Top Fantasy TV Shows on Major Streaming Platforms

The seven biggest streaming services in the United States all have different fantasy television series to offer, and these shows are the absolute best. Most of the best fantasy shows of all time are available to stream online, but it can often be difficult to know which ones you have access to. Subscribing to multiple streaming services simultaneously can be just as expensive as cable, after all.

Luckily, it doesn’t matter which of the seven major streaming services — Paramount+, Peacock, Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+ and Hulu, Prime Video, and HBO Max — you have a subscription to. Each of them has at least one great fantasy show in their catalog. If you’re looking for a new streamer specifically for their fantasy offerings, this list can also help you make a decision.

7

Paramount+

Penny Dreadful

While Paramount+ doesn’t have a huge offering of fantasy television shows – it focuses more on dramas and science fiction like Star Trek – it does offer two great series. The first of these is the Paramount+ original School Spirits, which follows Maddie, a dead teenager who has to solve the mystery of her own disappearance. School Spirits is great, but Paramount+ has an even better fantasy show to offer.

The best fantasy TV show on Paramount+ is Penny Dreadful. While it’s primarily a horror show, Penny Dreadful also delves deep into mysticism, classic literature, and other magical elements that make it great for fans of dark fantasy. It follows Vanessa and company who battle forces from the underworld like Frankenstein’s monster, a coven of witches, and more.

With three seasons under its belt, Penny Dreadful is also the perfect show to watch as Halloween approaches. If you have Paramount+ with Showtime, Penny Dreadful has all the gothic vibes and bloody scenes you’d need as we move through October.

6

Peacock

Highlander

Fantasy television had a revival in the 2010s with Game of Thrones, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t great series in the genre before that. If you’re looking for more classic fantasy TV, then Peacock is the perfect streamer for you. With older hits like Charmed, as well as newer cult classics like The Vampire Diaries, Peacock has a huge selection.

The best fantasy show on Peacock however, is fairly clear to see: Highlander. A staple of the long-running franchise, Highlander follows Duncan MacLeod, an Immortal from the historic Scottish highlands who can only be killed by being beheaded. Highlander tells a sprawling, magical story that has become a classic example of fantasy television for a reason, and you can’t go wrong in watching it.

5

Prime Video

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Prime Video has quite a selection of great fantasy TV shows. From original shows like The Legend of Vox Machina and the recently canceled Wheel of Time to classics like Bewitched and Merlin, Prime Video may just be the best streamer for fantasy fans. With such a huge catalog of great shows, it’s hard to pick just one option, but there is still a best.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the best fantasy show on Prime Video. Not only does it call the legendary world of Middle Earth from J.R.R Tolkien’s timeless books as its setting, but it also expands upon that world in new and interesting ways. Plus, with a mostly new cast of characters, The Rings of Power also isn’t held back by its legendary source material.

One of the best parts of The Rings of Power is the fact that it’s an ongoing show. In a streaming landscape where fantasy shows seem to be getting canceled left and right, Prime Video has put a lot of money and faith into its Lord of the Rings show. That means The Rings of Power season 3 will get a chance to get even more in-depth and well-developed in the near future.

4

Disney+/Hulu

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Of all the streaming services, it’s hardest to pick a single fantasy show to call the best on Disney+ and Hulu. One option is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, an anime series about brothers who practice a type of magic called alchemy as they try to repair the wreckage of their lives. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is often cited as one of the best anime series of all time, for good reason.

Still, it’s not the best fantasy show on Hulu and Disney+. That honor belongs to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is a timeless classic and well worth watching, if you could only stream one fantasy show on Disney+, it should be Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the upcoming Buffy reboot, now is the perfect time to watch.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a sensation when it was on the air, and for good reason. It follows Buffy, a teenage “Slayer” who is tasked with battling the forces of evil, usually vampires. It’s an endlessly compelling mix of teen drama and monster hunting, and if you watch for yourself, you’ll instantly understand why it’s still a classic after nearly 30 years.

3

Netflix

Arcane

Animation isn’t for everyone, but Netflix’s Arcane is more than worth taking a chance on a new medium. Arcane is easily the best fantasy television show on Netflix, and it has a lot of stiff competition, too. Netflix offers some modern hits like The Witcher, Wednesday, Supernatural, The Sandman, and many more. On any other platform, those shows would take the top spot, but not on Netflix.

Arcane is based on the video game League of Legends, and as such, it’s able to dive right into a fully realized fantasy world from its first scene. Everything about Arcane, from its fusion of magic and technology to the mystical species populating Piltover screams fantasy. It’s instantly endearing and endlessly entertaining for any fantasy fan.

Arcane isn’t just a great fantasy show, however, it’s also a great show in general. The animation is breathtakingly beautiful, the action is top-notch, and every character feels real and endlessly complex. Arcane will have you emotionally invested in Jinx and Vi after just a few episodes, even if you’re not usually a fan of animation.

2

Apple TV+

See

Apple TV+ is unlike the other streaming services on this list. It doesn’t actually offer any fantasy shows, strictly speaking. Apple TV+ features almost exclusively original series, and the company has invested far more focus and resources on science fiction and drama shows than it has the fantasy genre. As such, the closest Apple TV+ gets to a fantasy show at all is technically sci-fi.

That being said, Apple TV+ does come very close to having a fantasy show. See, starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard, can easily pass as a great fantasy television show. See is set in the distant future, where people are naturally born blind. When children who can see are born, however, it sets the entire show and conflict in motion.

Once again, See isn’t strictly speaking fantasy. However, it’s far-future setting, which includes a civilization that has returned to pre-industrial hunting and gathering, feels very reminiscent of the medieval settings many fantasy shows employ. See also carefully leverages its unique world to turn science back into myth, which adds another fantastical layer to the show.

1

HBO Max

Game of Thrones

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to any fantasy fan, but the best fantasy show on HBO Max is Game of Thrones by a wide margin. Game of Thrones is widely regarded as the best fantasy show period, and it’s certainly the best on HBO Max. The only other series that comes close on the streamer is House of the Dragon, which is itself a spinoff of Game of Thrones.

HBO Max does, to its credit, have some other great fantasy TV options. Shows like The Outsider, His Dark Materials, and True Blood give HBO Max a very healthy catalog of fantasy television. While those are all great shows, the simple fact is they can’t compare to Game of Thrones. That’s even including the sharp decrease in quality Game of Thrones‘ later seasons suffered.

It’s really hard to overstate just how phenomenal Game of Thrones is in the realm of fantasy television. It was both the blueprint for modern fantasy and completely unique. It was and still is a sensation that made fantasy television more popular than it had ever been, and it’s likely responsible for some of the other shows on this list. If you like fantasy television, you’ll love Game of Thrones.