5 Greatest Fantasy Series Ever Made, Ranked By Screen Rant Readers

Published Nov 1, 2026, 4:30 PM EST Kara Hedash is the Senior Editor for Screen Rant's TV team, specializing in feature coverage for streaming releases and cable programming. Aside from overseeing a passionate team of editors and writers, Kara has years of experience in news coverage, exclusives, fan conventions, interviews, and media preview events. Before joining Screen Rant in 2019, Kara was a regular contributor for Movie Pilot, with articles also published on various other entertainment sites, such as Reel Honey, Hidden Remote, Netflix Life, AMC Theatres (via AMC Scene), and more. Reach out to Kara by emailing kara@screenrant.com The fantasy genre is one of the best forms of escapism. There's nothing quite like getting pulled into storytelling full of imaginary worlds, mystical figures, and elements that veer far from realism. While there are countless books and movies in the genre worth diving into, there are also plenty of great fantasy TV shows that have been released in the past few decades. To identify the best of the best, we compiled input from readers and staff to identify the best fantasy show of all time. We then narrowed it down to eight options and allowed readers to make their pick throughout October in a poll that acquired over 10,000 total votes. In addition to finding which fantasy series our readers love the most, we also discovered that the story is the most important aspect in determining the selection, followed by worldbuilding, cast, and visual effects. While you can view the full poll results, as well as the separate follow-up questions, at the bottom of the page, we're highlighting the best fantasy shows based on the sentiments of readers. The Magicians, Adventure Time, and His Dark Materials didn't make the final cut, but here's the official top five ranking. 5 Arcane (2021-2024) Image from MovieStillsDB Coming in fifth place is an 18-episode masterpiece on Netflix that brilliantly blends several notable genres: fantasy, sci-fi, action, adventure, and steampunk. The series, which is set within Riot Games' League of Legends universe, is also animated, and its stunning visuals along with its animation style are one of the main points of praise surrounding Arcane and its two seasons. Aside from visuals, the fantasy worldbuilding and storytelling are standout elements of Arcane. The show, from Christian Linke and Alex Yee, primarily focuses on Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), orphaned sisters who get stuck in the conflict between a wealthy city and the oppressed community nearby. Throw in power-hungry scientists, dangerous technology, and revolutionaries, and Arcane serves as a thrillingly fast-paced entry for the League of Legends franchise. Not only does Arcane have a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, but the series has acquired quite an array of prestigious accolades, including two separate wins for Outstanding Animated Program at the Emmys. Considering Arcane is high on the list of best video game adaptation series of all time, many might wonder why it only lasted two seasons. However, there are still talks of expanding the franchise with spinoffs also set in the League of Legends universe. 4 Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) Image via MovieStillsDB When you think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you may not instantly think "fantasy," but it very much features fantastical elements throughout its seven seasons. In fact, in terms of pop culture, Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains a pillar of the dark fantasy subgenre, mixing magical aspects and supernatural beings like demons, ghosts, werewolves, and, of course, vampires (obviously). Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for seven seasons and 144 total episodes. Sarah Michelle Gellar may be the face of the titular character, but much of the show's continued intrigue comes from the ensemble cast of characters. Whether it's the "Scooby Gang" or the revolving door of allies and adversaries, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has no shortage of characters to embrace the show's good versus evil theme. Often considered one of the best shows of all time, it's no surprise that Buffy the Vampire Slayer has seen a lasting legacy, especially with the ever-growing multimedia "Buffyverse." While the series expanded into the spinoff Angel, which ran for five seasons, there have been various attempts at reviving and rebooting the original series. A sequel series featuring Gellar reprising her role as Buffy nearly came to fruition, but earlier this year, it was announced that Hulu was not moving forward with the Buffy revival. 3 Supernatural (2005-2020) MovieStillsDB In a similar vein to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural is another dark fantasy series that has made a lasting impact. Debuting in 2005, Supernatural ran for 15 seasons before coming to an end. Its broadcast run alone is evidence enough that Eric Kripke's series is worthy of a spot on the top fantasy shows of all time list. But in the end, Supernatural is a quality show driven by the chemistry between its two main stars, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. Sure, some Supernatural seasons are better than others, especially when looking at the first third of the series. That's going to be the case with a show with such longevity. Granted, for Supernatural to air for 15 years, the series needed to bring fans back season after season. If not for the show's character arcs, fantasy worldbuilding, and quality storytelling, the series would have never come close to its milestone fifteenth season. It's no question that The CW (previously The WB) struck gold with Supernatural, a series that set new standards for dark fantasy programming. The franchise tried to find similar success with the spinoff The Winchesters, but the show was canceled after one season. It's likely we will never see a live-action fantasy show hit the same level of popularity and success as we saw with Supernatural. 2 Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008) Over 20 years ago, Nickelodeon premiered Avatar: The Last Airbender, an animated series that would eventually be considered one of the network's greatest achievements. The show's fans are still as loyal as ever, seeing as Avatar is the official runner-up in our fantasy series poll, taking a little over 20% of the vote. Despite airing on a network aimed at a younger demographic, Avatar: The Last Airbender has aspects that appeal to viewers of all ages. There are likable characters, non-human sidekicks, exciting fantasy worldbuilding, and critical themes interwoven throughout the storytelling, like spirituality, genocide, imperialism, and class conflict. Avatar also never shies away from its Asian cultural influences, embracing them in every facet of the series. Despite its massive popularity, the show that introduced us to Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and their Fire Nation enemies only lasted three seasons. Granted, Avatar's success led to several live-action adaptations and spinoffs, such as The Legend of Korra and the recently released Avatar: Seven Havens. The Netflix adaptation is also returning for a third season in the near future, even if nothing will beat the original animated series. 1 Game Of Thrones (2011-2019) MovieStillsDB With over 44% of the vote, Game of Thrones has officially been named the best fantasy show ever made based on the votes of Screen Rant readers. The HBO series, which premiered in 2011, quickly became a must-watch TV event with every new episode. The quality of Game of Thrones' final season in regard to the story may forever be up for discussion, but there's no question that the series set very high standards within the fantasy genre. In addition to making high fantasy more mainstream, Game of Thrones introduced George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire to a wider audience. Whether it's the ensemble cast, prestigious drama, action sequences, or enthralling set pieces, Game of Thrones has always had a cinematic feel to the series. Even through rewatches, which many of the poll voters admitted to doing several times with their top fantasy pick, it's safe to say that Game of Thrones will forever be special when looking back on the world of TV. Game of Thrones may have concluded in 2019, but the franchise is still going strong. The list of Game of Thrones spinoffs keeps growing, with House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms now key titles among HBO's programming slate. As we await the release of Martin's The Winds of Winter, we can also look forward to the release of the first movie in the fantasy franchise, Aegon's Conquest.