Fantasy TV Shows Like ACOTAR To Watch On Hulu, Netflix, HBO & More

Want to watch television that reflects the real world? Here is a better idea: get outside! TV is the ideal medium for becoming lost in another world, which is why fantasy programs are so prevalent these days. Game of Thrones shifted the genre into high gear, and the proliferation of streaming services has everyone chasing their own Game of Thrones.

Whether they involve swinging swords falling on chainmail or cyberpunk weaponry fueled by the unknown ooze, if it’s good and gets you out of this hellhole called life, it’ll be on our list of the finest fantasy shows to watch on Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, and other platforms. 

House Of Dragon

Only one show (see the next paragraph) had a larger scale and expense than HBO’s House of the Dragon, the first Game of Thrones spin-off. But no fantasy show was as outstanding as House of the Dragon, which faced the arduous challenge of erasing the last seasons of Thrones from viewers’ memories to persuade them to watch more Westeros. I’m happy I did because the first season simplified the setting to one family — the dragon-riding Targaryens — for a compact, regal drama that improved with each episode and serves as a prelude to the rest of the series, which chronicles the family’s kingdom-shattering civil war. 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Ring Of Powers

Amazon Prime Video wanted its own Game of Thrones, so it paid a fortune to create a show based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set in Middle-earth’s Second Age, before Peter Jackson’s films, and promises to teach us how the fabled finger jewels developed and Sauron became the realm’s most infamous competitor, with the first season setting the stage. With limitless funding and several years of development, The Rings of Power is magnificent and adeptly brings the exquisite splendor of Middle-earth to the small screen, yet die-hard Tolkien fans have some complaints about the plodding tale.

Arcane

Netflix’s bold gamble on an animated series based on the popular PC real-time strategy game League of Legends paid off, as it went on to become one of the streaming service’s biggest hits in 2021. You may not be aware of this if you reside in the United States, as the majority of the show’s attention was generated outside of the country, where it was once the number-one show in 52 nations. Come see what the rest of the world has already figured out: Arcane is a stunning, dramatic, and heartbreaking tale about two sisters (voiced by Ella Purnell and Hailee Steinfeld) torn apart by a class conflict in a world of rapidly developing technology and magic. 

The Wheel Of Time

Before tackling the OTHER adaptation based on well-known fantasy literature (the Lord of the Rings TV show premiered in September 2022), Amazon released an adaptation of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time in November 2021. It’s another big universe with a large cast of characters attempting to squeeze into a television show, so it’s no surprise that it’s frequently compared to the current fantasy series heavyweight, Game of Thrones. Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of a female clan of sorcerers, leads four young people on an epic adventure to identify which of them is the reincarnation of the Dragon, a creature that will either save or destroy the world.

Game Of Thrones

Don’t embrace the memes. The reason so many people were upset about Game of Thrones last season was that the show had been predominantly fantastic up to that point and had established an unreasonably high standard for fantasy series. The adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s book series became a must-see due to its well-crafted characters and intricate plots. And by focusing on its spectacle appeal, it evolved into a full-blown event series. Set in the fictitious land of Westeros, the drama was always high-stakes; no character was ever safe from violence, sacrifice, or other consequences, and there were plenty of shocks in store for anyone who had ever dreamed of having power.