Critical Role's core cast of Dungeons & Dragons characters, alongside the veteran voice actors portraying them, are well-loved by most show fans. Even the most contentious characters tend to have sizable fanbases. However, these aren't the only heroes in Critical Role's campaigns. The series has a proud history of guest stars, and many are friends or colleagues of the cast.
These guests typically stay for one or two Critical Role episodes, with only a handful reappearing or staying longer. Nonetheless, many have made a lasting impression on the players and fanbase alike with their memorable designs, quotes, or roles in the story.
This list contains mild spoilers for every Critical Role campaign as well as video clips from various episodes. Some clips may include strong language.
10 Dorian Storm
Dorian Storm is an unconventional Critical Role guest. Voice actor Robbie Daymond reprises his role from Exandria Unlimited to join Critical Role's third campaign for an extended time. Dorian is present for the first fourteen episodes of Critical Role's Bell's Hells campaign, joining the others in the premiere.
This gives Dorian a freedom that few other Critical Role players have had. He's such an integral part of the campaign's early episodes that many new fans have mistaken him for a permanent cast member. Dorian's character development, ties with other characters, and impact on the story are unmatched by any other Critical Role guest character.
9 Zahra Hydris
Zahra Hydris is one of Critical Role's first guest characters ever. She appears in the first campaign, accompanying half of Vox Machina during their Trial of the Take. Zahra then reappears many times throughout Critical Role's first campaign, with either original player Mary Elizabeth McGlynn or Dungeon Master Matt Mercer portraying her.
Zahra is one of the most memorable guest stars of four from Critical Role's Vasselheim Arc, with significant character development over her two episodes. She then reappears in such pivotal episodes as Critical Role's first anniversary and Vox Machina's last fight against Vecna. As a result, Zahra's a clear fan favorite.
8 Shakaste
Critical Role's second campaign has fewer guests than most others, not least due to the COVID-19 pandemic limiting cast potential significantly. Some have left their mark on the show, however. Shakaste is the first guest of Critical Role's second campaign and one of the most memorable of the show overall.
Many Critical Role fans remember Shakaste for his memorable design. This includes pure white eyes and hair, an impressive beard, and a spiritual weapon that looks like Estelle Getty. His raw charisma, supplied by guest star Khary Payton, is another reason Critical Role cast members and viewers are so fond of Shakaste.
7 Kerrek
Kerrek is one of Critical Role's most enduring guest characters. He has a pivotal role at either end of the infamous Chroma Conclave arc. In his earliest appearances, he serves as a source of spiritual guidance for the conflicted Vox Machina. Later episodes have him take a more active role, most notably in slaying Raishan in the arc's final battle.
Kerrek is beloved for his compelling dynamic with many of Critical Role's Vox Machina, most notably Keyleth. He also radiates wisdom and dignity from Patrick Rothfuss' performance. Many fans also enjoy how three-dimensional he feels, making many references to a prior life of adventuring and several civic duties when he's not traveling with Vox Machina.
6 Bor'Dor Dog'Son
Critical Role's third campaign splits Hell's Bells into two teams on entirely different continents, each accompanied by a contingent of guest stars. Played by Utkarsh Ambudkar, Bor'Dor Dog'Son is one of the guest characters who joins Hell's Bells in Issylra for half of this arc. He's well-liked on two levels, both for who he pretends to be and who he really is.
Bor'Dor Dog'Son is a rare Critical Role guest star who betrays the party. After many episodes of pretending to be a newly awakened sorcerer who's naïve to everything around him, he reveals himself as a member of the Ruby Vanguard and an enemy of Bell's Hells. He has the first character death due to player-versus-player combat in Critical Role.
5 Kashaw Vesh
Kashaw Vesh, played by Will Friedle, is another guest star who looms large over Critical Role's entire first campaign. He first appears in the Vasselheim Arc fighting a Rakshasa alongside Vox Machina. Despite his disappearance at the end of that, he returns as a member of the Slayer's Take, most often seen with Zahra Hydris.
Kashaw is particularly notable for his sarcastic and bitter personality, leading him to humorous conflict with many of the party. Kashaw is also one of Critical Role's most romantic guests, having kissed Keyleth and started a relationship with Zahra that rivals many player character ships in popularity.
4 Sprigg
Sprigg is a late-game guest in Critical Role's first campaign. Many fans love him for his real-world connections to the game. Darin De Paul reprises Sprigg from a campaign run by Critical Role DM Matthew Mercer's mother. Sprigg reappears decades later, both in-game and in real life, as a vital part of Vox Machina's quest to stop Vecna.
Sprigg is both memorable and nuanced with a relatively brief appearance. His interactions with others, particularly the imp Demitrisk, are genuinely entertaining. However, his status as an old adventurer without many loved ones adds significant depth. These factors, coupled with De Paul's impressive performance, help him hold his own in Critical Role's most high-stakes story arc.
3 Bertrand Bell
Bertrand Bell is another unconventional Critical Role guest character. He has been part of two adventuring parties. Bell, played by regular Critical Role cast member Travis Willingham, first appears in The Search for Grog one-shot to replace Grog Strongjaw. He later reappears in the earliest episodes of Critical Role's third campaign as a member of Hell's Bells.
Despite being played by a cast member, Bertrand Bell is clearly a guest character in both of his Critical Role appearances, never joining either party permanently. His humorous, vainglorious personality has won him many fans. So has his tragic fate early in Critical Role's third campaign.
2 Keg
Ashly Burch's Keg has one of the longest continuous appearances of any Critical Role guest character. She has a place at the table for four consecutive episodes, spanning most of the second campaign's Iron Shepherds storyline. Keg is a former Iron Shepherd who leaves the group and sides with the Mighty Nein to take them down.
Keg is an unusual stabilizing influence during one of Critical Role's most disruptive arcs both in-character and out-of-character. She provides a constant at the table when many cast members are absent and helps provide levity despite the tragic events. Her short-lived romance with Beauregard is also one of the most popular moments of Critical Role's first campaign.
1 Arkhan The Cruel
Arkhan the Cruel is the final guest star of Critical Role's first campaign. He's a dragonborn Oathbreaker paladin played by Joe Manganiello, who joins Vox Machina for their last battle against Vecna. Manganiello reprises Arkham from several other games, including a CelebiD&D episode that sees him adventure with Percy de Rolo and Keyleth.
Despite his evil alignment, Arkhan proves a genuinely likable ally to Vox Machina willing to work against a much greater threat. His return after a seemingly doomed last stand provokes genuine celebration from the party. Similarly, his last-minute betrayal to steal Vecna's hand is one of Critical Role's most infamous moments. Arkhan is so influential he's even appeared in non-Critical RoleD&D materials like Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus.