No matter how you slice it, fantasy has always been an entertaining part of pop culture From “Harry Potter” to “Lord of the Rings” to “Game of Thrones,” the genre is full of enduring franchises

In the age of streaming, it feels like all the best streaming services are looking for their own big sword-and-sorcery hits: Max continues to make spin-offs of “Game of Thrones,” and Prime Video has two fantasy stories in the works The same goes for Netflix

If you like shows with magic, if you want to be transported to a fantastic new world, if you want to be enveloped in a dense new mythology, if you want to be driven on an epic new quest, Netflix has you covered Here are some of the best fantasy shows you can stream on Netflix right now

“Arcane” is a truly brilliant “science fantasy” series that won a lot of (justified) praise when it came out in 2021 It is a compelling, beautifully animated, and moving story, and in my eyes, one of the best shows Netflix has ever put out into the world

The show tells a story set in the world of Riot Games' League of Legends, chronicling the origins of some of the hit game's most famous champions The main characters are two orphaned sisters, Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder/Jinx (Ella Purnell) [They are on opposite sides of a civil war that erupts between the rich, idealistic city of Piltover and the oppressed, underground city of Zaun As magical and technological developments progress between the two sides, the conflict finally reaches its zenith Violence erupts and bonds are broken Season 2 of “Arcane” begins

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One of Netflix's most surprising releases this year was the remake of Nickelodeon's popular animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” Like its predecessor, the series follows the exploits of Aang (Gordon Cormier, a boy with tremendous pressure on his shoulders) [He is the latest incarnation of Avatar, the only person who can master all four “bending arts” (water, earth, fire, and air)

While not the strongest live-action film Netflix has ever put out (that honor belongs, I think, to another film further down this list), this is a sincere remake with a clear appreciation for the original story, with thoroughly entertaining performances from the main cast and supported by some impressive visual work

Those who prefer to watch it in its original form need not worry: the popular animated feature by Michael Dante DiMartino and Brian Konietzko (and its successor, The Legend of Korra) is available in full on Netflix

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“Delicious in Dungeon” is a hilarious, heady mix of classic fantasy dungeon-exploring fun and gourmet cooking

Based on the manga series drawn by Ryoko Kui and brought to life by Trigger, Delicious in Dungeon takes us into a high fantasy world where adventurers dive into dungeons and take on terrifying monsters In particular, the series features a delightful trio consisting of Laois, a human knight and leader of the party; Mersil, an elven sorcerer; and Chilchak, a halfling rogue

After a failed expedition ends in tragedy, Laois and friends run back to the dungeon to rescue fallen party member Falyn (who happens to be Laois' sister as well) before she is digested by the red dragon that devoured her The problem is that they have no money, so they are forced to eat the dreaded flora and fauna in the dungeon Thankfully, Sensi, a dwarven warrior (and master cook), passes by them and helps them continue their quest

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“One Piece” is the film adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's hugely popular manga/anime saga And yes, this is the top-class live-action Netflix adaptation I hinted at earlier

For those who don't know, “One Piece” is a lively story set in the sea, starring Monkey D Luffy (Inaki Godoy) And having eaten the “devil's fruit,” he has a punch and can stretch and contract his body like rubber

To realize his dream, he must acquire his own ship and gather a crew In this era, known as the Golden Age of Piracy, Luffy finds himself at odds not only with sailors with similar ambitions, but also with many sailors with amazing abilities

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“Shadow and Bone” is a two-season version of Lee Bardugo's popular YA fantasy novel, set in the so-called “Grishaverse” because its world has grishas - people with the ability to practice small science (magic)

The story centers primarily on Alina Starkov (Jessie Mae Lee), a cartographer who grew up in Love Country and discovers that she is a powerful Grisha known as a “solar summoner” with the ability to wield the power of light

In other words, Alina is the only one who can dispel the Shadow Fold, a dark area inhabited by terrifying monsters that has divided Ravka in half for centuries Suddenly powerful, she will play an important role in the ongoing war

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Netflix's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's DC Comics saga is true to the source material and very entertaining This dark fantasy series stars Morpheus/Dream (Tom Sturridge) as the titular character

This is an engrossing saga that makes the most of the rich mythology of The Sandman It begins with Morpheus imprisoned for over a century After his escape, he embarks on a quest to retrieve a powerful artifact and restore order to his realm, a mission that spans human history and brings him into contact (and conflict) with some of the most powerful beings in the multiverse

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No roundup of the best fantasy shows on Netflix would be complete without one of the streamer's most notable originals: “The Witcher”

Based on the hugely popular fantasy novel by Polish author Anjay Sapkowski, “The Witcher” follows Geralt of Livia (previously played by Henry Cavill, now by Liam Hemsworth), an insensitive, mutated monster hunter for hire now played by Liam Hemsworth) is depicted as he travels through a fantasy kingdom

Although he usually refuses to become entangled in the political machinations of the world around him, Geralt's fate soon becomes entangled with that of a young princess Geralt becomes the princess's protector, and uses his abilities to defend her against the various forces that seek to exploit her and her power

If you fall in love with the streamer version of the story, there is plenty more “Witcher” content available, including the prequel series “Blood Origin” and the animated film

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