Critical Role’s second campaign, this time following the adventures of the Mighty Nein, was just as good, if not better, than the first campaign, according to many fans. While certainly less heroic than Vox Machina, the Mighty Nein had their charm.
When the second campaign started, we saw that the players picked up more bizarre, unique and wild characters than their previous ones. This obviously led to tons of fun interactions, interesting and more diversity. Mighty Nein may not be your typical fantasy RPG heroes, but they will definitely keep your eyes on the screen.
Warning: Contains spoilers for content up to Episode 141.
10 Essek Thelyss
Essek is a Drow wizard played by the one and only Matt Mercer. This already makes Essek a unique character, a kind of DM PC. Essek helped the Mighty Nein early on on several occasions before becoming an honorary member of the party.
His attitude and clearly his great role-playing of Matt himself adds a lot to the character. He even had a romantic relationship with Caleb for a short time. The only thing that keeps him at the bottom of this list is that he’s not a real *player* character. Apart from that, Essek is without a doubt a great character.
9 Mollymauk Tea Tray
Mollymauk Tealeaf is a Tiefling Blood Hunter played by Taliesin Jaffe. Since only a third of the characters live in the same body, Molly is definitely a unique person. He’s also a gender-fluid tiefling, which is great since representation matters in all forms.
Molly’s body was once inhabited by Lucien, after which his soul was shattered, only to reawaken as Mollymauk. The character was interesting and it got even crazier with the introduction of the third inhabitant of the same body Kingsley. However, Molly almost feels like the inner workings outshine the character itself.
8 Kingsley Tealeaf
Kingsley Tealeaf is a Tiefling Blood Hunter played by Taliesin Jaffe. Kingsley is a unique character in that it is one of the three inhabitants of this tiefling body and only the second player character to inhabit it. Kingsley was born after the death and attempted resurrection of Mollymauk, giving rise to a new personality in the same body.
It’s a cool concept and played beautifully by Taliesin, sort of like a reincarnation of an old team member in the same body. His blood hunter abilities are as cool as ever thanks to the one and only Matt Mercer and result in a very memorable character.
7 Beauregard Lionett
Beaurefard Lionett is a human monk of the cobalt soul, played by Marisha Ray. Beau has a bit of a tragic background and has become the unsung backbone of the Mighty Nein during the sessions. She has a bit of a raspy nature, but that’s easy to overlook because her better moments are bigger and more frequent.
She acts like a big sister to the group members, which is thematic with her background and gives the atmosphere of that one person who is always there for you. She is also quite dangerous in combat with her unarmed attacks and great movement abilities.
6 Yasha Nydoorin
Yasha Nydoorin is a Guardian Aasimar Barbarian, played by the lovely Ashley Johnson. And yes, that’s as cool as it sounds. What makes Yasha so memorable, though, is the juxtaposition. She may look the most terrifying, but she’s a huge softie.
This massive barbarian with skeletal wings sprouting from her back, ruling from Xhorhas, is actually a loving and kind girl. While not as tragic or comical as some of the other characters, Yasha is a very sweet and trustworthy character who has been through some tough times. Since Ashley has become a full-time player and Yasha plays perfectly, that adds to the fun.
5 Caduceus Clay
Caduceus Clay is a Firbolg Cleric of the Wildmother, played by Taliesing Jaffe. He’s the late addition to the party that makes you wonder how the party ever managed without him. He is extremely helpful in combat and his mental abilities are often very impressive.
Caduceus also shines as a bit of an oddball compared to the rest of the party. His unique outlook and insight is very interesting to see when he so clearly contradicts the general party decisions. Caduceus is certainly a memorable addition and a strong addition to the party, despite its later inclusion.
4 Fjord
Fjord is a Half-Orc Warlock/Paladin played by the hilarious Travis Willingham. After such a cardboard-like character in Grog, Fjord may seem a little subdued at first. He is unsure of his own strength, calm and caring. It would be fair to say that Fjord most resembles a real person in the Might Nein.
However, Fjord is a beast in battle. With one of the best multiclasses in the game with Warlock and Paladin, he is an immediate threat. He also breaks the stereotype of a brainless brute of a Half-Orc, which is nice because we already saw that a bit with Grog. Travis’s great role-playing skills and eagerness to be a team player certainly elevated Fjord as well.
3 Veth Brenatto, aka Nott The Brave
Veth, also known as Nott, is a Goblin Rogue who was once a Halfling, played by the comic genius Sam Riegel. She has a unique story, she has been transformed into a Goblin as a form of torture. Despite this, Nott was always a somewhat comic relief, thanks in large part to Sam’s playing style.
Being a little goblin for most of the campaign, Nott was mischievous and hilarious. Yes, her arc was tragic and came to a happy ending, but Nott will always be remembered as that mischievous little Goblin Rogue.
2 Caleb Widogast
Caleb Widogast is a human wizard played by the great Liam O’Brien. Caleb is as close as you can get to having a protagonist in Critical Role’s second campaign. He’s dripping with plot and Liam plays him beautifully to drive home the bet. His custom spell names are a treat too!
Just being an ordinary human wizard may not seem that interesting at first. But Caleb is easily the deepest and most complex character in the lot. With a tragic background, limited by it but redeemable by ordeal, Caleb is a special one. Liam has created one of the most interesting characters in Critical Role history and deserves all the credit he gets.
1 Jester Lavore
Jester Lavore is a Tiefling Cleric of the Traveler, played by the amazing Laura Bailey. Jester is that little sister who is naughty, but also has the purest heart and intentions you could wish for. She is innocent, naive and that makes for some of the best interactions during the campaign.
Laura Bailey is the one to be praised for such an amazing and sweet character, with incredible voice work and great comedic timing. If Caleb carries the drama, Jester definitely carries the fun and chaos. To get a sense of why Jester is special, just check out the infamous cupcake bargain scene with the witch.
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