Fantasy TV has become one of the most watched genres of the modern era, and though the genre has been closely associated with dragons and fantastical creatures, they aren’t a requirement for a good fantasy series. While major franchises like Game Of Thrones and The Lord Of The Rings have helped reinforce the perception that fantasy stories need to involve the supernatural creatures that viewers have come to expect, large-scale fantasy stories are just one style. Fantasy has always been an incredibly broad genre, going well beyond a single trope, creature, or story convention, blossoming into incredible, unfathomable imagined realities.

While some of TV’s greatest fantasy shows live in the confines of worlds that include all sorts of creatures, others have thrived without relying on dragons at all. Instead, these shows have built their identities on compelling characters and inventive worlds, forging their own magical systems, lore, and elements like time travel at their core. With their own mythologies and conventions, many fantasy shows have been able to focus on expanding their mythology to make the storytelling more versatile, bringing coming-of-age stories, dark fairy tales, and everything in between into play to keep viewers guessing as to what’s coming next.

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Shadow & Bone

Shadow & Bone, which ran on Netflix from 2021 through 2023, may have only lasted for two seasons, but quickly became a hit with viewers. Adapted from Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels, the series was set in the war-torn nation of Ravka and followed Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li). Watching as she discovers her own rare magical abilities, Alina realizes she can change her fate.

The show embraces traditional fantasy elements, but avoids many of the genre’s most recognizable elements in order to create a fresh, gritty world that closely resembles the books. Built around the magical orders of Grisha, Ravka feels like a fully realized fantasy kingdom with its own unique creatures and lore bringing it to life.

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Penny Dreadful

Running for three seasons from 2014 to 2016 on Showtime, Penny Dreadful built a fantasy story around literary elements, creating a fascinating edge to the series. Bringing literary figures like Dracula, Victor Frankenstein, and Dorian Gray into the mix, Penny Dreadful saw a narrative focused on Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) as she interacts with literary figures of the past to unravel a supernatural mystery beyond comprehension.

Penny Dreadful uses a specific style of fantasy in order to make its mark. Rather than focusing on supernatural creatures and large-spanning mythological worlds, the series is darker and more intimate. With an exploration of horror through its overarching plots, Penny Dreadful dips into the lore of witches, vampires, demons, and curses, but still delivers rich stories.

Release Date

2014 – 2016-00-00

Showrunner

John Logan

Directors

John Logan

Writers

John Logan

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Warrior Nun

A Netflix series that ran for two seasons, Warrior Nun began in 2020 and came to a bitter end in 2022. The series was inspired by a comic character, Areala, who was turned into Ava Silva (Alba Baptista) for the series. As the series unravels, Ava discovers she’s been chosen to wield a sacred artifact that grants extraordinary powers and is then drawn into an ancient conflict between celestial and demonic forces.

While the fantasy elements in Warrior Nun are impossible to miss, the absence of supernatural creatures doesn’t detract from the series as a whole. The series is focused on larger fantasy concepts in the way they fit into Ava’s journey, connecting the magical elements to the story in a more seamless way than anticipated. With a blend of fantasy and action, Warrior Nun is a well-balanced story.

Release Date

2020 – 2021

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Simon Barry

Directors

Simon Barry

Writers

Simon Barry

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6

Arcane

A Netflix series set in the League Of Legends universe, Arcane focuses on a pair of sisters who end up on the opposite sides of a growing conflict between a wealthy utopia and a dark under city. The sisters, Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), find themselves struggling with their own personal decisions, on top of a societal battle in the world they live in.

Arcane is a specific type of fantasy series, one that may not be as quick to notice as others. While it exists in a modern world, Arcane has a world of its own built into the narrative. The mythology of the League Of Legends universe is strong throughout the series, and Arcane itself has a hyper specific world that seamlessly integrates fantasy elements, to the point that it feels natural.

Release Date

2021 – 2024

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Christian Linke

Directors

Barth Maunoury, Marietta Ren, Christelle Abgrall

Writers

Amanda Overton, Nick Luddington, Mollie Bickley St. John, Ben St. John, Giovanna Sarquis, Henry G.M. Jones

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Avatar: The Last Airbender

Netflix’s version of Avatar: The Last Airbender, which adapts the 2000s animated series, is a live-action show that premiered in 2024. With two seasons under its belt thus far, Avatar: The Last Airbender has become one of the most lush fantasy shows on Netflix’s roster. The series follows young Aang (Gordon Cormier) through his journey as the last survivor of the Air Nomads and the next Airbender. Steeped in lore, Avatar: The Last Airbender has a whole world to explore.

The show’s visual identity paints a lush picture of each of the four elements, which lend themselves to the world built for Avatar: The Last Airbender. While the show may not have a high fantasy foundation, it uses fantasy elements to its advantage, ensuring that the magical parts of the series and the spiritual mythology improve the show as a whole.

Release Date

February 22, 2024

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Albert Kim

Directors

Jet Wilkinson

Writers

Joshua Hale Fialkov, Christine Boylan

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The Sandman

Another Netflix series, The Sandman, premiered in 2022 and adapts Neil Gaiman’s comic series. Following Dream (Tom Sturridge), the series follows as he escapes imprisonment and attempts to restore his realm by repairing the damage caused in his absence. An imaginative and visually fascinating series, The Sandman explores dreams, nightmares, and immortal beings among other philosophical themes.

Rather than relying on traditional fantasy quests or big, flashy set pieces, The Sandman embraces more of a mythological, literary approach to its subject material. The series has its own sense of imagination and treats it as a central theme, making it clear that the boundaries that seem to exist in a natural world don’t have to take hold in the fantasy world of The Sandman.

Release Date

2022 – 2025-00-00

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Allan Heinberg

Directors

Louise Hooper, Andrés Baiz, Hisko Hulsing, Mike Barker, Coralie Fargeat

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  Tom Sturridge

  Morpheus / Dream

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  Boyd Holbrook

  The Corinthian

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Carnival Row

A Prime Video series that ran from 2019 through 2022, Carnival Row only featured two seasons, but made its mark with its inventive story. Based on a story by Travis Beacham, the series sees a string of murders on Carnival Row, an area of Victorian London where creatures who have fled their homeland now reside. With tensions between the magical refugees and humans growing, the series explores interesting implications.

While Carnival Row doesn’t feature dragons, the way it brings magical creatures into the mix makes it a fascinating watch. Focusing on social issues and real-world problems rather than fantastical drama, Carnival Row does its best to make the series a political one rather than purely fantasy. Even when the narrative becomes complicated, the imagination behind the world building is compelling.

Release Date

2019 – 2022

Network

Amazon Prime Video

Showrunner

Travis Beacham

Directors

Travis Beacham

Writers

Travis Beacham

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2

His Dark Materials

Based on Philip Pullman’s novel trilogy, His Dark Materials follows Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) as she uncovers a secret organization and a massive conspiracy involving parallel worlds and powerful religious institutions. The show’s fluidity in moving between worlds makes His Dark Materials a fascinating look at a fantasy series, especially as the show deepens its lore over the course of seasons.

The fantasy elements of the show are extensive, and while there are definitely parts of the series that lean more toward dragon-ish than others, the show is able to create a compelling plot without the fantastical elements taking over. His Dark Materials has mature themes and large-scale stories, but the show balances high-stakes stories with character drama, focusing on the who of the story rather than the world it’s based in.

Release Date

2019 – 2022-00-00

Network

BBC One

Directors

William McGregor, Amit Gupta, Leanne Welham, Charles Martin, Otto Bathurst, Euros Lyn, Dawn Shadforth, Harry Wootliff, Jamie Childs

Writers

Jack Thorne, Francesca Gardiner, Amelia Spencer, Sarah Quintrell

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Good Omens

Another series based on a Neil Gaiman novel, Good Omens is one of the best fantasy shows of all time. Following an angel and a demon as they attempt to delay the apocalypse, Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and Crowley (David Tennant) get stuck on earth and go through a series of trials to figure out what comes next. A funny, inventive series, Good Omens has been praised consistently for its performances and conceit.

Thriving on its playful use of angels, demons, and prophecies throughout the series, Good Omens plays with biblical mythology as it moves through its overarching story. Rather than presenting fantasy as a grand or serious thing to behold, the series uses it comedically and to build character. A fantasy series that is not as large-scale as others, Good Omens is funny, heartfelt, and charming.

Release Date

2019 – 2026-00-00

Network

Prime Video

Directors

Rachel Talalay, Douglas Mackinnon

Writers

Neil Gaiman, John Finnemore, Andy Nyman, Cat Clarke, Jeremy Dyson