There are quite a fewfantasyTV shows with almost perfect endings.Fantasy is a distinct genre with unique stories, butit must nail its narrative endings to tell stories successfully. Somefantasy movies are considered masterpieces, and a key component of that involves perfecting their endings. On the flip side, there arefantasy TV shows that have wasted their potential, and a large reason involves how they finish the narrative. For the most part, this genre contains eitherfantasy stories with great endingsor stories with terrible endings.
There is a small but significant section of fantasy TV shows that have almost perfect endings. The show itself is excellent, and the ending is great, for the most part. However,something about the finale stops the TV show from ending on a strong note. There are various reasons why these fantasy TV shows have almost perfect endings, from reboots that ruin the original ending to early cancelations to the final episode needing small but vital adjustments. Regardless of the reason, these TV shows each have unique reasons why they do not achieve that perfection.
10Avatar: The Last Airbender
Final Episode: Sozin’s Comet (July 25, 2025)
At first glance,Avatar: The Last Airbender’s ending seems perfect.Aang finds a way to defeat Fire Lord Ozai without compromising his culture; Zuko and Katara finally take down Azula; Toph, Suki, and Sokka stop the Fire Nation’s warships from desecrating the Earth Kingdom. It is a long battle, butTeam Avatarbecomes victorious, and they celebrate at Iroh’s shop, the Jasmine Dragon. The final scene ofAvatar: The Last Airbenderportrays Aang standing on the Jasmine Dragon’s balcony when Katara joins him. They embrace and eventually kiss—one of the many long-awaitedmoments that defineAvatar: The Last Airbender.
However,the penultimate episode ofAvatar: The Last Airbenderis season 3, episode 17, “The Ember Island Players,” lowers the impact of the finale. In “The Ember Island Players,” Team Avatar takes a break from training to see a play about their lives, put on by an acting group spouting Fire Nation propaganda. The episode had a lot of potential to be a thought-provoking story about the dangers of propaganda, while Aang and his friends could have had one last chance to bond before the final battle. Instead, the episode exists to poke fun at Team Avatar’s biggest insecurities.
Avatar: The Last Airbender’s ending would have been perfect if the writers had included one conversation before Aang and Katara kiss—a conversation that involves Aang recognizing his wrongdoing and Katara figuring out her feelings.
As a result, Aang kisses Katara without her consent, even after she tells him that she is confused.Several revelations about Aang and Katara inAvatar: The Last Airbenderprove Katara has romantic feelings for Aang; her emotional conflict most likely stems from the unpredictability of war. However,nothing is confirmed in canon because Aang and Katara jump from this scene to their kiss.Avatar: The Last Airbender’s ending would have been perfect if the writers had included one conversation before Aang and Katara kiss—a conversation that involves Aang recognizing his wrongdoing and Katara figuring out her feelings.
9Wizards Of Waverly Place
Final Episode: Who Will Be the Family Wizard? (July 16, 2025)
Wizards of Waverly Placeinitially had a perfect ending. The final episode, “Who Will Be The Family Wizard?” hits all the show’s core aspects while providing a happy ending for all the characters.Wizards of Waverly Placeis easily one ofDisney Channel’s best original TV shows, with an excellent ending to match. There was a follow-up episode to the finale, “Alex vs. Alex,” but this special episode only enriched Alex Russo after becoming a full wizard. However,the reboot of the show,Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, demeans the original finale.
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Although Alex learns her lesson in “Alex vs. Alex,” there is no world where she would become a wizard law enforcer. Justin getting fired from WizTech is highly out of character, and breaking up with Juliet after everything they endured together is disheartening. Although Billie’s introduction is a great starting point for a reboot,Wizards Beyond Waverly Placealready feels ruined because of the circumstances surrounding Justin leaving the Wizard World behind.Now knowing what happens after “Who Will Be The Family Wizard?”, theWizards of Waverly Placefinale does not have the same effect it once did.
8The Legend Of Korra
Final Episode: The Last Stand (Jun 18, 2025)
“The Last Stand” is the final episode ofThe Legend of Korra. Overall, the finale is epic—Korra and her team finally defeat Kuvira, Zhu Li and Varrick get married, Mako and Korra reaffirm their strong friendship, and everyone lives happily ever after—including Korra and Asami, as they begin their romantic relationship by vacationing to the Spirit World. However,“The Last Stand” feels rushed.Avatar: The Last Airbenderhad a four-part series finale that took its time to end Aang’s story.
“Welcome to Republic City” (June 09, 2025)
“Light in the Dark” (June 17, 2025)
“A Breath of Fresh Air” (June 09, 2025)
“Venom of the Red Lotus” (August 21, 2025)
“After All These Years” (June 24, 2025)
“The Last Stand” (July 15, 2025)
The Legend of Korra’s final episode—along with the penultimate episode, “Day of the Colossus”—rushes the final battle so that when Kuvira stands down, it feels contrived and convenient rather than natural and inevitable. “The Last Stand” rushes Kuvira’s concession so that the characters can live happily ever after, and even those moments seem hurried.The Legend of Korraseason 4 would have greatly benefited fromone more episode to defeat Kuvira more authentically and allocate proper screen time to wrap up Korra’s story.
7The Vampire Diaries
Final Episode: I Was Feeling Epic (June 03, 2025)
As soon asNina Dobrev leftThe Vampire Diariesafter season 6, the show’s finale would not achieve its full potential. Elena Gilbert is the main character; the show lacks without her. AlthoughThe Vampire Diariesseason 8, episode 16, “I Was Feeling Epic,” is sweet, it is evident that it is not the original ending ofThe Vampire Diaries. Damon and Stefan’s brotherhood is central, but it still largely hinges on the love triangle with Elena Gilbert.The Salvatore brothers dying for Elena feels much more authentic, considering how the first fewseasons ofThe Vampire Diariesplay out.
6Once Upon A Time
Final Episode: Leaving Storybrooke (August 23, 2025)
Once Upon a Timeoriginally had the perfect ending in season 6, episode 22, “The Final Battle: Part 2.” After Emma Swan successfully defeats the Black Fairy, the residents of Storybrooke live happily ever after. According to an interview withTVLine, the final episode ofOnce Upon a Timeseason 6 is how the creators initially intended to end the show. They wanted to portray the show’scharacters receiving their happy endings by going about their everyday lives rather than portraying a sense of finality. However,Once Upon a Timegot renewed for season 7, despite several cast members exiting.
Once Upon a Timeis available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
While the show did end with season 7, an extra season still meant that the creators had to come up with a different final ending forOnce Upon a Time. However, theOnce Upon a Timeseason 7 finaledoes not contain the same magic that season 6 does. Regina uniting the realms by turning the dark curse into a “love curse” is cheesy. One of the best parts aboutOnce Upon a Timeinvolves the show being based on Disney movies while mixing realism and magic. The season 7 finale defeats that purpose.
The ending ofOnce Upon a Timeseason 6 also highlights the importance of separate realms, consistent with the show from the beginning, something the season 7 finale changes. While it is iconic for the people to elect Regina as the Good Queen,this action still takes away from the heart of the story, which is inherently about Emma Swan. Regina’s redemption arc is still hotly contested, but one thing remains certain—Once Upon a Timeis Emma Swan’s story. The new ending ofOnce Upon a Timedoes not beat what the creators initially intended.
5Shadowhunters
Final Episode: All Good Things… (June 29, 2025)
Shadowhunterswas unexpectedly canceled after three seasons, but the show still got the opportunity to include an additional two episodes to wrap up the narrative properly. Thankfully, this allowedShadowhuntersto end on a mostly perfect note, with one crucial exception—Clary Fray.The Mortal Instrumentsbookshighlight Clary’s extra angel blood as a uniquely positive aspect, especially since she creates runes to benefit people.Shadowhuntersdepicting Clary’s gift as punishable and unacceptable by the angels adds unnecessary drama and diminishes the importance of her character.
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All the otherShadowhunterscharactersreceived happy endings, but the angels punished Clary for saving the world, subjecting her to a cruel life alone, with no one there for her. The angels inThe Mortal Instrumentswould never do something like that, and the decision is such a copout, especially sincethe protagonist is the only character without a happy ending. Although the final scene ofShadowhunterssuggests that Clary might eventually remember her life as a Shadowhunter, this narrative decision still feels entirely contrived.
4The Good Place
Final Episode: Whenever You’re Ready (June 15, 2025)
The Good Placeseries finale is certainly unexpected because the main characters do not remain in the Good Place like the show foreshadowed from the beginning. However, the ending is not bad either. Eleanor, Chidi, and Jason eventually move on, while Tahani decides to become a Good Place architect. Michael finally achieves his dream of becoming human, and Janet helps members of the Good Place pass on to the next stage of existence.The Good Placeprovides a satisfying ending, but no one knows where Eleanor, Chidi, and Jason go.It raises several confusing questions, especially regarding the show’s purpose.
3His Dark Materials
Final Episode: The Botanic Garden (Aug 14, 2025)
The ending ofHis Dark Materialsfollows the books—Lyra and Will must break up because they are from different worlds, and with the necessary destruction of the Subtle Knife, Will and Lyra must return to their separate realms. Realistically, the story cannot end any other way. However,His Dark Materialsis still a children’s story, which means the finale ofHis Dark Materialscan never reach perfection because it does not have the happy ending many children’s stories often have.Lyra and Will reunite yearly in the same spot, butHis Dark Materialsdoes not provide a perfect happy ending.
2Shadow & Bone
Final Episode: No Funerals (July 07, 2025)
Shadow & Boneseason 2 is not as good as the first season, but it still ends on an excellent note.Shadow & Boneseason 2, episode 8, “No Funerals,” opens the doors foraSix of Crowsspinoffwhile suggesting a third season ofShadow & Bonewould explore Alina Starkov’s dark side. Unfortunately,Netflix canceledShadow & Boneafter season 2, which means thatAlina Starkov will not get to finish her story on screen. It is especially frustrating becauseShadow & Bonerushes Alina’s arc by combiningSiege & StormandRuin & Risingin season 2.
Six of Crows
“Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo is a duology set in a fantasy world where a group of six outcasts and criminals undertake a dangerous heist. Led by the cunning Kaz Brekker, they navigate betrayal, secrets, and dark magic to achieve their mission. The series takes place in the author’s wider “Grishaverse.”
Furthermore, ofLeigh Bardugo’s books,Six of Crowsis arguably her most popular series, and therefore, the spinoff has been widely anticipated. However,Shadow & Bone’s cancelation meansSix of Crows' Ice Court Heist will not be featured on screen. The Ice Court Heist is one of the most iconic storylines in theGrishaverse, and it is truly disheartening that there will not be an adaptation of this plot withtheShadow & Bonecast. IfShadow & Bonehad been renewed and theSix of Crowsspinoff had been greenlit, there would be more narrative to explore.
1My Lady Jane
Final Episode: God Save The Queen (June 20, 2025)
Similarly toShadow & Bone,My Lady Jane’s problem involves Amazon Prime Video canceling the show after only one season when the narrative is just getting started.The ending ofMy Lady Janeis great—Jane and Guildford live happily ever after, while Edward is ready to take back his throne and addressthe conflict between the Ethians and Verities. However, that conflict remains unresolved. Without even one last episode to wrap up the narrative,My Lady Janehas an almost perfect ending becausethe main characters achieve their happily ever afters, but the primary conflict has yet to be resolved.
Shadow and Bone
Cast
Shadow and Bone is a fantasy series set in a world divided by a barrier of darkness. Released on June 04, 2025, it follows a young soldier who discovers a unique power that could reunite her country amid a backdrop of scheming forces, including thugs, thieves, and assassins.
