History YMMV / CriticalRoleCampaignThree

** "Shardgate," or the incident wherein [[spoiler: Ashton attempted to absorb The Shard of Rau'shan without the party's knowledge besides Fearne. The primary divide comes from the aftermath when Ashton did manage to succeed, only for Matt in the next episode to walk back Ashton's success and have them vomit the Shard back up. Some fans were against Ashton even trying as the Shard had been earmarked for Fearne and felt that Ashton going behind the team's back was deceitful or a power grab due to already having one Shard in him, and that Matt had left warnings that absorbing two Shards at once was impossible. Other fans pointed out that Fearne had expressly said both in and out of character that she didn't ''want'' the Shard to begin with due to fears regarding its corruptive power, she consented to Ashton taking it for himself, and that Matt's warnings in-character were vague enough to be read as that an attempt to absorb the Shard could work. Regardless, it's generally agreed to be a poor-taste move that Matt then punished Ashton for succeeding both by having him vomit the Shard up and then hitting him with a permanent stat reduction, due to Taliesin and Ashley both feeling Matt's warnings hinted that it would work.]]

** Chetney is an example that mostly applies on a conceptual level. The big point of contention that always comes up in discussions over his character is how he's a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute to Chutney, Travis' character from the holiday one-shot The Night Before Critmas, having a near identical appearance, voice, occupation, their names being one letter off from each other, and [[spoiler:having a backstory involving a falling out with a Santa Claus-like toymaker]]. While Chetney has many traits that differentiate him from Chutney, it's impossible to deny the similarities. This leads to some viewers considering Chetney nothing more than a JokeCharacter, some even theorizing he was a fake out [[spoiler:similar to Bertrand, being introduced only to die and be replaced by a third PC for Travis.]] Others are willing to accept Chetney as a fully realized and unique character that separates himself from Chutney and works well in the party, and enjoy getting to see another Blood Hunter PC. It mostly just comes down to whether the viewer can separate Chetney's character from Chutney.
* BrokenBase:

** Chetney is an example that mostly applies on a conceptual level. The big point of contention that always comes up in discussions over his character is how he's a SuspiciouslySimilarSquad to Chutney, Travis' character from the holiday one-shot The Night Before Critmas, having a near identical appearance, voice, occupation, their names being one letter off from each other, and [[spoiler:having a backstory involving a falling out with a Santa Claus-like toymaker]]. While Chetney had many traits that differentiate him from Chutney, it's impossible to deny the similarities. This leads to some viewers considering Chetney nothing more than a JokeCharacter, some even theorizing he was a fake out [[spoiler:similar to Bertrand, being introduced only to die and be replaced by a third PC for Travis.]] Others are willing to accept Chetney as a fully realized and unique character that separates himself from Chutney and works well in the party, and enjoy getting to see another Blood Hunter PC. It mostly just comes down to whether the viewer can separate Chetney's character from Chutney.

** Bell's Hells' [[NayTheist kneejerk antagonism towards the gods]] has proven divisive. One segment of the fandom finds their skepticism towards the Prime Deities refreshing, viewing the divine powers of Exandria as [[JerkassGods self-righteous bullies]], [[GodsHandsAreTied useless bystanders]], and [[KnightTemplar short-sighted zealots]] who [[NiceJobBreakingItHero caused the whole issue with]] [[SealedEvilInACan Predathos]] in the first place, and are justifiably receiving their first [[WhatTheHellHero serious criticism from mortals]] in centuries. Other fans view the Hells as [[EgocentricallyReligious selfish]], [[UngratefulBastard ungrateful]] [[HollywoodAtheist Hollywood Atheists]] who [[EntitledBastard demand divine favor without doing the work of cultivating a relationship with the gods]] (even after attacking a temple, slaughtering an angel and ''summoning a'' ''[[AlwaysChaoticEvil demon]]'' ''while doing so''), [[FlatEarthAtheist ignore centuries of documented historical divine intervention in the world for the better]], and [[WeAreStrugglingTogether refuse to put aside their grievances towards the gods]] despite the fact that [[EvilVersusOblivion even the most callous deity is probably an improvement over a being called "Predathos, the World-Eater."]] Some have also taken issue with how several of the Prime Deities have [[TookALevelInJerkass Taken Levels In Jerkass]] to facilitate the debate, with The Dawnfather especially feeling like an entirely different god between Campaigns 1 and 3. Only Orym and Fresh Cut Grass have so far offered a serious defense of the Prime Deities, and F.C.G., being a newly ReligiousRobot, takes the zeal of the converted [[BeliefMakesYouStupid so far]] as to seem like a DeliberatelyBadExample of a cleric.
** Imogen and Laudna's relationship. It has many fans who love how supportive and caring and devoted they are toward each other, but others feel that their codependence is unhealthy in a way that isn't being acknowledged for what it is, and that the lack of any real conflict or movement in their relationship outside of simply "being together" makes it uninteresting and wears out its welcome quickly.

** [[spoiler:Delilah Briarwood's presence in the campaign. Some fans were excited and interested in seeing a new version of the character, and thought that the battle against her in Laudna's dreamscape to revive Laudna felt like a fitting and climactic final end for the character, but when she came back after episode 63, fans began to weary of her InvincibleVillain status, especially given that there doesn't really seem to be much for her to do. (She could be TheCorruptor for the dark and even villainous things Laudna has done in the back half of the campaign, but she vocally advises against some of those things more often than not. It seems like she's almost undergoing a redemption arc, but Laudna's own slide into villainy leaves that more in the realm of a HazyFeelTurn.) Other fans were wary of the reveal from the get-go and increasingly began to dislike it, feeling that Laudna engaged very little with Delilah; that her being present at all undercuts the finality of Campaign 1; and that having her as a patron and not an original character feels like it was fanservice with little thought put into it. Those fans are actually pleased with the direction she's headed in now that Laudna has begun to form more of a relationship with her and are excited by the idea of a corruption arc, but are still cautious due to how long it took for her story to go anywhere.]]
%% ** The idea of the Shard of Rau'shan going to Fearne even though she has voiced her concerns about taking it due to her fear of it turning her evil. Some feel that it should go to her because the narrative and even the nature of the shard seems to indicate that it was made for Fearne and that it will help to defend her from the Unseelie Court, while others have voiced their displeasure with how much the others in the group seem to be pushing and peer-pressuring her into taking a shard that she clearly doesn't want for understandable reasons.

* Liliana Temult, Imogen's mother, spawns a lot of this due to her MamaBear love for her daughter contrasting with her [[spoiler:working with Ludinus to free Predathos]]. The players, their characters, and the audience are all unsure of what to make of her, with many theorycrafting on if she's a redeemable woman led astray who's actions are all from her genuine desire to ensure her daughter's safe future, or a selfish monster who doesn't really love Imogen so much as the ''idea'' of Imogen [[LovingAShadow she built in her head]] of the scared girl who needs her help and will be grateful once all is done.

*** Firstly, when the battle starts, [[spoiler:she uses her first round of combat to ''kill'' Chetney, taking him down to zero hit points then using an Action Surge to completely kill him. The party are able to revive him with a timely use of Rivivify (after Matt decided it was OK to retcon FCG had prepared the spell after Sam realised he had a free spell prepare slot available), but its still a ''brutal'' and shocking reminder of how much of a HeroKiller Thull is.]]
*** ends with [[spoiler:Fresh Cut Grass, recognising they're about to be killed by Otohan Thull who will then likely cause a TotalPartyKill, opting to instead target ''themself'' with Guiding Bolt, specifically their core, causing it to become unstable and trigger a mini nuclear explosion to take them ''both'' out. Not only are viewers likely shocked, as are the players, but ''Matt'' is visibly caught off guard by the move, questioning Sam several times if he knows what this means, and is tearing up as they go over what entails. Becomes ''very'' difficult to look away as this is all happening.]] Worth noting is that [[spoiler:instead of being up to bad rolls like Mollymauk, or deliberately telegraphed like Bertrand Bell, this was the first time a player decided for gameplay-related reasons that their death was necessary.]]

*** ends with [[spoiler:Fresh Cut Grass, recognising they're about to be killed by Otohan Thull who will then likely cause a TotalPartyKill, opting to instead target ''themself'' with Guiding Bolt, specifically their core, causing it to become unstable and trigger a mini nuclear explosion to take them ''both'' out. Not only are viewers likely shocked, as are the players, but ''Matt'' is visibly caught off guard by the move, questioning Sam several times if he knows what this means, and is tearing up as they go over what entails. Becomes ''very'' difficult to look away as this is all happening.]]

** Firstly, when the battle starts, [[spoiler:she uses her first round of combat to ''kill'' Chetney, taking him down to zero hit points then using an Action Surge to completely kill him. The party are able to revive him with a timely use of Rivivify (after Matt decided it was OK to retcon FCG had prepared the spell after Sam realised he had a free spell prepare slot available), but its still a ''brutal'' and shocking reminder of how much of a HeroKiller Thull is.]]
** ends with [[spoiler:Fresh Cut Grass, recognising they're about to be killed by Otohan Thull who will then likely cause a TotalPartyKill, opting to instead target ''themself'' with Guiding Bolt, specifically their core, causing it to become unstable and trigger a mini nuclear explosion to take them ''both'' out. Not only are viewers likely shocked, as are the players, but ''Matt'' is visibly caught off guard by the move, questioning Sam several times if he knows what this means, and is tearing up as they go over what entails. Becomes ''very'' difficult to look away as this is all happening.]]

** During the near-TPK fight in episode 33 against Otohan Thull, Imogen brokenly pleads with a hiding F.C.G telepathically, "You have to save them." Episode 91 saw a rematch in which Letters did just that - saving their party from certain death by exploding his core and charging into Thull for a TakingYouWithMe, on top of sacrificing a high-level spell slot to bring Chetney back from the dead at the very start of the fight. Imogen had her circlet off, so she most likely heard his final thoughts, which were about the party and how important they were to him.

** Some find Otohan Thull to be genuinely intimidating, especially with their HeroKiller status and similarities to Darth Vader, as well as the sheer power they demonstrate thanks to them effectively having two different Fighter subclasses at the same time. Others, however, deride her for being a boring InvincibleVillain, feeling that the attempts to make her cool and badass [[{{Narm}} wind up making her look like she's trying too hard]] and that her lack of clear motivation makes her sound more like she's delivering action movie one-liners than expressing a sincerely-held belief in anything.

** Some find Otohan Thull to be genuinely intimidating, especially with hero HeroKiller status and similarities to Darth Vader, as well as the sheer power she demonstrates thanks to her effectively having two different Fighter subclasses at the same time. Others, however, deride her for being a boring InvincibleVillain, feeling that the attempts to make her cool and badass [[{{Narm}} wind up making her look like she's trying too hard]] and that her lack of clear motivation makes her sound more like she's delivering action movie one-liners rather than expressing a sincerely-held belief in anything.
** Laudna. Initially the fan favorite by a wide margin, the introduction to the [[spoiler:Predathos dilemma]] and especially the team split arc did a number on her popularity. This was due in large part to her being the most vocally against the protection of the gods, often accusing them of rewriting the history of their war with the titans in their favor. Some portions of the fandom felt as though it was less the character coming through and more the actor, as Laudna repeats several talking points made by Keyleth in campaign one, leading some to feel that Marisha's own views on religion are coloring the character. A particular point is her antagonism towards the [[spoiler:Church of Pelor]] in Wildemount. While having tension with [[spoiler:Pelor]] would make perfect sense given their deep history with Whitestone and her feelings towards it, none of that is brought up in the story, making her antagonism feel less personal and less justified. However, many others still adore Laudna as one of the most complex, multilayered, yet still endlessly fun and entertaining player characters in the show's history.

** Bell's Hells character progression, being essentially the inverse of Campaign 2's Mighty Nein (who started out as mistrusting {{Nominal Hero}}es but gradually developed into TrueCompanions) Bell's Hells initial openness with each-other was at first considered a breath of fresh air and antidote to the SlowPacedBeginning issues Campaign 2 suffered from. As the campaign progressed, however, the Hells fell further into self-destructive habits and toxic mentalities, failing to address their multitude of issues and in some cases making them even worse. It reached a head when Orym, TheHeart and OnlySaneMan of the group, was dragged down with them when fans expected him to lift the others up. Opinions are divided between those who find this dynamic interesting and a change from past campaigns, and those who think it [[TooBleakStoppedCaring makes the party hard to invest in]] and that [[WeAreStrugglingTogether inter-party arguments]] distract the group from making story progress too often.
** [[spoiler:Delilah Briarwood's presence in the campaign. The initial reveal was well-received and fans were interested in seeing a new version of the character, and the battle against her in Laudna's dreamscape to revive Laudna felt like a fitting and climactic final end for the character. However, once she comes back after episode 63, fans began to weary of her InvincibleVillain status, especially given that there doesn't really seem to be much for her to do. She could be TheCorruptor for the dark and even villainous things Laudna has done in the back half of the campaign, but she vocally advises against those things more often than not. It seems like she's almost undergoing a Redemption Arc, but Laudna's own slide into villainy leaves that more in the realm of a HazyFeelTurn.]]

** Fresh Cut Grass. They were initially well-liked for being an adorable and unique character concept (a small, sweet-natured Automaton non-religious Cleric with a Southern accent) with potential ties to tantalizing Aeor lore left hanging from Campaign 2 and intriguing backstory involving their creator and former party. Interest only increased when their past caught up to them [[spoiler: and it was revealed they were once ManchurianAgent KillerRobot and elements of this programming remain]] and they attempted to repair their strained relationship with Dancer. However, there were always some who found their therapy attempts naive at best and full of CondescendingCompassion at worst. But the base really shattered when F.C.G committed to becoming a ReligiousRobot for the Changebringer. What seemed to be the end of an arc about finding purpose instead caused them to devolve into a religious fundamentalist bordering on StrawCharacter, right when the campaign's core plot took a RageAgainstTheHeavens bent. There's now heavy divide between those who find this F.C.G [[CrossesTheLineTwice offensively funny]], just plain offensive, or [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot derailing a potentially far more interesting character arc about trauma recovery and/or Aeorean history.]]