Critical Role started off as an online live-play of Dungeons & Dragons by a friend group of famous voice actors, but it quickly grew into a massive franchise thanks to its great production values and high-quality role-playing and storytelling. As of 2025, they have successfully completed three campaigns, started a 4th, released numerous spin-offs, their own role-playing system, Daggerheart, and partnered with Amazon to release an animated series based on their adventures.
Their most recent show, The Mighty Nein, is set decades after The Legend of Vox Machina, and follows a series of screw-ups who are forced to team up and prevent a devastating war by thwarting a magical conspiracy. Just like the second campaign it is based on, The Mighty Nein has enthralled audiences thanks to its multifaced characters, who are more flawed than those found in Campaign 1, and less reliant on classic fantasy archetypes. With half of the episodes currently out, it’s a good time to look over those characters and see how they currently rank before any twists occur in the second half.
10
Verrat
Within the Krynn Dynasty, ancient relics called Luxon are used to store the souls of those who die so that they may be reborn and live another life. One who has gone through this cycle several times is Verrat (Rahul Kohli), a half-orc who serves as the general for the Bright Queen (Lucy Liu). When the Luxon is stolen, Verrat is given orders to invade the neighboring Dwendalian Empire and retrieve it.
Verrat was an original character made for the show, and his presence allows for a stronger perspective of the Krynn Dynasty, much earlier than when the players explored it in the campaign. One of the most interesting things he brings up is how he has always wanted to be a father, but decided to put it off until the next life, which offers a bit of insight into the mentality of a nation that goes through cycles of reincarnation. He’s also shown to be someone who, while loyal to his queen, will speak his mind if he fears she is in distress and will keep secrets from his friends.
9
Dairon
The Cobalt Soul is an elite organization of warrior monks who collect and share knowledge in accordance with their god, the Knowing Mistress, while also rooting out corruption and investigating potential acts of tyranny and oppression. However, Expositor Dairon (Ming-Na Wen) fears that the Soul is compromised and begins an investigation of her own. She eventually finds ties to the magical Cerberus Assembly and recruits an apprentice monk named Beauregard Lionett (Marisha Ray) to help her in her mission.
Dairon is about what you would expect from a mentor character tied to a spy organization: she can spot potential in others, but fosters it with tough love. This approach isn’t out of malice, but practicality, since the enemies she and Beau are going up against are some of the deadliest beings in Wildmount. Na Wen’s vocal performance does a good job of capturing this stern but fair side, and she even manages to slip in some dry wit from time to time.
8
Essek Thelyss
As a young soul who has not been through many lifetimes, the wizard Essek Thelyss (Matthew Mercer) approaches the Luxon with a more scientific mind, wishing to unlock its true potential. At the same time, he is tending to his ill mother, Deirta (Anjelica Huston), who is suffering from a disease that causes flashes of her previous lives to bombard her mind, and it can’t be cured via reincarnation. Knowing that she would be killed if discovered, Essek keeps her at home while he goes down dark and dangerous paths for a solution.
Essek is an interesting take on a young, aspiring mage whose arrogance blinds him to the consequences of his actions. He desperately wants to save his mother, but doesn’t realize that, in trying to save one life, he may be dooming tens of thousands until it’s too late to turn back. Essek also has some fun little quirks, such as floating everywhere when in public, which is just the kind of subtle flex you’d expect from a wizard.
7
Beauregard Lionett
After being abandoned by her father, Beauregard Lionett joined the Cobalt Soul and committed herself to stopping corruption. Unfortunately, her origins left her with a very large chip on her shoulder, causing her to clash with her senior members and disregard the chain of command. When she discovers evidence of a grander conspiracy at play, she is recruited by Dairon to seek out a contact of hers who can give them the name of the leader of the Cerberus Assembly, but ends up getting roped into an even bigger and crazier adventure.
The show softens a few of Beau’s edges while still keeping her core personality of a brash, short-tempered woman who loves to throw insults just as much as she loves to throw hands. While she is very difficult to work with, she is genuinely honest, loves to read, and is committed to uncovering and sharing the truth, regardless of the danger. Beau is also a great way to show off Ray’s range as a voice actor, as she’s the complete opposite of the more nervous and self-doubting Keyleth from The Legend of Vox Machina.
6
Jester Lavorre
As the daughter of famed tiefling courtesan Marion Lavorre (Anika Noni Rose), Jester (Laura Bailey) grew up well provided for, but lonely, due to not being allowed to stray far from her house on the few times she was allowed outside. This solitude caused her to grow into an emotionally stunted young woman who picked up clerical powers from a mysterious god that only she can talk to, called The Traveler. When one of her pranks on a short-tempered nobleman has him demanding her head, Jester is forced to flee the city with a half-orc sailor named Ford (Travis Willingham) to seek out one of her mother’s friends for sanctuary.
Jester is the complete polar opposite of Vox Machina‘s Vex’alia, and can best be described as a hyperactive ball of sugar with a love for doodles, cute animals, and sex jokes. Conversations with her go a mile a minute and contain at least one dirty joke, but they also have plenty of praise and affirmations towards her new friends. Despite her immaturity and bubbly nature, Jester is also very strong, able to swing a magic lollypop with incredible force, and perform magical feats like healing and summoning spectral animals to fight for her.
5
Trent Ikithon
As the Archmage of Civil Influence, Trent Ikithon (Mark Strong), is the highest magical authority in the Dwendalian Empire and one of King Dwendal’s (Graham McTavish) most trusted advisors. He uses this position to train elite mage assassins called Volstruckers loyal to him, whom he uses to influence politics behind the scenes and weaken the enemies of the Empire. One of these missions was the theft of the Luxom, which he hopes to utilize as a powerful weapon.
Trent went from a rather lackluster and out-of-focus villain in the live play to being one of the best evil wizards in fantasy television. His brutal introductory scene alone tells you everything you need to know: he is cold, ruthless, sociopathic, and sees sentient races as tools rather than people. Strong once again reminds us why he’s so good at playing villains with a sinister, unflinching voice that never rises beyond mild contempt.
4
Fjord Stone
During a storm, Fjord Stone is stabbed by his shipmate, Sabian (Robbie Daymond), before he detonates the boat, killing all on board. Somehow, Fjord survives and washes up on a beach, where he finds the falchion and vanbrace of his captain, Vandran (Tim McGraw). Taking them as keepsakes, Fjord soon learns that he has been granted magical powers, though he isn’t sure who gave them to him or why.
Fjord is the straight man amidst the insanity and colorful personalities of the rest of the Mighty Nein, which in some ways makes him the most relatable. He is a good man at heart, but is weighed down by a lifetime of insecurity and fear, which prevents him from becoming the great leader Vandran knows he could be. It’s also interesting to see him try to make sense of his new powers, and the more he learns to master them, the more confidence he builds.
3
Nott the Brave (No Comma)
Since goblins have a reputation for being raiders and despoilers, Nott the Brave—no comma—(Sam Reigal), has a very hard time fitting into most villages and towns. While she might not want to kill people or burn their homes to the ground, her tendency to steal from people, especially to feed her alcohol addiction, doesn’t leave her with very many friends. She eventually finds one in fellow outcast Caleb Widowgast (Liam O’Brien), and they form a partnership: he helps her stay drunk, and she helps him get the components he needs for his magic.
Nott is one of the most complex members of the main cast and another brilliant example of Reigal’s talent for making comedic characters who are more than they seem. While at first she might be a kleptomaniac with cat-like tendencies and a love for mischief, Nott also struggles heavily with body dysphoria, which is one of the main reasons for her alcoholism. Yet beneath her self-loathing, Nott also cares deeply for others once she lets her guard down enough to get to know them, and has a soft spot for kids.
2
Caleb Widogast
Though a brilliant practitioner of magic, Caleb Widogast scrounges a living on the streets, often getting covered in trash in his never-ending quest for more spell components. A shady past means that he is wanted by the Empire for murder, but he finds a partner in crime with Nott the Brave (no comma), who wants to help him develop his magical talents so that he can help her. To that end, they go in search of rare beetles that Caleb can use to summon fire, leading them to meet the rest of the Mighty Nein.
Much like Nott, Caleb is a complex mess of trauma and pain that leaves him perpetually on the edge of cracking from the pressure of it all. Though far from the most considerate member of the group, Caleb does crave affection, and one of his driving goals is just to re-summon his cat familiar. O’Brien is acting his heart out with Caleb, especially when he switches from the monotone of a man beaten down by his demons to a broken soul desperately reaching for a hand to help him up.
1
Mollymauk Tealeaf
The mission statement of The Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities is to ensure its guests have a good time, and nobody better embodies it than the violet tiefling Mollymauk Tealeaf (Taliesin Jaffe). His main role in the circus is as a fortune-teller, but he also acts as the secondary ringmaster under the tutelage of his friend and mentor, Gustav (Alan Cumming). However, beneath Molly’s friendly smile and natural charisma is a darkness that manifests itself when blood is spilled, and memories that feel like they belong to someone else.
Mollymauk stands out not just because of his flashy design and his showmanship, but because of his ability to empathize with others. He’s very good at reading people and figuring out what they need, whether that is steadying Gustav’s nerves, giving Beau a helpful nudge in the right direction, or restoring Jester’s faith in a moment of doubt. He has his limits, of course, and Jaffe’s ability to tap into heartbreak, grief, and rage when they do crop up makes his decision to leave places better than he found them all the more admirable.
