The Legend Of Vox Machina star Marisha Ray talks about what makes Keyleth a unique fantasy character and what lessons she hopes fans learn from her.
Critical Role famously brings amazing characters to life developing an authenticity, complexity, and depth given how much time the players have to dig into the characters they’ve created. Now with The Legend Of Vox Machina animated series these characters, created years ago during the cast’s home game, continue to develop and grow in a new medium. Vox Machina is made up of a motley crew of adventurers that grow into heroes, but even within this group Keyleth (Marisha Ray) has always stood out, struggling with some of the more violent tendencies of Vox Machina.
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Keyleth’s awkwardness and insecurities add a layer of authenticity given the path she is on and bring a unique perspective to the party that has proven invaluable. Critters know that throughout Campaign 1 Keyleth has a powerful and transformative arc and seeing the early stages of her character’s development in The Legend Of Vox Machina will undoubtedly be compelling for new fans and long time Critters alike.
THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA’S MARISHA RAY EXPLAINS WHAT MAKES KEYLETH STAND OUT IN THE WORLD OF FANTASY ADVENTURE
The Illuminerdi had the chance to speak with Marisha Ray, Matt Mercer, and Ashley Johnson about The Legend Of Vox Machina. During our interview Marisha Ray explained how Keyleth stands out as a fantasy character and revealed how she hopes young women, or anyone struggling with finding their place in the world, see themselves in this character and learn from her.
“Very traditionally and fantasy trope-y is to have this confident, badass, always sure, always making the right decisions type of person. And it’s great to have that, but I think I kind of wanted to show that just because you’re not fully confident in yourself doesn’t mean that you can’t become confident or be a good leader or still have a very valuable perspective to add to the group. Especially if the group tends to be a bunch of kind of, you know, criminal murder hobos for lack of a better term.
So, she kind of ended up becoming the moral compass in a lot of ways in the campaign and bringing that to this platform. I’m hoping that a lot of young women or just anyone who might be struggling with identity or finding their place in the world can see a little bit of themselves in Keyleth. And see that it does not make their opinion or perspective any less valuable. And in fact, you kind of need that to really round out the group.”
In a world full of battle ready badasses its thrilling to see a character who grows into their confidence and power. Keyleth’s value to the group is multifaceted with not only her magic being an integral part of Vox Machina’s adventures, but her heart proving just as important if not more so. With Keyleth being a moral compass of sorts for the party her development and complexities shine through as a unique perspective in Vox Machina’s story.
The passion and thought that Marisha Ray has put into this character and her performance shines through in The Legend Of Vox Machina. Keyleth is an important character for many Critters and hopefully bringing her to this new animated medium in The Legend Of Vox Machina will bring her story to countless more.
The lessons that Marisha Ray hopes people learn from Keyleth, finding confidence and understanding the value of your opinion, are truly important. Keyleth’s arc as she grows into her power and confidence will undoubtedly be thrilling to see play out on screen, but her heart and kindness will likely continue to be one of the most compelling aspects of her character.
The first three episodes of The Legend Of Vox Machina premieres on Prime Video. Are you looking forward to The Legend Of Vox Machina animated series? Are you excited to see Keyleth’s arc play out in The Legend Of Vox Machina? What is your favorite Marisha Ray moment? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more Critical Role and The Legend Of Vox Machina.
