Why Watch The Mighty Nein, The Prime Video Series In The Vox Machina Universe

Popularized for the general public by works like Stranger Things or the underestimated Dungeons & Dragons: Thieves’ Honor, role play has been out of his tavern for several years, to the point of having numerous dedicated broadcasts, notably on YouTube or Twitch. In France, Actual Play like Game of Roles or The good hostel enjoy a solid community, but if it were necessary to elect the father of all, Critical Role would undoubtedly wear the crown.

Launched in 2015, Matt Mercer’s web series brings together dubbing professionals around several campaigns. Dungeons & Dragons. For ten years, the project has prospered, to the point of having long gone beyond the limits of the gaming table. This is how was born The Legend of Vox Machinaanimated series on Prime Videoinspired by the band’s first campaign in Mercer, with all its members providing voice casting. And while season 4 of the show is expected for 2026 – with a fifth season as a conclusion – today, we are interested in The Mighty Neinson legitimate offspring, which has just arrived on Amazon‘s streaming platform.

The story of The Mighty Nein

The series is inspired by the second campaign of Critical Role. Events unfold twenty years later those of Vox Machinaon the continent of Wildemounteast of Tal’Dorei (Vox setting). Two camps are arguing there. On the one hand, the commonLand of drow and other races rejected by the other faction, the Dwendalian Empire. The show begins as a powerful Kryn artifact is stolen by assassins, potentially inflaming tensions and leading to war.

Why watch The Mighty Nein, the new Prime Video series in the Vox Machina universe — © Prime Video

In the midst of this political intrigue, we meet marginalized people trying to escape their own demons. Through an unfortunate combination of circumstances, they will be led to unite and find themselves on the path to the artifact.

The maturity series?

If you are here reading these lines, it is because you are surely a fan of the exploits of Critical Rolesimply from the series The Legend of Vox Machinaor just curious. No worries, The Mighty Nein is designed to please everyone.

For newcomers, the show does not intend to grab you by the throat with omnipresent references or prerequisite knowledge, necessary for viewing pleasure. We are looking at an animated series for adults which takes place in a heroic fantasy universe. We can even say that she takes the time to introduce herself with these first three episodes posted online (out of the eight of season 1). With its longer duration than its predecessor (40 minutes here), the show is surprisingly long in its setupputting his action aside to concentrate on the discovery of the first characters.

Far from the already formed band of Vox Machina, The Mighty Nein takes the side to first establish the protagonists by their individuality. This allows us to address much darker feelings than his elder with themes like alcoholism, suicide, depression, loneliness… Although we are in animation, there is trouble and darkness in this story. And a lot of blood. It is not a quest of good guys against bad guys, it is a painting of a gray area in which figures who are not heroic navigate. Group spirit is not innateit must be built on the ashes of a long-gone trust for each of its members and a common suffering.

This allows The Mitghy No to be complementary to Vox Machina in approaching adventure in a completely opposite waywhile advocating its independence. Even the voice casting (always held by Critical Role) plays on this gap by modifying intonations and accents so that they are recognizable, but never similar. Which makes them all endearing, each in their own way. Special mention to Laura Baileygone from the confident and serious voice of the half-elf ranger Vex to this ball of good humor that is Jester Lavorre, a tiefling cleric constantly speaking to an imaginary god/friend.

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Concernant l’aspect heroic fantasy, the three episodes provide only too brief a glimpse of what awaits us and it would be hard to know where the wind will take us in the next episodes/seasons. Nevertheless, we appreciate that the political aspect is highlightedchanging dragon-based quests. Actions have more dramatic consequences, because they are more subtle in a sense. Likewise, magic plays a major role in the scenariowith a more “realistic” approach where the power of a spell is closely linked to its composition.

The Mighty Nein is not just a simple Vox Machina 2.0 with which it ultimately only shares a universe and a graphic style. Whether in its format, its approach to the characters, or its way of introducing its plot, we feel that Critical Role still has as much talent, but above all much more experience.

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