When creating a series of movies, one of the most important things is consistency. It's not easy to keep the quality of something the same for the majority of a franchise. More often than not, the sequel isn't quite as good as the original. Sometimes, it's even better, but most times, especially in multi-film series, the quality can kind of fluctuate. Sometimes they can be really bad, sometimes they're still good, just varying degrees of good.
However, if filmmakers can make it so that the movies in their series only get better and better with each subsequent entry, then they've done something really remarkable. This doesn't happen very often, but when it does happen, it makes the movies so much easier to appreciate. One genre where this quality can be observed is fantasy, and here we discuss the best fantasy series that get better with each movie.
'Star Wars' Prequel Trilogy (1999-2005)
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Image via LucasfilmWhen it comes to Star Wars, it's common to call it science fiction rather than fantasy. However, the creator of the franchise, George Lucas himself, said he felt it was more of a space fantasy than sci-fi, and was more in line with mythology than classic sci-fi tales. The franchise has seen its ups and downs over the years, with some good movies and some bad. The original trilogy was great, but the sequel trilogy? Not so much. The thing about the original trilogy, though, is that the final film is considered a bit of a step down from its predecessor, so it doesn't really qualify for this list.
For that, there's the prequel trilogy. The films got off to a rocky start, but the second one improved things a bit. By the time it hit the third film, it was actually pretty awesome. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is truly a spectacle, with state-of-the-art visuals that still look pretty good two decades later. It's by far one of the darkest films in the franchise, as well as one of the most action-packed. The prequels are still disappointing to many fans, but to others, Revenge of the Sith was a great improvement over the two films before, and an excellent way to wrap up this chapter of the Skywalker saga.
Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz
Which Force User
Are You?
Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between
The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.
🔵Jedi Master
🟡Padawan
🔴Sith Lord
⚫Inquisitor
⚪Grey Jedi
IGNITE YOUR SABER →
01
What is the Force to you? Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.
AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control. BSomething vast and mysterious I'm only beginning to understand. CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride. DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don't.
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02
When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do? The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.
AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering. BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they're not the enemy. CBury them. Emotion is a liability I can't afford to indulge. DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.
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03
The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You: How you handle authority reveals your alignment.
AFollow it. The Council's wisdom surpasses my own perspective. BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision. CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right. DIgnore it. The strong don't answer to committees.
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04
You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You: The dark side's pull is never more than a choice away.
ARefuse without hesitation. There is no cost worth that price. BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers. CFeel the pull but walk away — for now. DAccept it. Power justifies the method used to obtain it.
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05
Your approach to training and learning is: A student's habits become a master's character.
ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters. BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline. CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one. DRelentless and brutal. Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.
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06
In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects: Combat is the purest expression of a Force user's philosophy.
ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit. BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements. CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance. DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin.
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07
A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You: Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.
AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly. BNeutralize them permanently. I can't afford loose ends. CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks. DOffer them a chance to surrender. Every being deserves that.
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08
The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds: The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.
AThe Code is right. Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering. BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong. CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master's mission. DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.
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09
Why do you use the Force at all? What's the point? Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.
ATo learn. I'm still figuring out what I'm capable of. BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift. CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having. DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.
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10
At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins? In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?
AThe light. I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier. BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle. CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality. DThe dark. Power is the only thing that's ever actually been real.
REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT →
Your Alignment Has Been Determined Your Place in the Force
The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.
🔵 Jedi Master
🟡 Padawan
🔴 Sith Lord
⚫ Inquisitor
⚪ Grey Jedi
Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.
You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn't whether you have what it takes — it's whether you'll be patient enough to find out.
You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side's cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.
You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.
You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don't fully trust you. The Sith think you're wasting your potential. They're both partially right. But so are you.
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'Dungeons & Dragons' Series (2000-2023)
Image via Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionThe Dungeons & Dragons movies are based on the famous tabletop role-playing game, which has been popular for decades now. Custom campaigns from the game have been made into web series, TV shows, and have inspired countless fantasy novel series and video games. A movie franchise was even made based on the original games. Truth be told, though, most of it was pretty bad, horrible, even. The first film came out in 2000 and was an absolute travesty, with ugly CGI, bland dialogue, non-existent world-building, and nothing to set it apart from other fantasy films. Ask anyone who's seen it, and they'll probably tell you how awful it was, and not even awful in the "so bad it's good" way.
Yet somehow, against all odds, that movie got two sequels, one in 2005 and one in 2012. These films were also pretty abysmal, but they weren't quite as abysmal as the first entry. The second film was an improvement (not that that's saying much), and the third was a marginal improvement over the second. The fourth film, though, now that's something special. 2023's Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was absolutely excellent, and criminally underrated. It had everything the original films needed: quippy dialogue, personality, grand scale, good CGI, and the sometimes absurd scenarios that make the original game so great. While the first three films were terrible, the excellence of the fourth almost makes up for it. The best part is, it's not all that connected to the others, so that they can be safely skipped.
'How to Train Your Dragon' Series (2010-Present)
Image via DreamWorks AnimationHow to Train Your Dragon is an animated fantasy franchise created by DreamWorks. The world is set in a loose version of the Viking Age, with Scandinavian warriors constantly plagued by dragons of various types and breeds. The movie makes sure to explain some of the most common breeds in detail, giving them unique appearances, names, and behaviours, so they have much more depth and dimension than typical movie dragons. The first three movies in the series are animated, though some feel that the third one was a bit of a step down. Only a little bit, though.
Then the series started moving in the direction of live-action remakes and started to pick up momentum again. 2025's How to Train Your Dragon was a bit more mature than the original animated film and garnered widespread success, warranting a sequel, which is still on the way. Let's be honest, there's not a whole lot that's cooler than dragons in the realm of fantasy, which makes this series such a fun and exciting watch, no matter how old you are. They're not just adventurous and action-packed, but also loaded with emotion and some great humour. They really do get better as they go on.
'Harry Potter' Series (2001-2011)
Those who grew up in the 2000s know exactly how much of a cultural phenomenon the Harry Potter series was. Based on the eponymous novels, the story is simple, yet endlessly endearing. Everyone knows the premise by now: an orphan boy discovers he is a wizard, is sent to a magical school to learn about his abilities, and is thrust into the Wizarding World. But this world is not as whimsical as it appears, and dark forces lurk in the shadows, hunting for the Boy Who Lived.
Now, truth be told, fans' favourite Harry Potter entries in this series often vary. Some like the light-hearted nature of the first two films, some like the darker films towards the end, and many prefer the third movie, specifically. However, in terms of sheer production quality, scale, performance, and drama, the movies do gradually get better as they go on. It's only natural, considering the evolution of technology, the growing experience of the young cast and crew getting into the swing of things. By the end, it's no longer a happy story about a secret world of magic, but about a fight for survival, leading to a devastating conflict. Potter is an absolutely phenomenal low fantasy series that remains a fresh topic over two and a half decades since the first movie, and which likely isn't going to die down any time soon.
'The Lord of the Rings' Trilogy (2001-2003)
Image via New Line CinemaThe Lord of the Rings trilogy is pretty near flawless in just about every regard. Based on the novels by J. R. R. Tolkien, this trilogy of films presents an adventure like no other. This journey isn't just a feast for the eyes, but for the ears, and the heart as well. The soundtrack is impeccable, the visuals are wonderful, even today, and the story is profoundly moving and endearing. It's so easy to fall in love with the world and the characters. It's the ultimate fantasy fan's dream, and is basically the epic fantasy franchise in cinema. The original novels inspired so many works of fantasy, and the films only extrapolated upon that wide-reaching influence.
The first film already starts things off on a high note, presenting a dangerous quest, a journey across the land, and an introduction to Tolkien's expansive world. Just when you think things can't possibly get better, they do. The following film ramps up the stakes and the scale, with a thrilling climax, new characters, and some remarkable moments. Now surely, the franchise can't get any better, right? Wrong. The third film is more action-packed, more emotional, and more heroic than its predecessors. It's really hard to pick which one is the best out of the three because the quality is relatively consistent. Yet, they do get better with each film, if only slightly. Truth be told, the movies are so good that making a massive, notable improvement on each might break all known laws of physics.
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