Pyrah, the home of the Fire Ashari, has fallen under siege from the demonic denizens of the Fire Realm. Can Keyleth, an Air Ashari, help her people save their home from a fiery oblivion?!
Tropes:
- Adaptation Deviation: This episode combines the plot elements of Vox Machina travelling to Pyrah from Campaign 1's "Aramente to Pyrah" with the "Cindergrove Revisited" plot of Vox Machina helping seal the rift to the Fire Plane, but it modifies the character's motives. In the campaign, the group goes to Pyrah willingly to help Keyleth complete the Fire Trial for her Aramente. The Amazon Prime episode meanwhile has Scanlan discover the far-off erupting volcano in Pyrah completely by happenstance and Keyleth desperately urge the group that they need to go to Pyrah to save the Fire Ashari from the torn open Fire Plane (which is releasing millions of destructive man-eating salamander-bat monsters into the Prime Material Plane) and Vax'ildan (still shook up from his deal with The Matron Of Ravens and nightmarish visions from it) firmly rebuffs her and the rest of the group reluctantly agrees, causing Keyleth to fly off for Pyrah to save the Fire Ashari by herself. Thankfully after Pike and Vex'ahlia give Vax a brief pep talk, Vox Machina arrives in Pyrah to help Keyleth save the Fire Ashari.
- One more plot element changed from the campaign to the cartoon is how Keyleth finished the Fire Trial. In "Aramente to Pyrah", every member of Vox Machina ventured into the Fire Plane with the goal to follow a set of fiery footsteps to a stone obelisk and battle the Flamespeaker Cerkonos and two other Fire Ashari members. "Pass Through Fire" has Keyleth (encouraged and empowered by her mother's words to listen to her powers and how she was made to pass through fire) enter the Fire Plane by herself and transform into a Fire Elemental, decimating all the Fire Plane monsters and sealing the rift most likely permanently this time and floating back into the Material Plane. Keyleth also receives a new reddish-brown dress with a matching capelet trimmed and accented in bright green and a ruby affixed between her antlers. In fact, Keyleth's rescue of Pyrah wasn't part of her trial at all. Cerkonos just proclaimed that Keyleth's rescue of the Fire Ashari was her Fire Trial out of gratitude and she passed with flying colors.
- Alien Blood: The fire demons bleed glowing orange lava, much to Craven's Edge's increasing aggravation.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Vax and Keyleth have this dynamic for a few moments. Vax isn't entirely wrong to point out that the team can't constantly stop to help random people when they're on an important mission to save all of Tal'dorei and every day that goes by, The Chroma Conclave's quest to rule Exandria comes closer to becoming a reality. However in Keyleth's defense, if they don't save the Fire Ashari, the rift to the Fire Plane (which is home to millions of carnivorous salamander-bat monsters with an appetite for humans) will be open forever, making it more than likely there wouldn't be a Fire Ashari left to save anymore.
- Also from a logical standpoint (though no one in the show brings this up), part of their mission is to find and make allies willing to aid in the fight against the Conclave; so helping the Fire Ashari helps them as well. Especially since Kiki personally knows and has a good relationship with the Fire Ashari's leader Cerkonos, so they'd be more willing to ally themselves with Vox Machina since they already know at least one of the members and if they helped the Fire Ashari first.
- Call-Back: This episode feature a couple of parallels and contrasts to the very first episode "The Terror Of Tal'Dorei Part 1".
- Both "The Terror Of Tal'Dorei" and "Pass Through Fire" involve monsters terrorizing and demolishing a kingdom and Vox Machina attempting to vanquish it. However in "The Terror Of Tal-Dorei Part 1", Vox Machina is hired by Sovereign Uriel and the Council of Tal'Dorei to slay the monster, while in "Pass Through Fire" Scanlan accidentally discovers an erupting volcano and Keyleth reveals that can only mean the rift to the Fire Plane is torn open and Pyrah is in serious trouble. Keyleth then desperately urges the group that they have to save Pyrah, but Vax somewhat coldly dismisses Keyleth's concerns reminding her that they need to focus on finding the other sphinx, to which the rest of the gang reluctantly agree with causing Keyleth to angrily polymorph into an eagle and fly off to save Pyrah by herself. Thankfully, the rest of Vox Machina make their way to Pyrah and wholeheartedly help Keyleth save the village, congratulate Keyleth sealing the rift permanently and proudly watch her receive Pyrah's blessing.
- While both monsters in "The Terror Of Tal'Dorei" and "Pass Through Fire" are draconic and have wings, the main differences are the monster in "The Terror Of Tal'Dorei" is a large, blue, electric dragon who can talk, shapeshift and has impressive executive functioning skills that involve most likely killing and later posing as General Krieg to gain knowledge about the plans of the royal court of Emon and decimate their armies from the inside. whereas in "Pass Through Fire", the monsters are reddish-orange and blackcarnivorous bat-salamander monsters roughly the size of a large dog who have no motives upon escaping from the Fire Plane beyond destruction of property and hunting down Pyrah's inhabitants.
- In both episodes, Keyleth's magic momentarily worsens the problem but then saves the group and day. In "The Terror Of Tal'Dorei" Keyleth summons lightning at Brimscythe to attack him, but since he's an electric dragon it just gives him a power boost which he uses to blast a cliffside sending boulders down to crush Vox Machina, but they're all saved by Keyleth creating a large wigwam-type fort out of multiple vines. Whereas in "Pass Through Fire", Keyleth uses an insanely strong gust of wind to close the rift which freezes the lava into magma and creates ice to form over the rift, but it's only a band-aid solution as the ice breaks and widens the rift leading to two Ashari Firetamers getting eaten by the Rift monsters and her dad getting grievously injured until Pike heals him. This then leads to Keyleth
- Chekhov's Lecture: Before she leaves on her own Aramente, Keyleth's mother tells her to listen to the elements and to never hesitate before them, as she was made to pass through fire. Keyleth embraces her lesson to push through to the Plane of Fire, sealing it and completing her fire trial.
- Clingy Costume: Vax tries to get the Deathwalker's Ward off after being haunted by more waking visions of the Matron of Ravens and the Conclave causing mass destruction. It refuses to budge.
- Cradle of Loneliness: Vax does this for a brief moment with Keyleth's staff because he thinks she's either been killed or trapped in the Fire Plane forever; only for
Kiki to float out of the rift alive and well (albeit a touch exhausted), now with the powers to ignite fire from her bare hands, transform into a giant Fire Elemental and travel to different planes of reality in Exandria. whenever she and Vox Machina wants or needs to. Plus, she's got this new reddish-brown robe trimmed and accented in apple green with a matching capelet and a lovely ruby affixed between her antlers. - Dumbass Has a Point: Grog, the resident Dumb Muscle, still has the good sense to realize that his arrangement with Craven Edge probably comes with strings attached and asks the sword what it's getting out of the deal. That said, he's not quite smart enough to catch on that the sword is clearly dodging the question
- Foreshadowing:
- Because the Fire Plane monsters bleed lava instead of actual blood when injured, Craven Edge grows more hangry at Grog. Grog says he's trying to feed him, but the monsters don't have blood. To which, Craven Edge then threateningly says "Then find me some.. NOW!!" while ominously pointing to Pike. Yeah, guess what happens at the end of the next episode.
- Before Vox Machina leaves, Cerkonos warns Keyleth that Thordak's escape was aided on their side of the dimensional breach by somebody posing as one of the fire ashari, cautioning her to trust her allies only if she truly knows their hearts. Keyleth reassures him that she trusts Vox Machina with her life, but his words are proven true by season's end, as one of Vox Machina's stalwart allies, Keeper Yennen, is revealed to be impersonated by Raishan back in Whitestone.
- Lady Allura and Kima decline traveling with Vox Machina on their search for the Vestiges, noting that in addition to letting Kima's wounds heal, they also need to check on the elven city of Syngorn, which somehow completely vanished following the dragon's attack and Kima calls them "A skittish bunch of bastards." Overhearing this, Vex has a noticeably pensive look on her face. The split party later run into Syngorn inside the Fey Realm in later episodes and Vex has to face her issues with her father whilst there.
- Because the Fire Plane monsters bleed lava instead of actual blood when injured, Craven Edge grows more hangry at Grog. Grog says he's trying to feed him, but the monsters don't have blood. To which, Craven Edge then threateningly says "Then find me some.. NOW!!"
- Meaningful Echo: Keyleth repeats her mother's words of encouragement and guidance to herself when she steps into the Fire Realm.
- Missing Mom: Keyleth mentions that her mother went missing in Pyrah. Whether that means she's dead or not hasn't been revealed yet.
- Mythology Gag: Allura asks Keyleth if she and her father can buy time while they fetch the rest of Vox Machina. Keyleth answers "I mean, we can certainly try", a nod to Matthew Mercer's famous Catchphrase from Critical Role, as well as Marisha's own line in their Campaign 3 theme song, "It's Thursday Night".
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Allura and Kima were once part of a group of adventurers who sealed Thordak in the Plane of Fire using a magical anchor. Now he's broken out and used that same anchor to grow much stronger.
- Not So Above It All: Craven Edge, an Evil Weapon with little sentience beyond "hunger" or "blood", actually sighs when Grog lets out a fart.
- Oh, Crap!: Percy freaks out when they're attacked by the fire demons — understandable, since his weapon necessitates him having to carry a lot of Black Powder on him.Percy: Shit shit! I am very flammable!
- Painful Transformation: Keyleth's Fire Elemental form starts this way, as she has to let the fire burn through her, but lessens as she accepts the fire.
- Running Gag: Vex constantly calling herself mature.
- Shipper on Deck: Keyleth's dad tells her to take care of all her friends, especially Vax, prompting a Crush Blush from both the Air Ashari and rogue.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: Keyleth completing her fire trial gives her a new reddish-brown outfit that looks more like something a member of royalty would wear and a small ruby between her antlers that make it look more like a simple crown. Appropriate for a young woman selected to lead the Ashari one day.
- Toilet Humor: Grog pretends to go to the bathroom to talk to his sword, and Scanlan thinks he is talking to his poop. Scanlan then sings a song about going to the bathroom, which is played over the credits. Also near the end of the episode Trinket pees on Scanlan.
- Took a Level in Badass: Keyleth journeying to the Plane of Fire and embracing the magic there gives her the ability to transform into a fire elemental, a considerable boost to her power, the ability to shift between realms, and a new outfit.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Vex and Pike give Vax a soft form of this after Vax'ildan shoots down Keyleth's urgings to head for Pyrah to save the Fire Ashari from the monsters emerging from the Fire Plane, resulting in Keyleth polymorphing into an eagle and taking off to save Pyrah by herself. Vax tries to justify his stance by saying that they can't take detours every time "they see someone in trouble" Pike points out that Keyleth didn't run off to save someone's cat stuck in a tree, they were "her people" making them no different than her biological family. Vex'ahlia backs Pike up by gently reminding Vax that Keyleth would drop everything to help any member of Vox Machina if they needed it, especially Vax'ildan himself and they need to do the same. Vax's downcast expression lets us know that he agrees completely.
- When She Smiles: Vax had grown colder and more distant ever since the tomb, not even seeing Vex be brought back to life gets him to lighten up. And yet, when he sees Keyleth return from the Fire Plane, transformed and stronger than ever before, we finally see a smile return to his face as he hands the druid’s discarded staff back to her.Vax: Think you’ll be needing this.
