The 7 Biggest Differences Between THE MIGHTY NEIN Series and Campaign

The first chapter of The Mighty Nein series has come and gone, and left us with a lot to process. This incredible first season of the Prime Video show was packed with action and emotional moments, and did immense justice to the cherished source material, Critical Role campaign two: The Mighty Nein. Of course, as with every adaptation, changes are made to the story to facilitate the text (or, in this case, speech) to screen transformation. With The Mighty Nein, these changes are reflected in how characters meet each other, and the party comes together, and it makes for some fun adjustments. With season one of The Mighty Nein series officially released, let’s take a look back at some of the creative choices, key differences, and major changes that allowed this wonderful campaign to turn into the perfect season of TV.

We Get MORE The Mighty Nein Session 0 Content Than We Saw on The Campaign 

Even though some details about how the party members meet and eventually all end up together were slightly changed from the campaign, on the series, we got to witness how the members of the gang get together from the beginning of The Mighty Nein‘s adventures. This is incredibly exciting, considering this is something that wasn’t played out in the campaign and established during a session zero scenario (for the non-nerd, this is where we all get together while making our characters and create background stories and connections before the game sessions actually begin).

In The Mighty Nein series, we received fun glimpses into where each party member was before they found one another, and an even deeper look at how the bond that these characters share was formed. This change from the campaign to The Mighty Nein series adds to the immersion factor and charm of the series. It lets the viewer really get to know the characters before we dive into this journey with them.

The Mighty Nein Series Offers a Closer Look at the Luxon Beacon’s Plot

The Mighty Nein series provides a really cool look behind the scenes of the Luxon Beacon’s plot and the politics surrounding it, which we don’t get to witness in the campaign to this extent (outside of the group’s involvement). 

Right off the bat, we’re introduced to the Beacon and teased by its capabilities, and then we’re thrown right in the middle of a battle for its possession. We see the Kryn Dynasty attacked by the Cerberus Assembly’s Volstruckers, who take the beacon away to their leader, Trent Ikithon. We get to see Essek’s fall from grace and the dynamic between him and Ikithon, and how the tension between them escalates and bubbles over. It’s fun watching it all go down in The Mighty Nein series instead of just hearing about it as fact as it happens in the campaign. 

The Prime Video The Mighty Nein Series Delivers Very Little Yasha

Even though Yasha has her own thing going on in the Mighty Nein campaign at times due to Ashley Johnson having to miss game nights because of her schedule, Yasha is barely seen in this season of the show. Originally, Yasha is a part of Mollymauk’s carnival troop. In The Mighty Nein show, unlike the source material of the campaign, she’s not affiliated with the group in any way until the very end of the last episode, if that even counts.

In the show, we see her slaughtering a bunch of unfortunate souls in very badass and brutal ways, but we don’t know anything else about her and why she’s after the beacon. There’s a large amount of hinting that the mark on the base of Yasha’s neck might have something to do with the trail of blood she’s leaving behind her, but it’s safe to say we’ll find out a lot more about her and what she’s about in the second season. We might have wanted to see more of Yasha in The Mighty Nein season one, but we’re hoping to REALLY get more from her soon.

Nott and Caleb Don’t Break Out of Prison Together

In The Mighty Nein campaign, Nott and Caleb meet in a jail cell and break out of prison together. From there, the two travel together and meet the rest of the party later at the Nestled Nook Inn.

In the show, we see Caleb bullied by street kids, and, after escaping them, he realizes that a small thief stole his pouch. Caleb chases said little thief around, and that’s how Nott the Brave enters the scene. They stick together from there on, and we see their friendship bloom into something truly beautiful.

Though a little different than the campaign, their story made for a more dramatic meeting in The Mighty Nein series, and it works for the show.

Jester and Fjord Did Not Meet Before his Accident at Sea in The Mighty Nein Series as they did in the Campaign

Another fun difference: in The Mighty Nein series, Jester and Fjord do not meet in Port Damali prior to his accident at sea. Instead, while they’re both in Nicodranas, Jester gets in trouble for being chaotic and rudely vandalizing and disrupting Lord Sharpe’s speech. She then runs into Fjord, who’s a complete stranger and unwillingly dragged along as her savior. Her mother then tasks Fjord to take Jester to Zadash who feels afraid that Lord Sharpe will hurt Jester for what she’s done. From there, the two travel together and accidentally become part of the Sensual Seven, I mean, Mighty Nein by unfortunate (I’d say fortunate) chance. 

Luckily, Jester remains immediately infatuated with the half-orc warlock in The Mighty Nein series, just as she was in the campaign, and their relationship is just as chaotic. I really love these two. (You can check out even more of them by reading Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins–Caleb Widogast, a comic the series borrows heavily from.)

Beauregard Isn’t traveling with Jester and Fjord 

In The Mighty Nein campaign, Beauregard meets and joins up with Jester and Fjord before the rest of the party, resulting in saving a fisherman’s daughter from a giant snake. Meanwhile, in the show, this does not happen, and Beau has her own reasons for traveling around. 

In the campaign, Beau leaves her father’s influence and grasp behind, which eventually leads her to join the Mighty Nein. Unlike what happens in the campaign, Beau does not meet the party at the Nestled Nook Inn in the show. Instead, Beauregard is actively investigating the attack on the Kryn and the disappearance of the beacon when she ends up at the carnival in Trostenwald, and the rest is history.

The Mighty Nein’s Devil Toad Incident Happened Differently in the Campaign vs. the Show

We got to see the first of many incoming chaotic moments in this entertaining story, and with some key differences.

In The Mighty Nein campaign, the Devil Toad does not turn the audience members into lizard-folk, controlling them with its mind. Instead, an audience member turns into a zombie and begins to infect others around, starting the mayhem. 

Another grim change from campaign to series was having the carnival owner, Gustav, turn into a lizardman and die horrifically at the hands of his friend, The Mighty Nein‘s Mollymauk Tealeaf. In the campaign, he’s very much alive, and he stays behind to pay his debts once the Devil Toad incident is all said and done. But hey, we admire the show’s knack for heartbreak.

Bonus Entry: Caleb Doesn’t set the Volstrucker Agent on fire in The Mighty Nein Campaign Like He Does in the Show

Yet it was insanely epic. 

While we’re still reeling from the excitement of this first season, we’re already waiting with bated breath for the second one. While there’s been no talk of The Mighty Nein season two’s production schedule or details yet, we can only hope to hear some news soon. 

The full first season of The Mighty Nein is now streaming on Prime Video.

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