The past few years have been something of a fantasy TV show renaissance, with amazing original series and those based on existing IP breaking new ground within the genre. Thanks to the increased interest in and success of these fantastical shows, many long-running series will be returning in 2025, and new additions to the speculative fiction world will get their highly-anticipated premiere in the new year. While there's still a long wait time for some of these projects, as many aren't expected until late 2025, there's nothing wrong with getting excited about the possibilities they hold.

There are many fantasy shows with new seasons coming in 2025, but the most anticipated series of the year stand apart because of how well they connect with audiences. Almost all of these shows are part of large franchises or are screen adaptations of beloved books and comic series. This has always been a hallmark of the fantasy genre, as literature and television work well for magical stories because there's plenty of time and space for proper world-building without sacrificing character development. It's both the entrancing plots and compelling characters that keep viewers coming back to these shows.

10 Castlevania: Nocturne (2023–Present)

Season 2 will premiere on Jan. 16th, 2025 on Netflix

After the significant impact of Castlevania, the spinoff series Castlevania: Nocturne has taken the world by storm and proved to be just as explosively action-packed as its predecessor. With an excellent voice cast led by Edward Blumel, also known for his short-lived My Lady Jane, Castlevania: Nocturne follows the story of descendants of the Belmont family during the French Revolution. Fortunately, this setting and period have plenty of gothic influence and violence to satisfy the classic Castlevania tone.

Since the visuals are also undeniably part of the show's appeal, the journey to season 2 has been worth it.

Castlevania and Castlevania: Nocturne are perfect replacements for The Legend of Vox Machina, as well as other animated fantasy series that won't be back in 2025. Due to the fact that animation often takes longer to produce than its live-action counterparts, this makes the wait in between seasons of Castlevania: Nocturne not nearly as bad as other projects. Since the visuals are also undeniably part of the show's appeal, the journey to season 2 has been worth it.

9 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight (2025–)

Season 1 will premiere between the summer of 2025 and late 2025 on HBO and Max

No concrete premiere date has been set for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, but after years in development, it's confirmed that the series will come out in the latter half of 2025. Though the recent Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon, hasn't reached the same level of popularity as the original show, it's clear that series within the A Song of Ice and Fire universe will continue being huge draws for audiences. The story will be based on George R.R. Martin's novella, Tales of Dunk and Egg.

There are many questions about how the tone and style of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will differ from other GOT installments, as this series will also be a prequel but not set quite as far in the past as House of the Dragon. This series will be a pivotal step in establishing the future of additional spinoffs or help decide that the franchise has run its course. Based on the amount of hype and interest the show has already generated, even though a full trailer has yet to be released.

8 The Witcher (2019–Present)

Season 4 will premiere in the summer of 2025 on Netflix

A lot of change is in the air for The Witcher season 4, as Henry Cavill's exit as Geralt of Rivia isn't the only character replacement that audiences will have to look out for. Liam Hemsworth will step in to take over the role of the protagonist, and Kim Bodina will also be leaving after his long tenure as Vesemir. These are significant exits, and there's no question that the pressure is on for The Witcher season 4 to deliver and prove itself as a hallmark of contemporary fantasy television.

Played by Freya Allen, Ciri is a fearsome character in her own right, and she's due for some serious growth and development in the coming story.

However, there are many reasons to be optimistic about The Witcher season 4, as critics and audiences have speculated that the next installment will zero in on Ciri's development. Played by Freya Allen, Ciri is a fearsome character in her own right, and she's due for some serious growth and development in the coming story. It's likely that she and Geralt will be separated for a good portion of season 4, allowing viewers to get used to the new versions of them both.

7 Stranger Things (2016–2025)

Season 5 will premiere in the latter half of 2025 on Netflix

Since Stranger Things season 5 has only recently wrapped filming, it's likely that audiences are looking at an 8-10 month wait before the season drops on Netflix (via Forbes). It's been a long time since viewers caught up with the residents of Hawkins, and considering how much time has ed and how much is left to tie up before the series ends, there will be no shortage of action and drama in the installment. Most of the episodes are expected to be much longer than in previous seasons.

This means viewers won't be disappointed by the amount of content and that Stranger Things intends to end with a bang, giving every character their due. As the final installment of the series, it will be hard to say goodbye to Stranger Things​​​​​​, but it's also better to go out on a high note rather than drag out a show for too many seasons. If Stranger Things sticks the landing of season 5, there's no reason why it shouldn't be ed as a revolutionary fantasy show.

6 It: Welcome To Derry (2025–)

Season 1 will premiere in 2025 on Max

After the success of the two movies based on Stephen King's seminal work, It and It: Chapter Two, it was clear that fans of fantasy horror and King's writing have a thirst for more stories within this world. This is how It: Welcome To Derry has been brought to life as a prequel to the novel's events, following the story of Pennywise's origins. With its period piece setting, familiar terror, and fantastical elements, Welcome To Derry will capture the minds and hearts of horror fans everywhere.

It will be interesting to see how the writers elevated the small flashbacks to stretch them into an entire season of TV.

Bill Skarsgård will be back playing Pennywise, which is reason enough to tune into the series, but this is only the beginning of what Welcome To Derry might have in store. Most audiences are familiar with It and are aware of Pennywise's tricks. So, it will be interesting to see how the writers elevated the small flashbacks to stretch them into an entire season of TV. Since Andi Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, two minds behind the movies, are heading up the show, there's reason to believe that It: Welcome To Derry will share the same aesthetics and tone.

5 Wednesday (2022–Present)

Season 2 will premiere in 2025 on Netflix

Netflix's runaway hit, the darkly comic fantasy TV series Wednesday, is finally making its return in 2025, three years after its initial premiere. While it's been hard to wait this long, there are a lot of exciting developments ahead for Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Addams, the deadpan sleuth who uncovered the mysteries haunting Nevermore Academy last season. Season 1 left off on an explosive cliffhanger, so the next time audiences see Wednesday, they'll have a lot of questions.

Ortega and the series' director, Tim Burton, recently partnered on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, so it will be interesting to see how their continued working relationship allows for even more interesting moments in Wednesday season 2. Additionally, the development of the friendship between Wednesday and her happy-go-lucky roommate, Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), will be a great source of emotional appeal as the pair grow to rely on each other even more.

4 Mayfair Witches (2023–Present)

Season 2 will premiere on Jan. 5th, 2025 on AMC and AMC+

Mayfair Witches is the latest series in AMC's slate of adaptations of Anne Rice's work. It's based on the Lives of the Mayfair Witches novel series by Rice. Season 2 is on the horizon, with the first episode premiering on January 5th, meaning audiences don't have long to wait until they're back inside Rowan's mystical world. Rowan is the protagonist of Mayfair Witches, played by Alexandra Daddario, who discovers that her family's secret is much more magical and dangerous than she realized.

Many viewers found the show on Netflix after season 1 was released, allowing for Mayfair Witches to slowly grow in popularity. ​​​​​​​

AMC is also behind Interview with the Vampire, the recent TV series that brings to life Rice's other popular novel, and both shows are proving that her work lends itself to television very well. Though it's not as well known as some of the other fantasy heavy hitters airing today, Mayfair Witches is an underrated series that will likely grow in popularity now that it's getting another installment. Many viewers found the show on Netflix after season 1 was released, allowing for Mayfair Witches​​​​​​​ to slowly grow in popularity.

3 Daredevil: Born Again (2025–)

Season 1 will premiere on March 4th, 2025, on Disney+

Charlie Cox's return to the MCU has been a long time coming, and there's no more fitting way for him to cement his place in the canon than for Daredevil to get a second chance at a show of his own. Cox originally portrayed Daredevil in the Marvel series Daredevil, which premiered in 2015 on Netflix, along with a few other darker installments of the MCU like Jessica Jones or Luke Cage. As Matt Murdock/Daredevil, the lawyer-by-day, and crime-fighter-by-night, Cox has always struck the perfect tone, making him a fan-favorite character.

This time around, Murdock has made a few appearances in recent Marvel movies and TV shows, but they've all been small bit parts that didn't allow the viewer to dig into what's been happening behind the scenes with Daredevil. Fortunately, it seems that Daredevil: Born Again is providing exactly this and is even bringing back Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, another iconic character from this era. It will likely be one of the most violent action-oriented shows on Disney+ in the new year.

2 Invincible (2021–Present)

Season 3 will premiere on Feb. 6th, 2025 on Prime Video

One of the bloodiest animated TV shows on TV, Invincible, has paid tribute to the comic series it's based on in both tone and aesthetics. Visually, Invincible is blowing other fantasy series out of the water, as animation allows the show to push boundaries, use even more gore, and not be constrained by the laws of physics, which is helpful for a superhero series. Blending aspects of science fiction and the superhero genre into its story, Invincible has put its protagonist, Mark, through a lot.

Steven Yeun leads the stellar voice cast as Mark, the young man trying to balance being a hero with being a normal kid and frequently getting hit with the worst of both worlds.

Unfortunately, it looks like Mark's woes are far from over as he kicks into gear for season 3, which will see him face his toughest challenges yet. Steven Yeun leads the stellar voice cast as Mark, the young man trying to balance being a hero with being a normal kid and frequently getting hit with the worst of both worlds. With rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, Invincible has set a high bar for itself, but there's no reason to believe season 3 won't exceed expectations.

1 The Wheel Of Time (2021–Present)

Season 3 will premiere on March 13th, 2024 on Prime Video

Based on Robert Jordan's seminal high fantasy book series of the same name, The Wheel of Time has been balancing its heavy world-building and complex magic system with great characters for two strong seasons. There's been some speculation about how The Wheel of Time season 3 will deal with the decision to skip some of the books and alter certain events, but since the novels are so long and layered, it makes sense the show would do this. Overall, The Wheel of Time has stayed true to the heart of the story.

New actors will The Wheel of Time season 3, but the best parts of the show will likely continue to be the dynamics between the returning actors. Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Zoë Robins, and Madeleine Madden have all been stand-out parts of The Wheel of Time, making it easy to invest in their characters. Like Prime Videos' other projects, The Wheel of Time​​​​​​​ has a significant budget and a number of resources to work with, making each season as immersive as possible.