Fantasy has never been a major, crowd-pleasing genre. Outside of The Lord of the Rings, very few fantasy stories have broken into the mainstream.
That is, until now. It seems like the 2010s were rife with popular fantasy epics, including The Witcher and Game of Thrones. Maybe not even show (and certainly not every episode) were winners, but there’s no denying that fantasy has seen a major resurgence both in terms of popularity and quality.
And these are the best episodes of the best shows. The episodes that singlehandedly define what the fantasy genre is capable of.
These are the ten best fantasy TV episodes of the 2010s, according to IMDb.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance- She Knows All The Secrets - 8.9
She Knows All the Secrets is the fifth episode of Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The entire show is brilliant, but this fifth episode especially so. According to IMDb’s brief description, “A missing Landstrider herd and an unexpected visit from the Skeksis put the All-Maudra on edge. Aughra summons Rian and the others to Dream Space.”
It stands at 8.9/10 based on approximately 800 votes, and most people agree that it serves as a significant turning point in the series. If you don’t like the show, try to stick with it until She Knows All the Secrets. Many fans found themsevles hooked after that.
The Witcher: Much More - 9.0
“A terrifying pack of foes lays Geralt low. Yennefer and her fellow mages prepare to fight back. A shaken Ciri depends on the kindness of a stranger.” Such is the IMDb description of Much More, The Witcher’s eighth and final episode.
The Witcher greatly divided audiences, as critics and general audiences found it boring, poorly produced, and confusing, whereas more die-hard Witcher fans found a lot to enjoy. However, they seemed to find common ground on the season finale, which holds a 9.0/10 rating out of 13,000+ ratings. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for season two.
Once Upon A Time: Going Home - 9.3
You wouldn’t think Once Upon a Time would be so acclaimed. It certainly has its fan base, but it is rarely (if ever) discussed or included in the pantheon of great TV. However, it’s meteoric IMDb ratings may beg to differ. Episode eleven of season three, Going Home, currently sits at 9.3/10 with over 2,000 ratings.
This episode that largely revolves around Pan and Storybrooke was widely revered for its sense of closure and excitement, as many fans thought that it made for a great series finale. It wasn’t, of course, but we wouldn’t be upset if it was.
Outlander: The Birds And The Bees - 9.4
Outlander shares a lot in common with Once Upon a Time - both are largely ignored in the pantheon of great TV, but both clearly have their share of devout and passionate followers. The season four episode The Birds and the Bees, which sees a traumatized Brianna trying to find her parents, is currently sitting at 9.4/10 based on 1,300 ratings.
Most of the acclaim stems from the episode’s emotion, especially when Brianna sees her mother again and meets Jamie for the first time. It’s a wonderful episode, and very, very beautiful.
Once Upon A Time: There’s No Place Like Home - 9.4
Matching Outlander’s The Birds and the Bees is another episode of Once Upon a Time - the season three finale There’s No Place Like Home. This one sees Emma and Hook attempting to make their way back to Storybrooke without altering the entire timeline.
Sitting at 9.4/10 with over 2,200 ratings, There’s No Place Like Home is certainly one of the show’s greatest outputs. Containing all the elements that make Once Upon a Time such a fan favorite, this episode was the perfect cap to one of the show’s better seasons.
Outlander: Dragonfly In Amber - 9.6
This flash forward episode takes place in season two and sees Claire and a 20-year-old Brianna in 1968 Scotland, where they meet Roger Wakefield. It was a perfectly executed episode, brilliantly and clearly directed by Philip John and wondrously written by Toni Graphia and Matthew B. Roberts.
It weaves excitement, emotion, and intrigue together into a cohesive and beautiful whole, and it sets things up nicely for the events of season three. It is easily Outlander’s best episode.
Game Of Thrones: The Winds Of Winter - 9.9
Looking back on the prior seasons, it really is tragic to see just how good and exciting it once was. It was in the cultural zeitgeist for a reason, and that reason was episodes like the season six finale, The Winds of Winter.
Sitting at a near-perfect 9.9/10 based on nearly 130,000 ratings, The Winds of Winter served as the perfect wrap for season six while setting up the dark and intriguing events of seven. Many fans consider this to be one of the last great episodes of Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones: Battle Of The Bastards - 9.9
Battle of the Bastards was the perfect marriage between story and style. Much of the episode’s acclaim comes from its technical merits - the cinematic scope of the battle itself, the wondrously creative and exciting tracking shot, and the production values were all widely acclaimed and analyzed in the months following its airing.
Of course, this would all mean nothing without a good story at its heart, and The Battle of the Bastards was richly exciting for what it represented in terms of plot and character development. It’s a masterpiece.
Game Of Thrones: Hardhome - 9.9
Game of Thrones’s fifth season was often criticized during its run. A lot of said criticism stemmed from its slow pace, boring plot developments, and the turgid Dorne subplot. But there was a diamond in the rough, and that diamond was Hardhome.
Hardhome was one of the show’s most cinematic efforts at the time, as it largely dealt with the horrifying Battle of Hardhome between the Wildlings and wights. The battle was expertly shot and bone-chillingly scary, and it also contained one of the most iconic final shots in the series’ history.
Game of Thrones: The Rains Of Castamere - 9.9
The Rains of Castamere will be studied for a long, long time. It’s not only a perfectly executed episode of television, but it’s largely responsible for the surge in Game of Thrones’s popularity. Most of the acclaim stems from the episode’s shocking plot developments, including the now infamous Red Wedding.
It’s also interesting to note how popular Game of Thrones became following this episode. The YouTube reaction videos went viral, Game of Thrones developed a reputation for its surprising and no-holds-barred storytelling, and the show subsequently shot into the stratosphere.
