Fantasy stories never disappoint, and if you’re an avid cinephile, it can be one of the best genres to explore if you’re looking for something new to add to your watch list or binge-watch over a long weekend.
Be it dark fantasy or historical fantasy, there’s an assortment of fantasy shows to pick from across major streaming platforms, some adapting major fantasy novels and book series. Here are some new and returning fantasy shows to watch in 2026.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm
It’s a big year for anime releases on Netflix, with the return of popular shows like Jujutsu Kaisen (season 3), JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (season 2). But there are also some new shows scheduled for release, and one that I’m looking forward to is the supernatural fantasy anime, Daemons of the Shadow Realm.
Based on the shōnen manga of the same name by Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist), this story follows the twins Yuru and Asa, who must find their way to each other after being separated at a young age. The twins are prophesied to command all demons, with powers like nothing the world has seen before.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm arrives on April 4 on Netflix.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (season 2)
For a nostalgic throwback (if you’re into live-action titles, that is), don’t forget to tune into the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Nickelodeon’s popular animated series. If you’re new to the scene, Avatar follows the story of Aang, the last survivor of the air nomads, who wakes up after spending a century frozen in ice. Set in a world split into nations based on power over the elements, the Fire Nation is blazing its path toward complete domination. To prevent order from collapsing, Aang, the next Avatar, must master all four elements to restore balance to the world.
Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger and a surprising arc change for one character, so it will be interesting to see what direction the show will be steering in for the second season and how these changes fare against the animated show’s plot.
Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 arrives sometime in 2026 on Netflix.
- Release Date
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February 22, 2024
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Jet Wilkinson
House of the Dragon (season 3)
You can’t talk about fantasy shows without mentioning Game of Thrones, and even if the final season was disappointing (to say the least), the success of the long-running series is giving us more content for the foreseeable future. House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones and the second series in the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise, will be returning to HBO Max for a third season. Set 200 years before the events of its predecessor series, the show follows the story leading up to the fall of the House Targaryen, with an ensemble cast that carries the show with their performances.
The third season will pick up after Rhaenyra and Alicient’s deal, setting up the third season for the former’s takeover of the capital. How this season’s story leads up to the impending Dance of the Dragons will also be a focal plot point. House of the Dragon made history by dethroning Euphoria to become the largest single-day viewership for a series debut in HBO’s history.
House of the Dragon season 3 is expected to arrive in the summer of 2026 on HBO Max.
- Release Date
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August 21, 2022
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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George R.R. Martin
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Matt Smith
Prince Daemon Targaryen
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Fabien Frankel
Ser Criston Cole
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Emma D’Arcy
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (voice)
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Steve Toussaint
Lord Corlys ‘The Sea Snake’ Velaryon
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (season 1)
2026 is the gift that keeps on giving for A Song of Ice and Fire fans, because another prequel to Game of Thrones has made its debut this year. Alongside House of the Dragon, you can stream the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO Max, with six episodes releasing across January and February.
This is an adaptation of the Tales of Dunk and Egg series of novellas and is set a century before the events of Game of Thrones. It follows two friends, a knight named Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, as they journey through Westeros with the Targaryen line still holding the Iron Throne.
The series has already been renewed for a second season, which is expected to be released in 2027.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 is now streaming on HBO Max.
- Release Date
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January 18, 2026
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Ira Parker
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Peter Claffey
Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall
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Daniel Ings
Ser Lyonel Baratheon
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Henry Ashton
Prince Daeron ‘the Drunken’ Targaryen
Outlander (season 8)
One of the most epic historical fantasy shows available to stream will be back with its eighth and final season, bringing the love story of Jamie and Claire Fraser to a close. Outlander, a long-running Starz series, is a period fantasy based on the book series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon, with each season adapting a book.
The story kicks off when Claire, a former military nurse, is transported back in time from 1945 to 1743. In this new, old world, she meets a Highland warrior, Jamie, and the two face the trials and joys that follow, facing historical events like the Jacobite Risings and American Revolution, as well as curious time travel paradoxes.
Outlander season 8 premieres on March 6 on Starz.
- Release Date
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2014 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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Starz
- Showrunner
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Matthew B. Roberts
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Caitriona Balfe
Claire Randall Fraser
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Sophie Skelton
Brianna Randall
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Richard Rankin
Roger Wakefield
Other aligned fantasy and drama titles you can stream this year include the second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Greek mythology/fantasy), The Vampire Lestat (gothic horror/fantasy), and Spartacus: House of Ashur (historical fantasy).
