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Game of Thrones has become synonymous with epic fantasy on the small screen, yet there was a time when bringing such a genre to television seemed unlikely. Despite the box office triumph of The Lord of the Rings, fantasy had not secured a strong foothold on TV. When HBO decided to bring Game of Thrones to life, it was uncertain if the series would resonate with viewers.
Against the odds, Game of Thrones not only captured audiences worldwide but also redefined television. It paved the way for fantasy to be embraced as a mainstream genre. However, as the series progressed, it became a topic of division among fans. The early seasons were widely acclaimed, yet the final episodes, particularly the finale, left many fans disheartened. They hoped for a more satisfying conclusion, especially for the Stark family, whose separation was bittersweet. While the show left a lasting impact, several other fantasy series have been hailed as more coherent and fulfilling in their storytelling.
In the wake of Game of Thrones‘ conclusion, HBO sought to continue its foray into the fantasy realm. George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood emerged as the natural successor, leading to the creation of House of the Dragon. Although embarking on a prequel might have seemed like a risky endeavor, House of the Dragon aimed to achieve what its predecessor could not, offering a fresh take on the beloved universe.
House of the Dragon Has Learned From Game of Thrones’ Mistakes
As soon as Game of Thrones concluded, HBO set out to capitalize on another fantasy series, and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood was the obvious choice. Though it may seem that a Game of Thrones prequel would be grasping at straws, House of the Dragon set out to do what Game of Thrones could not.
The flagship series was a high-octane blood battle, but House of the Dragon pushed its female characters to the forefront, portraying a conflict that started with generational trauma. House of the Dragon was adapted from a Targaryen historical tome about the Dance of the Dragons. The Targaryen civil war was between Rhaenyra Targaryen, her father’s heir, and her younger half-brother, Aegon.
House of the Dragon was about gender politics and how years of betrayal could lead to a war between brother and sister. This slower-paced series has the benefit of being based on a source material that is concluded, leaving little room for deviation.
Game of Thrones has stiff competition with not just a decent fantasy series, but the best television show that anime has to offer. Based on the manga of the same name, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was the second adaptation, but by far the superior one. The series encompassed the true story of the book with the tragic tale of the Elric Brothers.
After the death of their mother, Edward and Alphonse committed the forbidden act of human transmutation. In a world where state-sanctioned alchemists were a reality, these children used all the power at their disposal to bring their mother back. It literally cost Ed an arm and a leg, and Al his entire body. Bonded to an empty suit of armor, Al had to go out with a body for the entirety of the series.
The two set off on a quest to bond Al’s spirit with his human form again while discovering a conspiracy within the government. Fullmetal Alchemist continues to be the standard by which all anime is measured and has an ending that no fantasy series can compare to.
The Wheel of Time’s Battle Between Good and Evil Was Canceled Too Soon
After HBO made such a killing with George R.R. Martin’s subject material, Amazon was next. The streaming network chose Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time, to adapt.
Over the course of his life, Jordan wrote most of the 14-book series before Brandon Sanderson completed them upon his death. The Wheel of Time was the classic tale of good versus evil in a fantastical world. Tragically, The Wheel of Time was not granted the recognition of other fantasy series. The HBO series had ended just in time for the streaming boom to hit.
The Wheel of Time was lost in the shuffle of many streaming platforms trying to do the same thing. The series lost this battle against the lesser series, Rings of Power, just because it had a bigger IP.
His Dark Materials Took a Strong Stance Against Organized Religion
The Golden Compass was the first adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s classic series, but its follow-up was far more successful. HBO adapted Pullman’s trilogy, His Dark Materials, creating one season for each book.
The Golden Compass was depicted in Season 1, in a fantasy land where people are bonded to spirit animals known as daemons. Lyra was at the center of this story, a young girl who found a greater purpose when her friend Roger went missing. He was one of many children who had been abducted in a vast conspiracy within the theocracy of the world.
The ruling body of government, the Magisterium, funded these child abductions, perpetrated by Lyra’s cold mother, Mrs. Coulter. She intended to sever children from their daemons to stop sinful acts in adulthood. Pullman’s books were a striking criticism of religion, and HBO’s series did not hold back in its adaptation.
Percy Jackson Is a Much More Faithful Adaptation Than the Films
Sorry, Harry Potter, but Rick Riordan’s Greek mythology-inspired series has the real Golden Trio. Like many fantasy series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians had been adapted before, but television revealed the path of a faithful telling of the story.
Riordan initially wrote the series for his son, who had trouble learning at school. In Percy Jackson, the title character is dyslexic, which was the result of his impressive lineage. Percy was the son of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, and was sent to Camp Half-Blood with the rest of the demigods, where they would learn to fight and undertake quests.
Along his travels, Percy met Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, and the satyr Grover, who became his found family. Disney+’s Percy Jackson is a moving story about those who don’t fit in and find new life.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Is the Perfect Show For All Kinds of Fans
Game of Thrones has a high bar, but no series was as well-crafted or narratively sound as Avatar: The Last Airbender. Created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the series is set in a world influenced by many other cultures, ruled by four nations.
In this world, people known as Benders could harness the four elements of earth, wind, air, and fire. The only person who could master all four is the Avatar, the being meant to bring balance to the world. After being frozen in ice for a century, Aang returned to find that the world had been conquered by the Fire Nation.
He went on a quest to bring the power back to the people and aid the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko, in the best redemptive arc put to screen. Avatar depicted many heavy topics that all culminated in an anti-fascist message that is more relevant than ever.