I've mentioned it on the podcast before, but I'm a big fan of Critical Role, the Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast, so naturally I love The Legend of Vox Machina, an animated retelling of their first campaign. The Legend of Vox Machina is an action-packed, hilarious and incredibly emotional story that I think all lovers of fantasy and adventure would enjoy. Season 3 of the animated series comes out this Thursday, so I've been rewatching the first two seasons and reflecting on some of the connections to Star Wars- specifically a connection between one of Critical Role's most notorious villains and Anakin Skywalker.
Delilah Briarwood, first brought to life by Matthew Mercer, Critical Role's dungeon master in the original campaign and then brilliantly voiced by Grey Griffin in the animated series, is possibly one of my favorite villains ever. She's a dark wizard who's goal in the series is to bring back "The Whispered One," an ancient evil. She becomes a servant to him as he tries to take over the world. But she didn't fall down that path for him, but rather, for her husband.
While we don't get to see as much of her backstory in Critical Role, The Legend of Vox Machina offers us a closer look at her story. Delilah's husband, Sylas, fell very ill, and all normal avenues of healing fell short to help him. Desperate to save him, Delilah turns to dark magic. The Whispered One offers her the solution, in exchange for her loyalty. Delilah saves Sylas by turning him into a vampire, and the pair set out to return The Whispered One to the material plane- all in the name of love.
The connections to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith really do scream to me. While Anakin of course does not have the same success (if you can call it that) that Delilah does, the beginnings of their paths are the same. Anakin is desperate for an answer that can save Padmé after his visions of her death. Failing to find the solutions he wants from Yoda's advice, he is lulled by Palpatine's dark promise of power- in exchange of course, for his loyalty. Just like Delilah. Anakin is now serving Palpatine as part of his plot for power over the galaxy. Though when Padmé isn't saved, Anakin is now stuck with his decision regardless, and spends many years under him.
Although Anakin and Delilah's stories diverge and these characters may seem very different on the surface, the core motivations that lead them down so dark a path are the still the same.
In both Critical Role and The Legend of Vox Machina, when Sylas Briarwood is killed by our heroes, Delilah says "I broke the world for us!" While it's certainly more eloquently stated, it feels the same to me as Darth Vader's crying "no" in Revenge of the Sith when he learns of Padmé's fate. Their cruel acts they'd done, the pain they'd put themselves through, the destruction they'd cost- all of it was to prevent the very outcomes that now lie before them. The pain of knowing that it was all for nothing is palpable, and a stark reminder that sometimes the price you pay is far greater than what it first seems.
If you want to get ready for season 3 of The Legend of Vox Machina, the first two seasons are free to watch on Prime Video's YouTube channel until the new season comes out on Prime Video this Thursday, October 3rd!
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