5 Must-Watch Fantasy Shows Streaming On Netflix

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Netflix has a wealth of interesting shows in just about every genre you can think of. While this is a great thing for people who like their content highly specific, the vast selection can also become a challenge. For instance, it can be an ordeal to dig up the most interesting fantasy shows on a platform that boasts dozens and dozens of them.

Before you know, your screen time for the day is spent just figuring out what to watch instead of actually watching it. That's why we've put together a list that compiles some of the finest fantasy shows Netflix has to offer. The following shows will provide plenty of enjoyment for even the most demanding fantasy fan out there.

"Arcane: League of Legends" is the sole animated show on this list, but Christian Linke and Alex Yee's series brings more than enough bang to the table to represent the animation leg of the genre. While it's based on the "League of Legends" video game, "Arcane" is less about tie-ins and more about sheer quality. Sure, the show puts in the legwork, and "League of Legends" fans will find that there are plenty of links to the game. However, thankfully for non-gamers, the show makes a point of standing on its own two feet. 

"Arcane" is anchored by the sisters Vi (voiced by "Sinners" star Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (voiced by "Fallout" star Ella Purnell), who navigate a world that's struggling with massive social disparity and civil unrest. To say that things soon escalate to unforeseen levels would be an understatement, as Vi, Jinx, and their surrounding cast of characters find themselves crashing into each other in imaginative ways. To say more would spoil the plot — for vibes alone, "Arcane" is a show that deserves to be experienced with as little advance knowledge as possible.

It's not hard to pinpoint just why "Arcane" is such a good show, because there's no real secret sauce to its success. "Arcane" simply does everything as well as it can — animation, character design, writing, vocal performances, the works. Sometimes, that really is all that it takes to succeed, and "Arcane" has eight Primetime Emmys to show for its work. Unfortunately, Netflix canceled "Arcane" after just two seasons of its rumored five-season arc actually came to fruition. Still, even the truncated version of the gorgeous show remains a fantastic experience. 

"Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" is a show that's as witchy as they come, in the absolute best sense of the word. While it's easy to initially mistake it as an edgy remake of the 1990s sitcom "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," it's actually based on Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" comic book series — which itself is a deliberately grim take on the original "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" comics. As such, the fantasy here is decidedly dark, supernatural, and horror-tinted. 

Kiernan Shipka's Sabrina Spellman is a half-witch whose life rapidly descends into a series of dark challenges and events that have very little to do with sitcom antics. The show does include nods to classic YA fantasy and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," but it absolutely isn't afraid to regularly pull the rug from under the viewer with brutal plot twists. Sabrina's path is a dark one, and it often casts her as the last and only line of defense between humanity and what lies beneath. Yet, the show has lighthearted moments and it manages to retain its entertainment factor throughout. 

Technically consisting of four season drops but narratively shaped into a couple of two-part seasons, "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" features a wonderfully dark premise, high stakes, and a genuinely great cast. The entire "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" timeline is a wild ride that fantasy fans won't want to miss.

"Kaos" is a fantastic experiment in, well, chaos. An all-star series that's very loosely shaped around Greek mythology, Charlie Covell's ("The End of the F***ing World") eight-episode wonder puts none other than the great Jeff Goldblum in the shoes (and tracksuits) of sky and thunder god Zeus. This version of the character presides over the modern world, where versions of classic mythological stories play out in strange and unexpected ways. Prometheus (Stephen Dillane), Orpheus (Killian Scott), Hades (David Thewlis), Medusa (Debi Mazar), and many others stir the pot in assorted ways, cooking up fresh takes on classic myths and legends.

As he has been known to do, Goldblum commands attention whenever he enters the room, and his take on an increasingly paranoid and petty Zeus is an instant classic. However, "Kaos" is far from a one-man show. Its ensemble cast is great throughout, and the viewer's pleasure of recognizing snippets of classic Greek mythology staples is only increased by the show's penchant for remixing and retrofitting the old myths to fit modern sensibilities. Come for the tracksuit-wearing Zeus in full panic mode, stay for the menagerie of mythological figures trying and failing to make sense of their lives. Sadly, Netflix canceled "Kaos" after a single season, but with eight episodes to binge, it's still very much worth a watch.

"Sweet Tooth" is based on Jeff Lemire's comic series of the same name, and it's all about a particularly strange post-apocalyptic world. On top of your average deadly virus scenario, the remaining population also contends with a brand new species: Animal-human hybrids, who are hated and reviled because people associate them with "The Sick."

This fantasy drama's peculiar world is where the deer hybrid boy Gus (Christian Convery) — the titular Sweet Tooth — and his hulking protector Tommy "Big Man" Jepperd (Nonso Anozie) try their level best to survive. That, of course, is easier said than done. The world of "Sweet Tooth" is absolutely full of dangers, from hybrid hunters like General Abbot (Neil Sandilands) to visionary warlords like Helen Zhang (Rosalind Chao). 

However, the true beauty of "Sweet Tooth" isn't in its depiction of terror. It's a genuinely touching show that can be emotional without being soppy, and its key message is that of hope and human connection, no matter how many horns or paws the people in question might have. It would be wrong to say that "Sweet Tooth" is a feel-good experience through and through, but it's definitely a show that can make you feel fuzzy inside. With three eight-episode seasons that tell a complete story arc, it's also a relatively easy binge while nevertheless having more than enough meat around the bones.   

"Wednesday" is more than an "Addams Family" sequel: It's a bona fide cultural phenomenon that both reimagines Charles Addams' classic creations and brings them closer to their original designs than they've ever been in a live-action setting. It's also a very good fantasy show that's far from the sort of lighthearted YA fare that one might initially suspect it to be. Filled with fun Easter eggs, details, and things only adults will notice, "Wednesday" is truly a show for all ages — at least, all ages that can handle its dark themes and monster mayhem. 

A mystery, an occasional comedy, and an unashamed fantasy, "Wednesday" explores monsters and outcasts and how they interact with each other and society at large. Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) isn't an outcast because she looks like a monster — she's seen as one because she purposefully casts herself in the role. This is a show about connections, solutions, growing up ... and, of course, the nature of real monsters in the world. It's also a very funny, very pretty show about classic characters. As shows that get to ride the zeitgeist go, it's a particularly deserving one.