10 Dark Fantasy Shows That Are Excellent From Start To Finish

Within the fantasy genre is dark fantasy, which is especially popular on TV, and some TV shows from that branch are excellent from start to finish. The best TV shows of all time include various fantasy shows, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Good Place, showing the range of this popular genre. Its branch of dark fantasy is one that never fails to get attention and succeed, although it has also seen some disappointing shows, whether due to creative decisions (like The Witcher) or a quality decline (like the final season of Game of Thrones).

A dark fantasy TV show combines the traditional elements of fantasy, such as unique (and often complex) worlds, magic elements, and different types of creatures, with bleak and often more mature stories, complex themes, gritty worlds, and morally grey characters. Some of the most popular dark fantasy TV shows to date are Supernatural, Grimm, Castlevania, and The Sandman, proving that this genre isn’t limited to a format, theme, or approach.

However, as happens in every other genre, some dark fantasy TV shows are pretty much perfect, but not all can brag about having no bad episodes. It’s quite difficult for a show, from any genre, to be perfect from start to finish, but some dark fantasy TV shows achieved that through impeccable writing, consistent quality, and great performances.

Carnival Row

Two Seasons

Created by René Echevarria and Travis Beacham, Carnival Row takes viewers into a Victorian world where mythical creatures were forced to flee their war-torn homeland. These creatures have gathered in the city of The Burgue, but human citizens aren’t all welcoming of them. When a series of murders of immigrants shakes the city, Inspector Philo (Orlando Bloom) sets out to investigate, and in the process, he reconnects with his former lover, Vignette (Cara Delevingne), a refugee faerie.

Carnival Row has been praised for its visuals, cinematography, Victorian style, world-building, and how it addresses themes like racism, discrimination, prejudice, and more. Carnival Row’s complex characters, emotional depth, and character arcs are some of the main reasons why it’s an excellent show from start to finish, and even though it ended after just two seasons, it’s now a fantasy classic.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

One Season

Kevin Baker/©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel to Jim Henson’s cult classic movie The Dark Crystal, and so it takes the audience back into this very unique world, once more mixing live-action performances with puppetry. Age of Resistance introduces three Gelflings – Rian, Brea, and Deet – who find out that the Skeksis are draining the life essence of their species to become immortal. The trio sparks a rebellion, and they set out to save their planet.

Age of Resistance has the best elements of Henson’s movie, with incredible puppetry and visual effects, which, combined with its rich world-building, complex politics, character development, and perfect writing, make it both one of the best dark fantasy shows in recent years and one that was unfairly canceled too early.

Shadow and Bone

Two Seasons

Shadow and Bone is based on Leigh Bardugo’s novel of the same name, along with Six of Crows. Shadow and Bone is set in a world known as the Grishaverse, comprised of different nations. In this universe, there are magic users known as “Grisha”, and they live freely in the nation of Ravka. Alina (Jessie Mei Li), a cartographer in Ravka’s First Army, is revealed to be the prophesied Sun Summoner, which turns her into the target of many threats.

Shadow and Bone is one of the few examples of TV shows that perfectly adapted their source material, successfully expanding their characters and stories. Shadow and Bone’s cinematography, costumes, and visual effects have also been praised, and while it joined the infamous list of Netflix TV shows that were canceled too soon, it’s a perfect show that’s also easy to binge-watch.

Carnivàle

Two Seasons

Image via Everett Collection

Created by Daniel Knauf, Carnivàle takes the audience to an alternate version of the 1930s United States Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Carnivàle follows Ben Hawkins (Nick Stahl), a young farmer and chain gang fugitive who is picked up by a traveling carnival, and who has shown inexplicable healing powers since he was a young child; and Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown), a devout Methodist minister, who has the same prophetic dreams as Ben. Unbeknownst to them, they are the key players in a war between good and evil, with the lines between these two often blurring.

Carnivàle stands out for its original plot, creativity, and how it tells its story through the carnival and its workers. The mythology, complexity, and depth of Carnivàle make it one of the best dark fantasy TV shows of the decade, but its short run also makes it one of the most underrated, borderline forgotten shows of the genre.

Attack on Titan

Four Seasons

Attack on Titan is a Japanese dark fantasy anime TV series based on Hajime Isayama’s manga series of the same name. Attack on Titan is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the remaining humans live behind walls that protect them from giant humanoid Titans. The show follows Eren Yeager, who vows revenge after a Colossal Titan destroys the city and kills his mother, and so he joins the elite group of soldiers, Survey Corps.

Attack on Titan is one of the best anime TV shows of all time, as well as one of the best animated TV shows, in general. The strengths of Attack on Titan are its animation, story, action sequences, and themes addressed in it, and it’s one of the few animated fantasy shows that has no bad episodes.

Penny Dreadful

Three Seasons

Created by John Logan, Penny Dreadful takes the audience to 1891 London to meet Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett), a gunman and roadshow artist. Chandler is hired by explorer Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) and psychic medium Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) to find and rescue Murray’s daughter from a dangerous creature. Throughout this mission, they team up with young doctor Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), and come across other famous characters from horror literature.

Penny Dreadful stands out for bringing together various classic horror and Victorian Gothic characters, such as Dorian Gray, Renfield, Van Helsing, Henry Jekyll, and more, as well as for its stunning cinematography, perfect performances, and overall quality. Penny Dreadful is regarded as a perfect gothic horror TV show, and though it ended too soon after just three seasons, it had a spinoff series, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, that aired in 2020.

The Magicians

Five Season

Based on Lev Grossman’s novel trilogy, The Magicians follows Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph), who enrolls at Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy to be trained as a magician. There, he finds out that the magical world from his favorite childhood book is real, but it’s a danger to humanity. Parallel to this, his childhood friend, Julia (Stella Maeve), is denied entry to the school, so she sets out in search of magic outside Brakebills.

The Magicians ranks among the best fantasy TV shows of all time, thanks to its story, performances, and tone. The Magicians mixes darkness, humor, and pop culture, making way for a unique dark fantasy show that doesn’t forget about the depth and complexity of its characters, who, despite their magical abilities, are easy to relate to.

His Dark Materials

Three Seasons

Based on Philip Pullman’s novel trilogy of the same name, His Dark Materials is set in a multi-world reality and introduces viewers to Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), an orphan living at Jordan College. Lyra uncovers a secret related to a prophecy that says she will change the world. On top of that, she also discovers a series of kidnappings related to a substance known as “Dust”, sending her on a journey to stop them.

His Dark Materials is widely regarded as a faithful adaptation of the novels, perfectly bringing their tone, complexity, depth, and world-building to life. His Dark Materials was carefully crafted to give its characters the development they deserved while also building mystery and expanding its universe, without rushing or lagging.

Arcane

Two Seasons

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

Arcane is an animated steampunk action-adventure TV series based on Riot Games’ League of Legends universe, thus being set within this universe. Arcane takes viewers into a world where the war between the rich, utopian city of Piltover and the oppressed underbelly of Zaun continues to escalate. Arcane follows orphaned sisters Vi (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder (Ella Purnell), who end up involved in the conflict and torn apart by it, leading to shocking twists and results.

Arcane is considered a masterpiece in the animation field and the fantasy genre, and often ranks high on the lists of best fantasy TV shows of all time. Despite being inspired by and set in a universe from a video game franchise, Arcane is a standalone story, which makes it accessible to those unfamiliar with League of Legends. The animation, character depth and development, worldbuilding, and sound design are some of the many reasons why Arcane is one of the best animated shows of all time, and one with no bad episodes.

Over the Garden Wall

One Season

Cartoon Network Studios

Created by Patrick McHale and based on his animated short film Tome of the Unknown, Over the Garden Wall is an animated dark fantasy miniseries. Over the Garden Wall follows half-brothers: the always worried teenager Wirt (voiced by Elijah Wood), and the naïve and carefree Greg (Collin Dean). Wirt and Greg get lost in a mysterious forest, and to find their way home, they must travel across the forest, where they occasionally count on the help of an elderly Woodsman (Christopher Lloyd) and a talking bluebird named Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey).

Over the Garden Wall is a unique type of fairy tale that brilliantly addresses topics like grief, loneliness, and brotherhood, has a deep family story, relatable characters, and is perfectly paced, making every episode count and having no filler episodes. With just 10 episodes, Over the Garden Wall is a perfect binge-watch, and it’s so beautiful that it invites multiple rewatches.

Release Date

2014 – 2014

Network

Cartoon Network

Directors

Nate Cash

• 

• 

  Collin Dean

  Gregory (voice)