Prime Video is rolling the dice on campaign two of Critical Role. Set twenty years after The Legend of Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein takes us further east, to the continent of Wildemount. Tensions are rising between the Dwendalian Empire and the Kryn Dynasty, with violent incursions and political subterfuge crossing borders and sparking whispers of war. So when a powerful arcane relic known as “The Beacon” falls into the wrong hands, it’ll take a special kind of team to stop reality itself from unraveling in its wake.
In this campaign, our main set of characters is made up of:
- Caleb Widogast (Liam O’Brien), a fire-based wizard who’s fallen on hard times;
- Nott the Brave (Sam Riegel), a goblin rogue with as many demons as enemies;
- Beau Lionett (Marisha Ray), a monk who deals in martial arts and asks all the right questions;
- Fjord Stone (Travis Willingham), a half-orc warlock sailor;
- Jester Lavorre (Laura Bailey), a tiefling cleric who worships a deity known as the Traveler;
- Molly Tealeaf (Taliesin Jaffe), a charming tiefling carnie-turned-blood hunter;
- Yasha Nydoorin (Ashley Johnson), an aasimar barbarian for hire;
- Essek Thelyss (Matthew Mercer), a Kryn drow wizard who specializes in political gray areas;
- Empress Leylas Kryn (Lucy Liu), the Bright Queen of the Kryn Dynasty;
And expect plenty of guest stars to lend their voices along the way.
The Mighty Nein doesn’t bother holding your hand and easing you into the action or the stakes; the sense of deathly urgency is already deeply enmeshed in the world, and you’ll pick up the many layers of machinations as the characters experience the fallout. Through vibrant, fluid animation, the series showcases its magic without visual limits and sweeps you up in its adventure. Drawing from the style of Vox Machina, powerhouse animation studio Titmouse shows off its dynamism. The vivid shades and fiery hues ensconce us in this fantasy world, while the action scenes punch with frenetic energy that keeps your heart racing, ebbing and swelling with the thrilling score.
But in true D&D style, it’s the characters who keep you coming back for more; the voice acting here is truly top-tier. The original Critical Role cast reprises their roles, which means they’re fully at home in their characters and make you feel every emotion. Each character is given a hefty chunk of introductory screen time to endear you to them and to show you just how their individual storylines will eventually lead them towards saving the realm. What home means to them, or why their traumas and secrets drive everything they do.
They all feel distinct from one another, and you’ll soon come to understand how they each have a particular set of skills that will make them a vital addition to the budding crew of misfits. And yes, you will have your faves—Caleb is a classic fantasy underdog hero with the story arc to match; Jester is a happy-go-lucky soul who feels everything so deeply; Nott gets all the laughs but deserves all the hugs; and I’d 100% hang out with Molly if I could.
The Mighty Nein is an excellent follow-up to Vox Machina, grabbing a smorgasbord of fantasy elements and tropes and running with them for a chaotic, powerful display that wears its heart on its sleeve. This series combines all the high-stakes gameplay-esque action of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign with nicely honed animated storytelling techniques for another decent adaptation in Prime Video’s roster.
Rating: B+
Level of Enthusiasm: 78%
