Entertainment
10 Perfect Fantasy TV Shows With the Greatest World-Building
One of the most crucial parts of any fantasy universe is its world. Fantasy isn’t very compelling if its world feels generic, wasteful, or just isn’t that interesting. Some of the greatest fantasy universes have even gone down in history for their established history and lore, or for how fascinating they are to the consumer. This happens across all forms of media, from books to movies, and even to television.
This is especially true as of late, since fantasy television has seen a massive surge in popularity thanks to the introduction of streaming services and on-demand viewing. With the endless sea of fantasy TV shows out there, some of the truly remarkable do stand out, especially when it comes to their world-building (the process in which it establishes and fleshes out its world). These are the fantasy TV shows with the best world-building.
1
‘The Witcher’ (2019–Present)
The Witcher has been on a downward spiral since the introduction of its second season, but its world-building, at the very least, remains strong. Of course, it doesn’t deserve every ounce of credit—most of that belongs to original author Andrzej Sapkowski, who penned the book series on which the TV show is based. There are so many different creatures in this world, most of them pulled straight from folklore and mythology.
All of these creatures come from tons of different real-world cultures and mythologies, yet they comfortably meld together in this dark and violent world. They appear in their own ecosystems, and wreak havoc on local townships in their own ways. While this world is dark and unforgiving, there is no denying that it does inspire a sense of wonder at how many monsters exist within it, accompanied by beautiful landscapes, and, of course, magic.
2
‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ (2019)
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel series to the original 1982 Jim Henson film, which also had fantastic world-building. The story is set on the planet Thra, a world full of strange creatures from Henson’s wild imagination. Thra is home to the magical Dark Crystal, but one day, it mysteriously cracks, beginning a new era in the world. The power that seeps out of the crystal creates two new life forms: the magical Mystics, and the villainous Skeksis, who begin to wreak havoc across the planet.
The story is told through intricate puppetry and stunning set design, detailing the events leading up to the film. It’s a shame this show was canceled by Netflix so abruptly, because it had no trouble throwing audiences right back into the world of Thra, and expanding upon its already fascinating universe. It’s unlike any other fantasy series ever seen before, due in part to its creative and colorful world.
3
‘Deltora Quest’ (2007–2008)
You’ve probably never heard of Deltora Quest, but you’d be forgiven for that. This YA anime series is based on eight books by Australian author Jennifer Rowe, under her pen name, Emily Rodda. The story follows Lief (Ryosuke Sakamaki), an adolescent boy from the city of Del who is tasked with finding the seven gems of the magical Belt of Deltora, which have been scattered across the land. If he reassembles the Belt, he will banish the evil Shadow Lord from the land of Deltora.
Rowe actually wrote a surprisingly vast universe when she wrote her books. Deltora is split up into seven territories represented by seven gems, with each territory having its own distinct geography, culture, flora, and fauna. The show does a really good job of bringing the magic of Deltora to life, featuring all the weird and wonderful creatures that inhabit the land. The series might be for kids, but it really creates a unique world like no other, and that is endlessly intriguing.
4
‘The Wheel of Time’ (2021–2025)
The Wheel of Time actually takes place on Earth, albeit a different version of Earth, thousands upon thousands of years in the future. Numerous apocalyptic events have reduced technology back to the Middle Ages, though new things, such as fantastical creatures and magic itself, do exist. Much of the story takes place in the Westerlands, a continent which is home to over a dozen different cultures and nations.
To the West is the continent of Seanchan, and to the East, the Aiel Wastes, an endless desert where the nomadic Aiel people live. This TV show really fleshes out those cultures, especially the social hierarchy present in the White Tower, the home of the sorceresses known as the Aes Sedai. Apart from that, the various cultures actually feel distinct from each other, and have their own little quirks. This show actually does a better job of world-building than most movies. It definitely does a good job of bringing the late author Robert Jordan’s world to the small screen.
5
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)
Avatar: The Last Airbender does its worldbuilding so well because it’s so simple. In this show, there is a continent on which there are four nations. Each nation corresponds to one of the four elements: air, fire, earth, or water. Sorcerers known as “benders” exist within each nation, which are instrumental in fighting off the Fire Nation’s conquest of the continent. Each nation isn’t just different in culture, but also in geography and overall technological advancement.
For example, the Fire Nation is highly industrial, and is capable of crafting war machines that the other nations do not have. Meanwhile, the Air Nation, who are extinct, were previously nomadic, and rarely settled in one place. Though every corner of this continent is loosely based on East Asian history, there’s enough differentiation that it doesn’t feel homogeneous. This makes the world easy to remember, and easy to fall in love with.
6
‘Attack on Titan’ (2013–2023)
Attack on Titan immediately sets the stage in its very first episode. It lets audiences feel the horrifying tension present in humanity’s last refuge: a walled civilization completely cut off from the outside world, and from the giant, flesh-eating titans that prowl the world. But one day, the wall is breached, turning everything upside-down, and prompting humanity to retaliate, in a war for their own survival.
Gradually, as more of the series is revealed, the bleak world becomes more and more revealed, with so much lying beyond the walls, yet remaining completely inaccessible. Attack on Titan does an excellent job of letting the audience feel how oppressive the walls are, and how humanity is effectively awaiting their own extinction, like cattle in a pen. The world has so many great dynamics about it, and it really hooks the viewer with each new revelation.
7
‘Pokémon’ (1997–Present)
Considering the fact that Pokémon features tons of made-up creatures, many of them having magical abilities, the multimedia franchise can absolutely be considered a fantasy. Like the video game series upon which it is based, Pokémon features a massive world full of the eponymous life forms. There are over 1,000 unique species of Pokémon, with the show deeply exploring how they function in their ecosystem, and the relationship they have with their trainers.
There are also loads of different regions, each with their own unique geography. From the volcanic archipelago of Hoenn to the mountainous Sinnoh, various Pokémon can be found scattered throughout this expansive world. This world has had 30 years to develop, so of course the show would have plenty of time to develop its world. The creatures in it really do feel like living, breathing animals, each with their own personality, habits, and environments. World-building is one of the main reasons why the Pokémon franchise got so popular in the first place, and it keeps it up to this day.
8
‘The Dragon Prince’ (2018–2024)
The Dragon Prince is quite ambitious because it has absolutely no source material to fall back on. Yet, its colorful and enchanting world is extremely in-depth and lore-heavy, and can easily rival some of the biggest and most extensive fantasy universes. The world is effectively just the continent of Xadia, which is at war with itself. Specifically, the magical elves and dragons are at war with the non-magical humans.
Though The Dragon Prince is geared towards teens and young adults, the show has found resounding success with adult audiences, too. The reason is simple: Xadia is a playground for the imagination, chock-full of history that never gets boring to learn about. Xadia is infinitely fascinating, and has yet to disappoint its legions of loyal fans.
9
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ (2022–Present)
Say what you will about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but the world-building in this series is absolutely phenomenal. Granted, it doesn’t deserve all the credit. This is because it’s based on an enormous expanded universe written by J. R. R. Tolkien, who detailed thousands of years of history into his world, known as Arda, or more commonly, Middle-earth. Despite the TV series’ shortcomings, it does bring Tolkien’s vision to life.
It includes all the major bells and whistles that Tolkien included, from wizards to Elves, Dwarves, and even to Balrogs. It also showcases the unparalleled beauty of this world, which is likely why the series saw such massive success. The show might not use this universe to its full potential, but overall, the beauty and immersiveness of this world is part of what makes it so special.
10
‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)
Game of Thrones, by far, has the absolute best world-building of any fantasy TV series, and it’s not even close. Based on the world created by author George R. R. Martin, the world of Game of Thrones is vast, violent, and full of political manipulation. It is split into two main continents: Westeros in the West, and Essos in the East. Westeros is home to the Seven Kingdoms, and is a den of jackals where any politician could easily find themselves stabbed in the back.
That’s part of why the world-building in this series is so good. It really lets the audience experience Westerosi culture, and even some cultures in Essos. Of course, it has its fair share of magic and monsters, too, and even numerous religions. This show fully fleshes out the world of Planetos, to the point that it really does feel like an actual world with various nations and continents. The world-building is definitely one of the reasons the show became so popular.
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