Though the fantasy genre lends itself especially well to animation, some of the best animated fantasy movies have flown under the radar and don’t get the attention they deserve. Since fantasy stories often incorporate wizards, warriors, dungeons, dragons, and mythical realms where anything can happen, it makes much more sense for such things to be brought to life in an animated medium as opposed to live-action. Because of the genre’s versatility, all types of different fantasy stories have been presented in animation, from family-friendly fare to more frightening and adult-oriented tales.
With animation studios like Disney and Studio Ghibli establishing themselves as the pinnacle of the animation art form, many other studios get passed over despite producing some of the most compelling animated fantasy films. The larger animation houses are so ubiquitous that movies are often mistaken for Disney films, and it goes to show how much of a reign the company has on animation in general. While many mainstream animated fantasy films are worthy of notice, the lesser-known films of the genre can sometimes outshine their more popular contemporaries.
Wizards (1977)
The films of animator Ralph Bakshi aren’t for everyone, but his features captured the essence of fantasy in the era of Dungeons & Dragons. Wizards concerns a young spellcaster who must team up with his fairy companions to stop an evil wizard from using technology to conquer the land. Bakshi’s artwork had a uniquely fluid feeling that lent itself well to fantasy, and unlike many of the best animated fantasy films of the time, Wizards incorporated elements of post-apocalyptic science fiction as well. In a larger sense, films like Wizards helped to popularize animated films for adults in the United States.
- Wizards is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Vudu, and YouTube
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Disney will almost always be associated with the fantasy genre, but The Black Cauldron was still a unique entry in the studio’s illustrious catalog. In the film, a young pig herder embarks on an epic quest to find the magical Black Cauldron before it falls into the hands of the evil Horned King. As tastes changed throughout the 1980s, Disney struggled to find its footing as other animated films took center stage. The Black Cauldron was Disney’s attempt at dark fantasy, and though it was a box office disaster (via Box Office Mojo), the film was nevertheless a fascinating and beautifully animated departure from the typical Disney fare.
- The Black Cauldron is available to stream on Disney Plus
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Before Peter Jackson adapted the series into live-action, Bakshi was one of the first to attempt to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to life. The rotoscopic epic adapted the first half of the classic fantasy saga and saw the wise wizard Gandalf entrust the One Ring to a kindly hobbit named Frodo, who is tasked with destroying it. What Bakshi’s LotR adaptation did better than Jackson’s was establish the sense of presence that permeates various scenes of the film. The Middle-earth environments and animation styles transform with the moods of the script, which truly captured the whimsy and imagination of Tolkien’s great vision.
- The Lord of the Rings is available to rent or buy from Apple TV, Amazon Video, and YouTube
Mad God (2021)
In production for 30 years, Phil Tippett’s Mad God allowed the special effects wizard to truly unleash his imagination on screen. In the stop-motion film, a mysterious figure descends into a subterranean world inhabited by disturbing creatures. Though most fantasy stories contain a bit of magical whimsy, Mad God used horror as an effective counterbalance to the genre’s tropes. As original as it was meticulous, the sheer creativity behind the movie’s many figures is matched by the attention to detail brought into its nightmarish world.
- Mad God is available to stream on Shudder and AMC Plus
The Return Of The King (1980)
The biggest problem with 1978’s The Lord of the Rings was that it ended right before the climactic conclusion of Tolkien’s saga. However, Rankin/Bass’ The Return of the King concludes the tale as Frodo completes his mission of destroying the One Ring in Mordor. While its animation style resembled Rankin/Bass’ The Hobbit, it did bookend the saga while maintaining much of Tolkien’s text. Though the eye-catching rotoscope visuals of Bakshi’s film were exchanged for simpler animation, The Return of the King is one of the best animated fantasy movies because of its association with the brilliantly written novel.
- The Return of the King is currently not available to stream or purchase
Fire And Ice (1983)
When Bakshi collaborated with iconic fantasy artist Frank Frazetta, it was a match made in heaven that produced one of the most stylish and exciting epics put to film. Fire and Ice concerns two warring factions who must work together to rescue a princess from a vile sorcerer. Eschewing the whimsical tales that inspired other animated fantasy films, Fire and Ice drew its inspiration from the pulpy pages of classic magazines and told a story of violence and bloodshed, similar to that of Conan the Barbarian. Visually stunning, Frazetta’s art style had a language all of its own.
- Fire and Ice is available to stream on Prime Video, Vudu, Tubi TV, and Kanopy
Metamorphoses (1978)
Metamorphoses is a surreal film, and yet it is still one of the best animated fantasy movies. Perhaps best described as a mixture of Greek mythology movies, Disney’s Fantasia, and Studio Ghibli, Metamorphoses is an anthology of myths told by a pair of animated characters set to epic music with artwork and visuals by Sanrio of Hello Kitty fame. The Disney influences are heavily noticeable, but Metamorphoses still managed to find its own tone, and its approach to animation also differed from Disney’s classic style. The soundtrack was perhaps its strongest aspect, and it had a much more free-flowing energy that took its inspiration from jazz music.
- Metamorphoses is currently not available to stream or purchase
The Secret Of Kells (2009)
The Secret of Kells is a beautiful fantasy film that takes heavy influence from Celtic and Viking mythology as well as ancient European history. The film itself concerns the making of the titular Book of Kells, but it mixes in Celtic and Gaelic folklore in the form of Aisling the Fairy. The Secret of Kells is a slow burn, but the visuals are so beautiful that the spellbinding narrative becomes more and more compelling. Borrowing heavily from the artwork found in the illuminated manuscript that provided the film’s title, The Secret of Kells used ancient design to create a visual experience that was completely new.
- The Secret of Kells is available to rent or buy from Apple TV, Amazon Video, Vudu, and YouTube
Tales From Earthsea (2006)
Inspired by the novels by Ursula K. Le Guin and directed by Goro Miyazaki, Tales From Earthsea is a high fantasy epic from Studio Ghibli. The story follows a powerful wizard named Sparrowhawk who must correct the magical imbalance that threatens to plunge the world into chaos. Besides the playful and contemplative art style of every Studio Ghibli movie, Tales From Earthsea also hearkened back to some of the best animated fantasy movies with its frequent references to dragons, wizards, and other fantasy mainstays. Though the film was more of a summary of Le Guin’s epic novel series than a true adaptation, it still blazed its own fascinating path.
- Tales From Earthsea is available to stream on HBO Max
The Spine Of Night (2021)
Reminiscent of the best animated fantasy movies of creators like Bakshi, the modern-day epic The Spine of Night took the violence one step further. As a malevolent and evil magical force begins to rise, warriors from different cultures and time periods must work together to stop it. Clearly drawing inspiration from Bakshi’s Fire and Ice, The Spine of Night used rotoscopic animation to create a beautiful and fluid art style that was punctuated by the story’s over-the-top violence. While not the most accessible fantasy story because of its grisly nature, The Spine of Night proved that originality was still possible in the animated fantasy genre.
- The Spine of Night is available to stream on Shudder and AMC Plus
Dragonlance: Dragons of the Autumn Twilight (2008)
Set within the realms of the wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons universe, Dragonlance: Dragons of the Autumn Twilight had all the makings of an epic fantasy classic but was largely overlooked. The story concerns an adventure party that reunites to prevent an impending war from consuming the world. Based on the classic D&D campaign of the same name, the straight-to-video animated film had all the fun and collaborative energy of a rousing RPG experience. Though the animation was standard, the epic cast includs the likes of Kiefer Sutherland, Lucy Lawless, and James Marsden.
- Dragonlance: Dragons of the Autumn Twilight is available to rent or buy from Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Vudu
The Last Unicorn (1982)
Few of the best animated fantasy movies have garnered as big of a cult following as The Last Unicorn and the underrated gem stands as a quintessential piece of 1980s cinema. The story concerns the titular magical beast who leaves her protective forest to discover what happened to all of her kind. Best remembered for its soft and pleasant soundtrack and art style, the allegorical ending of The Last Unicorn put the story squarely in the fairy tale category, though it was so much more. Rankin/Bass had established themselves as animated fantasy icons with their adaptation of The Hobbit, but The Last Unicorn went far beyond a simple book-to-screen translation.
- The Last Unicorn is available to stream on Hulu, Peacock, Vudu, Tubi TV, and Freevee
