Filled with magic spells and whimsical and beautiful settings, thefantasy genre is perfectly suited to animation.The best animated TV showsallow for greater creativity and can be used to bring magical spells and fantastical battles to life. The anime seriesSailor Moonhelped popularize animated fantasy TV shows with its iconic transformation sequences, intricate spellcasting, and signature attack animations.
Agood animated fantasy TV showhas large,spectacular battles filled with magic, violence, high stakes, and character growth. A stunning animation style can turn magical battles into visual masterpieces. The best battle scenes in TV shows are the ones that embody important themes like good versus evil, show character growth, and have lasting consequences for the plot and characters. Fantasy animated TV shows with awesome magical battles can leave a lasting impression, visually and thematically.
10Trollhunters: Tales Of Arcadia (2016-2018)
Reluctant Young Hero Must Defend Two Worlds
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadiais an animated fantasy TV show following a young teenage boy, James “Jim” Lake Jr., who stumbles into the role of a hero after finding a magical amulet.The reluctant new hero is thrust into the role of Trollhunterand has to juggle his double life and protect the world’s fate. As a Trollhunter, Jim constantly adventures through worlds and fights to protect others.
Trollhunters Timeline & Watch Order (Tales Of Arcadia Shows & Movie)
Netflix and DreamWorks' Tales of Arcadia series combined Trollhunters, 3Below, and Wizards into one story. Here’s the timeline and best watch order.
Jim is one of thebest characters inTrollhunters: Tales of Arcadia.His willingness to learn and determination to help others despite facing hardships made Jim a compelling character. Throughout the series, Jim slowly learns toaccept his role as a protector, improves his sword-fighting skills, takes on greater responsibilities, and embraces his hero status
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The magical battles and their aftermath inTrollhunters: Tales of Arcadiashowcase how much growth the characters, especially Jim, have undergone through the series.Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadiakeeps its battle scenes engaging with a mix of magic, sword fights, interesting locations, and various creatures.
9Castlevania (2017-2021)
The Epic Battle Against Dracula And His Demonic Army
Castlevaniais adark animated TV showbased on the video game series of the same name. After the vampire, Dracula summons an army of demons that massacres the population of Wallachia, the last living member of a family of monster hunters Trevor Belmont sets off to take Dracula down. As an action-filled animated show,Castlevaniahas no shortage of amazing battle and fight sequences.
Castlevania
Cast
Based on the video game franchise, Castlevania is a Netflix original animated action series that follows the never-ending battle of the monster-slaying Belmont clan as they continue to face off against the hordes of the night. When Count Dracula’s human wife is murdered, his grief leads him to doom the world to eternal darkness. To stop him, it’ll take a team of three unlikely heroes banding together: the last remaining Belmont, Trevor, a magic-wielding seeker named Sypha Belnades, and the tortured half-human, half-vampire son of the count himself, Alucard.
Castlevaniaand its sequelCastlevania: Nocturneboast incredible battle sceneswith stunning animation and high stakes.Castlevania’sintense visuals are perfect for dark and serious battle and fight scenes, and the skillful animation style is inspired and influenced by the anime, making watchingCastlevaniaa uniquely artistic experience. The battle scenes inCastlevaniaaren’t just visual treats, they arenarratively enriching scenes that heighten the stakes, put beloved characters in danger, move the plot forward, and result in character growth.
8The Dragon Prince (2018)
Two Princes Attempted To End A 1,000 Year Conflict
The Dragon Princeis an animated TV show set in aconflict-ridden and bleak fantasy worldfilled with dragons, magic, and elves. With humans becoming corrupted by dark magic and subsequently being excommunicated from the rest of the continent of Xadia,the world ofThe Dragon Princeis filled with tension and on the verge of war.
The Dragon Princehas likable main charactersthat keep the plot engaging. The two human princes Callum and Ezran team up with an elf assassin Rayla to protect the titular Dragon Prince, while a dark mage attempts to hunt them down.The Dragon Princeis filled withferocious battles with dragons, dark and primal magic, and betrayal.
The Dragon Prince
The Dragon Prince is a Netflix-created animated fantasy series created by the original minds behind Avatar: The Last Airbender. It follows two human princes, an infant dragon prince, and an elven assassin, as they embark on an epic quest to stop the endless war between their worlds and bring peace to the magical continent of Xadia.
One of the most compelling dynamics inThe Dragon Prince,the father-daughter duo of Lord Viren and Claudia is abattle between familial loyalty and moral compass. The magical battles inThe Dragon Princecan lead to disastrous consequences for the world and showcase the changing dynamics and allegiances between the characters.
7The Owl House (2020-2023)
A Teenager Girl Finds Portal To A Magical World
The fantasy animated TV seriesThe Owl Housefollows a teenage girl, Luz Noceda, who accidentally uncovers a portal to the Demon Realm and befriends a witch named Eda Clawthorne. Despite not being born with magical abilities,Luz is determined to become a witch and decides to work as an apprenticefor Eda and learn magic, and later becomes exceptionally skilled at glyph magic. The TV showhas an abundance of interesting characters, and evenThe Owl House’ssupporting charactershave incredible relationship dynamics and backstories.
Why The Owl House Was Canceled After Season 3
The Owl House season 3 saw the final episodes of the critically acclaimed animated series after Disney Channel decided to cancel the TV show.
The Owl Househas it all; witches, magic, curses, romance, and high school drama. The magical combat scenes inThe Owl Housethroughout the seasons arebeautifully animated with a bright, flashy, and simplistic art style.The Owl House’sLuz Nocedagains confidence in herself and her skills as she creatively utilizes glyph magic to get out of tough situations, and by season 3, Luz earns her witch staff.
The Owl House
The Owl House is an animated fantasy series that follows Luz Noceda, a teenage human girl who stumbles upon a portal to a magical realm. There, she befriends a rebellious witch named Eda and a tiny warrior named King. Determined to become a witch herself, Luz embarks on various adventures while learning about magic, friendship, and self-discovery. Created by Dana Terrace, the series debuted in 2020 on Disney Channel.
Luz’s journey is made more meaningful after witnessing her hard work to learn witchcraft and her determination to help her friends and others. The battle scenes inThe Owl Housethroughout the series showcase how strong and determined Luz is, and makes her growth by the final season more meaningful.
6Steven Universe (2013-2019)
A Young Boy Fights To Protect Earth
The coming-of-age animated seriesSteven Universeis set in a fictional town in the USA where Crystal Gems, a group of four alien warriors, reside. Thelovable but flawed Steven Universelearns he is half Crystal Gem and half human and learns to harness his powers to protect Earth from threats. The battles inSteven Universefeatureintergalactic battles, team work, and magic.
5 Reasons A Steven Universe Revival Needs To Happen (& 5 Reasons It Shouldn’t)
Creator Rebecca Sugar has recently commented on the possibility for a Steven Universe revival, but the excitement is undercut by difficult realities.
Since the Crystal Gems are a group of aliens that can merge their bodies to form a more powerful being, a majority of theSteven Universebattles have Steven and at least one of the Crystal Gems working together. The battle scenes showcased the progression of the Crystal Gems and Steve’s teamwork and the relationship between them.
In addition, theSteven Universebattle scenes also display howSteve slowly adjusted to being half Crystal Gem, his powers, and his feeling about his mother Rose Quartz. The background score perfectly encapsulates the feelings the characters are experiencing, and eachSteven Universefight is significant for plot reasons or character growth.
5Arcane (2021-2024)
Steampunk Action Set In The League Of Legends Universe
The animated TV showArcaneis a steampunk adventure set amidst the unrest between the rich city of Piltover and the poor underbelly of Zaun.Arcaneprimarily follows the sisters Vi and Jinxas they become embedded in the conflict between Piltover and Zaun. The fantasy seriesArcanefeatures magic in a unique way, where characters don’t have magical abilities. InArcane,magic is volatile, deadly, and can be harnessedinto weapons and cause devastation.
Thestrong characterizations, impressive animation, and fast-paced action sequences inArcanemade each battle, fight, or action scene visually pleasing. WhileArcanedoesn’t have any magic wielding characters with superpowers, the battle scenes do contain magic.Weapons inArcaneutilize Hextechand magical crystals to enhance weapons. The stunning animation inArcaneintensifies the action-heavy and violent nature of the show.
4Adventure Time (2010-2018)
A Boy And His Best Friend’s Adventures
The fantasy animated TV showAdventure Timefollows Finn and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake, a dog with the ability to change size and shape. Set in the fantasy post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo. The whimsical Land of Ooo contains a candy kingdom, vampires, and flame elementals and isfilled with adventures that Finn and Jake can embark on.
Adventure Time
Adventure Time is a science fiction/fantasy animation from Cartoon Network. Adventure Time follows Finn (Jeremy Shada) and his dog Jake (John DiMaggio) as they go on adventures in the near future. The series was created by Pendleton Ward and ran for a total of 10 seasons on the network. Adventure Time was critically acclaimed while it was on the air and managed to pull in younger audiences, as well as adults.
Adventure Timebattle and fight scenes are filled with magical elements due to the fantasy story’s mystical and whimsical setting.No epic battle scenes inAdventure Timewere the same,as there was always an abundance of various creatures and monsters. Most of the battles inAdventure Timefocused more on entertainment and fun and didn’t have high stakes, makingAdventure Timethe perfect eccentric fantasy world to journey into when looking for a quirky and enjoyable story. WhileAdventure Timeis mostly a fun, light-hearted adventure,Adventure Timealso has episodes that were downright terrifying.
3She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power (2018-2020)
A Young Teen Transforms Into A Legendary Hero
She-Ra and the Princesses of Powerwas a reboot of the seriesShe-Ra: Princess of Power.The animated TV show follows Adora, a young teen who learns she can transform into the heroine She-Ra andleads a group of magical princesses to rebel against a tyrant and his army. Set on the fantastical planet of Etheria,She-Ra and the Princesses of Poweris filled with powerful warrior princessesand magical creatures.
15 Shows To Watch If You Loved She-Ra
With shows like Loki and Masters Of The Universe: Revelation, fans searching for shows like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power have lots of choices.
The battle scenes inShe-Ra and the Princesses of Powerare engaging and have an interesting mix of sword fighting, magic, and army tanks. Each princess of power inShe-Rahadunique abilities and powers that they used in battles, such as Perfuma’s ability to control plants and Glimmer’s transportation and magical spells.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
She-Ra and the Princess of Power is an animated fantasy series created for Netflix, which follows the adventures of princess Adora, who battles an evil army trying to consume the world. Adora is a young teen who has the power to transform into a legendary warrior known as She-ra and stands against the evil Hordak, who seeks to control the entirety of Etheria. The show also shares the spotlight with Catra, a girl who establishes herself as a high-ranking official in Hordak’s army and tries to contrast their war against the rebellion’s efforts.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’sbattle scenes weren’t just action scenes, they were plot-relevant and important for the show’s characterization. The full animation for Adora’s transformation into She-Ra was only used twice throughout the whole series, butthe change in animation between the two scenes highlighted Adora’s growth as a person and as a hero. In a similar vein, the battle scenes inShe-Ra and the Princesses of Powerhad major repercussions for the princesses' rebellion against the evil Horde and the character’s relationships.
2The Legend of Vox Machina (2022)
D&D Based Show About Heroes Protecting The World From Threats
The Legend of Vox Machinais an animated series based on a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Set in the fictional fantasy world of Exandria,The Legend of Vox Machinafollows a group of seven heroes for hire. Themembers of the Vox Machinateam adventure through the continent of Tal’Dorei and protect its peoplefrom threats, including the Chroma Conclave, a group of dragons.
SinceThe Legend of Vox Machinais based on a fantasy world in D&D, it is filled with magic and creatures like elves, vampires, gnomes, and dragons.The adult fantasy TV show is filled with action, adventure, and battles between good and evil.
The Legend of Vox Machina
The Legend of Vox Machina is an animated series that follows a group of rowdy misfits turned mercenaries. As they prioritize easy money and leisure over duty, they find themselves as the unlikely heroes tasked with defending the kingdom from impending evil and restoring justice.
The Legend of Vox Machina’simpressive animation, voice acting, story, and thrilling action sequencesmake the show and its battle sequences captivating and enthralling. ByThe Legend of Vox Machina’ssecond episode, the Vox Machina team takes down a dragon in a ferocious battle and the adventure only becomes more complex and exciting throughout the seasons.
1Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)
The Avatar Struggles To End The War And Restore Harmony
Avatar: The Last Airbenderis an animated fantasy show set in a magical world with four nations, named after the four elements. After the Fire Nation attacks the other nations and commits genocide against the Air Nomads,the once-peaceful world is brimming with war and tension.Avatar: The Last Airbenderfollows Avatar Aangas he deals with his responsibilities as the last member of the Air Nomads, the Avatar who is fated to save the world, and his values as a monk to respect all life in the war-torn world.
These underlying issues and responsibilities that Avatar Aang is constantly juggling add depth to his character and make him one of thebest characters inAvatar: The Last Airbender.In addition, the battle scenes inAvatar: The Last Airbenderdemonstrate theinner conflict that Aang and other characters are facing. The airbenders, firebenders, waterbenders, and earthbenders using the elements to fight each other make each magical battle inAvatar: The Last Airbenderthrilling and visually appealing.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender, released in 2005, follows a young boy in a war-torn world of elemental magic as he reawakens to embark on a challenging mystical quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar and restore peace to the world.
