Fantasy TV has been having a moment since “Game of Thrones” landed on the scene, but 2025 brought some shocking contenders to the forefront.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of book adaptations loving the direction “The Wheel of Time” went in Season 3 or a superhero lover buried in the riches of a number of great shows, for fans of fantasy, it was a stellar year. On top of that, there was horror fantasy and an animated series dripping with enough ’90s nostalgia to make that feel fantasy all its own – if not for the demons.
These are the best fantasy shows of 2025.
“The Wheel of Time”
“The Wheel of Time” is a rare show that improved every season across its three-season run on Prime Video. While the first was rocky for both fans of Robert Jordan’s sprawling book series and TV viewers looking for the next “Game of Thrones,” the third – and unfortunately final – season found its footing and stands as one of the best shows of 2025.
Adapting the fourth book in the series – “The Shadow Rising,” considered by many the high point of Jordan’s epic – “The Wheel of Time” Season 3 managed to finally find the balance of ramping up for big action set pieces and slowing down to give the individual characters quieter moments to grow within. After two seasons of heavy world-building and plot placing, the Prime Video series found a groove in Season 3 that fantasy TV hadn’t struck since peak “Thrones.” – Jacob Bryant
“Invincible”
Now we’re getting to the good stuff. “Invincible” Season 3 took on some of the greatest storylines from Robert Kirkman’s long-running comic book series about a young superhero rising above his father’s dark legacy. Short arcs like the Invincible War and Conquest’s arrival were rendered brilliantly in the action-packed third season of the Image Comics adaptation. Lead actors like Steven Yeun and Gillian Jacobs are only getting better in their roles with time, while Jason Mantzoukas gives one of the best performances of his career in his voice over role. As a book reader, trust me — Season 4 will be a good one. – Casey Loving
“Peacemaker”
James Gunn’s DCU kicked into a new gear over the summer with “Superman” but it was the return of “Peacemaker” that really flexed what the filmmaker does best – making us care about losers. The second season of the John Cena-starring HBO Max series took the mask off and examined the man beneath it. Through some dimension-hopping shenanigans, Chris Smith was able to visit the road not traveled and by season’s end learned that it was the family he made and not the one he was born into that made him the person he is.
It’s violent, it’s funny, the music is on point, “Peacemaker” Season 2 is Gunn and the whole cast at their best. More please. – JB
“It: Welcome to Derry”
Stephen King’s “It” is such a gargantuan project to adapt that plenty of it ended up on the cutting room floor even after Andy Muschietti spread the story across two films. Lucky for HBO, and King’s Constant Readers, the hunger for more stories in Derry was almost as vast as Pennywise’s hunger for kids. “It: Welcome to Derry” examined the town in an earlier cycle of the cosmic killer’s hunting and haunting.
The HBO series continues the solid jump scares and storytelling the films flaunted and Bill Skarsgård remains captivating as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. If you’re looking for solid horror on the small screen, then “Welcome to Derry” represented some of the best in 2025. – JB
“Gen V”
There was a danger that “Gen V” Season 2 could have felt like some wheel-spinning, all set-up mess to get ready for the big war in “The Boys” fifth and final season in 2026. Luckily for fans of the universe, the sophomore slump was not an issue here. Marie, Jordan, and Emma all return to God U. prepared to take the fight to the administration and those responsible for Project Odessa, but find the world split down the middle after the events of “The Boys” Season 4.
One of the saving graces for the second season was a great villain – something the first was lacking a bit. Hamish Linklater joins the cast as Dean Cipher and is unsurprisingly great at playing the big bad for the young heroes. If you’re ready for “The Boys” final season and somehow missed this, it’ll not only be close to required viewing for 2026 but is also a helluva ride all on its own. – JB
“Devil May Cry”
“Devil May Cry” felt like watching a Saturday Morning Cartoon again. Dripping in ’90s nostalgia from the setting to the various needle drops – Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle” as the opening credit song launched a month-long re-listen of their discography – the show is all gas and no brakes. The show follows professional demon hunter Dante as he gets embroiled in stopping a plot to bring more monsters into the world.
If all that wasn’t enough, the series also features one of the last performances from legendary voice actor Kevin Conroy. That alone should pay for the price of admission; the rest is icing on the cake. – JB
