The phenomenal online series known as “Critical Role “stems from the game Dungeons and Dragons. It features renowned voice actors playing the tabletop activity while acting out their characters. Many campaigns appeared throughout the show, including the one featuring the Mighty Nein. It showcased the harrowing escapades of a traveling band of unlikely heroes.
An animated series based on the Mighty Nein campaign is on the way. However, the first episode surprisingly premiered early on YouTube before this recent weekend. What happened during this opening installment, and did it differ from its source material?
The Mighty Nein Begins
The opening “Mighty Nein” episode focuses primarily on the theft of a sacred artifact. Additionally, the incident threatens to bring war between two powerful political parties. Beauregard Lionett (Marisha Ray), a monk, investigates an explosion associated with the stolen artifact. It isn’t long until she discovers her order, the Cobalt Soul, has been compromised.
At the same time, Caleb Widogast (Liam O’Brien) attempts to break into a store. His first try leads to him meeting a goblin named Nott the Brave (Sam Riegel). They agree to work together, breaking into the store and making off with some stuff. Later, the pair soon decides to stick together, helping each other from now on. The episode ends with Yasha (Ashley Johnson) interrogating people about the artifact.
Different From its Source
Despite being inspired by the “Critical Role” campaign, this episode of “The Mighty Nein” differs. The original Campaign Two opens with the characters meeting each other in a tavern. And Caleb and Nott are already together, even waking up in the same room together. Also, in the original story, Beauregard and Yasha travel with other main characters.
This change, while odd in terms of faithfulness, overall works. It adds some extra backstory to the characters, telling a story before the main one. Additionally, it helps set it apart from its predecessor, “The Legend of Vox Machina.” And it’ll be interesting to see how this change affects the next episodes.
Final Thoughts
It was honestly a nice treat to see the “Mighty Nein” premiere early. I’ve been wanting to see it ever since the announcement months ago. Also, I’ve been following “Critical Role” ever since my friends introduced me to it. The only thing that confuses me is this series debuting before “Vox Machina” Season Four. But we can assume that’s the doing of the masterminds behind Amazon Prime Video.
If you were looking for a score, I give it a solid 10. I cannot think of anything that works against it, in a professional sense. The episode possesses entertaining action scenes, emotional drama, horrific moments, and slight comedy. It also works in setting up the overall story and the characters’ origins. Go check it out now if you can’t wait until this Wednesday to watch it.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
