As a big fan of the books that this show is based on, I was probably one of the most excited people in the world when Netflix brought The Witcher to life in live-action form. The first season really lived up to the hype, as well, perfectly capturing the tone and style of the various short stories in Andrzej Sapkowski’s dark fantasy world, if not the finer details. Then the cracks started to show, and I realized that The Witcher wasn’t going to be the adaptation I was hoping for.
Things got even worse when the main star, Henry Cavill, left the series and was replaced by Liam Hemsworth. I have still enjoyed the show up to this point, but it all feels like one missed opportunity after another. And that got me wondering about all the other fantasy shows out there that were far more epic than The Witcher ever became.
Game of Thrones
Watch Game of Thrones on HBO Max
You might be rolling your eyes at this entry, and I get it, I do. The last season of Game of Thrones was not great at all, and it nearly undid everything great that came before. But I finally revisited the series for the first time since being extremely disappointed with the ending earlier this year, and man, do the little moments still hold up so well. Plus, no one does fantasy battle scenes on television quite like Game of Thrones did.
Beyond that, the scope and production values of Game of Thrones are still just as unmatched today as they have ever been. Many fantasy series have since tried to emulate the epic quality found here, and not many have come even remotely close. Yeah, the ending was bad, but Game of Thrones is still the blueprint, especially with its great pilot episode.
The Magicians
Watch The Magicians on Tubi
While The Magicians may not have had the budget of something like The Witcher or Game of Thrones, it pulled off some fairly gargantuan plotlines throughout its five-season run. From demonic creatures and gods to a magic system that would rival the best of those found in a Brandon Sanderson book, this series reached for ambitious goals that, surprisingly, didn’t exceed its grasp.
Basically, the adult version of Harry Potter meets The Chronicles of Narnia. The Magicians really dialed in on what it meant to grow up, and a lot of its magic was used as a metaphor for that. It may not be epic in the sense that there are grand battles or vast fantasy cities, but it finds the epic in everyday life. Urban fantasy with a dose of something else.
His Dark Materials
Watch His Dark Materials on HBO Max
Based on the hit trilogy of the same name by acclaimed author Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials is three seasons of epic, world-hopping greatness. Maybe I’m biased because I read the books about a hundred times as a kid, but this is the way adaptations should be done, unlike those bad film-to-TV adaptations. The books were controversial when they were released because of how they criticized organized religion, and the show doesn’t back down from that.
What starts as a series about a young girl named Lyra (Dafne Keen) in search of her friend slowly becomes a story about fighting against the tyranny of the Magisterium. If you like a little religious trauma with your fantasy, complete with angels and daemons, then His Dark Materials is the way to go. And if you’re looking for an A-lister cast, look no further, as you’ll see the likes of James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Xena: Warrior Princess
Watch Xena: Warrior Princess on Amazon Prime Video
You might not use the word “epic” to describe Xena: Warrior Princess, and trust me, I get that instinct. It was more cheesy fun that just happened to have gods and monsters in each episode. However, this show featured some fairly ambitious and bonkers storylines during its run. I felt like I was watching something more ambitious in one episode of Xena: Warrior Princess than I ever did during the second season of The Witcher.
Following the adventures of the eponymous character, played by the legendary Lucy Lawless, Xena: Warrior Princess is actually a spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, though this is one of those times when the spin-off is vastly superior. From fighting mythological monsters to saving entire villages from evil warlords, Xena: Warrior Princess is as epic as you can get when it comes to great ’90s television.
The Legend of Vox Machina
Watch The Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Prime Video
Based on the extremely popular Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign on Critical Role, this animated series is basically the epitome of epic fantasy done right. It retains all the hilarity of the D&D campaign it’s based on, while allowing for a more focused story. All the characters are actually played by their campaign counterparts as well, and there’s truly some excellent voice acting to be found here.
Centering on the eponymous group as they set out to fight monsters and epic beasts while coming to terms with their own personal struggles, The Legend of Vox Machina expertly balances weighty character drama, hilarious comedic moments, and superbly animated battle scenes. Even if animation isn’t your thing, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by missing this wonderful series.
Epic fantasy is still a genre begging for more television shows
I’m glad we’ve gotten shows like The Witcher and Game of Thrones, but I think there’s still a lot of real estate to be mined in this genre. Sure, the budgets could get completely out of hand, but that hasn’t stopped premium streaming services from dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into projects before. We need to mine that particular cave more.
In other genre offerings, though, perhaps you’re looking for some sci-fi movies that will leave you questioning your reality. We know exactly what you need.
