Prime Video's animated fantasy series The Mighty Nein has earned a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, positioning it as a worthy successor to The Lord of the Rings while drawing comparisons to Terry Pratchett's satirical Discworld novels. The show, produced by the Critical Role team following their earlier series The Legend of Vox Machina, follows an entirely new cast of reluctant heroes and blends classic fantasy tropes with the humour and character subversion characteristic of Pratchett's work. Its success matters as a sign that the Dungeons & Dragons-inspired fantasy genre continues to evolve while paying homage to its genre-defining predecessors.

The story centres on a mismatched party who unite after a mysterious resurrection relic is stolen from the Kryn Dynasty. Characters subvert expectations, such as the cowardly half-orc sailor Fjord (voiced by Travis Willingham) and Jester (Laura Bailey), a Tiefling claiming mysterious divine powers, alongside figures including Caleb Widogast and Beau. The series balances comic, Honor Among Thieves-style shenanigans with emotionally weighty, tragic backstories reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings, striking a tone the article suggests distinguishes it within the fantasy genre.