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In the wake of a series as huge as The Rings of Power, it would be easy to recommend some of the bigger and flashier shows currently airing to scratch that fantasy itch. And there’s no denying that series like House of the Dragon and The Witcher are well worth your time. Despite being lighter on the fantasy side, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could have even easily made this list (go watch it. Seriously, go watch it right now if you’re missing the special kind of camaraderie that we got in The Lord of the Rings). There are even older classics like Game of Thrones (yes, we’re still ignoring the final few seasons) or Shadow and Bone. But we thought that going slightly more obscure with this list would be the best option—show some love to shows that didn’t get nearly enough of it.
So if you’re looking to get in some fantasy that flew under the radar (and was, unfortunately, canceled before its time), look no further. Each entry on this list brings something different to the table, whether that’s in its aesthetics, its storytelling, or the narrative it drives forward. And not one is a miss. So if you’re hoping to binge, we’ve got you.
3. Claymore
It would have been really easy to have this list be entirely animated. But choosing instead to pick the cream of the crop, it was Claymore that rose to the top of the pile. Airing back in 2007, you’d be hard-pressed to find an anime that was as beautifully drawn and scored as Claymore. The series centers on Clare, a yoma, or half-human, half-demon hybrid. Along with her sisters of the sword, she forms the group known as the Claymore. Their mission is to defend the humans who fear them for their demon blood from the very demons they descend from. It’s been lauded as both brutal and beautiful, and though its ending deviates from the manga it was adapted from, fans of the original material still sing its praises. And any show that draws comparisons to Berserk is automatically worth watching in our book. While the ending is still hotly debated, there’s no denying that both the fantasy and character elements of this show are worlds beyond what we get with so much modern media.
2. Camelot
Camelot is one of those shows that feels like a fever dream—steamy, magical, and violent. It aired in 2011 and had only one season, but the cast was full of names you’d never expect to see listed side by side. It starred Jamie Campbell Bower as Arthur, Eva Green as Morgan, Tamsin Egerton as Guinevere, and Joseph Fiennes as Merlin. Camelot begins just after the death of King Uther, as the wizard Merlin places his secret son, Arthur, on the throne. But behind the scenes, Arthur’s half-sister, Morgan, plots to take that throne for herself—both for revenge for the death of her mother, and for her own personal gains. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a Starz version of the King Arthur legend, which itself has felt a little overdone, but there’s not a boring moment in the entire season. And while it doesn’t take itself as seriously as The Rings of Power (nor does it have a fraction of the budget), it’s still a fantasy-filled good time.
1. Legend of the Seeker
Coming in at #1 is a beloved book-to-series adaptation that deserved way more hype than it got when it was airing. And while critics weren’t really feeling it, audiences were more than happy with the story, and are still singing the show’s praises to this day. It’s your classic magical hero’s journey, centered on Richard Cypher, a woodsman who is trying to understand his newfound powers. Cypher, alongside the wizard Zedd and a woman named Kahlan, finds that he has to use these new powers in an attempt to help stop a ruthless tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and bringing down war on the entire world. It’s very much your classic tale of good versus evil, and it’s endlessly entertaining despite being slightly corny in places. Definitely a show that grows in tension and talent as it goes on, it will definitely fill the fantasy-shaped hole in your heart for the two seasons that it lasted.
Do you have a favorite moment from any of these series, or is there one that you’re hoping to binge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the forum to see what other fantasy fans are currently watching.
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