It's not common at all for a TV show to be a true 10/10—let alone a fantasy show, a genre that often lends itself to ambitious storytelling that can result in a few failures here and there. There have been a few precious televisual masterpieces over the years, however, that have come to define and re-define what fantasy can look like on the small screen at its most perfect. These shows are about as close as the medium can possibly get to fantatsical perfection.
Whether it's a criminally underrated classic like Carnivàle or a far-more-celebrated modern gem like Gravity Falls, these shows are perfect for those hunting down a new fantasy show to watch which won't ever frustrate them with any significant flaws. This is a list not necessarily inclusive of all the best fantasy series in history (just look at shows like Game of Thrones, which is clearly among the genre's best but clearly not a 10/10), but it is inclusive of the most faultless or nearly-faultless experiences that small-screen fantasy has ever had to offer.
'Castlevania' (2017–2021)
The Castlevania franchise is one of the most important, groundbreaking, and influential video game series in history. As such, a lot was riding on its Netflix adaptation as soon as it was announced. Not only did it live up to expectations—it surpassed them. It's one of the most perfect, 10/10, no-notes horror shows on Netflix, genuinely one of the best animated TV shows for adults in history.
Operatic, character-driven, surprisingly philosophically dense, and with plenty of elements and surprises that fans of the source material are guaranteed to love, Castlevania nevertheless is designed for viewers of all experience levels—whether they've played the games or not—to thoroughly enjoy. Smart, visually spectacular, and full of devilishly fun lore and world-building, it's a must-see for virtually anyone who loves animated dark fantasy.
'Pushing Daisies' (2007–2009)
Image via ABCStarring Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies is one of the quirkiest and most eccentric fantasy series of the 21st century. Its story about a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch makes for one truly unique and whimsical fantasy series, an oddball fairytale with some of the most imaginative storytelling that the genre saw at any point during the 2000s.
With its vibrant aesthetic and the perfect way in which it blends with its sharp exploration of themes of death and romance, it's no wonder why Pushing Daisies has remained a beloved cult classic throughout all these years. The premise is relatively simple, but the endless number of refreshingly original situations that it opens the door to is exquisite. With a third season in active development, today is the coolest it's been in years to be a Pushing Daisies fan.
'Over the Garden Wall' (2014)
Image via Cartoon NetworkOver the Garden Wall is one of the most acclaimed miniseries ever on Letterboxd, the very first miniseries in Cartoon Network's history. With a pair of delightful lead voice performances by Elijah Wood and Collin Dean, it's a whimsical and funny fairy tale that's nevertheless surprisingly unafraid to get dark and creepy. It's only 10 episodes long, but the emotional effect that they leave imprinted on the viewer lasts forever.
It's intentionally weird in all the right ways, managing to feel like a mystical folk tale that's nothing if not timeless. Deeply atmospheric, based on a world that mostly operates on dream logic, it's definitely not for those who prefer their fantasy shows to be relatively straight-forward and easy to consume. Over the Garden Wall does demand deep thought and one's full attention, but it rewards that with one of the most mature and universally enjoyable TV shows ever made for children.
'Gravity Falls' (2012–2016)
Image via Disney ChannelGravity Falls is perhaps the biggest cult classic in the history of Disney Channel, a delightful fantasy show that wears its X-Files, Twilight Zone, and Twin Peaks influences out on its sleeve. It's an odd portfolio of references for a show aimed at kids, but that's just the thing that has kept Gravity Falls so timeless and widely beloved over the years: It's every bit as enjoyable for grown-ups as it is for the little ones of the family.
It is, indeed, one of those mystery shows that gets better on rewatch. It's incredibly addictive episodic television with an underlying element of serialization that only keeps growing stronger as the story progresses, concluding in a finale that's (deservedly) among the highest-rated TV episodes of all time on IMDb. It's a tightly-constructed mystery box with tons of wild ideas and an endless amount of heart.
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.
NEXT QUESTION →
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.
NEXT QUESTION →
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.
NEXT QUESTION →
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.
NEXT QUESTION →
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.
NEXT QUESTION →
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.
NEXT QUESTION →
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.
NEXT QUESTION →
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.
NEXT QUESTION →
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.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
'Carnivàle' (2003–2005)
Image via HBOCarnivàle is yet another criminally underappreciated fantasy show, a dark fantasy period drama that's easily among HBO's best genre shows of the 2000s. Following disparate groups of people in a traveling carnival during the Great Depression, it's a show that lends itself perfectly to a dark atmosphere, elements of brilliant surrealism, and some lore and mythology that has a surprising level of depth and density.
That thematic and lore density is precisely what keeps this masterpiece interesting throughout. With an atmosphere profoundly rooted in Americana, Christianity, and gnosticism, it's a delectably odd little gem that feels like it was designed in a lab to be a cult classic. It's deliberately paced and deeply character-driven, and its admirable commitment to its tone and its many mysteries is what makes it come across as truly flawless.
'Alchemy of Souls' (2022–2023)
Image via tvNAlchemy of Souls is not only one of the best K-drama series of the 2020s so far, but even one of the best international fantasy shows of all time. Yes, it's that good. It has some incredible technical qualities and production values (including gorgeous sets and special effects that will surely age like fine wine); and its unique blend of romance, action, and high fantasy is a real treat for fans of the genre.
Granted, those who don't typically like romantasy won't likely have their minds changed by the very-romantic Alchemy of Souls. Those who already enjoy the subgenre, however, are bound to have the time of their lives with this outing. It's perfectly genre-blending, it has one of the most unique magic systems of any fantasy show of the last decade, and the central dynamic between Jang Uk (Lee Jae-wook) and Mu-deok (Jung So-min) is electric. Romantasy doesn't get much better than this on the small screen.
Image via BonesThere are plenty of phenomenal fantasy anime series out there, but none of them come even remotely close to the level of quality of one of the highest-rated anime series on IMDb: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. A new adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist manga series (following the 2003 version), it's a densely-plotted-yet-never-messy masterpiece through and through.
Fans of the medium adore the show's deeply intricate world-building, its consistently exciting action scenes, its fascinating ensemble of characters, and its gripping themes of loss, hubris, and redemption. It is, by all accounts, one of the best anime series of all time. With a perfectly-designed magic system and a perfect balance between plot and character development, it's a flawless example of animated fantasy done right.
'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (2005–2008)
Image via NickelodeonThere are many television fans out there who tend to look down on the animated medium as lesser. All they need to do in order to have their minds radically changed is watch the hyper-hyped masterpiece that is Avatar: The Last Airbender, a show fully worthy of the immense praise it always gets. It's the highest-rated animated show and fantasy show on IMDb, and that's for plenty of good reasons.
Aside from having some of the best world-building of any fantasy show, Avatar: The Last Airbender also has a ton of fascinating and emotionally cathartic character arcs, some genuinely drop-dead gorgeous animation, and a mythology that goes deeper every time you think it's gone as deep as it gets. It's perfectly written, perfectly directed, perfectly voice-acted, and perfectly paced. It is, from beginning to end, as close as fantasy television—and television in general—get to perfection.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Release Date 2005 - 2008
Network Nickelodeon
Showrunner Michael Dante DiMartino
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Zach Tyler Eisen
Aang (voice)
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English (US) ·