Take a deep-dive into the acid-soaked, demon-driven, fire-breathing ending to The Legend of Vox Machina season 1. Based on the streamed Dungeons & Dragons adventures of Critical Role, Amazon's The Legend of Vox Machina brings the online tabletop drama into animation... Swear-y, bloody, surprisingly sexual animation. Reuniting the same voice actors who devised these colorful characters in the first place, The Legend of Vox Machina season 1 has added notable guests such as David Tennant, Indira Varma, Dominic Monaghan, and Rory McCann - who may or may not have provided his character's bathroom stall sound effects.
The Legend of Vox Machina season 1 began with a dragon-slaying mission, where Vox Machina - still finding their feet as a collective - defied the odds to bring down General Krieg, otherwise known as the dragon Brimscythe. Most of The Legend of the Vox Machina season 1 then centers around the Briarwood saga, and reclaiming Percy's realm of Whitestone from these good-looking vampiric lovers and their not-so-good-looking servants. When The Legend of Vox Machina's season 1 finale begins, Lady Briarwood is all but defeated, but the shadow over Whitestone is only growing stronger.
In an action-packed 25 minutes, The Legend of Vox Machina's "The Darkness Within" addresses Percy's ever-growing bloodlust, teases the realm's future, and introduces the Chroma Conclave as new villains. Here's the ending to The Legend of Vox Machina season 1 explained.
Grog's New Weapon Is Bad News For Vox Machina In Season 2
Throughout The Legend of Vox Machina season 1, we've seen Sylas Briarwood wield Craven Edge - a dark-bladed sword that feeds upon the blood of those it cuts, growing stronger with each slice. Upon defeating his undead nemesis, Grog simply can't turn down the opportunity to steal this legendary weapon for his own collection, and Craven Edge joins the Vox Machina inventory. Considering Grog often feels the urge to murder anyone who slightly inconveniences him, is handling Craven Edge - a sword with its own powerful bloodlust - really a good idea? Sure enough, there's a brief flicker of foreboding when Grog catches his reflection in the blade's dark metal. Scanlan interrupts before anything sinister develops, but it's a clear sign that Grog's possession of Craven Edge could make him "the new Percy" in Legend of Vox Machina season 2.
If Amazon's The Legend of Vox Machina follows Critical Role's narrative, Grog will become enraptured by Craven Edge, blurring the lines between who's wielding who - just as we've seen in season 1 with Percy and his Pepperbox. Losing Grog would greatly dent Vox Machina's offensive strength, but the gang could face bigger problems if the sword turns its owner against them. Grog was a nightmare for Vox Machina to overcome under Professor Anders' hypnotism, but that's nothing compared to the gory mess a potential Craven Edge rampage would cause.
Is Percy Free From His Inner Demon (& How)?
With Sylas dead and Delilah well on her way to following him, the Briarwoods are defeated by the time Legend of Vox Machina's finale begins. Instead, it's Percy who becomes the season's ultimate villain, as his inner demon (Orthax) makes a play for full control. Orthax describes being drawn to Percy's lust for vengeance and establishing a secret pact with the young de Rolo boy - the means to kill (i.e. a copy of Gun-Making For Dummies) in exchange for the souls Percy will release. As the designated payment comes due, Orthax grows more prominent, even trapping its host inside a mental prison where images of the de Rolo massacre keep Percy under control.
Percy's fate depends entirely on whether he submits to vengeful fantasies and relinquishes his soul to Orthax, or defies the dark passenger by sparing Lady Delilah. Shooting his own hand, Percy opts for the latter - the shock injury severing his tie to the demon. Though Percy believes this is enough to quell Orthax, Scanlan disagrees and tosses the Pepperbox into a pool of acid, destroying the demon's last remaining hold over Percy. Thanks to Scanlan's quick-thinking/lucky guesswork, Percy is now free of Orthax's influence. Having said that, the demon is not defeated. The evil spirit is free to make new deals with those who would listen to its dark mechanical designs.
Though killing Lady Briarwood would've blackened Percy's soul forever, Cassandra de Rolo has no such ties holding her back, and duly gives Delilah what was coming to her.
What's The Whispered One's Spinning Orb Of Death?
Just like Percy, Lady Briarwood is in league with a dark force beyond Exandria's mortal realm in The Legend of Vox Machina season 1. Unlike Percy, she's fully conscious of the deal she made - in exchange for resurrecting her husband, Delilah has promised to help bring forth the Whispered One from wherever he currently dwells. This ritual apparently should've coincided with the solstice, but Vox Machina's heroics force Delilah to begin ahead of schedule. The Whispered One appears very briefly, but all that's left behind after the summoning is what Scanlan calls a "spinning orb of death," which negates magic within a certain radius, obliterates whatever it touches, and mystifies everyone.
Though getting close certainly isn't advisable, the orb just sits there happily vacuuming up magical energy, so is unlikely to be a weapon or enemy in its own right. The Spinning Orb of Death only appeared after the Whispered One flickered into existence, and we know this fabled spirit instructed Delilah and Sylas to seize Whitestone for both the Ziggurat, and the magical-amplifying stone known as residuum which surrounds it. Perhaps if Delilah's ritual had been completed at the appointed time, the Ziggurat could've returned the Whispered One there and then. Because the summoning took place too early, the Spinning Orb of Death might've been left as some kind of doorway to be activated in the future. Keeper Yennen certainly thinks so, telling Scanlan she believes the artifact is connected to "something beyond the veil."
The Whispered One & Ripley Could Return In Legend Of Vox Machina Season 2
The Legend of Vox Machina's season 1 finale leaves the door open for at least two villains to return next season. First is the Whispered One - the mysterious, sinister puppeteer behind the Briarwoods. Obviously seeking a doorway into our dimension, the Whispered One cannot yet make that leap, but the Spinning Orb of Death teases more to come from Delilah's evil overlord. In Critical Role's lore, the Whispered One - whose true title is Vecna - becomes the final antagonist of Vox Machina's entire campaign. Amazon's The Legend of Vox Machina is obviously telling a more condensed version of that 115-episode Dungeons & Dragons epic, but showing the Whispered One in season 1's finale teases Vecna's arrival proper in season 2... and potentially beyond.
The Legend of Vox Machina also isn't shy in setting up Anna Ripley's comeback for season 2. Though she once tortured Percy and Cassandra on the Briarwoods' behalf, Ripley made an uneasy alliance with Vox Machina in season 1's reclamation of Whitestone. Predictably, she goes missing during the final battle, and Vex ominously notes, "I worry we'll meet her again..." If the laws of TV storytelling mean anything at all, Vex's concerns confirm Anna Ripley will return for The Legend of Vox Machina season 2. We have some idea of her future motives too. Ripley is something of a chaotic neutral - a scientist and engineer who seeks knowledge without pesky moral restrictions. She may not share the Briarwoods' affection for the Whispered One, but Ripley could pose Vox Machina problems nonetheless.
Why Keyleth Doesn't Tell Vax She Loves Him
Yes, The Legend of Vox Machina's season 1 finale is mostly sword fights, summonings and setups, but there's personal growth too - such as when Percy leaves Whitestone to Cassandra, when Vex learns to accept Keyleth, and when Scanlan spots a muscular topless man working up a sweat. More significant, however, is the simmering love story between Vax and Keyleth, after the half-elven warrior declared his love during a zombie scrap several episodes prior. Vax reiterates his feelings during Legend of Vox Machina's season 1 finale, but gets shockingly rebuffed, as Keyleth replies, "I just can't... I'm sorry." Only slightly better than "it's not you, it's me" or "I see you as a friend," Vax's ego takes a mighty blow.
Keyleth clearly does have feelings for Vax. Both have been guilty of making goggle-eyes at each-other through Legend of Vox Machina season 1, so why doesn't the Ashari druid drop an L-bomb of her own? Since The Legend of Vox Machina began, Keyleth has struggled with self-confidence, and been burdened by the weight of her tribe's lofty expectations. Despite growing more assured with each episode, Keyleth remains focused on completing the Aramenté and becoming worthy of leading the Air Ashari. Having only ever considered what her father and her people want, Keyleth perhaps isn't considering what she might want... even if what she might want is a knife-throwing half-elf who flirts with local shopkeepers and loves her.
How Vox Machina's Characters "Level-Up" In Season 1's Finale
Learning new moves and getting stronger by leveling-up is a vital ingredient in any role-playing soup, and it's fascinating how The Legend of Vox Machina honors that in the context of a TV show. By the time Legend of Vox Machina's season 1 finale ends, each and every character has evolved, either in their personal arc, their combat prowess, or both.
Vax and Vex don't receive any power-ups, but both finally decide to stop running - their commitment to Vox Machina now watertight after almost ditching the dysfunctional group earlier in the season. Keyleth may not have the power of love, but she does possess the power of elemental magic. Her communion with the Sun Tree has unlocked never-before-seen spells, such as a brilliant, evil-repelling light, and portals in tree trunks. Scanlan is still the same old bawdy bard, but his powers appear to surge after discovering the glory of heavy metal increases the potency of his Scanlan's Hand spell. In The Legend of Vox Machina season 1's final moments, Percy is seen constructing a brand new pistol, free from any demonic influence, Pike has spent the entire season powering-up and finding herself, and as mentioned above, Grog found a new sword.
Legend Of Vox Machina's Season 1 Finale Introduces The Chroma Conclave
As Vox Machina celebrates its latest heroic victory back in Emon, the festivities are interrupted by four massive dragons descending upon Sovereign Uriel's realm through the evening sky. This is the Chroma Conclave - the next major villains after Critical Role's Briarwood saga, and friends of Brimscythe, who Vox Machina slayed earlier in the season. Indeed, David Tennant's blue dragon was only one member of a larger dragon faction - and by no means was he the strongest. When Vox Machina invaded Brimscythe's lair in season 1, episode 3, they were spotted by a strange eyeball. That eyeball alerted the remaining four dragons in the Chroma Conclave, and the scaly quartet are now seeking to seize Emon for themselves (since dragons are unlikely to be motivated by revenge or loyalty to their own kind after Brimscythe's death).
The shocking final scene of The Legend of Vox Machina season 1 suggests that, despite having Anna Ripley, the Whispered One, and Orthax to worry about, the main antagonists of season 2 will be the Chroma Conclave. We've already seen how Vox Machina struggled to take down one dragon... now how about four?