18 Years Ago, This Cult Classic Now on Prime Video Proved Great Fantasy Doesn’t Have To Be Grim

It’s no secret that fantasy shows have grown more popular in recent years. However, the majority seems to take a dark look at magical worlds, full of monsters, violence, and cunning enemies. This era of fantasy is defined by each new contender’s hope to recreate Game of Thrones’ strategy, but the result is a genre that takes itself too seriously. While this method can create compelling worlds, it isn’t the only way to do fantasy, as Merlin showed us almost two decades ago. In the 14 years since the BBC drama ended, Merlin has remained popular, but unlike Game of Thrones, no series has tried to recapture its success.

Following a young warlock in Camelot, where magic is illegal, Merlin has all the elements it needs to be a dark fantasy — with danger and political conflicts nearly constant — but it doesn’t take that path. Instead, the series leans into its comedic character dynamics and one-liners, creating a refreshing light tone. Part of it is that Merlin is bound by network TV’s rules about what can be shown on screen, but the show never tries to push those boundaries. And still, without the edgy violence or overt darkness, Merlin is one of the best fantasy series around.

‘Merlin’ Keeps a Lighter Tone Than Most Modern Fantasy Series

What sets Merlin apart is that, despite often including life and death stakes, the series doesn’t focus on violence. The most straightforward way to measure this is by character deaths. Merlin isn’t without major deaths, but these dramatic twists are rare, unlike, say, Game of Thrones, which includes so many deaths that it was more surprising when characters survived to the end. The loss of life in Merlin is mostly saved to the show’s ending, which does take a tragic turn, much to many fans’ disappointment. Even so, only a handful of recognizable characters pass away, which is rare in modern fantasies.

However, beyond deaths, Merlin is simply not structured around fighting, which minimizes the violence overall. The story follows Merlin (Colin Morgan) as he hides his magical abilities and protects Arthur (Bradley James) in hopes that he will return magic to the world. This difference means that Merlin is not constantly building up to the next battle, which is the case for most modern fantasy series. House of the Dragon is a clear example of this, as the Game of Thrones spin-off details the events of the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, featuring epic battles with soldiers, dragon fire, and lots of gore. The Witcher follows the same format, including even more bloody spectacles.

In fact, The Witcher’s best episodes are huge conflicts that Geralt (Liam Hemsworth) or Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) find themselves in the middle of. The result is jaw-dropping action, but the focus is more on the fighting than the character. In Merlin, they do fight, but the story is about the characters’ emotions leading up to the battle or Merlin’s magical contributions. This is evident in the Season 1 episode where Arthur and Merlin go to protect Merlin’s home village. Despite the need to fight, the episode focuses on Merlin’s friendships and the preparation rather than the actual confrontation, preventing Merlin from getting too grim.

‘Merlin’ Is a Rare Fantasy Series That Isn’t Afraid To Lean Into Humor

Instead of action, violence, and spectacle, Merlin’s greatest strength is the characters, specifically the two leads, Merlin and Arthur. The duo may start out hating each other, but throughout the series, they form a deep bond, making their friendship the heart of the show. Merlin, in particular, isn’t afraid to whip out his sarcasm, and, on top of this hilarious relationship with Arthur, Merlin often places its characters in ridiculous situations, keeping the story fun and unpredictable without taking a dark turn.

Merlin’s humor stands out, but that isn’t to say that more recent fantasy series have abandoned comedy altogether. Netflix’s prematurely cancelled Shadow and Bone thrived on its humor, especially with the dynamic of the Crows. The series also centered on the criminal underworld, which lent itself to some gruesome storylines, creating a nice balance.

An even more recent example of a comedic fantasy series is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which features the dynamic duo of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). This series is much lighter than others despite being set in the same world as Game of Thrones, but it still includes gruesome deaths and demonstrates the dark reality of life in Westeros. These series show a range in tone, balancing the light with the dark. More fantasy series need to follow in Merlin’s footsteps and step out of total darkness. The genre needs to stop taking itself so seriously.