The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Review: A D&D Masterclass

The main cast of characters from Critical Role's animated series "The Legend of Vox Machina"
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The Legend of Vox Machina is one of the best animated series I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t a part of the world of Critical Role until they began their second campaign (and I had started participating in my own D&D campaign). The cast are some of the most wonderful, kind people I’ve ever gotten to see on screen and they truly love each other and D&D. I knew that when they launched their Kickstarter campaign to fund this series that it would exceed expectations; it blew those expectations out of the water! The all-star voice cast, stunning animation, and brilliant storytelling make this a must watch for not only D&D lovers, but fantasy lovers as well.

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Left to Right: Taliesin Jaffe (Percy de Rolo), Marisha Ray (Keyleth), Sam Riegel (Scanlan Shorthalt), Ashley Johnson (Pike Trickfoot), Travis Willingham (Grog Strongjaw), Liam O'Brien (Vax’ildan), and Laura Bailey (Vex’ahlia)
Left to Right: Taliesin Jaffe (Percy de Rolo), Marisha Ray (Keyleth), Sam Riegel (Scanlan Shorthalt), Ashley Johnson (Pike Trickfoot), Travis Willingham (Grog Strongjaw), Liam O’Brien (Vax’ildan), and Laura Bailey (Vex’ahlia)

The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Review

The second season picks up exactly where the first left off, as the capital city of Emon is attacked by a group of dragons known as the Chroma Conclave. Vox Machina manages to escape this attack, along with a few key players on the Council of Tal’Dorei. After they regroup, they come up with a plan to seek out the Vestiges of Divergence, a collection of legendary artifacts that can help them defeat the Chroma Conclave. Of course, finding the Vestiges isn’t easy and it puts the members of Vox Machina to the test on many levels.

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I cannot state enough how stunning the animation in this series is. Titmouse, Inc. has done an incredible job animating this series, from the characters’ expressions to the combat scenes. I love the decision to make the Chroma Conclave have 3D animation versus the 2D animation of the rest of the show; it makes the dragons feel as menacing as they are meant to be. It’s so amazing to see the world of D&D brought to life this way and Titmouse should truly be commended for their fantastic work.

Umbrasyl (Matthew Mercer)
Umbrasyl (Matthew Mercer)

The main voice cast is wonderful as always; it helps having a D&D group that are professional voice actors! Matthew Mercer continues his trend of voicing the villainous characters, last season voicing Lord Sylas Briarwood and this season voicing Umbrasyl, the black dragon. Vox Machina has some terrific voice work across the board, from Laura Bailey as Vex to Sam Riegel as Scanlan. They have been playing these characters for years now and it shows through all of their performances. The Legend of Vox Machina also features a terrific supporting cast of guest stars, such as Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Will Friedle (who both guest starred in the original Vox Machina campaign).

Zahra (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn) and Kashaw (Will Friedle)
Zahra (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn) and Kashaw (Will Friedle)

Overall, I cannot recommend watching The Legend of Vox Machina enough! It is truly one of the best animated series available right now, if not the best. If you are thinking of using this as a way to introduce D&D to your kids…DON’T! Much like a real D&D campaign, it is incredibly violent and filled with language and inappropriate jokes.

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If you feel like you can handle that (and are a parent of teenagers), this is the show for you! I miss these characters already and I can’t wait for the third season and hopefully many more to come on Prime Video. Critical Role is proof that good things can happen to good people and this animated series is absolutely one of those good things.

Rating: 10/10

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Written by Elliott Wishnefsky

Articles Published: 89

Elliott Wishnefsky is a Film/TV Critic for FandomWire and a member of the Critics Choice Association. He's a graduate of Millersville University with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. Elliott is also a content creator for his own brand, Learning at the Movies! Twitter: @Learning_Movies | Facebook/Instagram: @learningatthemovies | TikTok: @learningatthemovies