The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 is officially in the books, and the finale sets the stage for a top-notch final season; it could be one of the rare fantasy series that gets a proper ending and sticks the landing. SPOILERS ahead for The Legend of Vox Machina season 4, episode 12. "The Ascension" is the perfect segue into the Prime Video show's final chapter, paying off the previous tensions among Vox Machina and establishing the Whispered One as a truly daunting Big Bad.
The finale pulls all that off with plenty of action and suspense, as well as some heavy emotional blows. "The Ascension" balances both and still manages to deliver a number of surprising twists. It's exactly what you'd want from a season ender, and it leaves you wanting more when it's through.
The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 finale brings Pike's story to a head in the best way
After her surprising choice in The Legend of Vox Machina season 4, episode 11, Pike continues to be the star of this outing's three-part ending. The opening scene of "The Ascension" picks up exactly where its predecessor leaves off: with Pike revealing she's aligned with the Whispered One to save Grog. The rest of the team arrives in time for her admission, and it puts them at odds with one another. Of all the finale's action, the fighting between Vox Machina is some of the most intense.
That's partly due to Pike's emotional breakdown, which Ashley Johnson pours so much emotion into. Pike's speech is a highlight of the finale, and it's easily one of the most hard-hitting moments of the season. It's delightfully meta, too, with Pike telling the others, "I know you're all shocked that poor little Pike might be important." After seeing what the series does with Scanlan's departure and Taryon Darrington, it's clearly not leaving any character depths untapped — and that's precisely what makes it so great.
With Pike's blood given, Delilah continues the Whispered One's ascension as the team fights among themselves. And due to his rising power, Grog actually does come back to life. It's what's needed to snap Pike out of her rage. When she finds herself railing against him, she realizes he's right. Grog serves as the moral compass in this chapter, driving home that someone who "kills to save himself" is "a bad god."
It's thanks to Grog that Pike comes to her senses, and that Vox Machina is able to confront the Whispered One in the midst of his ascension ritual. Vax kills Delilah — something that, admittedly, might've been more satisfying from Percy — and then the team dives into the finale's second action sequence. Pike gets to do the right thing, and Vax and Keyleth land the final blows. The latter backfires, though, laying the foundation for a much darker final season.
Vax's fate is a perfect twist for The Legend of Vox Machina season 5 (but the message is muddy)
Just as the Whispered One starts to gain the upper hand in the fight against Vox Machina, Vax uses his power from the Matron to fly him away from the group. The Matron spends the entirety of The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 insisting Vax's fate is to die defeating the Whispered One. If it's to save his friends, he's all too happy to do so. But Keyleth won't allow it, and she takes matters into her own hands. Wielding Mythcarver, she flies up to meet the pair — and stabs the Whispered One before Vax can end him, uttering a satisfying "f*** fate" as she does.
This seems to be the end of the villain and Thar Amphala, as the realm begins to collapse immediately after his death. The group rushes back to the Whitestone portal, and it's not until they're back in Exandria that they discover their mistake. They win the fight, and Keyleth even heals Vax's blight with her Retanus Flower elixir. With all this falling into place, it almost looks like The Legend of Vox Machina season 4 will have a happy ending. However, the fantasy show upends our expectations one last time.
Upon Vox Machina's return to Exandria, the Whispered One appears in a new and more powerful form. He reveals they've been playing into his hand the entire time, from Taryon Darrington — who's unwittingly manipulated into bringing the team back together — to Keyleth, who actually completes his ascension by killing his mortal body. In his new form, he's too powerful to fight. And thanks to Keyleth, Vax no longer has the godly powers that could've stood against him.
With the Whispered One in a position of undeniable power, he opens up portals around Exandria and tells Vox Machina to make a choice: bow to him and submit, or resist and let Vax perish. And so, with the villain broadcasting it to all of Exandria, the gang kneels before this terrible new god. Unfortunately, it's in vain, as Vax tells him to "get f***ed" even without his powers. The Whispered One makes good on his promise and kills him, ending season 4 on a bleak note.
It nixes any hopes of a happy ending for season 4, and raises questions about the show's messaging when it comes to defying fate for the sake of love. (Clearly, this doesn't work out for the group, and yet...it seems like the message we should be getting behind? We'll have to wait for season 5 to judge.) Even so, Vax's death drives home the stakes heading into The Legend of Vox Machina season 5.
Verdict
With The Legend of Vox Machina season 5 serving as the series' final chapter, it needs a proper Big Bad. And "The Ascension" cements the Whispered One as that, fully transforming him into a terrifying god. Vox Machina will have their work cut out for them in season 5, and that's if they dare to defy him in the first place. Vax's death is bound to leave them with a great deal of trauma, and the realm may not even want their help after seeing them submit. It's the lowest the group has been, which makes it an intriguing place to start the final season from.
The Legend of Vox Machina season 4, episode 12 works incredibly well as a finale, bringing this individual outing to a satisfying close — yet pulling the rug just before it's through. It accomplishes what it sets out to: it lays the groundwork for an epic send-off to the series, taking us from the massive threat of the Chroma Conclave to the even bigger challenge of the Whispered One. And it does it seamlessly, remaining gripping until the very end of episode 12.
Episode Grade: A
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