Prime’s Best Fantasy Spin-Off Show Is Finally Here, And These Are The Best Things About It (And One Thing It Missed)

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If you’re into unpredictable magic, over-the-top characters, and intense action, Amazon’s new animated fantasy series is a must-watch. It’s a show with broad appeal, and many are saying it surpasses its already popular predecessor – a series that captured the hearts of Dungeons & Dragons fans after the pandemic. The first three episodes, released today, deliver a wild ride with hilarious moments, surprisingly heartfelt character development, and action sequences that are more entertaining than anything currently on TV, animated or live-action.

I’m completely captivated by The Mighty Nein, Amazon’s second dive into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and honestly, it’s everything I’d hoped for. It’s based on what many consider to be Critical Role’s strongest story yet, and that really shines through in the animation. What’s brilliant is that the show starts before the official campaign begins, giving us that wonderful ‘session zero’ vibe – it immediately pulls you in. In the first episode, we meet Beau, a wonderfully grumpy monk with a mission, and then there’s Caleb and Nott the Brave, a wonderfully secretive wizard and a goblin who’s surprisingly sweet. We even get a quick peek at Yasha! The next couple of episodes introduce the rest of the group: Jester Lavorre, who is pure, delightful chaos, and Fjord, a half-orc struggling to understand his newfound abilities. We also get a fresh take on Essek’s story, and the introduction of Mollymauk Tealeaf, a character who’s already proving to be a fantastic addition. The way they all come together feels so authentic, like it was lifted straight from a D&D game.

The Mighty Nein Leaves Little To Be Desired

Okay, so this season really feels like a step up from The Legend of Vox Machina. It’s much more like a proper movie, and while it gets a bit more serious, it thankfully doesn’t lose the humor that made the first one so fun – it avoids getting overly dark and gritty, which is a huge relief. Honestly, you instantly connect with the characters; they’re all so well-developed. And they’ve added some cool new stuff to the story that pulls you in without just throwing a ton of backstory at you. They did make some changes adapting it from the D&D streams to an animated series, but they work! It doesn’t mess with what existing fans love, and it’s super easy for newcomers to jump in without feeling lost – it’s not one of those shows that only makes sense if you’ve been following it for years.

The first three episodes fall short because Yasha isn’t featured enough. While it makes sense the creators worked around Ashley Johnson’s limited availability during the original live play, the animated series could have expanded on her backstory. Instead, we only get a brief, 30-second appearance. While this creates anticipation, Yasha deserves as much attention as the other characters – even if it’s just showing what she’s up to when she’s not with the group.

You can now watch the first three episodes of The Mighty Nein on Amazon Prime. New episodes will be released every Wednesday.

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2025-11-19 22:13