In a devastating blow to fans of the original books and the new series,The Wheel of Timehas been cancelled by Amazon without any apparent reason. The series was very successful and had just finished its third season, which marked a new high for the series as reviews were better than ever, and the show finally found its stride, showing that it was ready to take a new direction and be something much greater.
This cancellation means that the story ofThe Wheel of Timeis going to be left open without any real conclusion, which was such a disappointment that it caused anenormous fan campaign onlineto try and get the series back on its feet, ideally by having another network pick it up. It’s uncertain whether or not this will happen for the time being, but fans can only hope that it does. In the meantime, though, there are fortunatelysome fantasy series out there thatdidn’t get this shabby treatment andwere able to wrap things upwithout getting the axe. It’s not a replacement, but it might help ease the pain a little bit.
The Wheel of Time
10’Avatar: The Last Airbender' (2005-2008)
Created by Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko
The classic Nickelodeon showAvatar: The Last Airbenderis a light-hearted comedy/action adventure inspired by Japanese anime, but still maintains the Western core of its production company. The story follows Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), the Avatar, who is destined to unite the four nations by mastering the elements of earth, fire, air, and water, and bringing the war between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world to an end.
Filled with life lessons, absurd humor, and plenty of quotable moments,Avatar: The Last Airbenderleft an imprint throughout its run, which is why it’s still unforgettable so many years later. Interest has also been renewed with the release of a live-action Netflix remake that was only recently released. In the end, the showisn’t super long, but it does receive an actual ending, which is about as much as fans could have asked for, considering how many fantasy shows don’t get so fortunate.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
9’Game of Thrones' (2011-2019)
Created by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss
The television phenomenonGame of Throneswas a huge cultural cornerstone that ran for eight seasons before reaching its end. Admittedly, many were none too pleased with the way it ended, to put it mildly (I didn’t think it was that bad, but I digress). Whether you liked the ending or not,at least it actually got an ending, because very few shows nowadays are ever so lucky to get closure like that.
Game of Throneswas the series that kickstarted the whole fantasy trend in the age of streaming, so it was always going to receive and definitive final chapter, a finale that explicitly indicates that the story is over and there is nothing left to say.Fans might have wished the finale was a little bit better executed, but let’s be honest, most fans would be even more upset if it never got an ending at all.
Game Of Thrones
8’The Dragon Prince' (2018-2024)
Created by Aaron Ehasz & Justin Richmond
One of a rare breed of fantasy shows that has no source material to fall back on,The Dragon Princetakes place in the gorgeously animated continent of Xadia, where a war is raging between the races of humans, elves, and dragons. This 3D-animated spectacle lasted a whopping seven seasons, much longer than many series, especially with how quickly shows are picked up and dropped by their networks in the age of streaming.
So much care and compassion went into every frame of this series that it’s hard not to appreciate it for its wholly original story, breathtaking visuals, immersive worldbuilding, and lovable cast of characters. Though it was a bit underrated,The Dragon Princekept a steady following for all of its seven seasons, coming to a close just last year in a way thatleft fans feeling satisfied rather than hanging with a cancellation.
The Dragon Prince
7’Castlevania' (2017-2021)
Created by Warren Ellis
Castlevaniaisbased on the long-running Japanese video game franchiseof the same name, and clearly derives inspiration from anime. However, much likeAvatar, it’s actually made by Western creators and retains a distinctly American style of dialogue. The games take inspiration from aspects of European Gothic literature, such as vampires, werewolves, and the undead, and the TV series emulates the overall feel of the original with a macabre beauty.
The series received four seasons, though many felt that the pacing and overall quality took a significant dive in the latter two. That said, the show was never cancelled andwaved goodbye to a polarized fanbase four years after its release, even producing a follow-up series two years later. It’s not the best fantasy show out there, but if you’re into low fantasy and need to watch something where the future isn’t uncertain,Castlevaniais still a solid option.
Castlevania
6’Blood of Zeus' (2020-2025)
Created by Charley & Vlas Parlapanides
Blood of Zeusis an animated series based on Greek mythology, yet with a wholly unique story that isn’t present in any other aspects of the source material. New characters are introduced in a brand-new plotline inspired by the Greek gods, with monsters and figures from the myths appearing as background and supporting characters, meaning audiences can still see their favourite gods at work in this show.
A Netflix original series,Blood of Zeuslasted for only three seasons, but was never cancelled in any way. The showrunners felt that three seasons was just the right amount to say what they needed to say and move on to greener pastures.This thrilling show may have been short-lived, but there were never any doubts that it would be abruptly axed, and itmaintained this reputation right through to the very end. It’snothing if not consistent.
Blood of Zeus
5’Arcane' (2021-2024)
Created by Christian Linke & Alex Yee
It’s easy to assume thatArcanewas cancelled since it only lasted two seasons, but the truth is that wasn’t the case. It was pulling in great numbers and incredible reviews, but the showrunners had already told the story they envisioned and didn’t see any more reason to overstay their welcome, sothey decided to bring it to a close in 2024. It was the right choice, as many felt the second season fell off just a little bit, though not to the point where it was awful or even that bad; it just wasn’t quite the same as the first season.
Based on the hit MOBA video gameLeague of Legends,Arcaneexplored a side story featuring one of the game’s playable champions, delving into the in-game universe and lore involving aspects of science-fiction, steampunk, and fantasy, and attracting both veteran fans and newcomers who had never played the game even once.Arcaneis a rare case ofa video game adaptation done right and not staying longer than it shouldhave, providing audiences with a well-rounded ending that tied the story up in a nice little bow.
4’Merlin' (2008-2012)
Created by Johnny Capps, Julian Jones, Jake Michie, & Julian Murphy
BBC’sMerlinserves as an origin story for the wizard Merlin (Colin Morgan) present in Arthurian legend. Many people picture Merlin as a grouchy old fuddy-duddy, decked out in a long, silvery beard, half-moon spectacles, flowing blue robes adorned with silver stars and crescent moons, and a tall, pointy hat to match. However, this series paints the opposite picture, depicting Merlin in his youth as he discovers his magical powers.
Even thoughMerlinwas cancelled by the BBC, at leastthe network gave the show a chance to produce a fifth and final seasonwith a definitive ending instead of rushing it out the door and leaving it on a cliffhanger, which obviously would have been infuriating. Many fans didn’t like how it ended, but at least it ended in a way that suggested a continuation of the story in the form of Arthurian mythos that actually felt like a proper conclusion. Moreover, five seasons are pretty good for a pre-Game of Thronesfantasy series, andit was lucky to get the chance to wrap up. Despite the ending, Merlin remains one ofthe best fantasy shows of the 2000s.
3’Attack on Titan' (2013-2023)
Directed by Tetsurō Araki, Yuichiri Hayashi, Masashi Koizuka, and Jun Shishido
Attack on Titanis somewhat similar toThe Wheel of Timein that they both take place on a heavily altered version of Earth, likely thousands of years in the future. In this anime, humans have been corralled into a massive walled city following a war with the flesh-eating giants called titans. The wall protects what remains of humanity from the outside world, where titans are on the prowl, until one day, a calamity turns this ramshackle society on its head and destroys the watchful peace that had been in effect over the last century.
Loaded with gore, complex plotlines, and even some steampunk elements,Attack on Titanstands as one of the most famous anime series of all time, mainly for how it was palatable and enjoyable even for viewers whodon’t really care much for anime(such as this author).It’s only four seasons long, but that’s all it needs, as the showrunners were able to say what they needed to say and conclude everything nicely in that amount of time.
Attack On Titan
2’The Magicians' (2015-2020)
Created by Sera Gamble & John McNamara
The Magiciansis a series based on a trilogy of novels byLev Grossman. It surrounds a magical university wherein students learn how to be magicians, kept a secret from the “real” world. An ordinary student discovers that the monsters and myths from his favorite fairy tales are actually real and that the magic school is intertwined with this mysterious world. Yes, I know it sounds like a knock-off ofHarry Potterat first, but the two are very distinct entities if you get more into it.
There honestlywasn’t a single bad season inThe Magicians, which is just as well, because it ensures an enjoyable experience throughout its five seasons. Alas, since it’s based on a trilogy of books, it was another show thatran out of source material and fittingly decided to throw in the toweland give the audiences a proper ending, which was undoubtedly the right decision.
The Magicians
1’His Dark Materials' (2019-2022)
Written by Jack Thorne
His Dark Materialsis the second attempt at creating an adaptation of the similarly-named novel trilogy byPhilip Pullman,following a disastrous movie attempt in the late 2000s. The HBO original series proved to be a much more faithful and entertaining adaptation of the series, allowing the IP to flourish and blossom into what it was always meant to be. It’s sort of a blend between high and low fantasy: it takes place on Earth, but also not really, and there’s a bunch of parallel dimensions and such. It sounds a bit confusing at first, but its story is very interesting and engrossing.
Since it’s based on a trilogy of novels, the series ran out of source material after just three seasons, appropriately coming to a close. Of course, fans would have liked to see more, considering how much of a success it was. At the same time, there is a general understanding among the fanbase thatthe story is over and that there’s nothing left to tell, so viewers can at least find comfort in that.
His Dark Materials
NEXT:These 10 Great Fantasy Shows Deserved To Get One More Season
