7 Fantasy TV Shows With Dragons That Are 10/10 Masterpieces

Image via HBO Published Aug 31, 2026, 2:22 PM EDT Sign in to your Collider account If there's one thing fantasy fans can't get enough of, it's dragons. There's just something so alluring about giant flying lizards that can breathe fire. Dragons have been a long-standing part of folklore and mythology across many cultures around the world, which is why they've transcended into fantasy literature, television, and movies. In fact, several fantasy TV shows have featured dragons. Some might have them show up only once in a while, whereas others have dragons as a regular part of their programming. Sure, any TV show can put a dragon in it — that doesn't automatically make it good. These shows, on the other hand, are very good indeed. These are the best fantasy TV shows that feature dragons, and that are masterpieces. 'Adventure Time' (2010–2018) Image via Cartoon Network The Cartoon Network series Adventure Time is full of tons of fantasy elements, but it's more whimsical than epic. The Land of Ooo is a weird and wonderful place full of magic and monsters, but the real magic comes in the form of the numerous friends the heroes make. The dragons in this show are a little bit weird-looking and unorthodox when it comes to dragons. They're mostly serpentine, and less reptilian. For example, there's Whipple the Happy Dragon (Josh Fadem), a green sea serpent creature who is frequently targeted by pirates. Then there's the blanket dragon, which is a pink, fluffy dragon with literal blankets for wings. While they're a far cry from the scaly fire-breathers that fans have come to expect, the creativity and imagination behind these dragons is enough to keep things interesting. The show, of course, is pretty funny, and is the best happy-go-lucky show to watch when you're feeling down. 'The Dragon Prince' (2018–2024) Image via Netflix With a name like The Dragon Prince, you'd better believe there are dragons in it. The story of this 3D animated series is that the continent of Xadia has been split in half after humans discover how to use dark magic. The humans are confined to the West whilst the elves are confined to the East. The border consists of a river of molten lava watched over by the King of the Dragons himself. But this all changes when the king is slain, and his only egg goes missing. Dragons are kind of a crucial part of this show. Most of them are friendly, though some are hostile. They have a special relationship with the elves and a general disdain for humans, which is understandable considering humanity killed the King of the Dragons. The dragons have unique variations too, and don't just breathe fire. Some are lightning-based and others are more akin to cosmic beasts. This show is not just adventurous, but it was clearly made with love. It also happens to be a great show to binge. 'Merlin' (2008–2012) Image via BBC Merlin is based on Arthurian legend, and is an origin story for the eponymous wizard. Most legends portray Merlin as a grouchy old wizard with a stereotypical appearance: blue robes adorned with silver stars and moons, matching pointy hat, spectacles, long grey beard, the works. This show portrays the wizard as a much younger character, who is just beginning to learn his powers. The show is a low fantasy at heart, meaning much of it intersects with the real world. However, it does feature many creatures from European folklore, including dragons. Though the dragons don't appear right away, they're still a prominent fixture of the show, even if the CGI is a bit outdated. Merlin might be a bit underrated, but it definitely deserves more attention based on how good it is. 'The Legend of Vox Machina' (2022–Present) Image via Prime Video The Legend of Vox Machina is based on a custom campaign in the popular tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons. In the world of D&D, dragons definitely exist — it's literally in the name — so it's natural to assume that they will in this animated series, as well. In this universe, dragons are mythical, god-like figures, with a pantheon of five responsible for conquering much of the world. This is known as the Chroma Conclave. Each dragon in the Conclave has a distinct attribute. There's your standard fire-breather, but others are more attuned to ice, lightning, or poison. These dragons make up a significant portion of the show's lore and of its current canon, and even appear in the flesh from time to time. Beyond the dragons, this show has received nothing but excellent reviews. It's a fantasy-lover's dream, containing anything a fan could ever want from the genre. 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 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (2005–2008) Image via Nickelodeon In the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the dragons are long thought to be extinct. They make an appearance in flashback or historical sequences for the most part, but other than that, it's assumed they are all dead. However, by the end of the third season, they appear alive and in the flesh, to help the heroes in their crusade against tyranny. The dragons in this show are based on East Asian interpretations of the creatures. This means they don't have long, bat-like wings. Instead, they are snake-like and fly without the use of wings, though they still breathe fire. While the dragons in this show are seldom glimpsed, with the episodes they appear in being few and far between, they're still fun to watch, much like the rest of the show. It's well-established at this point that this series is an absolute masterpiece. 'House of the Dragon' (2022–Present) General rule of thumb: when a fantasy TV show has the word "dragon" in the title, it's generally safe to assume that there will be dragons in there somewhere. Such is the case with House of the Dragon, a prequel series to Game of Thrones. Set 300 years prior to the events of the main sequence, this show follows the Targaryen family in their rise to power, forming a dynasty that would last for centuries. The sigil of the house is, fittingly, a dragon, mirroring how they use actual dragons to conquer Westeros. See, the Targaryens are known for riding their pet dragons and using them as weapons of war, so there's lots of dragon action in this show. As for the show itself, it is full of political intrigue, familial drama, epic battles, romance, and sharp dialogue — everything that made the original series great. 'Game of Thrones' (2011–2019) Image via HBO Game of Thrones is the fantasy TV series that started it all. HBO's original epic fantasy series, based on the novels by George R. R. Martin, follows the lives of nine royal families as they feud over the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. While they're doing this, a supernatural threat from centuries ago is slowly gathering strength in the North, preparing to bring about an end to all of humanity. The dragons in this show aren't as numerous as the ones in House of the Dragon, but they are still a prominent part of the series. All three dragons are the pets of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), who names them Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion. These dragons allow her to wage war against her enemies, and become a defining feature of her character. They are sort of a novelty considering dragons were previously believed to be extinct. While many people loathed the final season of this show, one cannot deny that the rest of it is pretty near perfect. Game Of Thrones Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Directors David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Writers D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff Franchise(s) Game of Thrones Main Genre Drama Seasons 8 Producers Frank Doelger, Christopher Newman, Duncan Muggoch, Bernadette Caulfield, Greg Spence, Lisa McAtackney, Mark Huffam, Ralph Vicinanza Creator(s) David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Story By George R.R. Martin Streaming Service(s) MAX Executive Producer(s) Carolyn Strauss, David Nutter, Frank Doelger, Miguel Sapochnik