10 Great Fantasy TV Shows For Beginners

Fantasy TV shows are a beloved part of the TV show landscape, but there are many viewers who have never seen a series in the genre. This makes sense, as fantasy and other works of speculative fiction can be daunting to get into when there isn’t a clear place to start. The heavy lore and world-building that fantasy is known for can dissuade casual viewers who want escapism rather than active watching. However, some of the best works within the genre are perfect for audiences looking to dip their toe into fantasy and find the stories that click with them.

Some of the more approachable shows within the genre are the best historical fantasy TV shows. Using the past as a foreign world instead of a new realm with different laws of physics and government is an easier transition into fantasy. Romance is also a key facet of many works of fantasy that’s often forgotten but is vital to many of the best-rated series. Adding elements of fantasy and magic to an otherwise ordinary premise can immediately uplift it and raise the stakes, making it more compelling and transporting the viewer to a more exciting world.

10 The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017)

This teen drama is filled with the most dangerous beasts and magics imaginable

As the series progresses, The Vampire Diaries forgoes its original high school setting since the characters age out of it. However, the first several seasons see the characters entrenched in adolescence and going through many of the typical teen drama plot lines that audiences know and love, but with vampires, werewolves, and witches thrown in. It helps that the central love triangle between Elena and the vampire brothers Stefan and Damon is a steamy and dramatic relationship that keeps the audience guessing until the end.

There’s a lot of lore in
The Vampire Diaries
, but the series is good about repeating the essential pieces of information many times so that the viewer can keep up.

There’s a lot of lore in The Vampire Diaries, but the series is good about repeating the essential pieces of information many times so that the viewer can keep up. Additionally, the show will add or take away pieces of the magic system that don’t serve the central story anymore, so it’s not important for the audience to remember anything more than the character dynamics. Luckily, these are easy to follow, and the supernatural elements only enhance the drama inherent to being in high school.

9 Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)

This animated series pushed the boundaries of what children’s TV can be

Avatar: The Last Airbender might be a kids’ TV show, but the lessons and morals of the show are rich and complex and are rooted in universal truths any audience member can recognize. The magic system of the world is simple: there are people who can manipulate the four elements of water, fire, earth, and air. Aang, the protagonist, is an airbender and the Avatar, the only being who can bend all four elements. He is awoken from suspended sleep in the midst of a brutal war with the Fire Nation.

The live-action
Avatar: The Last Airbender
series is now streaming on Netflix.

As a child, it falls to Aang and his friends to stop the Fire Lord and save the world, which is something that Aang doesn’t take lightly. Few shows have been so formative for generations of audiences. However, the kindness and strength that are enormous parts of Avatar: The Last Airbender demonstrate why the series is so enduring. Though many additional adaptations have tried to capture its magic, the original remains the best. Avatar is the perfect show to be an introduction to fantasy because of its world-building and themes.

8 Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)

One of the best supernatural teen dramas of all time, Buffy remains an all-time classic

Almost every supernatural teen TV show has Buffy The Vampire Slayer to thank for paving the way and being an influential addition to the fantasy genre. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Buffy, the protagonist of the series who takes on the weighty responsibility of being the Slayer and beating back the forces of evil. Gellar’s performance roots Buffy in the contemporary era and makes her a relatable teen who just so happens to have super strength and amazing abilities. Every otherworldly aspect of the show is seamlessly used as a metaphor for growing up and loss of innocence.

As the seasons progress,
Buffy
becomes more intense and interrogates its own plot lines, pushing the boundaries of what TV can be.

There are many reasons to start watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer today, regardless of whether watching it leads to further forays into the fantasy genre. As the seasons progress, Buffy becomes more intense and interrogates its own plot lines, pushing the boundaries of what TV can be. Many of the experimental episodes in the series have inspired other series and have been singled out as some of the best episodes of television. It’s easy to forget that Buffy The Vampire Slayer is a fantasy show, as it simply feels like a gripping drama.

7 The Magicians (2015–2020)

Lev Grossman’s series reached new heights thanks to this Syfy series

Though Lev Grossman only wrote three books in The Magicians series, the Syfy show went on for five seasons and justified itself with every installment. The Magicians follows Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) when his life is turned upside down after he discovers that not only magic is real, but he has the ability to be a magician. However, the magical world is much more sinister than he ever imagined, and each season leads him and his friends deeper into the mystical world of Fillory, which has haunted Quentin’s dreams and nightmares for years.

The tongue-in-cheek dialogue and self-aware humor of The Magicians makes it the perfect fantasy show for audiences who struggle to suspend their disbelief. Quentin might be fully on board with magic and all its potential, but many of the other characters are skeptics who prefer to make decisions based on reality. However, the best part of The Magicians in every season is the character dynamics and the beautifully realized relationships that make it connect deeply with audiences.

6 Game Of Thrones (2011–2019)

HBO’s fantasy drama was one of the biggest crossover fantasy hits

When Game of Thrones premiered in 2011, HBO could count on readers of George R.R. Martin’s book series to tune into the new high fantasy show, but the other demographics couldn’t be as easily predicted. However, the network had nothing to worry about, as Game of Thrones quickly became one of the most popular shows on TV, regardless of genre. Despite there being complex world-building and political intrigue involved in the plot, the show was a success with viewers who hadn’t considered themselves fantasy fans before.

A long-running and highly-rated show like this is a safe bet when committing to learning the lore and backstory of a fantasy world.

Though it’s been off the air for a few years, the popularity and cultural impact of Game of Thrones hasn’t diminished much, and watching it for the first time today would be a great place to start in the fantasy realm. There’s plenty of debate and discussion to be found about the series and a new prequel show. House of the Dragon has plenty of powerful characters to rival the best in Game of Thrones. A long-running and highly-rated show like this is a safe bet when committing to learning the lore and backstory of a fantasy world.

5 His Dark Materials (2019–2022)

This beloved children’s book series became an equally compelling TV show

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series was adapted to the screen in 2007 for the film The Golden Compass, but the 2019 HBO TV show is the best iteration of the story. His Dark Materials is also a great fantasy book series for beginners as it’s a children’s series and is easily understandable. However, it’s also in conversation with many dark adult themes. Season 1 takes place in a parallel version of Earth that has many similarities, but magic and souls are treated differently, and the aesthetics of the universe are otherworldly.

There are some parts of the story in His Dark Materials that take some getting used to, but they follow similar rules to the real world. Many of the actors in the series are recognizable, and their performances are a highlight of the series. Since the story unfolds from the perspective of Lyra, played by Dafne Keen, a young girl, one of the key themes in the narrative is coming-of-age, and this transcends genre, connecting with anyone watching the show for the first time or long-time fans of the books.

4 Once Upon A Time (2011–2018)

The fairytale world is brought to life in this mysterious series

Once Upon A Time has an immediately universal premise, as the fairytales that the story focuses on are familiar to most viewers. Additionally, it helps that the protagonist, Emma Swan, played by Jennifer Morrison, is as new to the world of magic and fantasy as the viewer, so she can ask the right questions and be a skeptic as the audience discovers the rules of the world. The dual narrative between the present in Storybrooke and the fairytale world helps fill in the necessary exposition.

After
Once Upon A Time
season 1, the series started to intertwine different mystical realms and fables into its storyline, even touching upon Greek mythology and the legends of King Arthur in the later seasons.

After Once Upon A Time season 1, the series started to intertwine different mystical realms and fables into its storyline, even touching upon Greek mythology and the legends of King Arthur in the later seasons. While this does stretch the boundary of what’s considered a fairytale, the series always anchors the outlandish new plots with a connection to the central storyline of Emma and her family. Since the series remains character-driven in this way, it stays grounded and can be understood without too much additional context.

3 My Lady Jane (2024)

This short-lived series will be remembered for its quality and contributions to the genre

Set in Tudor-era England, My Lady Jane is a revisionist fantasy series that wonders what might have happened if the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey hadn’t been executed. The series centers on the romance between Jane and her husband, Guildford Dudley, played by Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel, and their chemistry, along with the political intrigue, would have been enough to carry the show. However, My Lady Jane raised the stakes even more by including the invention of the Ethians, a group of people who can transform into animals.

Jane’s strong stance opposing discrimination against Ethians and her attempts to reform the government can be read as a metaphor for the conflict between Catholics and Protestants during this period in history. The light fantasy and anachronistic tone of My Lady Jane ensures that though it’s a period piece and has magic, the show doesn’t alienate its audience. Many of the characters and relationship dynamics in the show feel as relevant as if they were set in the present day. Amazon canceling My Lady Jane was a mistake, and this will only become more clear as time passes.

2 Good Omens (2019–Present)

Angels and demons make relatable characters in Prime’s quirky fantasy show

Good Omens season 2 proved that though there was only one book the series was based on, there were still plenty of hijinxs left for Aziraphale and Crowley to get into. In Good Omens, angels and demons live on Earth and do the bidding of their respective departments, influencing humans to the sides of good and evil. However, as Aziraphale and Crowley spend more time on Earth, they come to realize that humanity contains a bit of both light and darkness and that there are many parts of human life worth saving.

For fans of anthology series and shows that utilize large ensemble casts,
Good Omens
is an approachable work.

The Christian and theological stories and magic systems that Good Omens incorporates are familiar to most audiences and are easy to learn, as the series doesn’t go far into intense theological debate. It’s not the fantasy elements of Good Omens that are difficult to follow, but the many characters and interweaving storylines that the plot tackles. For fans of anthology series and shows that utilize large ensemble casts, Good Omens is an approachable work.

1 Outlander (2014–Present)

The light fantasy and historical nature of the show are inviting and entertaining

One of the best period romance TV shows ever made, Outlander continues to keep audiences engaged in the story of Jamie and Claire after seven seasons. It’s a great pick for audiences of all ages, as it connects with a wide variety of viewers new to fantasy or historical dramas. Based on the acclaimed novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon, the Outlander TV show doesn’t delve as deeply into some of the more complex lore of the universe, leaving it to the audience’s imagination.

Similarly to other historical fantasy dramas, Outlander roots itself in a realistic past and doesn’t ask the audience to try and comprehend an entirely new universe with intricate world-building. The time travel element is the biggest magical aspect of the world, but other than that, the issues that Claire and Jamie face have to do with the political conflicts of whatever period they find themselves in. Additionally, the show’s main theme and story arc is the romance between Jamie and Claire and how time and space can’t keep them apart.