Just shy of a year after Season 1 premiered, the second season of The Legend of Vox Machina drops on Prime Video on Friday, January 20th. Based on the pop culture juggernaut Critical Role, a Dungeons & Dragons web series starring eight self-proclaimed "nerdy-ass voice actors," Season 1 of the animated adult fantasy was a smash hit with its cocktail of irreverent wit and sincere heart. Amazon commissioned a third season in October 2022 ahead of Season 2, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The mercenaries-for-hire group known as Vox Machina stirred up plenty of trouble across Season 1's twelve episodes, not least of which involved a fiery — ahem — cliffhanger.
Just Who Are Vox Machina, Anyway?
The Legend of Vox Machina takes place in Exandria, a universe replete with magic, elves, dragons, and the other aesthetic stylings associated with Tolkien-esque high fantasy. The first two episodes introduce the main characters as they hunt a dragon that's ravaging the Tal'Dorei continent, while the following ten installments chronicle one character's revenge quest.
Vox Machina are a hot mess on a level matching or surpassing the Guardians of the Galaxy. Prone to drunken bar fights and moral ambiguity but still a devoted found family, they accidentally stumble into a larger purpose than just earning money (aka, defending Exandria from evil). The group comprises seven protagonists: half-elf twins Vax (Liam O'Brien) and Vex (Laura Bailey), half-elf magic-user Keyleth (Marisha Ray), human gunslinger Percy de Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe), Grog Strongjaw the goliath (Travis Willingham), and the two gnomes Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson), a religious healer, and Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel), a playboy musician who shoots magic from his crotch (just go with it). The twins are one another's worlds, Pike and Grog were best friends since childhood, and Vax and Scanlan are secretly smitten with Keyleth and Pike, respectively. Keyleth represents every awkward nerd girl, Percy fashions himself a snarky aristocrat, Vax loves his daggers, and Vex loves money.
After some sleuthing, Vox Machina discover that the murderous dragon was hidden under everyone's noises disguised as the jovial human General Krieg (David Tennant at his most Scottish). They follow Krieg to his lair and work as a team to outwit and defeat him, unaware this triumph will come back to haunt them.
An Old Enemy Emerges
The troupe receive a free castle plus a dinner invite with Tal'Dorei's leader, Sovereign Uriel (Khary Payton), as a reward for defending the realm. Percy has no idea the other invitees include Silas and Delilah Briarwood (Matthew Mercer and Grey Griffin), a vampire and necromantic sorceress power couple. Five years ago they murdered his family and tortured him ruthlessly, and now rule over his ancestral city of Whitestone.
Percy's friends vow to help him take back his home, and he tortures the Briarwoods' driver for information after the two easily escape. As he does, he inexplicably dons a plague doctor mask and smoke emerges from his body, as well as a lurking dark shadow. The fandom nicknamed this man "No Mercy Percy," and with quotes like, "Your soul is forfeit" while he shoots off the pleading driver's fingers, it's no wonder why.
Pike, whose primary ability is healing, stays behind as everyone travels to Whitestone because she believes her fight with Delilah Briarwood severed her connection to her god, the Everlight. The Briarwoods' influence has done a number on Whitestone; it proves to be a dark, skeletal place nothing like the lush paradise Percy remembers. In one of the series' most disturbing moments, the Briarwoods dress seven people (including children) to look like each member of Vox Machina and hang them from the branches of Whitestone's most prominent landmark, the Sun Tree, as a cruel greeting.
Dark Dreams and Family Reunions
The ragtag band encounters a resistance force led by Percy's childhood best friend, Archibald (Dominic Monaghan). It's here Percy unveils his horrific backstory of torture, starvation, and nights spent sleeping on the street after he escaped the Briarwoods. Firearms don't exist in Exandria, so Percy created a revolver as a method of his vengeance after his recurring nightmares inspired him. Every barrel of his pepperbox sports the name of those responsible for his family's murder, and he counts them at night Arya Stark-style. Percy quickly claims the lives of two former aides to the de Rolos, the smoke and shadow growing more aggressive each time.
There's hope for Percy, however, as Archibald informs him his sister Cassandra (Esmé Creed-Miles) is alive and held captive by the Briarwoods. Scanlan distracts the Briarwood guards by transforming into a triceratops and wreaking havoc, and Percy tearfully reunites with his little sister. Vox Machina plus Cassandra is beset by countless zombies on their way to Whitestone Castle, leading Vax to confess his feelings to Keyleth (it doesn't go well). Pike saves them from imminent death via astral projection, having banished the self-doubt blocking her from the Everlight.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
The reunited friends sneak into the castle and stop Percy from instantly killing Doctor Anna Ripley (Kelly Hu), an engineer and Briarwood accomplice. Instead, they use her to find Silas and Delilah. The couple finds them first. Cassandra betrays the group, calling the Briarwoods her true family and leaving Percy once more heartbroken.
The perilous showdown with the Briarwoods happens in an immense ziggurat underneath Whitestone Castle. Delilah prepares to free a mystical evil known only as the Whispered One because she owes him Silas's life, whom she desperately loves. The team gain an edge over the Briarwoods only through teamwork, and Keyleth dissolves Silas with a blast of sunlight, freeing Cassandra from his mind control and devastating Delilah. Vox Machina follow her into the ziggurat and Delilah's ritual to release the Whispered One fails, instead summoning a mysterious spinning orb. Keyleth catches a near-fatal blast intended for Vex (who, up until this point, felt threatened by Vax's interest in Keyleth).
Percy moves to kill Delilah, but a weakened Keyleth realizes the smoke and shadow that surround him originates from the demonic Orthax. The entity planted the concept of a gun in Percy's head and fed off the souls of his victims, and Percy's own soul is one kill away from Orthax consuming him and inhabiting his body. Vex is the one to reach the tormented Percy; the gunslinger shoots his left hand to break Orthax's control. He then abstains from killing Delilah only for Cassandra to complete the deed instead, unable to grant clemency to her abusers.
And Now, a Dragon-Sized Problem
Before returning to Tal'Dorei, Grog claims Silas Briarwood's sword (not a smart move since it's a sentient blood-drinker). The shy Keyleth is flattered by Vax's interest but, as the future leader of her people, has too many responsibilities to be with him.
The victorious morons reunite with Pike and attend a speech from Sovereign Uriel where he abdicates as Tal'Dorei's leader. But before politics are done, four dragons appear in the sky headed straight toward them. Remember how Vox Machina killed dragon-general Krieg? Cue the repercussions.
The Legend of Vox Machina Season 1 squeezed a tremendous amount of story into twelve episodes yet not at the expense of excellent pacing and quality characterization. Season 2 has many questions to answer, four dragons to defeat, and new journeys for the accidental heroes to embark on. Or, in their words, "f*** s*** up."
Season 2 of The Legend of Vox Machina premieres January 20th on Prime Video.