Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
WeirdThe 17 Best Fantasy Shows on Netflix
By Brett White
@brettwhite
Published
May 6, 2019, 9:00 p.m. ET
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Let these shows take you on a real trip.
Photos: Everett Collection, NETFLIX ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps
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The Twilight Zone
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
If you want to start a new mind-bending binge but don't want the longterm commitment a lot of series demand, you can always jump into the original genre-defying anthology series The Twilight Zone. All of Rod Serling's landmark fantasy/sci-fi/horror/suspense series is available to stream right now, offering dozens of glimpses into unsettling "what if" scenarios.
[Stream The Twilight Zone on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
If you want to start a new mind-bending binge but don't want the longterm commitment a lot of series demand, you can always jump into the original genre-defying anthology series The Twilight Zone. All of Rod Serling's landmark fantasy/sci-fi/horror/suspense series is available to stream right now, offering dozens of glimpses into unsettling "what if" scenarios.
[Stream The Twilight Zone on Netflix]
Courtesy Everett Collection
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The Dragon Prince
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
From the minds that helped bring Avatar: The Last Airbender to life comes this Netflix original animated fantasy series. Two princes from rival kingdoms band together and start out on the most deadly journey of all: a journey to bring their lands together in peaceful harmony or die trying.
[Stream The Dragon Prince on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
From the minds that helped bring Avatar: The Last Airbender to life comes this Netflix original animated fantasy series. Two princes from rival kingdoms band together and start out on the most deadly journey of all: a journey to bring their lands together in peaceful harmony or die trying.
[Stream The Dragon Prince on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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The New Legends of Monkey
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
This all-ages adventure series debuted in Australia before making an international debut via Netflix. Based on a series of 16th century Chinese legends, The New Legends of Monkey follows a ragtag band of heroes as they set out to find the lost scrolls and save their world.
[Stream The New Legends of Monkey on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
This all-ages adventure series debuted in Australia before making an international debut via Netflix. Based on a series of 16th century Chinese legends, The New Legends of Monkey follows a ragtag band of heroes as they set out to find the lost scrolls and save their world.
[Stream The New Legends of Monkey on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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The Order
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Jake Manley stars as incoming college freshman Jack, a young adult more interested in avenging his mother's death than studying. He pledges to a secret society and quickly becomes embroiled in an occult war, uncovering a secret underworld of werewolves and dark magicians.
[Stream The Order on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Jake Manley stars as incoming college freshman Jack, a young adult more interested in avenging his mother's death than studying. He pledges to a secret society and quickly becomes embroiled in an occult war, uncovering a secret underworld of werewolves and dark magicians.
[Stream The Order on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Stranger Things
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
This breakout hit cannot be contained by one genre-and that's what makes Stranger Things so addictive. The show focuses on a group of teens in the sleepy Midwest whose lives are upended by otherworldly creatures, nefarious government agents, and-scariest of all-high school. This show's large cast and dense storytelling make it the quintessential binge for fantasy lovers looking for a modern(ish) adventure.
[Stream Stranger Things on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
This breakout hit cannot be contained by one genre-and that's what makes Stranger Things so addictive. The show focuses on a group of teens in the sleepy Midwest whose lives are upended by otherworldly creatures, nefarious government agents, and-scariest of all-high school. This show's large cast and dense storytelling make it the quintessential binge for fantasy lovers looking for a modern(ish) adventure.
[Stream Stranger Things on Netflix]
Courtesy Netflix
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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Netflix's dark update of the classic Archie Comics character delivers all sorts of supernatural entertainment. This time around, Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) has to navigate the treacherous politics of the witching world and try to keep her soul out of the grip of Satan himself. The true successor to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina tells a high school occult story worth bingeing.
[Stream Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Netflix's dark update of the classic Archie Comics character delivers all sorts of supernatural entertainment. This time around, Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) has to navigate the treacherous politics of the witching world and try to keep her soul out of the grip of Satan himself. The true successor to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina tells a high school occult story worth bingeing.
[Stream Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix]
Jeff Weddell/Netflix
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Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Based on a novel by Susanna Clarke, this BBC limited series presents an alternate look at 19th century London, one where magic is a fact of life but one that's fallen out of practice. With the United Kingdom at war with the French Empire, an odd couple of magical practitioners (the seasoned Mr. Norrell and the up-and-comer Mr. Strange) set out to change the course of history.
[Stream Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Based on a novel by Susanna Clarke, this BBC limited series presents an alternate look at 19th century London, one where magic is a fact of life but one that's fallen out of practice. With the United Kingdom at war with the French Empire, an odd couple of magical practitioners (the seasoned Mr. Norrell and the up-and-comer Mr. Strange) set out to change the course of history.
[Stream Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell on Netflix]
©BBC America/Courtesy Everett Collection
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The Last Kingdom
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
While The Last Kingdom is strictly historical fiction about the formation of England during the Middle Ages, you can easily spot the similarities with certain mega-popular fantasy shows. It's basically Game of Thrones without the dragons or zombies, and set in the proto United Kingdom and not Westeros. So while it's not going to give you a fantasy fix per se, this dramatization of an IRL battle for the throne will capture your imagination in a post-Thrones world.
[Stream The Last Kingdom on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
While The Last Kingdom is strictly historical fiction about the formation of England during the Middle Ages, you can easily spot the similarities with certain mega-popular fantasy shows. It's basically Game of Thrones without the dragons or zombies, and set in the proto United Kingdom and not Westeros. So while it's not going to give you a fantasy fix per se, this dramatization of an IRL battle for the throne will capture your imagination in a post-Thrones world.
[Stream The Last Kingdom on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Van Helsing
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Kind of a Walking Dead with vampires instead of zombies, this Syfy original is set in the aftermath of a different kind of blood-soaked apocalypse. The only person standing between the vampire hordes and the end of humanity is Vanessa Van Helsing, a descendent of the legendary vampire hunter who possesses the unique ability to turn vamps back into humans.
[Stream Van Helsing on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Kind of a Walking Dead with vampires instead of zombies, this Syfy original is set in the aftermath of a different kind of blood-soaked apocalypse. The only person standing between the vampire hordes and the end of humanity is Vanessa Van Helsing, a descendent of the legendary vampire hunter who possesses the unique ability to turn vamps back into humans.
[Stream Van Helsing on Netflix]
Photo: Syfy
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Penny Dreadful
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Showtime's greatest hits of Victorian and gothic fiction is available to binge on Netflix, and it's an engrossing watch if you love literary icons like Dorian Gray, Frankenstein, Van Helsing, and more. The all-star cast includes Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Josh Hartnett and even more as various fantasy and horror characters you know from classic monster movies. Who needs that abandoned Dark Universe movie franchise when Penny Dreadful exists?
[Stream Penny Dreadful on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Showtime's greatest hits of Victorian and gothic fiction is available to binge on Netflix, and it's an engrossing watch if you love literary icons like Dorian Gray, Frankenstein, Van Helsing, and more. The all-star cast includes Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Josh Hartnett and even more as various fantasy and horror characters you know from classic monster movies. Who needs that abandoned Dark Universe movie franchise when Penny Dreadful exists?
[Stream Penny Dreadful on Netflix]
©Showtime Networks Inc./Courtesy Everett Collection
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Once Upon a Time
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Before there was Penny Dreadful there was ABC's Once Upon a Time, a sprawling fantasy epic that borrows from fairy tale, folklore, and mythology with a big dash of Disney. Set in the fictional town of Storybrooke, Maine, the show brings classic characters like Snow White, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio, Little REd Riding Hood, Cinderella and more into modern times and drops them in an all-new tale of adventure and romance.
[Stream Once Upon a Time on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Before there was Penny Dreadful there was ABC's Once Upon a Time, a sprawling fantasy epic that borrows from fairy tale, folklore, and mythology with a big dash of Disney. Set in the fictional town of Storybrooke, Maine, the show brings classic characters like Snow White, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio, Little REd Riding Hood, Cinderella and more into modern times and drops them in an all-new tale of adventure and romance.
[Stream Once Upon a Time on Netflix]
Photo: ABC
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Legacies
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
The latest in a fantasy TV lineage that includes The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, Legacies currently airs on The CW and you can stream Season 1 on Netflix. The series stars Hope Mikaelson as Danielle, a 17-year-old student descended from some of the most powerful supernatural beings to ever exist. She attends a school for supernatural teens, hoping to curb her darker impulses and put her abilities to work for the betterment of her people.
[Stream Legacies on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
The latest in a fantasy TV lineage that includes The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, Legacies currently airs on The CW and you can stream Season 1 on Netflix. The series stars Hope Mikaelson as Danielle, a 17-year-old student descended from some of the most powerful supernatural beings to ever exist. She attends a school for supernatural teens, hoping to curb her darker impulses and put her abilities to work for the betterment of her people.
[Stream Legacies on Netflix]
©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection Co
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Frequency
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Peyton List starred in this one-season wonder from The CW, a show about a father and daughter detective team working together to solve a crime. The catch: Det. Sullivan's father is dead and she can only communicate with him through an old ham radio, which somehow possesses the ability to open a channel of communication to 20 years ago. This series is perfect for those that want a lot more crime drama in their fantasies.
[Stream Frequency on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Peyton List starred in this one-season wonder from The CW, a show about a father and daughter detective team working together to solve a crime. The catch: Det. Sullivan's father is dead and she can only communicate with him through an old ham radio, which somehow possesses the ability to open a channel of communication to 20 years ago. This series is perfect for those that want a lot more crime drama in their fantasies.
[Stream Frequency on Netflix]
Photo: CW
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The OA
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
This mystery series is unlike anything else on this list, a compelling blend of heavy drama, surprising sci-fi, and heavenly fantastical elements. The series kicks off with the return of a once missing blind person, now very much present and very much able to see. She also calls herself The OA for "Original Angel" and, well, things just get weirder from there!
[Stream The OA on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
This mystery series is unlike anything else on this list, a compelling blend of heavy drama, surprising sci-fi, and heavenly fantastical elements. The series kicks off with the return of a once missing blind person, now very much present and very much able to see. She also calls herself The OA for "Original Angel" and, well, things just get weirder from there!
[Stream The OA on Netflix]
Nicola Goode/Netflix
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The Magicians
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
This acclaimed Syfy original is based on the Lev Grossman novel and presents a new twist on the popular "school for magic" sub-genre. In the show, Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) learns that the magical realm of his favorite children's book series is in fact very real, and also a place he can enroll. But some things were kept out of those books, and things in the magical realm are far more dangerous than Quentin believed.
[Stream The Magicians on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
This acclaimed Syfy original is based on the Lev Grossman novel and presents a new twist on the popular "school for magic" sub-genre. In the show, Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) learns that the magical realm of his favorite children's book series is in fact very real, and also a place he can enroll. But some things were kept out of those books, and things in the magical realm are far more dangerous than Quentin believed.
[Stream The Magicians on Netflix]
©Sci-Fi Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection
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Tidelands
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
This Australian crime drama tells the story of an ex-con (Charlotte Best) who returns to her sleepy fishing village hometown only to discover that there's a lot more going on than she ever believed. When she discovers the town is secretly home to a group of supernatural half-siren beings, she must unearth the truth buried beneath conspiracy before she drowns in the decades and decades of lies.
[Stream Tidelands on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
This Australian crime drama tells the story of an ex-con (Charlotte Best) who returns to her sleepy fishing village hometown only to discover that there's a lot more going on than she ever believed. When she discovers the town is secretly home to a group of supernatural half-siren beings, she must unearth the truth buried beneath conspiracy before she drowns in the decades and decades of lies.
[Stream Tidelands on Netflix]
Jasin Boland/Netflix
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Troy: Fall of a City
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
The BBC took on Greek mythology with this 8-part series depicting the love affair between Paris (Louis Hunter) and Helen of Troy (Bella Dayne) and the decade-long Trojan War. This sword and sandals period piece is a gritty reimagining of Homeric legend with an eye towards historical accuracy.
[Stream Troy: Fall of a City on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
The BBC took on Greek mythology with this 8-part series depicting the love affair between Paris (Louis Hunter) and Helen of Troy (Bella Dayne) and the decade-long Trojan War. This sword and sandals period piece is a gritty reimagining of Homeric legend with an eye towards historical accuracy.
[Stream Troy: Fall of a City on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
