“The Legend of Vox Machina” is an animated fantasy TV series that first aired on Amazon Prime Video on Jan. 28, 2022. It is based on a Dungeons & Dragons (DND) campaign played by the members of Critical Role, a group of voice actors that gathered to play the fantasy role-play game.
Through their efforts and passion, they were able to transform their story from the game board to the animated scene, voicing the characters that they created. Leading them along this journey and the mind behind their story is fellow voice actor, Matthew Mercer.
Within this fantastical world, there are seven main characters that make up the adventurous group, Vox Machina. These characters are Vex’ahlia, Vax’ildan, Percival de Rolo, Keyleth, Grog Strongjaw, Pike Trickfoot and Scanlan Shorthalt.
Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey) and Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brien), better known as Vex and Vax respectively, are twin half-elves. Vex is a ranger and archer, and seemingly the group’s unofficial leader with her tough, confident and forceful personality. Vax is the rogue and spy of the group, who is more serious and solemn compared to his sister.
Percival (Taliesin Jaffe) is introduced as the world’s rare gunslinger, a human that originates from nobility. Keyleth (Marisha Ray) is a shy and awkward half-elf druid with great command over nature. Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham) is a goliath barbarian who is best described as someone who “thinks with his muscles.” Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson) is a gnome cleric, who, despite her faith and compassion, can be quite crude and violent. The group is complete with Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel), a womanizing gnome bard, who consistently brings comedic relief to serious situations.
This group, known for their chaotic methods and mostly noble intentions, tend to clash due to their differing personalities and values. Through the course of the series, however, they grow closer together and bond as a family. Season one begins with the group already formed as they take a job to save the kingdom from a fearsome dragon, kickstarting their adventures and leading them to the main villain gang of the series, a dragon group who wish for the end of humanity.
Season three has just recently premiered on Oct. 3. and is dedicated to Lance Reddick, the voice of the season’s main villain, as he passed suddenly last year. They released their first three episodes with new episodes set to upload weekly on Thursdays on Amazon Prime. The first episode picks up seconds after the finale of season two, where our group of misfits are thrusted into their next mission and journey. I highly recommend refreshing yourself on seasons one and two before jumping back in as “The Legend of Vox Machina” does not forget their plot details.
With an amazing soundtrack and skillful animation that support and elevate the story, season three begins fantastically. As a show that is built upon the passion and friendship of the cast, its true heart lies in its characters and relationships with one another. All of the characters are treated like people, with the dialogue and jokes between them always feeling so natural and organic, each bond feeling real.
Unlike most fantasy series that tend to forget the insurmountable amount of trauma a character goes through and how that affects their mental state, this show presents in realistic ways in which the mass murders the characters witness throughout the show can affect their psyche and attitudes. It also reinforces the idea that trauma cannot be erased — despite facing your past, its echo can still haunt you and your relationships.
The first three episodes have spent more time than its previous seasons in developing the budding romantic relationships between the main characters in an exciting way. Like the last two seasons, the show remains fast-paced and action heavy, and while it supports the style and energy of the series, it has also hurt the emotional development of Keyleth, whom we are unable to spend enough time with before the next thing happens.
With the amount of foreshadowing and mystery in the new theme song, I suspect that something tragic is going to happen this season that will either break their tight-knit group or change the course of the series. Season three was an amazing watch so far and I look forward to seeing more!
4/5 stars
skwok@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @CHofferCbus, X
