Best fantasy shows ever
Fantasy television has transported viewers to realms of dragons, magic, and epic battles between good and evil, captivating audiences with rich world-building and unforgettable characters. From sprawling epics to intimate fairy tales, these shows have redefined what the genre can achieve on screen. Now it's your turn to weigh in: cast your vote and help crown the best fantasy show ever made.
What counts: The crowd's votes decide the order — seeded neutral.
▲ Rising
For six seasons it rewired what TV fantasy could be — the Red Wedding turned a genre pastime into a national trauma event, and Hardhome proved dragons and prestige drama could coexist. The final stumble matters, but it doesn't erase the fact that this show made 'winter is coming' a cultural password and dragged the whole genre into HBO-budget respectability.
added by IJRin 12 rankings
56▲ Rising
Rhaenyra and Alicent's slow-burn friendship-turned-civil-war gave Thrones fans the political dread they missed, and the Battle at Rook's Rest showed dragon warfare has real stakes and real grief attached. It's the rare prequel that earns its existence instead of just cashing a nostalgia check.
added by IJRin 6 rankings
41▲ Rising
Henry Cavill's growl and the timeline-scrambling first season made Geralt of Rivia a household name and briefly turned Sapkowski's books into required reading. The Cavill exit stung the fandom hard, but Season 1's 'Toss a Coin to Your Witcher' earworm alone earns it a permanent seat at this table.
added by IJRin 2 rankings
7▲ Rising
The Crows heist crew stole the show right out from under the Grishaverse's official chosen one, turning Kaz Brekker into the internet's favorite morally bankrupt boyfriend. Its cancellation after two seasons still stings as one of fantasy TV's most frustrating what-could-have-beens.
added by IJRin 2 rankings
7A kids' cartoon that out-plotted most adult epics — Zuko's redemption arc remains the gold standard for character work in the genre, and the Book 3 finale delivered a pacifist hero solving his war without killing his enemy. It's proof fantasy storytelling doesn't need blood and nudity to hit like a sledgehammer.
added by IJRin 6 rankings
1Bringing Middle-earth's Second Age to screen with Galadriel as a warrior-obsessive and the slow reveal of Sauron's true identity split the fandom right down the middle. Whatever your verdict on the writing, the sheer scale of trying to dramatize Tolkien's appendices earns it a controversial but undeniable spot here.
added by IJR
-1▼ Falling
Lyra and Pan's bond gave viewers one of fantasy's most aching depictions of childhood innocence colliding with cosmic war, and the Subtle Knife's dimension-slicing visual effects made multiverse-hopping feel genuinely dangerous. A quietly excellent, underwatched adaptation that deserved louder buzz.
added by IJRin 3 rankings
-32▼ Falling
Adapting Jordan's sprawling fourteen-book saga was always going to be a high-wire act, and Moiraine's search for the Dragon Reborn gave the show a strong emotional anchor even as book purists howled over changes. It's messy, ambitious, and still finding its footing — but the bones of something epic are visibly there.
added by IJR
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Comments (11)
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The rewatch value of the top pick settles this for me.
I came here to argue and left agreeing with the order. Rare.
Awards never tell the story; the crowd has this one right.
The writing in season one alone earns the top three spot.
Recency bias is real — the classics belong higher.