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10 Best Fantasy TV Shows of 2025, Ranked
This year got off to a slow start when it came to fantasy TV, with most of the genre’s best new releases coming out during the latter half of 2025. And this uneven release schedule wasn’t the only way fantasy had a weird year. The category has been steadily coming off the high of the post-Game of Thrones landscape, which saw streamers and networks green-lighting lots of new projects to replace it. Some of the biggest, like House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power, were in between outings in 2025. And with newer projects, like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Harry Potter, not debuting until later, live-action fantasy seems to have slowed a bit.
Streamers appear to be prioritizing sci-fi and horror instead, as both categories have received much more fanfare in 2025. Still, there were a few standout seasons of live-action fantasy TV — and that’s not to mention all the great animated projects that came out this year. Looking back at the best additions to the category, there was definitely a shift in the most effective medium to tell these stories. However, the top series of the year was still a live-action one, and it’s a title that will surprise no one.
10) The Witcher Season 4
The Witcher Season 4 was one of the biggest fantasy releases of 2025, though it had its work cut out for it. The Netflix show was already heavily criticized prior to Henry Cavill’s exit after Season 3. However, the challenge of selling a new actor as Geralt of Rivia could easily have been the final nail in its coffin. If its Rotten Tomatoes scores are anything to judge by, many would insist that it was. Yet I’d argue The Witcher Season 4 actually did an impressive job of bouncing back after losing its lead.
Liam Hemsworth did as well as could be expected in the role, with the transition proving pretty seamless. Both Yennefer and Ciri had stronger storylines, and the overall plot was tighter and more compelling than Season 3’s. Unfortunately, The Witcher Season 4 didn’t bring the adaptation back in line with Andrzej Sapkowski’s source material. It was probably too late to hope for it, but that will come to tarnish its legacy. Still, Season 4 wasn’t nearly as bad as some reviews suggest. It might not be the very best fantasy show of 2025, but it’s earned a place among the year’s greatest hits.
9) Fionna and Cake Season 2
Fionna and Cake expanded the Adventure Time universe in 2023, and the animated series returned for its sophomore season in October of this year. Although the ending of Fionna and Cake Season 1 raised questions about where the spinoff could possibly go next, the second outing actually managed to surpass its predecessor in certain areas. Its main plot hasn’t quite reached the heights of Season 1’s, but what it’s lacked in universe-shattering stakes it’s made up for with its character work.
Of course, Season 2 hasn’t finished its run just yet; only eight of 10 episodes are streaming. Even so, I’d say it’s safe to place it among 2025’s strongest fantasy offerings. Its smaller-scale storytelling prevents it from ranking higher, but it’s a great reminder that the best fantasy doesn’t always involve its characters saving the world or defeating some great evil. Sometimes, it’s the quieter and more personal narratives that resonate the most.
8) Hazbin Hotel
Hazbin Hotel Season 2 also premiered in October, and the second chapter of the Prime Video show was a step up from the first. The cult hit wrapped its initial outing on a cliffhanger, so many of its fans were eager to dive back into the story. And Season 2 didn’t disappoint, ramping up the stakes and offering deeper explorations of its best characters, from Alastor to Vox. The animators also upped their game this time around, which complemented the stronger storytelling nicely.
Hazbin Hotel‘s character work came at the expense of Season 1’s more streamlined pacing, which I’d argue wasn’t the worst exchange. Despite the outing’s flaws, it remained entertaining, and its musical moments were especially memorable. Season 2 made me hopeful for the series’ trajectory going forward, but it could still go higher. It wasn’t as memorable as some of the biggest fantasy titles to return this year, nor did its improvements prove quite as impressive as other shows that stepped it up in 2025.
7) Percy Jackson & the Olympians Season 2
Percy Jackson & the Olympians Season 2 just debuted on Disney+ on December 10, and there’s a good chance it would rank higher if there were more than two episodes to measure the outing by. The adaptation has continued to showcase Season 1’s greatest strength: its ability to stay faithful to Rick Riordan’s source material while making changes that truly benefit the story. Its opening also wasted no time throwing us back into Riordan’s world, with the pacing and stakes making it easy to stay invested.
The performances in the first two episodes were even better than in Season 1, perhaps because the characters and their dynamics were already established. Apart from a few awkward bits of dialogue, Percy Jackson & the Olympians Season 2 has had few flaws to speak of. Sadly, that could change, so it’s too early for this to jump ahead of Wednesday and The Wheel of Time. The potential is there though.
6) Wednesday Season 2
Wednesday Season 2 was one of the most highly anticipated fantasy releases of 2025, and although it was a little disappointing after all the excitement generated by Season 1, it still gave us a campy magic school story well worth watching. The Netflix series maintained its dark and charming tone, and its setting felt appropriately atmospheric. The bond between Wednesday and Enid received more attention and depth, and the stars bringing the characters to life continued to excel in their roles.
Unfortunately, like many of the shows on this list, Wednesday Season 2 suffered from problems with its plot and pacing. The newest episodes felt all over the place at times, and the lack of coherency wasn’t helped by Netflix’s bizarre release schedule. It wasn’t enough to ruin the experience, but it did raise questions about whether Wednesday could ever truly hope to replace Stranger Things. If it wants to have the same longevity, it will need to address some of its flaws in Season 3.
5) The Wheel of Time Season 3
The Wheel of Time Season 3 was a major turnaround after Seasons 1 and 2, and that made Prime Video’s decision to cancel the show even more tragic. Season 3 finally saw big jumps in quality, with everything from the visual effects to the writing improving. Its pacing also picked up, and combined with its greater fidelity to the books, it made for an enjoyable ride. Of course, there were still divergences that diehard fans of the source material weren’t on board with. But overall, those made more sense and worked better than the changes in previous chapters.
Of course, all these improvements couldn’t save The Wheel of Time from cancellation — and as its fate suggests, Season 3 did have its flaws. It wasn’t merely that fans couldn’t get past prior grievances. Several big moments served to lessen the stakes, and the payoff on certain storylines wasn’t as satisfying as it should have been. With the show left unfinished, the latter will only be more frustrating on a rewatch. So, while The Wheel of Time Season 3 was better than expected, it wasn’t spotless enough to top the year’s lineup of fantasy titles.
4) Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2
Considering the success of Castlevania, it hasn’t been a surprise to see its sequel series, Castlevania: Nocturne, take off. Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 came out in January, one of 2025’s few great fantasy shows to get an early premiere. Season 2 managed to surpass Season 1 on multiple levels, bettering everything from the pacing and plot to the interactions between its main characters. The latter was a selling point of the original series, so it’s promising that the spinoff has started to get it right.
The animation also got stronger in Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2, and that lent itself to enhanced action sequences. There was more action, too, which made this outing more thrilling overall. There was still room to improve when it came to the character writing, and that reality places it below two other series that mastered this element. And unfortunately, the spinoff has had less of an impact than the original, making it impossible for it to complete with the number one fantasy project of the year.
3) Gen V Season 2
Whether superhero shows count as fantasy remains up for debate, but as people can’t control blood or others’ minds in the real world, I’d argue Gen V Season 2 qualifies. And The Boys spinoff’s second outing was undoubtedly one of the strongest genre offerings of 2025, even if it lost some of the novelty of its first chapter. The season coincided just enough with The Boys to be satisfying. However, it successfully told its own story, building on the events of Season 1 in satisfying ways.
The returning characters were infused with even more depth, demonstrating that few people in The Boys universe are wholly good or evil. And Hamish Linklater’s turn as Dean Cipher was a highlight, contributing to Season 2’s ability to recapture the dark but humorous tone of the franchise at large. Gen V Season 2 didn’t feel as cohesive as Season 1, but it was still powerful and entertaining. There’s one new fantasy show that feels fresher, however — and a returning one that has done a better job of building on the momentum of past chapters.
2) The Mighty Nein
The Legend of Vox Machina spinoff, The Mighty Nein, has proven the value of fresh storytelling in the fantasy genre since its November premiere. Only six of Season 1’s eight episodes have come out so far, but The Mighty Nein has already risen to become one of the best fantasy shows of 2025. It has the charm and gorgeous animation of The Legend of Vox Machina, but it’s also expanded the original series’ world in compelling ways. The politics have become bigger and more complex, and the main cast of characters has managed to be even more dysfunctional and flawed than the previous band of misfits.
These elements of The Mighty Nein have led to great character dynamics and gripping storylines, and those seem poised to get better as time goes on. The series has already sold its story, and its action and animation aren’t anything to scoff at either. However, it can’t yet compare to a show as established as Stranger Things, as there just hasn’t been enough setup for the emotional beats to land the same.
1) Stranger Things Season 5
In terms of sheer impact, Stranger Things Season 5 was the biggest fantasy release of 2025 (though we’ve got two more volumes to watch before the final chapter is through). And while Season 5 hasn’t been the strongest addition to the Netflix series so far, it’s still delivered enough great character moments and twists to climb to the top of this year’s fantasy offerings. Stranger Things Season 5, Episode 4’s cliffhanger alone was among the year’s most satisfying TV moments, paying off a storyline nearly a decade in the making.
The show has also done a great job of honoring its roots and setting up a proper send-off for the characters we’ve grown so attached to over the last nine years. It’s too soon to say if it will stick the landing, and if it really trips on its way over the finish line, it may need to be pushed back on this list. However, Stranger Things Season 5’s opening episodes have laid the groundwork for it to be the best fantasy release of the year. It has continued to dominate conversations, and it’s left fans eager for more as we near its conclusion.
What has been your favorite fantasy release of 2025? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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