From ‘American Gods’ to ‘One Piece,’ the 7 Best Fantasy Shows That Are Free To Stream Right Now

Streaming services are the primary means by which people enjoy movies and TV shows these days. It can be a rather frustrating affair for consumers, especially when streaming services lock content behind their subscriptions, or rotate movies and shows between one another periodically. This forces people to pay for multiple different subscription services, which becomes harder to justify as the price of living continues to increase.

Fortunately, there are some free streaming services, such as Pluto, Tubi, and Roku. Their selection is naturally smaller than the major platforms, especially in the case of fantasy shows, but there are a few gems worth checking out.

1

‘Wolfblood’ (2012–2017)

Image via CBBC

Within the community of Stoneybridge, Northumbria, lives a family of Wolfbloods, werewolf-like creatures who can control their transformations, even during the day. One day, their daughter, Maddy Smith (Aimée Kelly), meets Rhydian Morris (Bobby Lockwood), another Wolfblood who is unaware of his heritage and passed around through the foster care system. The Smyths take him in, and Maddy forms a close bond with Rhydian, while also trying to keep her powers a secret from her human friends.

Wolfblood could have easily fallen into the traps of most teenage dramas, but manages to keep things fresh thanks to its worldbuilding and emphasis on character dynamics. A lot of time and effort is put into distinguishing Wolfbloods from traditional werewolves, and some of those distinctions lead to solid discussions about teenage identity and the struggle to belong in a world you’re still trying to figure out. Later seasons do mix up the cast as characters come and go, which can affect certain storylines, but it also offers new storytelling opportunities as the size and scope of the world is expanded.

2

‘American Gods’ (2017–2021)

Image via Starz

Just as Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) is about to get out of prison, he learns that his wife has died, and his attempts to get to the funeral are met with delays and repeated meetings with the mysterious Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane). Shadow Moon eventually accepts a job offer from Mr. Wednesday to become his minder, and learns that gods walk among humans. Currently, new gods like Technology (Bruce Langley) and Globalization (Crispin Glover) rule, but the old gods are planning to gather and try to reclaim their lost thrones.

American Gods is an adaptation of the book by Neil Gaiman, and it does an admirable job trying to adapt his unique brand of fantasy worldbuilding. The gods are all written with nuanced personalities and flaws grounded in human vices like pride, greed, and envy, which makes them more interesting to follow as characters. It also presents some unforgettable visuals, especially when the gods use their power, and we see a comparison between the more worn but naturalistic powers of the old against the flashy, high-tech aesthetic of the new.

3

‘The Magicians’ (2015–2020)

Image via SYFY

Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) and Julia Wicker (Stella Maeve) are best friends and budding magicians who apply to Brakebills University to practice the magical arts. Quentin is accepted into the school, while Julia is rejected and her memories erased, though she preemptively left some clues behind to help her find her way back. Meanwhile, Quentin starts to unravel a mystery linked to his favorite book series, whose contents might just be more fact than fiction.

The Magicians is adapted from Lev Grossman‘s trilogy of the same name, and offers a grittier look at the urban fantasy genre. It still keeps its moments of whimsy and magical escapism, but also dedicates time to exploring themes of grief, mental health, and the cost of power. It also has fun with its magic world by tailoring spells more to the individual rather than a list that can be mastered in time, which has the benefit of giving each of the protagonists a clear role in their team.

4

‘I Dream of Jeannie’ (1965–1970)

Image via NBC

USAF Captain Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman) lands on a deserted island after returning to Earth from a one-manned space flight, and discovers a mysterious bottle containing a djinn named Jeannie (Barbara Eden). Tony uses her magic to escape the island and set her free, but Jeannie has become smitten by him and decides to follow him home. While Tony just wants to live a normal life and keep his job with NASA, Jeannie uses her powers to try and make his life easier, which tends to backfire in comical ways.

I Dream of Jeannie was created due to the success of Bewitched, but quickly established its own identity thanks to Jeannie and Tony’s dynamic. Their relationship starts off with the refreshing idea of the human rejecting the offer of magic and the djinn insisting anyway, and over time they develop a cute and believable romance. Beyond the two leads, the show was full of witty jokes, memorable side characters, and plenty of creativity.

5

‘Merlin’ (2008–2012)

A young warlock named Merlin (Colin Morgan) is sent by his mother to Camelot so he can live with Gaius (Richard Wilson), a family friend and the court physician to King Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head). After Merlin saves Uther’s son, Arthur (Bradley James), from a woman whose son Uther executed for practicing magic, he makes Merlin Arthur’s manservant, and the two soon become friends. However, more magical threats emerge to threaten the kingdom, and Merlin must keep his powers a secret to all but Gaius while he works to solve them.

Merlin is a one-of-a-kind adaptation of Arthurian legend that asks what things would be like if Arthur and Merlin were not master and apprentice, but teenage best friends. It works surprisingly well, thanks in no small part to Head and James’ fantastic chemistry, which makes the two feel like brothers who constantly get on one another’s nerves, but would also trust each other with their life. The structure of each episode was a “Monster-of-the-Week,” with new magical horrors and eccentric characters popping up, while in the background, classic elements like Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table are steadily developed before taking center stage in the final seasons.

6

‘Bewitched’ (1964–1972)

Image via ABC

Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) is a young witch who has recently married a human ad executive named Darrin Stephens (Dick York and Dick Sargent). In compliance with Darrin’s wishes, Samantha agrees to keep her use of magic limited, and settles into the role of a domestic housewife in New York. However, her family disapprove of her choice of husband and frequently insert themselves into her and Darrin’s lives, which leads to plenty of magical mishaps.

Bewitched offered a more charming and lighthearted look at a hidden magical world interacting with the mundane carried by sharp writing. Each episode is packed with clever jokes and delightful character exchanges, with Samantha standing out the best thanks to Montgomery’s natural charisma and ability to play Samantha as a kind, loving woman who also wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for herself and her life choices. By the time it finished its eight-season run, the show had received 22 Primetime Emmy nominations and won 3 of them.

7

‘One Piece’ (1999–)

Image via Toei Animation

When Pirate King Gold Rogers (Chikao Ōtsuka and Masane Tsukayama/Sean Hennigan) is executed, he tells the world that his vast fortune, called the One Piece, is up for the taking to anyone who can find it. This kicks off a great era of piracy as people sail the oceans to find it, such as Monkey D. Luffy (Mayumi Tanaka/Colleen Clinkenbeard), a young man who ate a magic fruit that turned his body to rubber. He assembles an eccentric and skilled crew to help him in his quest, which sees them face off not just against other pirates, but the naval branch of the World Government, revolutionary fighters, and so much more.

One Piece is one of the most well-known and successful mangas ever made, so it should be no surprise that its anime adaptation is ranked as one of the best. It has crafted for itself an immersive and well-realized world with numerous factions of varying morality, rich history that encourages exploration, and mysterious magic that leads to inventive powers, as seen through the Devil Fruits. It also helps that the characters who inhabit this world are so enthralling, with Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates alone showcasing a wide array of backstories, balancing virtues and flaws, and hilarious camaraderie.

One Piece

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

Writers

Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda

• 

  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

• 

  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)