List of Critical Role cast members
Critical Role (sometimes abbreviated as CR) is an American actual play web series in which a group of professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons. The principal cast consists of Matthew Mercer, Ashley Johnson, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Liam O'Brien, Taliesin Jaffe, Marisha Ray, Orion Acaba and Sam Riegel.
There have been three
Cast table
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in each season.
- A green cell indicates the actor is a main cast member.
- A dark gray cell indicates the actor has not participated in the respective season.
Actor | Campaign 1[note 1]
|
Campaign 2[note 2]
|
Campaign 3
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starring | |||||
Matthew Mercer | Dungeon Master | ||||
Ashley Johnson | Pike Trickfoot | Yasha Nydoorin | Fearne Calloway | ||
Travis Willingham | Grog Strongjaw Sir Bertrand Bell[a] |
Fjord Stone | Sir Bertrand Bell Chetney Pock O'Pea | ||
Laura Bailey | Vex'ahlia "Vex" de Rolo ( née Vessar) |
Jester Lavorre | Imogen Temult | ||
Liam O'Brien | Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar Lieve'tel Toluse[a] Derrig[b] |
Caleb Widogast | Orym of the Air Ashari | ||
Taliesin Jaffe | Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III | Mollymauk "Molly" Tealeaf Caduceus Clay Kingsley Tealeaf[c] |
Ashton Greymoore | ||
Marisha Ray | Keyleth of the Air Ashari | Beauregard "Beau" Lionett | Laudna | ||
Orion Acaba | Tiberius Stormwind | ||||
Sam Riegel | Scanlan Shorthalt Taryon Darrington |
Nott the Brave | Fresh Cut Grass |
Main cast
For the first 27 episodes of Campaign 1 there were nine cast members: eight players and a Dungeon Master. This became eight from episode 28, when Orion Acaba left the show, and has continued since.[2][3][4]: 195
Matthew Mercer
Mercer is the Dungeon Master (DM) in all three Critical Role campaigns and the special episodes associated with each campaign. As the DM, Mercer organizes the gameplay, describes the effects the player characters' actions have on the world and narrative, and plays the non-player characters (NPCs).[5][6]
Ashley Johnson
Johnson, and her characters, have periods of absence during the first two campaigns due to her filming commitment in New York with NBC's Blindspot.[7]
In Campaign 1 Johnson plays Pike Trickfoot,[d] a gnome cleric of Sarenrae. Pike was raised by her grandfather, Wilhand. She befriended Grog after he was exiled from his raiding group for refusing to kill Wilhand.[8] Her hair turned white after being resurrected in the pre-stream game. She has a romantic interest in Percy, which is not reciprocated. Scanlan attempts to woo Pike throughout the campaign; it is not until the last few episodes that she gives him a chance.
Johnson's Campaign 2 character is Yasha Nydoorin, an
Campaign 3 sees Johnson reprise her
Travis Willingham
Willingham plays Grog Strongjaw in Campaign 1, a goliath barbarian who multiclasses into fighter. Grog was previously a member of a group of goliath raiders – known as the "Herd of Storms" – run by Grog's uncle, Kevdak. After refusing to kill Pike's grandfather; he was exiled, beaten and left for dead. Wilhand and Pike nursed Grog back to health, with Grog and Pike becoming best friends.
Campaign 2 sees Willingham play Fjord Stone, a half-orc warlock who unwittingly makes a pact with a malevolent leviathan named Uk'otoa when he is drowning at sea. After a period of self-discovery, Fjord breaks his pact with Uk'otoa and becomes a follower of the wilderness goddess Wildmother, who also has dominion over the sea, and multiclasses into a paladin.[12]
In Campaign 3, reprises his role as Bell for the first three episodes.
Laura Bailey
Bailey's Campaign 1 character is Vex'ahlia "Vex" de Rolo (née Vessar),[d] a half-elf ranger who multiclasses in to rogue. She has a brown bear companion called Trinket.
Bailey plays Jester Lavorre in Campaign 2, a tiefling cleric who follows an obscure entity known as the Traveler. Her relationship with the Traveler is temporarily strained when she learns he is not actually a deity as originally claimed, but an archfey named Artagan, a recurring NPC from Campaign 1.[16][17]
In Campaign 3 Bailey plays Imogen Temult, a Ruidusborn human sorcerer with psionic magic who has reoccurring dreams of a red storm. She and her companion Laudna travelled to Jrusar to investigate the origins of her psionic abilities and Laudna's necromantic abilities. Her mother, Liliana Temult, left when she was a child; the party's investigation into Ruidius leads them to discover that she and Liliana are Exaltant Ruidusborn who get power from the red moon. Liliana, as a general in the Ruby Vanguard, is working with the powerful elven archmage Ludinus Da'leth toward mysterious ends involving Ruidus. During the campaign, Imogen forms a romantic relationship with Laudna.
Liam O'Brien
Campaign 1 sees O'Brien play Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar,
In Campaign 2, O'Brien plays Caleb Widogast,[d] a human wizard who was enrolled at the Soltryce Academy, the Dwendalian Empire's premier magical school, until he was chosen to train to become an assassin for the Empire. This training was physically and mentally traumatizing, leading to a breakdown. Caleb is later known for inventing spells.[18][19]
O'Brien plays Orym of the Air Ashari in Campaign 3. Orym is a halfling fighter on a mission from Keyleth of the Air Ashari to investigate an attack in Marquet. This attack was similar to an attack on Keyleth in 837 PD which left both Orym's husband Will and Will's father Derrig dead. He travelled to Jrusar with other members of the Crown Keepers.
Taliesin Jaffe
Jaffe plays Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III in Campaign 1.[d] Percy is a human gunslinger.[i]
Early in Campaign 2, Jaffe plays Mollymauk "Molly" Tealeaf; a tiefling blood hunter and
For Campaign 3, Jaffe plays Ashton Greymoore,
Marisha Ray
In Campaign 1 Ray plays Keyleth of the Air Ashari,[d] a half-elf druid. Throughout the campaign Kayleth is on her Aramenté – a right of passage undertaken by future leaders of her tribe. She also hopes to find her mother, who vanished during her own Aramenté years earlier.
Ray plays Beauregard "Beau" Lionett in Campaign 2.[d] Beau is a human monk working for the Order of the Cobalt Soul to root out corruption in the Dwendalian Empire.[20] Beau is initially presented as being resentful of authority and anti-social, and rises to the rank of Expositor to carry out sensitive, covert investigations.
Campaign 3 sees Ray play Laudna, a resurrected human (known
Orion Acaba
Acaba appears in Campaign 1 only; where he plays Tiberius Stormwind, a dragonborn sorcerer. Tiberius leaves the party after the first defeat of the Briarwoods and liberation of Whitestone.
Sam Riegel
For most of Campaign 1, Riegel plays Scanlan Shorthalt; a gnome bard. After the defeat of the Chroma Conclave, and a brush with death, Scanlan leaves the party for a period to spend time with his daughter. Whilst Scanlan is away Riegel plays Taryon "Tary" Darrington, a human artificer.
Campaign 2 sees Riegel play Nott the Brave, a goblin rogue who escaped jail with Caleb and wishes to support his growing magical potential. She was previously a halfling woman named Veth Brenatto and was cursed to be a goblin after a goblin raiding party captured her family. She is returned to her halfling body in episode 97 and struggles with her conflicting desires to continue adventuring with the Mighty Nein, and to stay with her husband and child.[22] In the one-shot The Mighty Nein Reunion: Echoes of the Solstice, set seven years after the end of Campaign 2, Riegel briefly reprises his role as Veth before playing as Veth's son Luc Brenatto.
In Campaign 3 Reigel plays Fresh Cut Grass,
Guest cast
Guest players are an irregular occurrence on Critical Role and, in most cases, only stay on the show for a one-off appearance or a few consecutive episodes. Only a few guests (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Will Friedle and Patrick Rothfuss in campaign one, as well as Khary Payton in campaign two) have appeared in non-consecutive episodes, with their respective characters playing an active role in different parts of the overall storyline. Chris Perkins is the only guest to appear in multiple campaigns. He has a guest role in both of the first two campaigns, playing a different character in each.[23]
Campaign 1
- Felicia Day as Lyra[23] a human wizard. She helps Scanlan, Percy, Vex, and Grog during a mission given by the hunters' guild she is a member of—the Slayer's Take—to kill a white dragon named Rimefang.
- Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Zahra Hydris,[23] a tiefling warlock. Part of the party tasked with hunting down Rimefang. Zahra also recurred in fighting the Chroma Conclave and Vecna. Becomes the love interest of, fellow guest PC, Kashaw Vesh.
- Will Friedle as Kashaw Vesh[23] a human cleric. He is tasked to aid Keyleth, Vax'ildan, and Tiberius in their hunt for a Rakshasa—a tiger–like fiend. Kashaw returned in the Chroma Conclave and Venca arcs. Becomes the love interest of, fellow guest PC, Zahra Hydris.
- Wil Wheaton as Thorbir Falbek,[23] a dwarven fighter. A veteran member of the Slayer's Take, with seemingly poor luck. He is also party of the party tasked with hunting down the Rakshasa.
- Kit Buss as Lillith Anioska Daturai,[23] a tiefling spellcaster. Zahra's cousin, who helps the party to defeat the Briarwoods.
- Jason C. Miller as Garthok,[23]a half-orc rogue. He is a member of the thieves' guild, the Clasp.
- Chris Hardwick as Gern Blanston,[23] a dragonborn necromancer travelling with a number of raised thralls. It is his flying broom that Vex steals.
- Chris Perkins as Shale,[23] a goliath fighter, and a member of the Herd of Storms – the tribe Grog was once a member of. She aids Vox Machina in the fight against the black dragon, Umbrasyl, in the Chroma Conclave arc.
- Patrick Rothfuss as Kerrek,[23] a human paladin. In his initial appearance he is a retired adventurer, turned blacksmith, and spokesperson of the refugees from Westruun. He later returns to aid Vox Machina, and it is Kerrek who lands the final blow on Raishan—the green dragon of the Chroma Conclave.
- The Nine Hells, by helping her kill a pit fiend called Utugash.
- Jon Heder as Lionel "Chod" Gayheart,[23] a half-orc bard and barbarian. He is a bodyguard hired by Scanlan during his time in Marquet.
- Darin De Paul as Ethrid "Sprigg" Brokenbranch,[23] a gnome rogue.
- Joe Manganiello as Arkhan the Cruel,[23] a dragonborn paladin barbarian. A follower of Tiamat; Arkan aids the party in the defeat of Venca. Rather than destroying the Hand of Venca, however, he steals it and vanishes before the party can react.
Campaign 2
- Khary Payton as Shakäste,[23] a human cleric who aids the party as they investigate a gnoll attack in Alfield.
- Mark Hulmes as Calianna,[23] a half-elf sorcerer who enlists the party to help her find and destroy an artifact.
- Ashly Burch as Keg,[23] a dwarven fighter. A former slaver, who helps the Mighty Nein defeat the Iron Shepherds—her previous employers—after Fjord, Jester, and Yasha are abducted.
- Sumalee Montano as Nila,[23] a firbolg druid. She is searching for her partner and son who were taken captive by the Iron Shepherds
- Deborah Ann Woll as Twiggy,[23] a gnome arcane trickster who stows away aboard the party's ship with a dangerous relic.
- Chris Perkins as Spurt,[23] a kobold inventor who joins the party as they cross into Xhorhas and dies within minutes of his introduction to the Mighty Nein.
- Mica Burton as Reani,[23] an aasimar druid and self-styled protector of Uthodurn who aids the party in their quest to re-forge a legendary sword.
Campaign 3
- Robbie Daymond as Dorian Storm, an air genasi bard[24] who travelled to Jrusar with Orym and Fearne and helped form the Bells Hells. He later leaves the group to help smuggle his brother out of Marquet and rejoins the other members of the Crown Keepers in Tal'Dorei.
- Erika Ishii as Yu Suffiad,[n][26] a changeling warlock/paladin who works for Sorrowlord Zathuda, Grove Captain of the Unseelie Court. They were tasked with hunting down Fearne's parents and recovering an object which they stole.
- Christian Navarro as F.R.I.D.A. (Far Ranging Integrated Defense Aeormaton), an automaton fighter/rogue/cleric with ancient Aeorian design who is an companion of Deanna. Similar to FCG, they were brought back to life by a mysterious figure known as "D".[27][28]
- Aabria Iyengar as Deanna Leimert, a gnome cleric of the Dawnfather. She and Chetney are exes; after they broke up, Deanna married, had a family and died. Her husband went on a quest and found a cleric who brought Deanna back to life two hundred years later.[27][28]
- Aimee Carrero as Deni$e Bembachula, a dwarf barbarian/rogue from Tal'Dorei who was mysteriously teleported to Issylra during the Apogee Solstice at the same moment that she found her ex-fiance Dariax, a character played by Mercer in Exandria Unlimited.[29][30] After discovering that Dariax is desolate in Westruun, she acquires transportation there.
- Utkarsh Ambudkar as Bor'Dor Dog'Son, a half-elf sorcerer of the Ruby Vanguard who was teleported to Issylra during the Apogee Solstice near the other party members. He murdered a farmer, burned his body, and stole his clothes to delude the party into thinking he is a simple sheep farmer. After his lies are discovered, he is killed by Laudna in revenge.[29][30]
- Emily Axford as Prism Grimpoppy, a shadar-kai wizard originally from the Shadowfell who was an apprentice mage at the Cobalt Soul. She was tasked by the Cobalt Soul to do a survey on experiences during the Apogee Solstice; the Cobalt Soul knew she would be transported. She also has a raven familiar named Mother in honor of the Matron of Ravens. After travelling with members of Bells Hells for a time, she decides not to return to the Cobalt Soul and steal books for Bells Hells.[29][30]
See also
Notes
- ^ Campaign 1 is considered to include the canonic one shots The Search for Grog, The Search for Bob, Dalen's Closet and The Darrington Brigade
- ^ Campaign 2 is considered to include the canonic two-part special The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 1 – Unfinished Business, The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 2 – Uk'otoa Unleashed, and the one-shot The Mighty Nein Reunion: Echoes of the Solstice
- ^ a b Appeared in the in medias res one shots The Search for Grog and The Search for Bob
- ^ Appeared in the epilogue one shot Dalen's Closet
- ^ Appeared in the two-part epilogue special The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 1 – Unfinished Business and The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 2 – Uk'otoa Unleashed
- ^ a b c d e f g Returned in Campaign 3 as an NPC
- Feywild.[11]
- ^ PD refers to "Post Divergence", which is an epoch within the fictional timeline.
- ^ Blood hunter is a homebrew class developed by Mercer.[14]
- ^ See Chetney's character card on screen in Episode 22.[15]
- 5th editionby Mercer. Mercer has since refined this into an unofficial subclass for 5th edition's fighter class.
- ^ a b Uses he/they pronouns. For consistency the article uses they.
- ^ A race option within the Dungeons and Dragons sourcebook Explorer's Guide to Wildemount
- ^ Campaign 3 starts with Laudna already multiclassed
- ^ Automaton appears to be a homebrew race developed by Riegel and Mercer.
- ^ They originally presented themselves as an elf named Dusk.[25]
References
- ^ Keenan, Alex (June 25, 2023). "All 3 Critical Role Campaigns Explained: Differences, Connections & Crossovers". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ Whitten, Sarah (April 19, 2019). "'Dungeons and Dragons' Kickstarter breaks record with $11.3 million campaign". CNBC. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
The players participating in the campaign for the first season were eight fellow voice actors, Ashley Johnson ( "The Last of Us"), Laura Bailey ("Rick and Morty"), Liam O'Brien ("Carmen Sandiego"), Marisha Ray ("Lego DC Super-Villains"), Sam Riegel ("Ducktales"), Taliesin Jaffe ("Injustice 2″), Travis Willingham ("Avengers Assemble"), and Orion Acaba ("Just Cause 4″).
- ^ a b Ng Man Chuen, Caitlyn (March 19, 2023). "Critical Role: Why Orion Acaba Left the Show". CBR. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
To date, Orion Acaba is the only main cast member to have permanently left Critical Role. [...] Orion Acaba left Critical Role 27 episodes into the show's very first campaign, which obviously led to his character Tiberius Stormwind, a Dragonborn Sorceror, exiting the party, Vox Machina
- OCLC 1239982762.
- ^ Kunzelman, Cameron (June 2, 2018). "Matthew Mercer Explains How To Be A Good Dungeon Master". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 3, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ "D&D DM Tips, According To Critical Role's Matthew Mercer". Screen Rant. November 25, 2020. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ Roepel, Ashley (January 12, 2019). "Ashley Johnson Talks Critical Role". The Nerd Stash. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Bassil, Matt (October 31, 2023). "All the main Vox Machina characters". Wargamer. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ Demchak, Matthew (January 5, 2023). "Critical Role: 10 Best Player Characters, Ranked By Power". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ "Hidden Truths". Critical Role. Series 3. Episode 26. July 11, 2022. Event occurs at 3:39:23. YouTube. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ "Dark Portents". Critical Role. Series 3. Episode 29. August 4, 2022. Event occurs at 0:29:08. YouTube. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ "D&D Explained: Critical Role's Oath Of The Open Sea Paladin". Screen Rant. October 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ "Critical Role's Matthew Mercer Explains End of Most Recent Episode". ComicBook.com. November 5, 2021. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ Grebey, James (April 7, 2020). "Explorer's Guide to Wildemount is D&D in Critical Role's world, Matt Mercer says". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Promise and Potential". Critical Role. Series 3. Episode 22. May 9, 2022. Event occurs at 12:48. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "Critical Role Confirms Longstanding Fan Theory in Latest Episode". ComicBook.com. February 7, 2020. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "Critical Role: Jester And The Traveler, Explained". TheGamer. April 8, 2020. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ "DnD: Everything You Didn't Know About Widogast's Web Of Fire". CBR. January 5, 2021. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ "Critical Role: Caleb's Complete List Of Self-Named Spells". TheGamer. May 2, 2020. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ "Dungeons and Dragons: What Is The Way of the Cobalt Soul?". Game Rant. October 20, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ISBN 9780786966912.
- ^ "Critical Role: Things You Didn't Know About Nott The Brave". CBR. December 19, 2019. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Peplinski, Jack (June 25, 2020). "Critical Role: Guest Stars' Characters, Explained". CBR. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ComicBook.com. Archived from the originalon May 19, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Welch, Alex (September 3, 2023). "Critical Role: Campaign 3 Guest Characters & Where You've Seen Their Players". Looper. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Biederstadt, Derek (April 18, 2022). "Critical Role: The 12 Best Guest Player Characters". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Far From the Others". Critical Role. Series 3. Episode 52. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ a b McCauley, Tara (March 17, 2023). "Critical Role Makes a Radical Change to Its Table Lineup". CBR. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ a b c McCauley, Tara (May 19, 2023). "Critical Role Shocks Fans With a Major Bait-And-Switch". CBR. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Somewhere Out There". Critical Role. Series 3. Episode 59. May 18, 2023. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.