The Best Fantasy Shows on Netflix Right Now

Creator: Meredith Averill, Aron Eli Coleite, Carlton Cuse

Cast: Darby Stanchfield, Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones, Jackson Robert Scott, Laysla De Oliveira, Petrice Jones, Griffin Gluck

Despite its immense success and Eisner Award win, Locke & Key, the graphic novel series of the same name by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez, struggled to be adapted for screen. That is: until Netflix stepped in!

The long-anticipated Locke & Key series follows the Locke family — Nina (Darby Stanchfield) and her children Tyler (Connor Jessup), Kinsey (Emilia Jones), and Bode (Jackson Robert Scott) — as they move to the little town of Matheson following the murder of the Locke patriarch, Rendell. The ancestral home distracts the children before they start uncovering secret keys with magical properties. The keys unlock more than just magic, though, as an old forgotten evil arrives to torment the family and those they care about.

Locke & Key is a gripping show that balances its youthful protagonists with mysteries and shocking twists. The show manages to keep readers of the graphic novels engaged while welcoming new viewers as well. The production design is outstanding and leans heavily into the source material. The combination of genres means this show appeals to a wide audience. – Monita Mohan

Creators: Jim Mickle, Beth Schwartz

Cast: Nonso Anozie, Christian Convery, Adeel Akhtar

Based on the comic book by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth is one of the most adorable and wholesome post-apocalyptic dramas. Set 10 years after a global catastrophe and societal collapse, Sweet Tooth follows a naive half-human half-deer hybrid boy named Gus (Christian Convery) on his journey to find his mother. After his father’s death, Gus befriends a traveler (Nonso Anozie), who reluctantly agrees to accompany the boy. Sweet Tooth delightfully balances science-fiction weight with a charming and emotionally engaging narrative, ultimately producing an intriguing mystery and exciting action drama intended for viewers of all ages. – Yael Tygiel

Creator: Joe Cornish

Cast: Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman, Ali Hadji-Heshmati

Based on the book series by Jonathan Stroud, Lockwood & Co. was developed for television by Joe Cornish. Starring Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman, and Ali Hadji-Heshmati, Lockwood & Co. follows the adventures of a couple of London boys who begin a ghost-hunting business with the assistance of a psychic girl. Set in an alternate UK where ghosts are more than a daily occurrence, the trio of unsupervised teens finds themselves amusingly immersed in a dangerous mystery that may change their lives — and the course of history itself. Campy and filled with fun supernatural charm, Lockwood & Co. lands somewhere between Ghostbusters and Goosebumps. – Yael Tygiel

Creator: Joe Barton

Cast: Jay Lycurgo, Nadia Parkes, Paul Ready, Isobel Jesper Jones

Adapted for television by Joe Barton and based on the novel Bad Half, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is a deviously engaging supernatural series that was tragically cut short. The series follows Nathan (Jay Lycurgo), the illegitimate teenage son of a powerful witch, caught in the middle of a battle between two powerful factions. As Nathan’s powers begin to blossom, so does the fear left by his father’s destructive and lethal legacy. The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself explores themes of nature versus nurture, family dynamics, and good versus evil through the eight-episode series, begging to be binged again and again. – Yael Tygiel

Creators: Hong Jung-eun, Hong Mi-ran

Cast: Lee Jae-wook, Jung So-min, Go Yoon-jung, Hwang Min-hyun

A clever and captivating concept, Alchemy of Souls is a supernatural South Korean series set in the fictional country of Daeho. Written by the Hong sisters, Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran, Alchemy of Souls follows a couple of young mages who unwillingly switch their souls with other people, ultimately twisting their fates, after encountering a forbidden spell. A love story wrapped in a fantasy adventure, Alchemy of Souls compellingly explores romance tropes like soulmates and mistaken identity. Starring Lee Jae-wook, Jung So-min, and Go Yoon-jung, Alchemy of Souls is an intriguing soapy spectacle. – Yael Tygiel

Creator: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar

Cast: Jenna Ortega, Gwendoline Christie, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán

Blending comedy and horror, as The Addams Family does well, Wednesday highlights the spooky coming-of-age story of Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), the eldest daughter of Gomez (Luis Guzmán) and Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones). A brilliant update from the beloved early 90s version of the character, Ortega’s adaptation emphasizes the clever mind of the morbid child. Wednesday places the titular character at Nevermore Academy, a school for the macabre controlled by Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie). The story feels reminiscent of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as Wednesday attempts to handle a family mystery while learning to hone her new psychic talents. – Yael Tygiel

Creator: Dennis Heaton, Shelley Eriksen

Cast: Jake Manley, Sarah Grey, Adam DiMarco

Created by Dennis Heaton and Shelley Eriksen (The Imperfects), The Order is a tragically short-lived, thrilling fantasy series about magic and monsters. Jake Manley stars as a college freshman at Belgrave University determined to uncover family secrets while being recruited by a secret society participating in the war between werewolves and dark magic. Alongside Manley, The Order stars Sarah Grey and Adam DiMarco (The Magicians) as fellow students and practitioners of dangerous magic. An exciting, whimsical drama with intricate mythology, The Order has a dark edge full of high-stakes adventure. – Yael Tygiel

Creator: Will Davies

Cast: Amir Wilson, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, Thaddea Graham, Islam Bouakkaz

Amir Wilson (His Dark Materials) stars in The Letter for the King, a coming-of-age fantasy mini-series inspired by Tonke Dragt’s beloved bestselling novel. Developed for the streamer by Will Davies, The Letter for the King tells the tale of Tiuri, a teen squire (Wilson) who eagerly accepts a dangerous mission to deliver a letter to his King in hopes of one day earning Knighthood. With an epic quest that leads him across three kingdoms, Tiuri and his crew of passionate companions encounter a range of foes, both magical and human, intent on derailing his goal of saving the world from being thrust into darkness. – Yael Tygiel

Created by: Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, Allan Heinberg

Cast: Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, Patton Oswalt

Based on the comics also by Neil Gaiman, The Sandman is a grand, time-traveling story that focuses on The King of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), who, after being imprisoned by a mortal wizard for decades, goes on a quest to reclaim his lost items of power and bring back order to his realm called The Dreaming. With gorgeously grand production design and stunning performances, the series does an impeccable job adapting its source material – not an easy feat considering its complex plots and rich themes. Offering an excellent combination of breathtaking fantasy, compelling drama, and even supernatural horror, The Sandman is one-of-a-kind. – Taylor Gates

Creator: Simon Barry

Cast: Alba Baptista, Toya Turner, Thekla Reuten

Based on the comic book character by Ben Dunn, Warrior Nun revolves around 19-year-old Ava Silva (Alba Baptista), who grew up in a Catholic orphanage and wakes up in a morgue with a halo in her back: one that gives her superpowers and allows her to walk for the first time in over a decade. However, there is a catch. The artifact was put into her by a group of – you guessed it – warrior nuns who battle demons and recruit Ava to join them. Fans of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and First Kill are sure to enjoy this particular brand of coming-of-age chaos. – Taylor Gates

Creator: V.E. Schwab (based on the short story by)

Cast: Sarah Catherine Hook, Imani Lewis, Elizabeth Mitchell

First Kill is a modern supernatural series that elegantly embraces Romeo and Juliet overtones, envisioning the star-crossed lovers as a vampire and vampire hunter. First Kill unfolds beautifully with a young adult-leaning dramatic lesbian romance starring Sarah Catherine Hook (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) and Imani Lewis (Hightown) in the lead roles of Juliette and Calliope, respectively. With gorgeous visuals and a unique aesthetic, First Kill mesmerizes as the story builds upon non-stop romance, adventure, and impressive action sequences. – Yael Tygiel

Creator: Brian Young

Based on the Winx Club series by: Iginio Straffi

Cast: Abigail Cowen, Precious Mustapha, Eliot Salt, Hannah van der Westhuysen, Freddie Thorp, Danny Griffin, and Elisha Applebaum

Based on the animated Winx Club series, Netflix’s live-action Fate: The Winx Saga follows newly-discovered fairy Bloom (Abigail Cowen) as she begins her magical schooling at Alfea — a college for fairies and specialists alike. But with Bloom’s reappearance comes the reappearance of old foes, the Burned Ones. As Bloom and her friends grow closer and experience the joys and pains of being a teenager, the threat of the Burned Ones and other dark forces grows. This live-action take on this incredible magical world has no shortage of magic, drama, and beautiful relationships to explore. It’s also been compared to The CW’s Riverdale, partially because it will have you hooked from the end of the first episode. – Jay Snow

Creator: Jennie Snyder Urman, Jessica O’Toole, Amy Rardin

Cast: Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock, Sarah Jeffery, Ser’Darius Blain, Ellen Tamaki, Rupert Evans, Nick Hargrove, Jordan Donica, Poppy Drayton, Lucy Barrett

A reboot of the 1998 series, the new Charmed is, well, positively charming. After the death of their mother, a trio of sisters discovers they’re the most powerful good witches on earth and must protect the world from dark forces. The show is known for its BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation, showing that everyone – no matter their race or sexuality – has a little magic in them. – Taylor Gates

Creator: Frank Miller, Tom Wheeler

Cast: Katherine Langford, Devon Terrell, Gustaf Skarsgård, Daniel Sharman, Sebastian Armesto, Lily Newmark, Peter Mullan

Based on the illustrated novel by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, who also created the show, Cursed is a retelling of the Arthurian legend shown through the eyes of a young woman named Nimue (Katherine Langford). Though originally shunned by her village due to a perceived curse, Nimue eventually finds her power and becomes the hero she was always destined to be. Filled with fairies, magicians, and warriors, Cursed is a fantastical treat. – Taylor Gates

Creator: Julie Plec

Cast: Danielle Rose Russell, Aria Shahghasemi, Kaylee Bryant, Jenny Boyd, Quincy Fouse, Peyton Alex Smith, Matt Davis, Chris Lee

A spinoff of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, Legacies has everything that made the other two series so popular while also carving out its own specific space and tone. The show centers around Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell), daughter of Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall, as she attends the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted to control her powers. There, Hope and her classmates must fight monsters, each other, and sometimes even themselves. Legacies has everything a great fantasy and coming-of-age story needs. – Taylor Gates

Creator: Eric Heisserer

Cast: Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes, Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, Danielle Galligan, Calahan Skogman

Based on the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone tells the story of a girl who discovers one day that not only does she have magical powers and is a Grisha, basically a witch, but she is one of the rarest types of Grisha: a Sun Summoner, someone who can manipulate the light. In a war-torn fantastical world, she must face a foreboding and handsome general, court politics, and even tangle with a group of foreign thieves. Eric Heisserer‘s interpretation of the Grishaverse combines both of Bardugo’s early series: the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. It blends the war epic of the former series with the heist nature of the latter to surprising success. For those looking for a new fantastical world to dive into, look no further. — Therese Lacson

Creator: Tom Kapinos

Cast: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D.B. Woodside, Lesley-Ann Brandt

Based on the comic book series of the same name, Lucifer follows the eponymous Devil as he takes a “vacation” from Hell to run a nightclub in Los Angeles. After a friend is killed outside his club, he gets involved in the police investigation, and ends up becoming a civilian consultant with the Homicide department. The show starts out as a procedural with fantasy elements, but by the end of the six-season run, the show has introduced God; had demons come up from Hell to kidnap a baby; dealt with time-travel; and introduced many of Lucifer’s angelic siblings.

The show originally began on Fox Network, where it ran for three seasons before getting canceled. Due to a tremendous fan outreach, Netflix picked it up for an additional three seasons. – Alyse Wax

Creator: Ronald D. Moore.

Cast: Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Duncan Lacroix, Sophie Skelton

Outlander leans more towards historical drama and romance than outright high-genre, but it hinges on one essential fantasy element – the ability to move through time. Caitriona Balfe stars as Claire, a WWII nurse who is thrown back into 1743 after visiting some mystical standing stones and finds herself falling for a rebel Highlander, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). But that’s just the start of an epic journey that sends the Frasers from continent to continent, and era to era, in a sprawling drama inspired by the beloved book series from author Diana Gabaldon. Whether you’re swooning over one of the sexiest, genuinely erotic romances on television or stressed out of your wits about the endless sociopolitical world events that threaten to tear them apart, Outlander is a heck of a binge-watch to stir the heart and mind alike. – Haleigh Foutch

Created by: Matt Groening

Cast: Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre, Nat Faxon, John DiMaggio, Billy West, and Noel Fielding

The Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening‘s first Netflix series, and first new series in a long time, may not be perfect but it is quite, well, enchanting. Disenchantment is a medieval fantasy set in a fictional world called Dreamland, where a rebellious princess finds herself navigating a complicated world. Along for the ride is her elf companion Elfo and her “personal demon” Luci. The show takes a little bit to get going, but once it does it’s a charming affair. – Adam Chitwood

Created by: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

Cast: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Eamon Farren, and Anya Chalotra

The Witcher is an absolute blast and a half. The fantasy series is indeed very fantasy—it’s more Lord of the Rings than Game of Thrones—but it also doesn’t take itself too seriously and whole-heartedly embraces all aspects of fantasy storytelling and gaming, including fun side-quests, POV battles, and even a bard who follows Henry Cavill’s titular human/creature hybrid around singing songs about his glories. The show’s first season follows three stories destined to converge: Cavill’s Witcher is a muscle-for-hire monster hunter who begins to question why so many princesses have been turning into creatures; Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) is a powerful sorceress in training who struggles to keep her emotions in check; and princess Ciri (Freya Allan) is on the run after the sacking of her city, but harbors secrets of her own. Steeped in lore and world building but always engaging, The Witcher is a perfect kind of binge-viewing show. – Adam Chitwood