announced that Kickstarter backers would have free early access to the first two episodes from January 25 to 27. To access the first season, Kickstarter backers would need either an Amazon Prime subscription or would need to register for a free trial of Amazon Prime. ^{[58] [59] [60]}

The first season premiered on January 28, 2022, on Amazon Prime Video; ^[52] the soundtrack for the first season premiered the same day digitally. ^[61] The second season premiered on January 20, 2023. As with the first season; the second season was released in batches of three episodes per week, for a total of twelve episodes. ^{[62] [7]} The third season premiered on October 3, 2024; as with previous seasons, the third season is scheduled to release in batches of three episodes per week, for a total of twelve episodes. ^{[24] [63] [64]} Preceding the release of the third season, Amazon released the first two seasons on their YouTube channel for free for a limited time. ^{[65] [66]}

Reception

Pre-release

Multiple outlets, ^{[40] [11]} such as Variety , ^[39] the Los Angeles Times , ^[57] and CNBC , reported that the Kickstarter became the largest one for Film & Video, surpassing the previous record holder Mystery Science Theater 3000, with total funding of more than $11.3 million from more than 88,000 backers. ^[36] Variety highlighted that "Critical Role started working on the project in the spring of 2018. [...] After getting snubbed by Hollywood, CR decided to take a crack at bringing the project to life on Kickstarter. [...] Critical Role knew they had a big and engaged fanbase but the team didn't expect the flood of pledges that has poured in. On Twitch, between 30,000–40,000 people typically watch live with another 150,000 views on-demand, according to Willingham. The episodes on YouTube typically hit around 250,000 views in the first 24 hours. All told, each episode garners around 1 million views". ^[67] The Los Angeles Times highlighted that the Kickstarter bested "bigger-name properties like 'Mystery Science Theater 3000,' revived by Netflix in 2017, and 'Veronica Mars,' which became a feature film [...]. Critical Role has evolved into a mini media empire, attracting more than half a million viewers every week to YouTube, Twitch and their own site, Critrole.com. The friends have transformed their homegrown characters into a top 10 comic book on Comixology; sell out their live shows; and draw lines around the block at comic book stores and convention signings. The Amazon deal follows a partnership with the animation studio Titmouse". ^[57]

Critical response

The first six out of twelve episodes of the first season were given to critics to review ahead of the series premiere. The first season of The Legend of Vox Machina received a generally positive response from critics. ^{[68] [69] [70] [71] [72] [73]} On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 100% of 30 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.60/10.The website's consensus reads: "Fluidly animated and intelligently scripted, The Legend of Vox Machina is an addictive treat for fans of Dungeons & Dragons-style RPGs". ^[74] Multiple reviews highlighted the challenges in adapting the lengthy source material and that the show has some pacing issues, however, once it reaches the Briarwood arc the show takes off. ^{[69] [68] [71] [75]} According to market research company Parrot Analytics, the first season was the most in-demand animated streaming television show in the first-quarter of 2022, and that the show had "17.9 times the average demand of all other U.S. series". ^[76]

In comparing the first season to the original D&D campaign, Glen Weldon of NPR stated that The Legend of Vox Machina captures the essence of the "chaos energy" from the original actual play web series, distilling it into a more concise narrative – "storylines that stretched over hours and hours on the web series play out, here, over the course of one or two half-hour episodes". Weldon commented that "the animated series can't be everything the web series is, but then, it's aiming for a wider audience. And at that respect at least, its certainly got everything it needs to hit its target". ^[69] Kevin Johnson, for The A.V. Club , commented on the quality of the animation and the show's adult themes, noting that while it includes "plenty of curse words, sexual innuendo, and brutal violence—nothing feels overwhelmingly crass or unnecessarily gratuitous" and when escalation occurs, "it matters". He particularly praised the fourth episode for its character development, tension, and striking visuals. Johnson opined that show is "good stuff, and perhaps most importantly, Vox Machina knows to let its moments–dramatic, comedic, or action-oriented–breathe for themselves". ^[68] Kenneth Lowe, for Paste , wrote that "if you wanted a show about D&D with the serial numbers filed off, it's got you covered", however, it is not a kids show like the 1983 Dungeons & Dragons television series; instead, it has a similar level of graphic violence as Amazon's Invincible . He commented that "while there isn't a whole lot of diversity in the principal Critical Role cast, the show comes down on the side of a kind of casual inclusivity" and that it deliberately avoids "the racial essentialism which forms more of the bedrock of tabletop roleplaying gaming than many like to admit". Lowe opined that "The Legend of Vox Machina is a competently produced story decidedly informed by the sensibilities of a new generation of players". ^[73]

Eric Francisco, for Inverse , compared the show to Avatar: The Last Airbender and Voltron in the way it conveys ideas and simplifies complex lore. Francisco commented that while Tal'Dorei as a setting might lack originality, the story has "gravitas" and highlighted Percy's arc, a gunslinger grappling with revenge, in particular as "astonishing to witness". ^[71] However, he felt that the show's frequent shifts in tone blurred the "comedy and parody" line "too often". ^[71] Francisco stated that The Legend of Vox Machina is "an accessible" action fantasy "despite its sourcing from a long-running Twitch show" and is "only unusual in its marriage of Tolkien-lite settings and the lurid humor of a Deadpool comic book". ^[71] Cass Marshall, for Polygon , described the show as "a deeply indulgent story", "weirdly wholesome", and at times "frankly a little much"; she also thought that the animation work carried "the plot quite well, albeit not perfectly". ^[70] She expressed her love for the show, noting that "Critical Role's heart and good intentions" helped overcome The Legend of Vox Machina's "initial problems" and when the major story arc began, Marshall "was fully invested". Marshall opined "this is D&D pulp at its best" and emphasized that viewers "don't need to delve into" Critical Role's "rich canon" to enjoy the series. ^[70]

Subsequent seasons

Critical response of The Legend of Vox Machina

Season	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
1	100% (38 reviews) [74]	81 (4 reviews) [77]
2	100% (17 reviews) [78]	81 (4 reviews) [79]
3	100% (10 reviews) [80]	—

Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100% of critics gave the second season a positive review with an average rating of 8.10/10, based on 17 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "double the dosage of dragons along with swashbuckling antics, The Legend of Vox Machina's sophomore season goes from strength to strength as a richly imagined adventure tale". ^[78] Shannon O'Connor, for The Daily Beast , stated that "the first season of Vox Machina was an absolute blast, but Season 2 expands on it in the best possible way". ^[81] O'Connor highlighted the voice cast who add "so much depth, creativity and fun to these characters". ^[81] O'Connor commented that the show plays with audience expectations around fantasy tropes and that the show is not only a good adaptation but also an "uproarious, heartening, thrilling animated series in its own right". ^[81] Anna Govert, for Paste, stated that the 12 episode second season is a "masterclass of adaptation" as it is based on "over 80 hours of tabletop gameplay" – the series is "unafraid of making changes and knowing the importance of character-first storytelling". ^[82] Govert commented that The Legend of Vox Machina's "commitment to telling [...] meaningful stories alongside its badass fight sequences and crude humor make it feel refreshing and unique still in its second outing". ^[82] She called the second season "a visual delight" with "an even clearer anime influence and a style that feels uniquely Vox Machina". ^[82] Petrana Radulovic, for Polygon, commented that the "Dungeons & Dragons roots" are felt more in the second season as the characters go on a quest to acquire different objects. ^[83] Radulovic highlighted that the show "might not fully gel for everyone" due to its expansive cast, huge amount of lore and raunchy comedic moments, however, "there is so much heart and fun in the grandiose adventure" which makes it special "for those it does click for". ^[83] She also stated that animation is a better visual medium for fantasy – "Keyleth's elemental magic, Pike's glowing healing powers, and Scanlan's bright pink and purple bardic conjurations are really a testament to why we should see more of these shows in animation". ^[83] James Grebey, for Vulture, wrote that splitting the party can be difficult in a role-playing game, however, by doing this in the adaptation "it has the benefit of being scripted and better suited to telling concurrent, coherent storylines than a harried DM" and it leads to "a trio of episodes that feel especially coherent and effective". ^[84] Grebey commented that Grog and Scanlan can be "a lot, especially when their antics feel degrees sillier than whatever sad emo boy thing Vax or Percy are doing. I don't mean to keep harping on this, but the improvised, actual-play format of Critical Role supports these jarring moments of comedy better than the TV show [...]. But, when the two are on their own [...] it makes for a very effective story. It's all a little sillier but in a tonally consistent way, and being on their own forces the comic relief characters to step up and mature a little bit while still having the ability to pull off a pretty great suppository joke". ^[84]

Anna Govert, reviewing the 12 episode third season for Paste, called it a "much more perilous" season which "sacrifices a majority of its crude humor in favor of heavier plot threads and character arcs" and while it "takes some liberties" as an adaptation, these changes help "the story in the transition to television". ^[85] Govert highlighted that the third season often pairs characters up in comparison to the "sometimes solitary journeys" characters took before and by having "meaningful moments between the chaos of the season's ticking clock", the show "understands better than most of its peers that the overarching plots and life-threatening dangers are only compelling and terrifying if we care about the people throwing themselves head-first into the fire". ^[85] Aayush Sharma of GameRant also highlighted the escalating stakes and character work in the third season. Sharma viewed "betrayal and its consequences" as the central theme for the season where "characters who betray others must grapple with the ramifications of their actions, including loss of friendships, personal guilt, and external conflicts". ^[86] He thought the season balanced the darker narrative aspects with humor, "heartfelt storylines", and romantic relationships and that The Legend of Vox Machina makes "viewers care deeply about the characters' fates". ^[86] Rafael Motamayor of IGN saw "vengeance and love" as the main themes of the third season with death feeling "significant, poignant, utterly catastrophic, and, most importantly, costly". ^[87] On the first half of the season, Motamayor thought the writers struggled "to wrangle their many ongoing storylines" while balancing "what happened on the livestreams and the changes made by the animated series" which left it "feeling too contrived and convenient at points". ^[87] However, Motamayor felt the second half was "exciting" and went "beyond" the original campaign it adapted; he also highlighted the "stunning" animation work, with standout character work and the best fight scenes of the show so far. ^[87] Harvey Randall of PC Gamer praised the unexpected character deaths as "these changes ensure that long-time fans like me aren't just sat here crossing off entries on a bingo card". ^[56] Randall commented that the creators "have made a statement that no-one is exactly safe" and "while Percy's death seemed like a brave, interesting departure from the source material, turning a pretty well-loved side character into a Red Dragon pancake is like stabbing a knife through it". ^[56]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2022	Annecy International Animation Film Festival	TV Films in Competition (French : Films de télévision en compétition)	Episode: "The Feast of Realms"	Nominated	[88]
2024	Annie Awards	Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production	Todd Raleigh (for Episode: "The Sunken Tomb")	Nominated	[89]

Other media

• The Legend of Vox Machina is an adaptation of the first campaign of the web series Critical Role. "The first campaign lasted 115 episodes, with each video lasting between three- and six-hours long". ^[90]
  • The comic series Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins is an adaptation of the group's game before the show. ^[91]
  • The novel Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith & Kin (2021) is a prequel adaptation which focuses on backstory of the twins, Vex and Vax, three years before they joined the adventuring party Vox Machina. ^{[92] [93]}
  • The campaign sourcebook, Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting (2017), is a guide to the setting of campaign one. ^[94] It was published by Critical Role and Green Ronin Publishing ^[95] under the Wizards of the Coast Open Game License ^{[96] : 143} and is not considered "official" Dungeons & Dragons material. ^[95] The book is now out of print ^[97] — a revised edition, titled Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn (2022), was released by Darrington Press. ^[98] The revised edition reflects the twenty year progression of time between campaign one and campaign two. ^[99]
• The Legend of Vox Machina: Whitestone Chronicles is an upcoming interconnected prequel graphic novel series for The Legend of Vox Machina which will be written by Marieke Nijkamp with art by Tyler Walpole. The series was announced by Dark Horse in February 2023; the first book, The Legend of Vox Machina: Whitestone Chronicles—Ripley, is set to be published in November 2024. ^{[100] [101]}

Notes

1. See image 7 in the Assets gallery. ^[19]

References

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95. Plante, Corey (January 13, 2020). "'Critical Role' becomes 'D&D' canon with 'Explorer's Guide to Wildemount'". Inverse . Retrieved January 16, 2020.
96. Mercer, Matthew; Haeck, James (2017). Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting. Seattle, WA: Green Ronin Publishing. ISBN   978-1-934547-84-7. OCLC   1000342575.
97. "Critical Role Announces Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn". ComicBook.com. July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
98. Hoffer, Christian (January 18, 2022). "Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn Review: New Threats and Intrigue Emerge". ComicBook.com. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
99. "Critical Role's Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn Release Date Revealed". ComicBook.com. December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
100. Alverson, Brigid (February 7, 2023). "Dark Horse, Amazon Announce New 'Critical Role' Graphic Novels". ICv2 . Retrieved February 8, 2023.
101. "The Legend of Vox Machina: The Whitestone Chronicles Volume 1—Ripley HC". Dark Horse Comics (Product page). Retrieved October 1, 2024. Publication Date: November 26, 2024

External links

• The Legend of Vox Machina at IMDb  
• The Legend of Vox Machina at Metacritic
• The Legend of The Legend of Vox Machina video series (via Critical Role's YouTube channel)