The 21st century has proven to be the best for fans of fantasy TV, with shows like Game of Thrones revitalizing the genre in a big way that has allowed for bigger, more immersive projects; shows like Xena: Warrior Princess were great, but it is a product of a time when fantasy was almost always pushed aside for other genres when it came to budget.
With bigger budgets came more intricately planned worlds, as the genre has become known for immersing viewers in other realms or alternative realities fraught with danger, intrigue, wonder, and drama. Yet, being a 10/10 series while also nailing world-building is no easy feat. To highlight this rare intersection, we look at series that many call perfect, set in fantastical worlds expertly crafted.
‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)
It’s difficult not to kick off this list with the series that redefined the modern fantasy epic. Based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Game of Thrones builds its world across the continents of Westeros and Essos, where kingdoms fight for control, and evil forces exist on the fringes that threaten them all. The lives of many are intertwined, capturing the harsh brutalities of a medieval-inspired fantasy world.
Game of Thrones set a template for an epic-fantasy TV series, with the sheer depth of its history, religions, languages, and political systems, crafted to immerse the viewer in a very believable world. This kind of planning even seems integral in smaller houses, or minor characters, with everyone feeling they have lived in the world and have a history. While the show ended on a sour note for many fans, it is set to find redemption with the recent announcement of the new movie, which will only further cement its legacy.
‘His Dark Materials’ (2019–2022)
Adapted from Philip Pullman’s acclaimed trilogy, His Dark Materials centers on Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), a young girl from Jordan College, who uncovers a cosmic conspiracy in another world around a mysterious substance called Dust. Lyra finds both foes and allies as she becomes intertwined in the politics and culture of the mythical land.
How adorable yet brutal Polar Bear warriors are aside, the series excels at world-building through its multi-layered universe, where every human is bonded to a “daemon.” The series introduces a number of fantastical creatures, heroes, villains, and oppressive organizations, resulting in a constant clash between realities. Praised for its philosophical depth and emotional exploration of coming of age, His Dark Materials is an ideal watch for fans of classic fantasy.
‘Carnival Row’ (2019–2023)
Set in a grim, neo-Victorian city known as The Burgue, Carnival Row follows an unlikely relationship that builds between detective Rycroft Philostrate (Orlando Bloom) and a fae refugee of war, Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne). The world that the two live in sees fae and other mythical creatures trying to coexist with humanity under heavy oppression.
Despite its fantastic premise, Carnival Row uses well-known mythical creatures to explore real-world issues, such as immigration, class struggle, and imperialism. Moreover, The Burge feels like a lived-in city, with its own history and power struggles shaping the social landscape. The series excels in its genre mash-up as well, presenting an addictive detective-noir meets fantasy that has its own distinct visual and narrative presence.
‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ (2019)
Acting as a prequel to the cult film, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, takes place generations before the events in the Jim Henson classic dark fantasy. The story follows three Gelflings, Rian (Taron Egerton), Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel), who uncover that those who rule over the lands, the Skeksis, are feeding on the essence of the people to stay alive. As a major event, The Darkening, approaches, each Gefling separates and begins to build up resistance to fight back.
While only a limited series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance benefited from already-established elements of its fantasy world from the 1982 film. Still, the approach of telling the story from three different characters who work together in the kingdom allowed us to build that grander scale that is so appealing. Moreover, there is an undeniable charm in Jim Henson’s creations and how the studio he founded remains relevant, with a unique, unmatched artistic vision across everything from characters to landscapes.
‘One Piece’ (2023–Present)
We are not talking the 1000+ episode anime series here, but the live-action adaptation managed to do the unthinkable in bringing the expansive world of Luffy and his pirate compatriots to TV. The plot for One Piece is simple enough; Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), a cheerful and reckless young pirate granted the powers of a rubber body, sets out to find the legendary treasure known as the “One Piece” and become King of the Pirates. Yet, it is the attention to detail and world-building that make this a 10/10 series.
The only show on this list still running, One Piece, would have fans hesitantly optimistic about the first season. Yet, the recent release of the second shows the series’ commitment to authentically recapturing the iconic, popular anime. From the costumes to the many flashy superpowers to the large scale of pirate life, One Piece has set the stage to become a modern TV fantasy masterpiece.
‘Kingdom’ (2019–2020)
An addictive Korean drama/fantasy/horror, Kingdom takes place in an alternative Joseon era, where Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) becomes entangled in a political conspiracy after his father, the king, falls mysteriously ill. Outcast for treason and blocked from his home, the Prince soon realizes that a strange disease is taking over the land, turning its citizens into zombie-like creatures.
Kingdom is praiseworthy for its mash-up of genres, bringing the grand scale of a historic-epic fantasy, the depth of a political drama, and the horrors of plague. For Fantasy fans, the element is more subversive, as the plague addresses class divides, with many ‘starving’ due to corruption. The series also slowly reveals ‘rules’ around its creatures that do not make their existence so cut-and-dry. It may not be strictly fantasy, but it brilliantly melds into so many genres and builds its world around fantastical events and meticulously laid-out politics and conflict.
‘Penny Dreadful’ (2014–2016)
For fans of classic Universal monsters and gothic horror, Penny Dreadful crafts a beautifully macabre fantasy world. Following Vanessa Ives (Eva Green), Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton), and Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett), the series sees the three humans pitted against all manner of creatures.
The bones of Penny Dreadful very much fall in line with other shows like Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but what distinguishes the series visually is that it seamlessly fuses literary myth into TV fantasy. Less episodic, each of these creatures exists in a sort of poetically dark harmony, sticking to their literary personas. Every aspect of the world is deeply interconnected in a way that marks for addictive, world-immersive storytelling. Fans of classic horror, in particular, will appreciate how Penny Dreadful turned the icons into a bingeable series without having to simplify them.
‘Doom Patrol’ (2019–2023)
Following a team of misfit heroes from the DCU, Doom Patrol pairs the ragtag and often inept team against a myriad of threats, including reality-warping and existential threats from Mr. Nobody, the art-inspired anarchists that are The Brotherhood of Dada, and who can forget the killer, singing butts? The series thrived in the absurd, and while on paper it may not seem like the best world-building fantasy series, it is deceptive.
Doom Patrol succeeded in making the unbelievable feel cohesive, so the characters could find themselves inside Crazy Jane’s mind one moment and then partying on a sentient street the next. Moreover, the series took the most absurd aspects of DC Comics and crafted a cohesive narrative, introducing characters such as Monsieur Mallah and Flex Mentallo. These oddballs should not have been viable on screen, but Doom Patrol understood that grounding its team of delinquents in realistic struggles and fun personas allowed such strangeness to be introduced and made it comedic without bringing on mockery.
When it comes to fantasy, TV is full of exceptional series that successfully build fantastical worlds for fans to get lost in. So, make sure you let us know what your favorite 10/10 world-building fantasy series are.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
