10 Essential Fantasy Shows That Belong on Every Fan's Bucket List

Image via HBO Published Aug 29, 2026, 6:02 AM EDT Sign in to your Collider account Fantasy is a genre that has come a long way since its inception. Previously contained to books or big-budget blockbusters, the genre has now extended to video games and TV shows, with more resources being dumped into it to make the magic come to life. Fantasy is more popular than ever, and is more universally accepted than it was 30 or 40 years ago, when it was seen as being "for nerds." As fantasy television reaches a crescendo and loads of new series are coming out left and right, it is quickly becoming impossible to view them all. So, if you're a fan of the genre or a newcomer and are wondering what you should watch to really understand it, have no fear, for these are the most essential fantasy TV shows that should be on the bucket list of every fan. 10 'Arcane' (2021–2024) Image via Netflix For a while, it was an established fact that any TV or movie adaptations of video games were pretty terrible. A lot of times they ruined the source material or established canon and had minimal input from people who actually worked on the game. Arcane is one of the few instances of that curse being broken. Based on League of Legends, a MOBA video game for PC, the story follows two of the game's playable champions in a weird and wonderful world. The universe in this show is part steampunk, part sci-fi, and part fantasy, owing to the creativity and limitless imagination of the original video game. The 3D animation style is really fun to look at, and the story has astonishing depth and emotion woven into it. This show won Emmy awards, which is pretty impressive for a video game tie-in. Arcane was a smash hit on Netflix and is quite possibly one of the greatest fantasy TV shows of all time. 9 'Merlin' (2008–2012) Image via BBC Merlin is based on Arthurian legend, naturally following the eponymous wizard. In standard adaptations of Arthurian myth, Merlin is depicted as a grouchy old fuddy-duddy who serves as the basis for the stereotypical wizard. Commonly, he is seen with blue robes adorned with silver stars and moons and a matching pointy hat. He also has a long grey beard and spectacles. This show is a little bit different, instead focusing on Merlin's younger years, when he was first learning about his powers. Many characters from Arthurian myth do appear in the series, of course, but the main focus is the wizard himself. It's a breath of fresh air when compared with other interpretations of the legends, many of which are tired and feel too similar. The show is not only adventurous, but comedic, and was a massive success both domestically and internationally. Merlin has everything a fantasy fan could possibly want in it. 8 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe' (1983–1985) Image via Filmation Associates/Mattel He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is basically the living embodiment of the 1980s. The show was actually based on a line of action figures, which makes it seem like a quick cash-grab and not much else at first glance. However, the show proved to be surprisingly incredible. Even though it didn't last very long, it became a long-running multimedia empire and a staple of the decade. Just recently, a new live-action movie was released, owing to the legacy of the original show. Even though it's clearly for kids and is riddled with 80s cheese, it stands as a testament to exceptional storytelling. It's more space fantasy than anything, featuring far-off planets and alien species, but also swords and sorcery. It's shocking how much modern fantasy was inspired by He-Man, which is why it's an important watch for any fan. 7 'Supernatural' (2005–2020) Image via The CW Supernatural is a low fantasy series starring the Winchester brothers, two siblings who travel across the continental United States, looking for contracts. See, the two work as professional paranormal investigators, only in this version of Earth, the monsters and ghouls they encounter are 100% real. These range from aliens to creatures from folklore to paranormal entities. With 15 years of content, there's really no limit to what they might run into. This show used the "monster-of-the-week" format, where every episode features a new creature in a new location. Apart from being a horror/fantasy adventure, it's also a comedy, with some surprisingly witty dialogue. Even better, the showrunners weren't afraid to experiment, meaning a lot of episodes depart from the typical format. There's literally an episode that functions as a musical for no apparent rhyme or reason. It's a wonderfully varied show and a legendary member of the fantasy genre. 6 'Xena: Warrior Princess' (1995–2001) Image via Universal Television Xena: Warrior Princess is one of the rare instances of a spin-off being more popular than the show it was based on. The original series was Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which told the tale of the titular Greek hero. Xena (Lucy Lawless) was just a minor character in that show, yet fans loved her so much that it warranted a spin-off just for her. This spin-off took off and outlasted the original series by a couple of years. Xena herself is a completely invented character that doesn't appear anywhere in Greek mythology, which meant the showrunners had more creative freedom to tell their own story. Featuring all of the best beasts and gods from Ancient Greek mythos, Xena is a show that is still being rediscovered to this day. It is a triumph that is practically synonymous with the 1990s that deserves to be seen by every fantasy fan. Collider Exclusive · Game of Thrones Personality Quiz Which Game of Thrones House Do You Belong To? Stark · Lannister · Targaryen · Baratheon · Tyrell Five great houses. Five completely different answers to the same question: how do you hold power in a world that will take it from you the moment you stop paying attention? Eight questions will determine where your loyalties — and your nature — truly lie. 🐺Stark 🦁Lannister 🐉Targaryen 🦌Baratheon 🌹Tyrell FIND YOUR HOUSE → 01 Someone powerful is acting dishonourably and everyone knows it. What do you do? In Westeros, the answer to this question has ended more than one great house. ACall it out, openly and on the record. If honour means anything, it has to mean something when it's costly. BUse it. Information about someone else's dishonour is leverage — and leverage is power. CAct decisively to correct it — with or without the approval of those around me. DChallenge them directly. Strength settles disputes more honestly than courtroom manoeuvring. ENavigate carefully — build alliances, apply quiet pressure, and create a situation where the right outcome becomes inevitable. NEXT QUESTION → 02 What is the source of your power? Every house endures because of something. What is it for yours? AThe loyalty of people who trust me — earned over generations, not bought with gold. BWealth, intelligence, and the willingness to use both without sentiment. CA legacy so fearsome and a vision so total that opposition becomes unthinkable. DPhysical strength, military force, and the respect that comes from being the kind of person nobody wants to fight. ECharm, connection, and the ability to make powerful people feel that my success is also theirs. NEXT QUESTION → 03 Who do you truly fight for? Strip away the banners and the words. The honest answer tells you everything. AMy family and my people — those who depend on me and have kept faith with me through everything. BMy family — the ones who share my blood, even when they exhaust me, even when they disappoint me. CMy cause — a vision larger than any single person, including me. DMyself, and those few who've proven themselves worth fighting beside. EMy house — its name, its future, the position I intend to leave it in when I'm gone. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How do you deal with your enemies? A house's method reveals its character as clearly as its words ever could. AHonestly — I face them directly, and I give quarter when it's warranted. BThoroughly — I don't leave loose ends, and I don't make the same enemy twice. CDecisively — fire answers questions that diplomacy only delays. DHead-on — I'd rather meet a threat on the battlefield than behind closed doors. EElegantly — I prefer to make former enemies into allies, or at least into people who owe me something. NEXT QUESTION → 05 What kind of ruler do you believe in? Westeros is full of answers to this question. Most of them end badly. AA just one — someone who serves the realm rather than using it, who leads by example rather than fear. BA capable one — someone smart enough to navigate the game, ruthless enough to win it, and realistic about what winning costs. CA transformative one — someone who doesn't just rule what exists but reshapes what's possible. DA strong one — someone whose authority is beyond question because the alternative is obviously worse. EA wise one — someone who understands that the realm is fed by more than armies, and that a full stomach keeps more peace than a sharp sword. NEXT QUESTION → 06 You suffer a devastating loss. How does your house respond? How a house handles defeat tells you more about it than how it handles victory. AWe grieve, properly and together — and then we endure, because endurance is what we do. BWe adapt. We reassess. And we ensure that whoever caused this loss comes to regret it completely. CWe burn hotter. Setbacks don't soften us — they clarify what needs to happen next. DWe hit back. Grief and revenge are the same motion in our house. EWe regroup quietly, rebuild our position, and return when we're ready — on our terms, not theirs. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Which of these truths about Westeros do you most believe? Every house has a philosophy. This is yours. AThe lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Nothing matters more than the people you protect. BA Lannister always pays their debts — in gold or in kind. Reputation is built on consistency. CI am the blood of the dragon. Some destinies are written before the person who carries them is born. DOurs is the fury. When we move, we move completely — and we don't stop until it's done. EGrowing strong means knowing when to bloom and when to wait. Patience is its own kind of power. NEXT QUESTION → 08 The Iron Throne is within reach. What do you do? The answer reveals not just your ambition — but your character. AClaim it only if the realm needs me to — and rule in a way that makes it worth having. BEnsure someone who owes us sits in it. The power behind the throne is safer than the throne itself. CTake it. It was always meant to be mine — I feel that in my bones and in my blood. DSeize it — with both hands, without hesitation. Opportunity in Westeros does not wait to be asked. EPosition my house to be indispensable to whoever sits there — influence outlasts any single reign. REVEAL MY HOUSE → The Maester Has Spoken Your House Is…Your answers point to the great house whose words, values, and way of surviving in Westeros match your own. Bend the knee — or don't. That's very much up to you. 🐺 House StarkWinter is Coming — and you have always known it. You prepare not out of fear but out of duty, because the people who depend on you deserve someone who takes the long view. You lead with honour even when it costs you, because you understand that a reputation built on integrity is the only one worth having. Your loyalty to family and people runs deep — not as sentiment but as a code that doesn't bend when things get difficult. The North endures because Starks endure — not by being the cleverest players in the game, but by being the kind of people others are willing to follow into the cold. You are that kind of person. The pack survives. The lone wolf dies. You already know which one you are. 🦁 House LannisterYou understand the game — its rules, its exceptions, and exactly when the rules become the exception. You play it without illusions and without apology. You are sharper than most people realise, and you have learned to use that gap to your advantage. A Lannister always pays their debts — and you always keep your word, because your word is an instrument of power, and instruments must be kept in working order. You love your family with a ferocity that sometimes blinds you, and you know it, and you do it anyway. The lion doesn't concern itself with the opinion of sheep. Neither, in the end, do you. 🐉 House TargaryenYou carry a sense of destiny that is difficult to explain and impossible to ignore — the feeling that you are not simply participating in the world but meant to reshape it. You are capable of extraordinary things, and you know it, and that knowledge is both your greatest strength and your most dangerous quality. Fire and blood are not just words to you — they are a philosophy about what change requires and what it costs. The Targaryens at their best were transformative rulers who broke chains and defied the limits of what anyone thought possible. At your best, so are you. The dragon has three heads. You are one of them. 🦌 House BaratheonYou are a force — direct, powerful, and difficult to ignore when you enter a room or a conflict. You do not negotiate with challenges. You meet them. Ours is the fury — and yours is a kind of intensity that commands attention, respect, and occasionally fear from those who underestimate what's behind it. You value strength and straight dealing. You'd rather know where you stand in a fight than navigate a web of courtly whispers. The Baratheons built their house on the back of one of the greatest military victories in Westerosi history — and then struggled with what came after. The lesson of your house is that winning is not the end of the story. Governing is. You are learning that too. 🌹 House TyrellYou understand that power does not always announce itself — that sometimes it arrives with flowers, good wine, and a smile that doesn't quite reach the eyes. Growing strong is your house's motto, and you live it: patiently, strategically, always investing in the relationships and resources that will matter most when it counts. You are charming by choice and calculating by nature — a combination that makes you one of the most effective players in any room you enter. The Tyrells fed King's Landing and shaped its politics without ever sitting on the Iron Throne — and they were arguably more powerful for it. You know that the person who controls the food controls the kingdom. And you always know where the food is. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 5 'Lost' (2004–2010) Image via ABC Lost has a little bit of everything. The story is about a group of survivors on an uncharted island following a catastrophic plane crash. The island, however, is more than meets the eye. Each individual character gets their chance in the spotlight via the use of flashback sequences, which depict their lives before the ill-fated flight. Mixing elements of sci-fi and fantasy, anomalies and strange creatures prowl the island, adding to the mystery of the series. The slow-burn narrative lets things unravel on their own rather than rushing to conclusions, making it easy to stay hooked once it's got its claws in you. Sure, the series finale was pretty lackluster and is widely reviled by fans of the show, but that doesn't change the fact that fantasy fans should still check this one out. 4 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997–2003) Image via Hulu Buffy the Vampire Slayer is arguably the most defining fantasy series of the late 90s and early 2000s. The show was created by Joss Whedon, who based it on a 1992 movie that he also directed. The story stars Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), an ordinary teenage girl who secretly works as a professional monster hunter. It was one of the pioneering pieces of the "monster-of-the-week" format, as Buffy faced off against various supernatural creatures from folklore. The series was lauded for how, despite being fantastical, it was highly relatable. Buffy is forced to navigate adolescent life, where she struggles to fit in and balance her workload with her social life. It presents the awkwardness of puberty as a universal experience, even for those with monster-slaying abilities. The show helped a lot of 90s kids through their own adolescence, as a result. Today, it is a timeless classic that has cemented itself as one of the finest fantasy TV shows ever made. 3 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (2005–2008) Image via Nickelodeon When it comes to Nickelodeon cartoons, they are typically comedy series with zero continuity that can be picked up and dropped at any time. Avatar: The Last Airbender is no such series. In a rare departure from the Nicktoons format, this series has a clear-cut, beginning-to-end narrative and an actual plot. Sure, there's a lot of comedy woven into it, but there's a whole lot more to it than that. The story is about four nations in chaos, each corresponding to the elements of air, fire, earth, and water. In the midst of the turmoil, it is said that a chosen one called the Avatar will rise, master all four of the elements, and bring peace to the land. Aside from its great action, sweeping adventure, and hilarious comedy, the show is also rife with profound moral wisdom that resonates with kids and adults alike, which is why it's become something of a classic. 2 'The Twilight Zone' (1959–1964) Image via CBS The Twilight Zone is one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Created and narrated by Rod Serling, this is an anthology series that describes itself as being about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Since it's an anthology, each episode functions as its own self-contained story, with a definitive conclusion. This allows the writers to get a little creative, including elements of fantasy, horror, and sci-fi. Each episode is consistently exciting due to the plotlines presented. The end of all the episodes is meticulously designed to make the viewer think, often by posing philosophical questions. What's even better is that every single episode comes with a jaw-dropping plot twist, which usually comes out of nowhere. It's one of the most quintessential TV shows of all time, regardless of genre. 1 'Game of Thrones' (2011–2019) Image via HBO Game of Thrones is effectively the fantasy show. There's no way you can get into fantasy television without watching this incredible series at least once. The HBO original single-handedly kickstarted the enormous wave of fantasy TV shows that continues to this day. It was a massive financial and critical success, to the point that it became something of a cultural phenomenon. Based on the books by George R. R. Martin, the show is set in a high fantasy world, following the lives of nine feuding royal families as they squabble over the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. All the while, they are blissfully unaware that a centuries-old threat is slowly gathering strength in the North, preparing to bring about an end to the human race. This show is full of political intrigue, romance, and epic battle sequences. It completely rewrote the rules of the fantasy genre, which is why every fantasy fan simply needs to see it. Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Directors David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia. Main Genre Drama Seasons 8