THE fantasy The television genre is one of the most varied of all, ranging from grounded stories with an element of magic to more elaborate and far-fetched settings with world-building that requires more in-depth explanation. The best fantasy TV shows of all time often tackle world-building in their pilot episodes, keeping us intrigued enough to watch more seasons.
While some fantasy TV shows may air on a single day, others are epic tales that last for years and amass a huge fandom. That said, many long-running TV shows can run out of steam during their run, ultimately disappointing viewers. On the other hand, these fantastic TV shows are both long-lasting and well worth the commitment.
Grimm
2011-2017, 6 seasons
Grimm follows a Portland detective who is descended from a long line of supernatural warriors known as Grimms. The show features some of the best fantasy TV show monsters of all time, and while it follows a monster of the week format, it doesn’t fall into the trap of being repetitive. Grimm was praised for its depiction of relationships as well as its blending of genres.
GrimmThe fantasy meets crime procedural format is exciting and unusual, with a dark tone that sets it apart from many other fantasy TV shows. The series ran for six seasons, four of which have a rare 100% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though the finale divided fans, it’s still a big talking point today, years later. Grimm finished.
Xena: Warrior Princess
1995-2001, 6 seasons
The 1990s was the golden age of fantasy television, and while the visual effects don’t always hold up today, this usually only affects shows that relied solely on spectacle. Xena: Warrior Princess was a stunt-and-witchcraft-filled series with a same-sex love story at its heart, and you’ll regret not starting the long-running TV series sooner.
Xena: Warrior Princess made Lucy Lawless a fantasy television legend, and the costumes and battle scenes remain iconic today. While the series remained relatively constant over its six seasons, it was overshadowed by the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Always, Xena had such a devoted following that fans campaigned to rewind the ending and bring back Xena for more.
Stranger
2014-2026, 8 seasons
Many fantasy TV shows have a period drama feel to them, as the genre tends to embrace a medieval aesthetic. However, Stranger takes this fantasy trope and creates something different, setting the story in Scotland in the 1900s. Claire, a former WWII nurse, finds herself transported back in time, where she falls in love with a Scottish warrior, mixing romance and fantasy.
Stranger has run for seven seasons so far, with the series scheduled to end in 2026. So far, every season has been consistently good, and while the series has been criticized for its graphic violence and muggings, it’s far from the only fantasy TV show to be criticized in this way. For fans of period dramas with some difficult moments, Stranger worth the commitment.
Attack on Titan
2013-2023, 4 seasons
A misconception about animated TV shows and the fantasy genre is that they are light-hearted and kid-oriented, but Attack on Titan is a fantastic show that boldly breaks the beaten path. The show chronicles humanity’s struggle for survival against giant, man-eating humanoid monsters called Titans, who force the remaining people to live behind enormous walls, fearing for their lives.
The series is extremely dark and violent, and three of its four seasons have a 100% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. There was often a wait of several years between each season of Attack on Titanwhich led to the show being spread over a decade. That said, Attack on Titan is finished and worth committing to now.
Real blood
2008-2014, 7 seasons
While the last seasons of Real blood have been polarizing, the series is still worth taking the time to watch, as it is hilarious, featuring some of the best fantasy television characters of all time. Real blood takes place in a world in which vampires have synthesized blood, ending their need to kill people, and the series satirizes prejudices like racism and homophobia using fantasy creatures.
Real blood has horror elements and lots of blood, as you would expect in any series involving vampires, but its defining characteristic is its sense of humor. The series contains some of the most iconic lines in any TV show and puts a new spin on creatures like werewolves and fairies, all while featuring one of the best TV soundtracks of all time.
Once upon a time
2011-2018, 7 seasons
The premise for Once upon a time was so far-fetched that the show seemed doomed either to total failure or to a fantastic escapist moment. Most of the actors played two roles, that of fairy tale characters and their counterparts who had forgotten their true identities. Once upon a time There were some standouts, including Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin, and the show was fun throughout.
The special effects don’t always hold up, but it adds to the campiness of the soap opera of the series, which lasted seven seasons. Once upon a time has had some great fairy tale stories as well as some truly powerful moments, and while the final season arguably isn’t as good as the beginning, it’s worth committing to for the fairy tale ending.
Game of Thrones
2011-2019, 8 seasons
Game of Thrones‘, an infamous ending, could have defined the series, but it often feels unfair when considering the bigger picture. This is a groundbreaking TV show that changed the industry, and it’s worth watching to see how it happened. The writing in the later seasons may not be as good as the first, but the visuals are still phenomenal.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that some of the best and most powerful scenes take place in the later seasons of Game of Thronesincluding the Battle of the Bastards in season 6 and Brienne of Tarth being knighted in season 8. Game of Thrones puts many events in Dragon House in context, making it an important television series in many ways.
Lost
2004-2010, 6 seasons
Lost is worth watching even if you didn’t jump on the bandwagon when it was on, because it has a huge effect on fan theory culture. Even those who have figured out some of the series’ many plots may be surprised by the ending, and it’s more than worth the commitment to see how the story actually plays out.
LostThe shocking plane crash and fantastical island setting were immediately intriguing, and it was one of the first major shows to develop a culture of fan theories, encouraging viewers to debate the truth behind the mysteries. The ensemble cast is one of the best on a fantasy TV show and, many years later, it’s fun to spot actors you’ll recognize from other series.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
1997-2003, 7 seasons
Of all the fantastic TV shows from the 1990s that still hold up today, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the greatest of all time. The series popularized the monster-of-the-week format, and the idea of ​​placing the cute teenage girl over the monsters rather than the other way around was revolutionary for the time, starting a trend toward better female heroes.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is historically important for its treatment of the relationship between Tara and Willow, and all seven seasons end well, without the cliffhanger endings seen in several other fantasy shows. That said, with the Angel spin-off, the Buffy comics and the next Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, there’s plenty for a new fan to watch after the original show ends.
Supernatural
2005-2020, 15 seasons
With 15 seasons, Supernatural is one of the longest-running fantasy television shows of all time. The show started with a relatively simple monster of the week format, but evolved into an epic saga. Supernatural It may seem like a huge commitment, but it’s worth it to watch the story of the Winchester brothers and some of the best television portrayals of biblical characters.
Supernatural is often considered a masterpiece of a fantasy television show because it evolved far beyond its original premise without compromising its identity. There are still monsters and otherworldly creatures throughout all 15 seasons, but the fantasy The series has grown to incorporate existential questions about life, sacrifice and what it means to be human, with the relationship between Sam and Dean at the center of the story.
