Here are our top picks for the best fantasy shows on Netflix in 2023.
As one of the most recognizable names in streaming, Netflix is home to all kinds of shows and movies to suit every mood, and its range of fantasy series includes some of the best Netflix shows you should be streaming right now.
It's not all swords and sorcery, though. Unless you're a Netflix newcomer, you've probably heard of its most well-known fantasy saga, The Witcher, but you might not be as familiar with some of its other lesser-known escapist shows.
Regardless of whether you're after dark fantasy or a more light-hearted adventure, or you prefer your fantasy with a tinge of science or the supernatural, the streamer's got you covered. Here are our picks for the best fantasy shows on Netflix.
The best fantasy shows on Netflix
Arcane
- Number of seasons: 1
- Approximate episodes per season: 9
- Average episode length: 39-44 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Arcane is a nine-episode science fantasy series based on the world of the popular League of Legends video game. The show primarily focuses on the relationship between two sisters, Vi (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), who find themselves on opposite sides of an impending conflict between the rich city of Piltover and its seedy counterpart, Zaun.
The tension finally bubbles over after new technologies are developed in both city-states, drawing battle lines that irrecoverably divide friends and family. Arcane isn't just for League of Legends and launched to universal acclaim thanks to its beautiful animation, rich lore, and gripping story.
Castlevania
- Number of seasons: 4
- Approximate episodes per season: 8
- Average episode length: 22-31 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
If you prefer your fantasy with a darker edge, then Castlevania may be the show for you. Similar to Arcane, Castlevania is inspired by the long-running video game series from Konami.
This adult animated series transports us to the region of Wallachia. There, we meet Trevor Belmont (voiced by Richard Armitage), a member of the legendary vampire-hunting Belmont clan who is locked in battle with Count Dracula and his legions of demonic beasts. Brutal, bloody, and packed full of action, Castlevania is a treat that any dark fantasy fan should stream.
And if you find yourself hooked on the Belmont's battle, you'll be pleased to know that the story picks up 300 years later in Castlevania: Nocturne, a sequel series centered on Trevor's descendant, Richter Belmont.
Locke & Key
- Number of seasons: 3
- Approximate episodes per season: 8-10
- Average episode length: 33-56 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Locke & Key is a fantasy horror series that's a solid mix of fantasy horror and teen drama that's adapted from the acclaimed comic book series of the same name from Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.
Following the murder of their father, Rendell Locke, the three Locke siblings and their mother move across the country from Seattle to Massachusetts into Rendell's family home, the Keyhouse.
There, the three children soon uncover a series of keys, each of which can be used to tap into all kinds of mind-bending magical powers. Soon, though, they learn that a demonic force is very keen to get its hands on the same keys.
Lockwood & Co.
- Number of seasons: 1
- Approximate episodes per season: 8
- Average episode length: 37-49 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Although it was unceremoniously canned after just one season, Lockwood & Co. is certainly worth a look. Based on the hit book series, this fantasy horror romp takes place in an alternate version of present-day Britain.
In this timeline, the country had been plagued by ghosts who have been rising from their graves for decades, an issue literally known as "The Problem". And since children are the only ones capable of fending them off, the adults have taken to gathering teenagers into teams of licensed ghost-hunters.
The series follows Lucy Carlyle, a teenager who can hear supernatural phenomena who runs away from home and applies for a job at a fledgling ghost-fighting firm: Lockwood & Co, and starts taking on the creatures that go bump in the night.
One Piece
- Number of seasons: 1
- Approximate episodes per season: 8
- Average episode length: 49 - 64 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
One Piece is one of Netflix's latest and greatest hits, and it's easy to see why this nautical fantasy series has taken off, especially compared to some of the streamer's less successful live-action anime adaptations.
For those unfamiliar with the hugely popular source material, One Piece is a pirate fantasy series that pitches us in with the boundlessly enthusiastic Monkey D. Luffy, a youngster who dreams of tracking down the titular mythical treasure to claim the title of King of the Pirates.
In order to achieve his goal, he first needs to track down a ship, form a crew, and get his hands on a map of the dangerous region of the ocean known as the Grand Line. What follows is a fun-filled adventure packed with colorful characters, spectacular powers, and fearsome pirate foes that'll keep you glued to your screen.
Shadow & Bone
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- Find it on Netflix here
Shadow and Bone is a young adult fantasy drama set in the Grishaverse, the shared fictional universe dreamed up by American author, Leigh Bardugo.
A Chosen One-style narrative at its core, the series follows Alina Starkov, a young orphan who works on the front line of the war-torn nation of Ravka as a cartographer. During a battle, she uncovers she is not only a Grisha, a wielder of powerful magical abilities, but specifically the fabled "Sun Summoner", a person capable of wielding the power of light itself.
Her newfound capabilities make her the only one capable of destroying the Shadow Fold, a region of perpetual darkness that splits Ravka in two and is home to countless monsters known as volcra. Seen as both a beacon of hope and a potential traitor, she's desperate to save the country from utter ruin... even though there are nefarious forces massing against her.
The Sandman
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- Find it on Netflix here
Neil Gaiman's DC comic book series was previously thought to be unadaptable, though Netflix proved this was not the case with its excellent adaptation starring Tom Sturridge as The Sandman (otherwise known as Dream, or Morpheus), the ice-cold personification of dreams.
The Sandman is a complex blend of myth and fantasy that charts Dream's journeys. Beginning with his unexpected capture, the series moves through time and space, showing the impact of the Sandman's absence, and sees his struggle to restore order and repair the damage done to his realm.
Intriguing, thoughtful, and above all, character-driven, this is a richly detailed and realized adaptation filled with fascinating characters and wonderful performances from its all-star cast. That second season can't come soon enough.
The Witcher
- Number of seasons: 3
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- Find it on Netflix here
As one of Netflix's most prominent titles, The Witcher likely needs no introduction to most fantasy fans.
If you've not already given the show a shot, this epic fantasy saga introduces us to Geralt of Rivia, the wandering professional monster hunter and star of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's series of Witcher novels.
Like the books, Netflix's flagship fantasy drama charts Geralt's journeys across The Continent, a morally complicated world filled with warring factions, fearsome beasts, and cutthroat politics.
Although he prides himself on his neutrality, Geralt's fate becomes entwined with that of Princess Cirilla of Cintra, a young girl with incredible powers and the powerful sorceress, Yennefer of Vengerburg.
There's plenty more Witcher content to enjoy on Netflix, including the prequel series, Blood Origin and the animated movie Nightmare on the Wolf.
Wednesday
- Number of seasons: 1 (season 2 is on the way)
- Approximate episodes per season: 8
- Average episode length: 47-59 minutes
- Find it on Netflix here
Wednesday is equal parts fantasy comedy-horror and teen drama and was a total smash hit when it debuted in 2022.
The series charts the misadventures of Wednesday Addams (expertly played by Jenna Ortega). After causing too much trouble at her high school, Gomez and Morticia Addams ship her off to Vermont and enroll her at Nevermore Academy, a school for supernaturally gifted youngsters.
Of course, Wednesday doesn't stay out of trouble for long. Whilst failing to fit in alongside the other students and staff at Nevermore and trying to get to grips with her newfound psychic abilities, she also ends up trying to put a stop to a monstrous killing spree and trying to solve the supernatural mystery that rocked the nearby town decades ago.
