diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/Component.java b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/Component.java
index 5f8359aef..b03b56584 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/Component.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/Component.java
@@ -1232,58 +1232,70 @@ public interface Component extends ComponentBuilderApplicable, ComponentLike, Ex
    */
 
   /**
-   * Creates a virtual component with a value.
+   * Creates a virtual component.
    *
-   * @param virtual the value
+   * @param <C> the context type
+   * @param context the context type
+   * @param renderer the renderer
    * @return a virtual component
-   * @since 4.13.0
+   * @since 4.14.0
    */
-  @Contract(value = "_ -> new", pure = true)
-  static @NotNull VirtualComponent virtual(final @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> virtual) {
-    requireNonNull(virtual, "virtual");
-    return VirtualComponentImpl.createVirtual(virtual);
+  @Contract(value = "_, _ -> new", pure = true)
+  static <C> @NotNull VirtualComponent virtual(final @NotNull Class<C> context, final @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<C> renderer) {
+    requireNonNull(context, "context");
+    requireNonNull(renderer, "renderer");
+    return VirtualComponentImpl.createVirtual(context, renderer);
   }
 
   /**
    * Creates a virtual component with a value.
    *
-   * @param virtual the value
+   * @param <C> the context type
+   * @param context the context type
+   * @param renderer the renderer
    * @param style the style
    * @return a virtual component
-   * @since 4.13.0
+   * @since 4.14.0
    */
-  @Contract(value = "_, _ -> new", pure = true)
-  static @NotNull VirtualComponent virtual(final @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> virtual, final @NotNull Style style) {
-    requireNonNull(virtual, "virtual");
-    return VirtualComponentImpl.createVirtual(virtual);
+  @Contract(value = "_, _, _ -> new", pure = true)
+  static <C> @NotNull VirtualComponent virtual(final @NotNull Class<C> context, final @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<C> renderer, final @NotNull Style style) {
+    requireNonNull(context, "context");
+    requireNonNull(renderer, "renderer");
+    return VirtualComponentImpl.createVirtual(context, renderer, Collections.emptyList(), style);
   }
 
   /**
    * Creates a virtual component with a value.
    *
-   * @param virtual the value
+   * @param <C> the context type
+   * @param context the context type
+   * @param renderer the renderer
    * @param style the style elements
    * @return a virtual component
-   * @since 4.13.0
+   * @since 4.14.0
    */
-  @Contract(value = "_, _ -> new", pure = true)
-  static @NotNull VirtualComponent virtual(final @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> virtual, final @NotNull StyleBuilderApplicable... style) {
-    requireNonNull(virtual, "virtual");
-    return VirtualComponentImpl.createVirtual(Collections.emptyList(), Style.style(style), virtual);
+  @Contract(value = "_, _, _ -> new", pure = true)
+  static <C> @NotNull VirtualComponent virtual(final @NotNull Class<C> context, final @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<C> renderer, final @NotNull StyleBuilderApplicable... style) {
+    requireNonNull(context, "context");
+    requireNonNull(renderer, "renderer");
+    return VirtualComponentImpl.createVirtual(context, renderer, Collections.emptyList(), Style.style(style));
   }
 
   /**
    * Creates a virtual component with a value.
    *
-   * @param virtual the value
+   * @param <C> the context type
+   * @param context the context type
+   * @param renderer the renderer
    * @param style the style elements
    * @return a virtual component
-   * @since 4.13.0
+   * @since 4.14.0
    */
-  @Contract(value = "_, _ -> new", pure = true)
-  static @NotNull VirtualComponent virtual(final @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> virtual, final @NotNull Iterable<StyleBuilderApplicable> style) {
-    requireNonNull(virtual, "virtual");
-    return VirtualComponentImpl.createVirtual(Collections.emptyList(), Style.style(style), virtual);
+  @Contract(value = "_, _, _ -> new", pure = true)
+  static <C> @NotNull VirtualComponent virtual(final @NotNull Class<C> context, final @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<C> renderer, final @NotNull Iterable<StyleBuilderApplicable> style) {
+    requireNonNull(context, "context");
+    requireNonNull(renderer, "renderer");
+    return VirtualComponentImpl.createVirtual(context, renderer, Collections.emptyList(), Style.style(style));
   }
 
   /*
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponent.java b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponent.java
index ae18484ca..d057c051f 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponent.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponent.java
@@ -30,14 +30,22 @@
  *
  * <p>This component type is transient, and not guaranteed to survive during any sort of transformations or serialization.</p>
  *
- * @since 4.13.0
+ * @since 4.14.0
  */
 public interface VirtualComponent extends TextComponent {
   /**
-   * Gets the virtual value holder.
+   * Gets the renderer context type.
    *
-   * @return the virtual value holder
-   * @since 4.13.0
+   * @return the renderer context type
+   * @since 4.14.0
    */
-  @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> holder();
+  @NotNull Class<?> context();
+
+  /**
+   * Gets the renderer.
+   *
+   * @return the renderer
+   * @since 4.14.0
+   */
+  @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<?> renderer();
 }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentImpl.java b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentImpl.java
index 60dae08aa..511ee354b 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentImpl.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentImpl.java
@@ -29,36 +29,43 @@
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
 final class VirtualComponentImpl extends TextComponentImpl implements VirtualComponent {
-  static VirtualComponent createVirtual(final @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> virtual) {
-    return new VirtualComponentImpl(Collections.emptyList(), Style.empty(), "", virtual);
+  static <C> VirtualComponent createVirtual(final @NotNull Class<C> context, final @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<?> renderer) {
+    return createVirtual(context, renderer, Collections.emptyList(), Style.empty());
   }
 
-  static VirtualComponent createVirtual(final List<? extends ComponentLike> children, final Style style, final @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> virtual) {
+  static <C> VirtualComponent createVirtual(final @NotNull Class<C> context, final @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<?> renderer, final List<? extends ComponentLike> children, final Style style) {
     final List<Component> filteredChildren = ComponentLike.asComponents(children, IS_NOT_EMPTY);
 
-    return new VirtualComponentImpl(filteredChildren, style, "", virtual);
+    return new VirtualComponentImpl(filteredChildren, style, "", context, renderer);
   }
 
-  private final VirtualComponentHolder<?> virtual;
+  private final Class<?> context;
+  private final VirtualComponentRenderer<?> renderer;
 
-  private VirtualComponentImpl(final @NotNull List<Component> children, final @NotNull Style style, final @NotNull String content, final @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> virtual) {
+  private VirtualComponentImpl(final @NotNull List<Component> children, final @NotNull Style style, final @NotNull String content, final @NotNull Class<?> context, final @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<?> renderer) {
     super(children, style, content);
-    this.virtual = virtual;
+    this.context = context;
+    this.renderer = renderer;
   }
 
   @Override
   VirtualComponent create0(final @NotNull List<? extends ComponentLike> children, final @NotNull Style style, final @NotNull String content) {
-    return new VirtualComponentImpl(ComponentLike.asComponents(children, IS_NOT_EMPTY), style, content, this.virtual);
+    return new VirtualComponentImpl(ComponentLike.asComponents(children, IS_NOT_EMPTY), style, content, this.context, this.renderer);
   }
 
   @Override
-  public @NotNull VirtualComponentHolder<?> holder() {
-    return this.virtual;
+  public @NotNull Class<?> context() {
+    return this.context;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public @NotNull VirtualComponentRenderer<?> renderer() {
+    return this.renderer;
   }
 
   @Override
   public @NotNull String content() {
-    return this.virtual.fallbackString();
+    return this.renderer.fallbackString();
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -67,17 +74,18 @@ VirtualComponent create0(final @NotNull List<? extends ComponentLike> children,
   }
 
   static final class BuilderImpl extends TextComponentImpl.BuilderImpl {
-    private final VirtualComponentHolder<?> holder;
+    private final Class<?> context;
+    private final VirtualComponentRenderer<?> renderer;
 
     BuilderImpl(final VirtualComponent other) {
       super(other);
-
-      this.holder = other.holder();
+      this.context = other.context();
+      this.renderer = other.renderer();
     }
 
     @Override
     public @NotNull TextComponent build() {
-      return createVirtual(this.children, this.buildStyle(), this.holder);
+      return createVirtual(this.context, this.renderer, this.children, this.buildStyle());
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentHolder.java b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentRenderer.java
similarity index 79%
rename from api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentHolder.java
rename to api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentRenderer.java
index 5d9505ee5..57802c5a8 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentHolder.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/VirtualComponentRenderer.java
@@ -29,29 +29,28 @@
 /**
  * A holder for a value.
  *
- * @param <V> the stored value type
- * @since 4.13.0
+ * @param <C> the context type
+ * @since 4.14.0
  */
-public interface VirtualComponentHolder<V> {
+public interface VirtualComponentRenderer<C> {
   /**
-   * Gets the stored value.
+   * Gets the value by rendering using {@code context}.
    *
-   * @return the stored value
-   * @since 4.13.0
+   * @param context the context
+   * @return the rendered value
+   * @since 4.14.0
    */
-  @UnknownNullability V unbox();
+  @UnknownNullability ComponentLike apply(final @NotNull C context);
 
   /**
    * Get a fallback value for when this component has been serialized without being rendered.
    *
-   * <p>By default, this will be the toString{} of {@link #unbox()}.</p>
+   * <p>By default, this will be an empty string.</p>
    *
    * @return the fallback string
-   * @since 4.13.0
+   * @since 4.14.0
    */
   default @NotNull String fallbackString() {
-    final Object unboxed = this.unbox();
-    return unboxed == null ? "" : unboxed.toString();
+    return "";
   }
-
 }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/renderer/AbstractComponentRenderer.java b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/renderer/AbstractComponentRenderer.java
index 376e511d7..b9377f5d1 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/renderer/AbstractComponentRenderer.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/renderer/AbstractComponentRenderer.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.TextComponent;
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.TranslatableComponent;
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.VirtualComponent;
+import net.kyori.adventure.text.VirtualComponentRenderer;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
 /**
@@ -139,9 +140,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractComponentRenderer<C> implements ComponentRenderer<
    * @param component the component
    * @param context the context
    * @return the rendered component
-   * @since 4.13.0
+   * @since 4.14.0
    */
+  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
   protected @NotNull Component renderVirtual(final @NotNull VirtualComponent component, final @NotNull C context) {
+    if (component.context().isInstance(context)) {
+      return ((VirtualComponentRenderer<C>) component.renderer()).apply(context).asComponent();
+    }
     return component; // will be processed as a TextComponent instead
   }
 
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/ComponentCompactingTest.java b/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/ComponentCompactingTest.java
index a5eb07e88..b41474a20 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/ComponentCompactingTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/ComponentCompactingTest.java
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ void testColorPreservedWithDecorations() {
 
   @Test
   void testVirtualComponentsPreserved() {
-    final Component expectedComponent = virtual(() -> "meow :3")
+    final Component expectedComponent = virtual(Object.class, context -> text("meow :3"))
       .append(text("3"));
 
     assertEquals(expectedComponent, expectedComponent.compact());
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerTest.java b/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerTest.java
index 8c6be6988..b025b1da3 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/net/kyori/adventure/text/flattener/ComponentFlattenerTest.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.Component;
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.NBTComponent;
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.TranslatableComponent;
-import net.kyori.adventure.text.VirtualComponentHolder;
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.format.NamedTextColor;
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.format.Style;
 import net.kyori.adventure.text.format.TextDecoration;
@@ -194,7 +193,7 @@ void testKeybind() {
 
   @Test
   void testVirtualComponent() {
-    this.testFlatten(ComponentFlattener.basic(), Component.virtual((VirtualComponentHolder<String>) () -> "test123"))
+    this.testFlatten(ComponentFlattener.basic(), Component.virtual(Object.class, context -> Component.text("test123")))
       .assertBalanced()
       .assertPushesAndPops(1)
       .assertContents("test123");