Warning: the following article contains major spoilers for Critical Role‘s campaign one.
The Legend of Vox Machina has steadily risen in popularity among both the Dungeons & Dragons community and the general public, who have been drawn to the show for its fantasy and adventure elements, as well as its comedy style.
At the center of it all is a group of adventurers, best known as Vox Machina, who band together first for monetary gain, and later to protect others from the various threats that arise in the world of Exandria. As time goes by, naturally these misfits grow attached to each other, developing genuine friendships, and maybe something more. Keyleth and Vax’ildan, in particular, have had this will-they-won’t-they dynamic going on from the very start of the series, as their feelings for one another quickly become obvious during the first season. Unfortunately, though, sometimes that’s just not enough to start and maintain a romantic relationship, and Keyleth knows it all too well.
At the end of season one, Vax finally stated the obvious, confessing that he is thoroughly in love with Keyleth, and while she looked happy for a brief second, the situation quickly dawned on her. Later, Keyleth shoots Vax down, claiming that she cannot enter a relationship with him due to their responsibilities to the Kingdom of Tal’Dorei and Keyleth’s Aramenté. This led to a noticeable distance between the pair during the first few episodes of season two, which is making viewers question if they will ever find their way back to each other, or simply remain friends until the end of time.
Do Keyleth and Vax become a couple?
If The Legend of Vox Machina faithfully follows the path laid out by the Critical Role web series, then yes, Keyleth and Vax will become a couple at some point. In the source material, the characters kiss a few times, but Keyleth’s fears about the future continuously prevent her from entering a relationship. Ultimately, though, the Ashari member finally gives in to her feelings in episode 65 of Critical Role‘s first campaign, “The Streets of Ank’Harel,” and from that point on, the two are together as a couple. Unfortunately, this fan-favorite pairing has a very tragic ending, as Vax is eventually escorted to the afterlife by the Raven Queen, and Keyleth has to grow old without him. Only at the end of her life does Keyleth get to reunite with her beloved — in spirit.
All that said, it’s impossible to predict with 100 percent accuracy where The Legend of Vox Machina will take the story and its characters. According to Matthew Mercer, Critical Role‘s Dungeon Master, “the animated series is its own ‘adaptation’ with its own canon,” meaning that Vax and Keyleth’s relationship could take a completely different route, for better or for worse.
For now, all viewers can do is wait and see how seasons two and three develop this romance. The Legend of Vox Machina is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.