Vax’ildan and the Value of Faith in The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Finale

By Anna Govert  |  February 10, 2023 | 10:17am
Photo Courtesy of Prime Video
TV Features The Legend of Vox Machina
Vax’ildan and the Value of Faith in The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 Finale

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Throughout the second season of Prime Video’s The Legend of Vox Machina, Vax’ildan’s relationship with faith is a tentative one, to say the least. In going from calling his newfound deity a “raven bitch” to becoming the champion of the Matron of Ravens, Vax’s journey of discovering and accepting his destiny is a beautiful and heartfelt examination of faith for Vax alone, as well as emblematic of how The Legend of Vox Machina poignantly engages with religion in its sprawling world of Exandria.

In the first batch of episodes released from The Legend of Vox Machina’s second season, Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brian’s roguish half-elf) makes a trade with one of Exandria’s Prime Deities: he becomes the Matron of Ravens’ champion in exchange for the life of his twin sister, Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey). After his sister is revived, his journey throughout the second season is a solitary one, one that finds Vax pulling away from both his sister and Vox Machina at large as he tries to figure out his new place under the watchful eye of the Raven Queen. He sees visions of the dead, finds himself with a target on his back in the Feywild, and tells Percy (Taliesin Jaffe) that he believes he’s headed somewhere that his friends cannot follow. However, it’s the final two episodes of the season that allow Vax to embrace his new role, and more clearly understand his relationship with faith, belief, and destiny.

In Episode 11 of Season 2, titled “The Belly of the Beast,” Vax seeks answers from the Matron, so he enters a decaying temple with Vex and Keyleth (Marisha Ray) waiting for him outside. Once within, Vax takes a plunge into a pool of blood, which brings him face to face with his would-be master. She asks if he will be her champion, and he replies: “What choice do I have?” The Matron informs Vax that he is not her puppet, but rather a champion of destiny, able to see and manipulate the strings of fate. His hesitation and fear, and especially the idea that he is just a pawn in some deity’s game, fades quickly, as he realizes that he is stepping into a role that is bigger than himself—but with his friends and the Matron by his side on this new journey. In stark contrast to his attitude during his conversation with Percy from Episode 8, Vax reassures both Vex and Keyleth that the path he’s on is the right one.

Vax’s newfound embrace of the Matron and his status is a reevaluation of his own perception of his purpose. Throughout the season, flashbacks to Vex and Vax’s childhood illuminate the stark difference between the twins when it comes to their relationship with their father, and what each character believes belonging to mean to them. For Vax, in contrast to his sister, he never cared to grovel for the approval of the father who regards them as nothing more than “half-breeds,” so he does not hesitate when presented with the opportunity to run far away from their father’s home in Syngorn. For his entire life, Vax’s sole purpose was protecting his sister, as Episode 3’s flashback showcases; when Vex pushes him away, Vax is utterly hopeless, but falls back into step next to his sister once they reconcile. Then, once he is firmly within the clutches of the Matron after trading his servitude for Vex’s life, his purpose evolves from being Vex’s great protector to being the protector of the sanctity of life and death—gaining a power he then uses to aid his friends first and foremost. For Vax, Vex has been and always will be his top priority, but the Matron allows him the power and ability to extend his duty to all of Vox Machina, in the same way that his family, which was once just his sister Vex, now encompasses every member of his adventuring party.

Episode 12 sees Vax embracing his new fate-touched attitude, and encouraging Vox Machina to take one last stand against Chroma Conclave member Umbrasyl (the episode’s namesake, “The Hope Devourer”). Vax tells Scanlan (Sam Riegel) that destiny is something you can either “run from” or “rise to meet,” as this final episode establishes that destiny is not a predetermined outcome that you cannot escape, but rather a fulfillment of promises made to both yourself and those around you. It’s Vax’s inspiration, as well as his daughter’s echoing words, that spur Scanlan into action, ultimately delivering the final blow to Umbrasyl after a hard-fought battle he nearly sprinted away from. In the season’s final episode, faith and hope is not a contract signed in blood with a deity bound to you, but rather a shared connection and belief between two people—as Scanlan says to Vax after the battle is done: “Even if I don’t believe in that Matron stuff, you do, and I believe in you.”

In that way, The Legend of Vox Machina’s portrayal of faith and religious duty is as an extension of love, in all its shapes and forms. When Pike (Ashley Johnson) uses her divine power to heal, it’s her love for her friends that propels the Everlight to give her the strength to help. When Grog (Travis Willingham) looks within himself for his purpose after the Stormlord’s questioning, he finds it to be his love for his friends that gives him strength. For Vax, his sacrifice is born of his deep love for his sister, and his renewed sense of purpose in the final two episodes traces back to his love for Vex, but also for his friends, and his newfound appreciation for life and death itself. In contrast to some earthly religions, which often find themselves motivating through fear and othering, The Legend of Vox Machina’s religions never fall into that trap. While Vax surely feared losing Vex before he made his decision, his desire for her to live for both himself and their friends outweighed that fear. He knew that the world needed Vex, he needed Vex, and the Matron granted him the ability to ensure she would grace Exandria with her presence for many years to come, through the sheer force of love alone.

After Vax’s season-long journey of contemplative solitude, the final interaction between the Matron and Vax (just after Scanlan bests Umbrasyl and Vox Machina celebrate their victory) is a tentative but understanding one, as their final look communicates the extent of their connection, and Vax’s access to his and others’ destiny. Rather than warn against shifting the outcomes of reality to meet “selfish” ends, the Matron’s final nod of approval is their silent communication of their deal and bond, while also acknowledging Vax’s newfound belief in her and what that faith grants him. Even though Vax never divinely interferes in Scanlan’s inner turmoil during the final episode (besides sprouting wings and saving both him and Scanlan from splatting into a pulp on the ground), it’s his words that allow him to change Scanlan’s fate, ensuring he ends the season as a dragon-slayer rather than a coward. For Vax’ildan, words of hope and belief shared with a friend are just as—if not more—powerful than the whims of the golden strings of fate.

So, rather than take Vax somewhere his friends could not follow, The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 allows the Matron to actually bring Vax closer to them, cementing his bond with Vox Machina and elevating his self-worth to encompass both his value as Vex’s protector, but also as his own individual person. While the true price of his service to the Matron remains to be seen, for now, Vax acts as a shining example of hope and light brought about by having something to believe in. Within The Legend of Vox Machina, the importance of faith boils down to the connections it creates between people, and Vax’s journey in closing himself off and opening himself back up again under the guidance of the Matron of Ravens perfectly showcases the series’ hopeful take on religion and belonging, wrapped neatly in a beautifully animated and hilarious package.

Anna Govert is an entertainment writer based in middle-of-nowhere Indiana. For any and all thoughts about TV, film, and the wonderful insanity of Riverdale, you can follow her @annagovert.

For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists and features, follow @Paste_TV.

 
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