Critical Role campaign 4 was stricken by grief from its very first episode. It tells a heavy tale of oppression, resistance, and human connection. Basically, I'm expecting to bawl like a baby during at least one episode.
We're now 21 episodes into the D&D campaign, and we've had a chance to spend time with each cast member. We've gotten to know their DnD classes better, as well as their detailed backstories. Based on the seeking, scheming, and…er, soldier-ing I've seen so far, I reckon some characters are more likely to bring me to tears than others. So, in the spirit of misery, here's a ranked list! Beware: some spoilers ahead.
13. Teor
Teor Pridesire is about as stoic as D&D characters come. We've already seen him lose a friend, and he's discovered his brother, hunted and turned to stone. Despite the suffering of his nearest and dearest, he maintains a grim resilience. He weathers each storm and pushes forward. I suspect, as the story's stakes climb, he will be a rock that more emotionally vulnerable characters cling to.
12. Murray
Murray Mag'Nesson is brash, smart-mouthed, and tough as diamonds. We've seen her more tender side with the Penteveral's most hard-up students, but those moments have been far and few between. She's far more likely to rush into action with a smile on her face and a sharp insult on her lips.
She certainly grieves for Thjazi Fang, but she's taken his death better than most. More than anything, she's focused on the mystery her former friend left by calling her name moments before death.
11. Kattigan
Kattigan keeps his true feelings locked up. That means he shares some of Teor's stoicism, but it also makes him broody as hell. A character without a healthy way to process feelings like grief is a ticking time bomb for emotional storytelling.
Plus, Kattigan isn't just dealing with Thjazi's death. We keep hearing the name Marianna, and this mysterious woman seems to be a subject so painful that Kattigan dare not address her. The reveal could spark a weeping session, but I'm not yet convinced that Kattigan will let his feelings fully release.
10. Julien
Like Murray and Kattigan, Julien Davinos is a smart alec, the kind of guy we'd expect to laugh in the face of his torturers rather than crumble. That being said, I think he's slightly more vulnerable. For all his bravado, there's a fragility to Julien that he tries to hide.
We've already seen the death of his father, an event Julien is still reeling from. He's using vengeance as a coping mechanism, but what happens when there are no Tachonis left to blame? Or, worse, what if he loses another loved one - Aranessa, perhaps? I expect Julien will stifle his feelings for too long, until he can't stay strong any longer. That's a scenario that's super likely to bring a tear to my eye.
9. Thimble
Thimble and Julien are two sides of the same coin, despite their vitriol for each other. Both are turning their grief for a lost loved one into a quest for revenge. Both are spouting more anger and insults than tears right now. The difference is, we've already seen Thimble at her breaking point. Her reaction to Thjazi's death was already an emotional rollercoaster for the viewer.
I think she's more likely to break than Julien, but she remains low in this list. That's because, compared with other characters, Thimble hasn't much left to lose. Her most treasured person is already gone. What else could bring her - and me - to tears?
8. Wicander
Wicander Halovar plays a comic relief role most of the time, so it might seem strange to rank him higher than more grief-stricken characters. There's a method in my madness, though. Wick might not be a source of sobs right now, but I think he sets up a far sadder storyline for the future.
The Halovar family are cooking up schemes that could affect all of Dol-Makjar, or even Aramán. Wick, who is just a do-gooder trying his best, may have had no willing part in their plans, but he still feels the weight of his corrupt family's impact on the world. As he tries to right their wrongs, I can see him succumbing to the guilt they've placed on his shoulders, and the loss he feels in separating from them. If he does, I'm probably going to cry.
7. Tyranny
Tyranny is a mid-card tear-jerker, just like her buddy Wick, and it's for similar reasons. She's a comic relief character who has hidden emotional depths. Her family, who are literal demons that feed on suffering, cause immense pain in the world around them. Like Wick, Tyranny is caught between the person she wants to be and the person she's expected to be.
We've already seen her grappling with the weight of her decisions. She's confused by her own drive to cause pain, and she regrets stealing a precious object from a vulnerable old man. This inner turmoil could come to a very emotional head. And, oddly, because Tyranny is such a vibrant character on her good days, I think she's even more likely to bring me to my own emotional breaking point.
6. Thaisha
Thaisha Lloy stands at the emotional heart of the story so far. Thjazi Fang was family, and her mourning was far more apparent because of it. Even with Thjazi gone, Thaisha still has a lot to lose if the party's schemes go awry. Her children are closely tied to the story's events. She also has a maternal relationship with Octis Tachonis, and while they don't always see eye to eye, she would do anything to keep him safe - as we've already seen.
Thaisha seems both headstrong and in touch with her emotions. That might make her the emotional anchor of the Seekers table in times of trouble, or it might make her a top source of tears - from me, at least.
5. Hal
Halandil Fang, like his ex-wife Thaisha, is a center point for the entire story. That means his entire family is on the line, and he's already lost one beloved brother. He has the most emotional ties to his fellow party members. He acts fatherly to Azune, and it's clear he sees many of the team as treasured friends. That's a lot of people's suffering he may well have to shoulder.
I've ranked Hal slightly higher than Thaisha. They're both vulnerable to emotional moments due to their many close relationships, but I think Thaisha is slightly more steely than Hal. The Bard seems more gentle, more vulnerable, and many Critters have already nicknamed him a 'sad boi' of the campaign.
4. Vaelus
Vaelus has a lot of unresolved trauma. She lost her god, Sylandri, when the Shapers were felled, and she's still figuring out how she feels about the cataclysmic change. She witnessed the death of her siblings first-hand, and her life seems to have been nothing but mourning and misery since.
Vaelus tugs on my heart strings every time we see a flashback to her idyllic former life. She is a shadow of her former self, and she definitely hasn't addressed these feelings properly yet. What makes me extra sad is her isolation. Other characters may be more vulnerable to pain for having close relationships, but they also have people to rely on. Vaelus has begun bonding with Octis, but other than this, she shoulders her burdens entirely alone.
3. Azune
Azune is the Critical Role fandom's other 'sad boi', so it should be no surprise to see him so high on this list. He has everything he needs to get me feeling weepy: a tragic childhood, loved ones left to lose, and a habit of letting his grief show.
Azune wears his heart on his sleeve, and despite his mounting responsibilities as an Arcane Marshal, he's rarely the one that needs to be strong for somebody else. We've already seen him break down in tears once, and it was pretty upsetting. Just imagine how devastating it'll be to see him suffer when the stakes get higher.
2. Bolaire
I'm a sucker for a sympathetic monster. Bolaire is a living mask originally built as a weapon of war, but he's stolen away (and stolen other people's bodies) for a chance at freedom. Despite his sometimes callous demeanour, Bolaire cares deeply about many things: stories, art, freedom, and downtrodden people.
Having kept his true identity a secret from almost everyone, Bolaire is living on borrowed time. Revealing himself to his peers might turn them against him. He might lose the life he's fought so desperately to carve for himself. In those rare moments where we've seen Bolaire vulnerable, Taliesin has done a stellar job of conveying the pain, anger, and sadness that drives the character. I'm not sure I can bear to see anything really bad happen to him.
1. Octis
Right now, nobody is suffering quite like Octis Tachonis. The guy was murdered by his own family - who have always hated him and seen him as an outsider - and now he must grapple with his new reality as an undead…thing. He has all the familial guilt of Wick, a fellow dissenter from a scheming Sundered House, combined with the emotional resilience of sad boi Azune.
What makes Octis the top contender for tears is the fact his suffering has a ripple effect on other characters. Both Vaelus and Thaisha are incredibly protective of him, and anything that happens to Octis that would make me cry is certain to emotionally ruin them. That makes me even more likely to break down.
How would you rank the cry-worthiness of each Critical Role character? Let me know your thoughts in the Wargamer Discord.