Our All-Encompassing Recap of 'The Legend of Vox Machina' Season 1

The first season of The Legend of Vox Machina was a doozy, which means the second season could get even wilder. It begins with an investigation into a terror that’s nearing Tal’Dorei, which pulls our favorite group of misfits together. However, as Season 1 progresses, a recap becomes necessary thanks to all of the adventures, twists, and turns.

Based on the first Critical Role campaign, Prime Video’s The Legend of Vox Machina is an animated take on a well-known Dungeons & Dragons property. With Matthew Mercer as the original Dungeon Master and one of the creative geniuses behind the series, it’s no surprise that the series was renewed for Season 2. Now with 12 more episodes to go, here’s a Season 1 recap to refresh our memories.

While The Legend of Vox Machina is a straight-up adaptation of the Critical Role campaign, it does its fair share of fan service and embellishment (even while condensing the story). Episode 1 begins with Vox Machina’s origin story. The Council of Tal’Dorei needs mercenaries to take down an unknown terror, which turns out to be the blue dragon, Brimscythe.

This brings together our ragtag group of heroes: Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey), Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brien), Pike (Ashley Johnson), Keyleth (Marisha Ray), Grog (Travis Willingham), Percy de Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe), and of course, Scanlan (Sam Riegel). They work together to defeat Brimscythe. They learn in the process that the dragon was impersonating General Krieg, who Brimscythe secretly killed to gain power in the district of Emon.

After Vox Machina defeats Brimscythe, the Council of Tal’Dorei throws a celebratory feast and names Vox Machina the Protectors of Tal’Dorei. However, when Sylas and Delilah Briarwood show up at the party, something stirs within Percy. He recalls how the Briarwoods killed his entire family before his eyes to take up their mantle in Whitestone. He’s driven to attack Sylas, but when the Briarwoods leave their coachman, Desmond, behind, Percy rips off his arm in a fit of vengeance.

Uriel, the leader of Tal’Dorei, banishes Vox Machina, who decide to join Percy to take down the Briarwoods. As they head to Whitestone, Pike goes on her own journey to reconnect with the Everlight. In Whitestone, the land is barren, dark, and even the Sun Tree is close to death.

As they go on their adventures, Scanlan learns that Delilah used the power of the ziggurat (or the zipper-twat, as Critters like to call it) to make a pact with Vecna, the Whispered One, to bring Sylas back from the dead as a vampire.

Vox Machina gets closer to taking down the Briarwoods, but they still have a ways to go. Percy’s pepperbox pistol, named The List, leads Percy to his enemies. Throughout the season, Percy’s attachment to The List grows stronger and darker, until we eventually learn that a demon named Orthax has a hold on Percy, in which Percy delivers his enemies to the demon. But as Percy succumbs to The List’s wishes, he loses himself.

The team finds Keeper Yennen, who tells the group that they need to work together with the rest of Whitestone to defeat the Briarwoods. As they attempt to release the prisoners, Percy is driven to kill the brutal prison guard, Kerrion Stonefell, with the List. Still, they enlist the help of rebel leader Archibald Desnay to prepare for battle.

As Keyleth attempts to heal the Sun Tree, Scanlan offers to distract the Briarwoods by burning down Duke Vedmire’s house. The team goes to rescue Cassandra de Rolo, Percy’s sister who they just recently learned is alive. As they attempt to save her from the evil Professor Anders, Percy uses The List to kill Anders while Keyleth saves Cassandra with druidic healing. Thanks to her pact with Vecna, Delilah then raises the dead to create an army of zombies who attack Vox Machina.

Vax’ildan confesses his love for Keyleth, but they agree that now isn’t the time for romance, as Pike astral projects back to Whitestone to help the group defeat the zombies. As the group gets closer to the Briarwoods, they meet another one of Percy’s adversaries, Dr. Anna Ripley, who’s imprisoned. This puts the two prior enemies on the same side.

The group decides to trust Dr. Ripley to lead them to the ziggurat, but Cassandra betrays them due to Sylas's spell and locks them in a room, which quickly fills with acid. Although Vax’ildan escapes, Sylas also puts Vax’ildan under his spell. Thanks to Scanlan’s magic, they’re able to figure out how to escape the acid and chase after the Briarwoods.

Keyleth kills Sylas with the power of the Sun Tree while Grog takes Sylas’s sword, but because Keyleth kills him instead of Percy with This List, this angers Orthax. The demon takes on a corporeal form in an attempt to pull Percy fully to the dark side. Vex’ahlia puts herself between Percy and the demon, Percy shoots through his own hand, embracing love over vengeance.

Now that Cassandra has been disenchanted from Sylas’s spell as a result of his death, Percy is grateful to have his sister back in his life. In a final act of vengeance, Cassandra kills Delilah, and Percy attempts to retrieve his pepperbox, but Scanlan throws it into the acid. An effigy of Orthax rises from the acid and disappears, so it’s possible that Orthax could return.

The team heads back to Tal’Dorei, where they’re reinstated as protectors. Uriel steps down from the council as four dragons head towards the city, leading us to Season 2 and the Chroma Conclave.

The first three episodes of Season 2 of The Legend of Vox Machina premiere on Prime Video on Jan. 20.