Fantasy television contains some of the most imaginative storytelling in visual media, and the best fantasy TV shows of 2024 all exemplify this ability. Of course, there’s overlap between fantasy shows and the other great genre TV that’s been put out in recent years. However, fantasy distinguishes itself with its magic, otherworldly settings, and plots that bend the forces of nature and reality. Not to mention, there were fantastic performances achieved by actors in the past year. Transforming into characters who inhabit another world and translating complex interpersonal dynamics demonstrates the strength of a show.

It’s common for fantasy series to be adapted from existing IP, and many great fantasy books are getting movie and TV adaptations. Translating the visual language and magic systems from the written word into sets, costumes, and effects can be difficult, but the creative teams behind fantasy shows are dedicated to living up to audience expectations. However, there are also plenty of projects that are completely new and are breaking ground in introducing fantasy to new generations of audiences. As technological developments increase in ability and prowess in film, there will only be an influx of fantastic achievements on TV.

10

Echo (2024)

Echo is Disney+’s underrated miniseries that introduced new characters and paid tribute to old ones.

The protagonist of Echo, Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), was a featured character in Hawkeye, the 2021 show that Marvel produced in 2021. After the events of Hawkeye, Maya is on the run and her story is in the perfect position to get its own focus. She goes to Oklahoma to reconnect with her family, but that doesn’t mean that the past is fully behind her. Echo does a good job of balancing the serious moments and Maya’s coming to grips with her past with the brilliantly choreographed action sequences that feature Cox’s skills as a performer and an action star.

As a miniseries, it’s unlikely that Echo will return, but after her strong work in the show, it’s likely that audiences haven’t seen the last of Cox. Just five episodes long, the series had a lot of ground to cover but paced itself well overall. Every female-led MCU movies and TV shows face additional scrutiny and judgment, but it’s one of the best projects from the company. Echo is a great step forward for Marvel in being taken more seriously and grappling with darker, more complex tones.

9

The Acolyte (2024)

Despite the pressure of the Star Wars franchise, The Acolyte has its strong points.

The Star Wars movies and TV shows have always operated on the line between sci-fi and fantasy, and The Acolyte is an enjoyable new installment of the franchise. The Acolyte is interesting because it’s set before the events of The Phantom Menace and explores an unseen conflict between a Jedi Master and Padawan that becomes a conflict long before Darth Vader rises to power. Starring Amandla Stenberg, the series features her playing the twins Osha and Mae, who reside on opposite sides of the force.

The Acolyte focuses on modern stories within the context of Star Wars but still stays true to the lore in a way that makes sense and enriches the series. One of the biggest complaints lodged against the show was that the pacing was a little slow, and the characters could have been more fully developed, but this argument can be made about many shows in the Star Wars universe. It’s important for the Star Wars canon that shows like The Acolyte are made and allow the stories of the universe to expand and grow.

8

Sweet Tooth (2021–2024)

Sweet Tooth’s final season gives the characters their due and promises a better future.

Equal parts dark and hopeful, Sweet Tooth has been a unique part of the television landscape since its premiere in 2021, and though the third season was the last, it provided a solid finish. The three-season arc was the perfect amount of time to tell the story Sweet Tooth set out to tell. Despite featuring a child, Gus (Christian Convery), as a lead character, the post-apocalyptic world Sweet Tooth is set in is full of dangers, prejudice, and experimental science. The show’s conceit is that human-animal hybrids begin being born in the aftermath of a pandemic.

Much of the series revolves around the discrimination that these young hybrids face, as so many of them are children. Like all great fantasy, Sweet Tooth can be seen as a commentary on contemporary culture. Post-apocalyptic narratives are more popular than ever, and even amidst this oversaturation of the genre, Sweet Tooth manages to bring something new to the table. Based on the comic series by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth will be missed, but the final season wraps up the story with heart and excitement.

7

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024–Present)

Based on the beloved animated series, the live-action Avatar was hotly anticipated.

The original Avatar: The Last Airbender ran for a complete three seasons on Nickelodeon and has an incredible legacy and millions of adoring fans who grew up watching the show or discovered it later in life. Regardless, the beautifully plotted and developed story arc across the three seasons is revered as some of the best animated television of all time, children’s or not. Due to this popularity, it was only a matter of time before the IP was picked up to make a live-action show.

This occurred in the wake of the failure of the live-action movie that was panned by critics and fans alike, and Netflix spent a long time casting, writing, and producing the series. Though it didn’t quite live up to the high standards set by the fans, the visual effects are far better than that of the movie, and the casting was accurate to the ages and characterization of the characters. There’s no doubt that the live-action show will continue for many more seasons and only get better with each installment.

6

Dead Boy Detectives (2024–Present)

With charming leads and scary stories, Dead Boy Detectives serves up a strong first outing.

Dead Boy Detectives comes from the world of the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman and is full of the trademark gothic fantasy that Gaiman is known for. The Sandman comics are some of Neil Gaiman’s best books, and the Dead Boy Detectives feature some characters that were in The Sandman series which was an intriguing crossover for viewers who watched both shows. Dead Boy Detectives chronicles the story of Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri) and Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) who are the ghosts of two young boys who investigate murders.

Though it has plenty of darkness and intrigue, younger audiences might be more inclined to seek out Dead Boy Detectives because it features stories about adolescence and young love. While the Endless are a large part of the Sandman universe, Dead Boy Detectives focuses more heavily on the paranormal and the thin line between life and death in the context of the story. With two charismatic leads in Revri and Rextrew, exciting things are in store for Dead Boy Detectives.

5

Blood Of Zeus (2020–Present)

With gorgeous animation and original stories, Blood of Zeus stands apart in the Greek myth genre.

Blood of Zeus is a great example of how adult animation has evolved and how Greek mythology has taken hold of cultural interest. Last year, the television adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians came out in late 2023 and demonstrates how there has never been more space for retellings of myths on TV. However, Blood of Zeus takes the individualized approach of creating new stories and delivering them under the guise of being legends lost to time. The protagonist, Heron, is a demigod and son of Zeus who faces many challenges.

Audiences have been waiting a long time for Blood of Zeus season 2, as season 1 dropped in 2020, and there was enormous pressure for the series to deliver on the hype from the first outing. The animation style has been praised since the beginning, but season 2 pushes the skills on display to new heights. Blood of Zeus is an epic in every sense, taking the viewers to situations and enthralling them with stories that transcend the boundaries of imagination. If Blood of Zeus season 3 is half as good as the most recent season, it will succeed.

4

Doctor Who (1965–Present)

After decades on the air and many new actors, Doctor Who continues to surprise and delight.

The latest season of Doctor Who has shown that the long-running series is anything but past its prime. It’s shown it will be able to nimbly evolve in the future. Ncuti Gatwa plays the fifteenth Doctor, and the new incarnation of the beloved character has put the show on track for an amazing string of upcoming seasons. Additionally, the return of Russell T. Davies has been exciting and has seen the series explore LGBTQ+ stories and themes more than ever before. Between Gatwa’s charm and Davies’ new direction, viewers can expect plenty of fun from Doctor Who this year.

Each Doctor Who season 14 episode has brought something unique to the table, and though there were some uneven episodes, on the whole, the season was strong. Doctor Who is a difficult show to write and execute, as it has a long history and many fans have strong opinions about how the Doctor should be characterized. The current iteration of Doctor Who promises new ideas and fun visuals, and it will be interesting to see who the new companion is that joins Gatwa next season.

3

Interview With A Vampire (2022–Present)

This recent show is a brilliantly reimagined take on Anne Rice’s novel and the 1994 film.

There are plenty of movies and TV shows about vampires, but Anne Rice managed to transform the genre with her 1976 book that generated new interest in the classic horror monster. Though the book was adapted into a film in 1994, it never eclipsed more than cult status among moviegoers and isn’t considered a faithful take on the story. However, this has changed with the 2022 show Interview With The Vampire, which recently dropped its second season and continues to update and transform the plot for modern audiences.

Interview With The Vampire season 2 encapsulates the second half of Rice’s book, but there are more installments of the novel series that the show can turn into additional seasons. This is good news, as season 2 is making waves and has only increased audience and critical appreciation for the show. One of the things Interview With The Vampire does better than the book or movie is expand upon Louis’ (Jacob Anderson) character and the issues with his relationship with Lestat (Sam Reid). Additionally, his bond with Claudia (Delainey Hayles) is even more complex and interesting in season 2.

2

Parasyte: The Grey (2024–Present)

Based on the hit manga, this updated take on the Parasyte story is an exciting new development.

Part horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, Parasyte: The Grey encapsulates many genres and has a distinctive visual style developed based on the manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki. Its premise revolves around the aftermath of the invasion of aliens who take over the bodies of humans and transform them into grotesque monsters. However, for Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee), when a parasitic creature attempts to take over her body, something strange happens. She doesn’t die, but instead, the alien merges with her body, and she becomes something akin to a dark superhero.

Like all the best TV shows that blend sci-fi and fantasy, Parasyte: The Grey creates an inherent sense of mystery and excitement through its magic system and character relationships. Since its release, Parasyte: The Grey has received almost universal acclaim and is considered an amazing successor to the manga, anime, and Japanese live-action film that preceded it. It’s a tall order to take on such a well-known and beloved IP and make it into something unique and engaging. However, Parasyte: The Grey has connected with new audiences alongside longtime fans of the story.

1

House Of The Dragon (2022–Present)

The Game of Thrones spinoff has brought the franchise back with a vengeance.

The characters in House of the Dragon include great fantasy heroines like Daenerys Targaryen, which isn’t surprising considering how many of them are her direct ancestors. Game of Thrones was written before the publication of Fire & Blood. However, George R.R. Martin’s fictional history of Westeros describes the political and cultural events that lead up to the story in Game of Thrones. House of the Dragon is the first spinoff to come from the fantasy juggernaut Game of Thrones, which was responsible for catapulting fantasy TV back into the mainstream and became synonymous with HBO’s success in the 2010s.

House of the Dragon season 2 recently dropped, and it’s living up to the expectations set by season 1. The essential conflict between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) is at the heart of the show, and the story is at its best when the actors work together. Like any HBO fantasy series, House of the Dragon goes the extra mile in set design, costumes, and visual effects, setting it above much of the competition. It remains to be seen if it will reach the heights of Game of Thrones, but it’s doing well so far.