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Critical Role is about more than tabletop gaming. The cast has used the show’s campaigns to create interesting characters with dynamic backstories, allowing them to explore sensitive topics such as PTSD. The show has been praised for how it has handled PTSD, such as Caleb Widogast coming to terms with the death of his family in The Mighty Nein and Percy processing a similar tragedy in Vox Machina. Critical Role’s Travis Willingham says it’s important to be authentic when dealing with PTSD and is proud of the way the show has tackled the topic.

 “PTSD is something that lies underneath the surface with so many veterans. It’s not something that you can see on the outside,” Travis Willingham says during a Critical Role spotlight panel at Emerald City Comic Con 2026. “I always love the saying, ‘Be kind, because you never know what someone is going through in real life.’ I have family members that have been in the military, and their struggles are unique to themselves and it’s something that they deal with daily. I think without being in the military, there’s always the use of substation, something that just means a lot to you that you’re also trying to hide from the real world.”

“Sometimes the push and pull of that is enough just to make that sort of come through. But it’ll never be as much as really digging into what an individual experience has been like. But I think just understanding that it’s private, it’s underneath the surface, and that we’re all trying our best every single day to push through on that is really key.”

Watch the official Critical Role: Adventures in Exandria panel from Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con 2026 here:

With two animated series on Prime Video, Campaign 4 in full swing, and so much more Exandrian lore to come, Critical Role is showing no signs of slowing down. That's why the adventuring party at Popverse are here to bring you everything we can from those nerdy-ass voice actors & Bo., including:

• How to watch Critical Role in order
• Travis Willingham on the differences between The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein
• Taliesin Jaffe on playing Mollymauk Tealeaf for Campaign 2 vs. playing him for Prime Video
• Matt Mercer's homebrew warrior class (created originally for Vin Diesel)

...and much, much more. Roll initiative, player. Magic awaits.