Matthew Mercer

Matthew Mercer has one of the most recognizable voices in nerd culture — and one of the most influential seats at the table. As the Dungeon Master of Critical Role since the show’s first livestreamed campaign in 2015, he has guided thousands of hours of story, breathing life into every NPC, villain, and god that has crossed the party’s path. That voice work extends far beyond the table: he’s the gravel-voiced cowboy Cole Cassidy in Overwatch, Levi Ackerman in Attack on Titan, Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil, and Jotaro Kujo in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure — a résumé that makes him one of the most in-demand actors in animation and games.

As Critical Role’s Chief Creative Officer, Mercer shapes the creative direction of the entire company, from the Emmy-winning animated series The Legend of Vox Machina to the Daggerheart tabletop RPG he co-designed. His Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount became a New York Times bestseller and one of the best-selling Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks of its era.

Mercer brought that worldbuilding authority to comics. Alongside the cast, he developed Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins with Dark Horse Comics — eight prequel graphic novels, each co-created in direct consultation with the cast member who plays the character, that reveal how the misfits of Campaign 2 became the adventuring party fans adore. Every volume in the series carries his fingerprints as the guardian of canon, ensuring each page feels like story straight from the livestream.

Perfect for fans of actual-play storytelling, immersive worldbuilding, and the fantasy epic that grew from a bunch of voice actors rolling dice in a living room.