This article contains spoilers for many major fantasy TV shows!For every unforgettable moment in afantasyTV show, there are just as many controversial moments that push viewers to their breaking point. Even the most popular fantastical TV series in history have included scenes that were so polarizing that audiences stop watching the show altogether. Typically,these plot points revolve around the introduction or exit of characters,as this can dramatically alter the series' dynamic and be devastating to witness. TV deaths often spark outrage when viewers feel that the character didn’t deserve to be killed off and still had more to contribute.
There are manyfantasy TV scenes that make no sense, but this is more excusable, asthe complex magic systems and world-building in speculative fiction shows can become confusing.However, when a series makes a concrete and avoidable choice that alienates audience members, it’s much more difficult to accept this. While writers and showrunners can’t control when an actor wants to leave a show or if the source material has a specific moment written in, plenty of these scenes were unnecessary. Today, they disrupt the legacies of otherwise brilliant TV series.
10Dany Murdering Thousands
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
Emilia Clarke’s performance as Daenerys Targaryen inGame of Thronesquickly made her a fan-favoritecharacter. Throughout the seasons, Dany proves herself to be a champion of the people, freeing those who have been enslaved across the Narrow Sea. Many viewers assumed that when she finally returned to Westeros to reclaim the Iron Throne, she would bring peace and justice to the land, unlike the people who had held power for so long. Unfortunately, the writers had other plans for Daenerys.
This is an abrupt and shocking change for Daenerys and came out of nowhere, reversing much of the development she had gone through up to this point.
In a total pivot in characterization, Daenerys burns down King’s Landing inGame of Thronesseason 8, one of the most polarizing seasons of the series. This is an abrupt and shocking change for Daenerys and came out of nowhere, reversing much of the development she had gone through up to this point. MaybeGame of Thronesis afantasy TV show that deserved more seasonsto redeem itself after the mixed response to season 8, but many viewers were done with the show before the finale aired.
Game Of Thrones
Cast
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
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9Quentin Dying
The Magicians (2015–2020)
Quentin was a complex character, butafter being the protagonist ofThe Magiciansfor four seasons, it came as quite a shock to viewers when he was killed off.Part of this was because Jason Ralph, the actor who portrayed him, was ready to leave the series, but things inThe Magicianshad been changing a lot since the series expanded past the original books the first three seasons were based on. While there were some interesting choices made in seasons 4 and 5, Quentin’s death pushed many audiences to stop watching before the final season.
Though there were plenty of other fantastic characters carrying the plot ofThe Magicians,Quentin was the heart of the show, and without him, many of the other characters were lost.The aftermath of Quentin’s death leftThe Magicianswith a lot of grief to grapple with, which made the show hard to watch at times. Elliot (Hale Appleman) is aTV character who never got a happy endinginThe Magicians. This is because his romantic arc with Quentin was cut short when he died.
The Magicians
The Magicians follows a group of young adults who enroll at Brakebills University, a secretive institution devoted to teaching magic. As they engage in an unconventional education in spellcasting, they realize that a childhood fantasy world is indeed real and presents a significant threat to humanity.
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8Dawn’s Appearance
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) was a thoroughly unexpected addition toBuffy The Vampire Slayer,making her first appearance in the season 5 premiere and becoming a central character for the last seasons of the show. Up until that point, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) had been an only child, but suddenly, she had a younger sister that everyone was acting like had been there since the beginning. While thekey storyline made no sense inBuffy The Vampire Slayer, this wasn’t entirely why viewers and critics disliked Dawn.
Though Dawn did find her place in the ensemble, she didn’t help the lukewarm performance of season 5.
As a character, Dawn is a bit annoying and frequently gets in the way of Buffy’s attempts to save the world, making the Slayer’s life more difficult. The entire dynamic of the series changed, and this was a big disruption for many longtime fans. While there were many elements inBuffy The Vampire Slayerseason 5 that made it different from the rest of the show, this stood out as a potential misstep. Though Dawn did find her place in the ensemble, she didn’t help the lukewarm performance of season 5.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.
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7Introducing Anna & Elsa
Once Upon A Time (2011–2018)
MakingFrozenone of the fairy tales to adapt inOnce Upon A Timewas the beginning of the endfor the innovative series, as most audiences didn’t consider the story classic enough to warrant a storyline. ByOnce Upon A Timeseason 4, the series had already touched upon many of the most popular folk tales and legends that Disney had adapted. This meant the show had to turn to more recent additions to the Disney canon, and this wasn’t as compelling.
It was clear from this point on thatOnce Upon A Timehad passed its peak,even if there were some exciting storylines to come in the remaining seasons. However, the tone and style that had defined the series in the early seasons was gone, and introducing Anna (Elizabeth Lail) and Elsa (Georgina Haig) made it seem like the show was out of ideas. Compared to the seamless way the other fairy tale characters had fit into the show, Anna and Elsa stood out.
Once Upon A Time
Once Upon a Time is an adventure fantasy-drama series created for ABC that features fairy tale characters and their Disney incarnations in a modern setting. When Emma Swan and her son Henry accidentally drive into the town of Storybrooke, they soon discover the inhabitants are those from fairy tales, and they have no knowledge of the modern world inhabited by Emma and Henry. Robbed of their pasts and given new identities by the Evil Queen known as Regina, the hope of the town’s residents lie solely in the hands of Emma, who has stronger connections to the town than she knows.
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6Nina Dobrev’s Exit
The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017)
For all her flaws, Elena was a vitally important character inThe Vampire Diaries,and when Nina Dobrev decided her time on the series had come to an end, it was a tough transition. Since Elena was the character with the most plot armor inThe Vampire Diaries, it’s not surprising that she didn’t die but was put under a sleeping curse so she could one day reunite with Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and her loved ones. However, since Elena had avoided all of these issues in the past, it made it obvious that external circumstances had influenced the show’s direction.
It was nice to see Elena return in the series finale, but there were many viewers who didn’t stick around to see her come back.
Even for fans who weren’t always happy with Elena, it was clear thatThe Vampire Diarieshad to fill a hole when Elena was gone and that the show was never the same. Without Elena, much of the dramatic tension between her, Damon, and Stefan (Paul Wesley) was gone, and the antagonists felt more obscure and unimportant. It was nice to see Elena return in the series finale, but there were many viewers who didn’t stick around to see her come back.
The Vampire Diaries
Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another’s affection.
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5Glenn’s Death
Steven Yeun’s character inThe Walking Dead, Glenn, was an amazing part of the show and helped bring emotional realism to the story. His relationship with Maggie (Lauren Cohan) anchoredThe Walking Dead, and his death was one of the most traumatic moments in the series, not just for Maggie but for all viewers. WhileThe Walking Deadwas no stranger to casualties,Glenn’s death was made worse by the fact that he had disappeared a few episodes beforeand was assumed dead, only to be brought back and murdered by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) onscreen.
Not only was Glenn’s death unnecessary, but it was an unfair way to bring his character arc to an end. It was upsetting to see him so brutally removed from the show, and it was a shocking fake-out to bring him back to life, only to ultimately kill him off.This storyline felt like the writers were trying to trick the audienceand squeeze the most possible drama and despair out of Glenn’s death. These factors were enough for viewers to feel as ifThe Walking Dead wasn’t the same show it once was.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on June 14, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
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4Jamie & Bree’s First Conflict
Outlander (2014–Present)
It takes a long time for Brianna (Sophie Skelton) to learn the truth about who her biological father is. Claire (Caitríona Balfe) returned to her present and gave birth to Bree, raising her as Frank’s (Tobias Menzies) daughter for most of her life. Unfortunately, her first meeting with Jamie (Sam Heughan) isn’t the happy reunion that audiences were hoping for, as the pair get off on the wrong foot.Since she traveled to the past, Bree has had many traumatic experiences,and Jamie isn’t helpful in supporting her.
This made viewers change their perspective on Jamie, and was one of the toughest parts to watch of the disappointing fourth season.
It’s incredibly disappointing to see Jamie hurt his daughter after she’s been assaulted, and so soon after they attempted to form a bond after years of not being with each other. Jamie is a fan-favorite character inOutlander, and based on his own experiences, it’s shocking that he would ever blame someone for their assault, let alone his own daughter. This made viewers change their perspective on Jamie, and was one of the toughest parts to watch of the disappointing fourth season.
Outlander
Outlander follows Claire Randall, a married nurse from 1945, who is transported back to 1743 Scotland. Amidst political intrigue and danger, she navigates life in the past and becomes torn between loyalty to her husband and the love for a dashing young warrior.
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3Sending The Characters Back In Time
Lost (2004–2010)
Throughout the seasons ofLost, many unexpected and otherworldly plot developments occur,but the time travel element is the most shocking aspect of the series. From the beginning, it was teased that there was more to the island than meets the eye and that the survivors of the crash and the audience would come into contact with the supernatural. However, between the flashbacks, flash-forwards, and the monsters that called the island home, time travel was just too much forLostto grapple with.
How the island moves through time inLostis a confusing part of the show, and this is where many viewers felt the series had jumped the shark. There were already multiple timelines and heavy themes of fate and destiny, and the time travel storyline turned out to merely cement the fact that the plane was always going to crash, and there was nothing the characters could do to avoid this. In the following seasons,Lost only veered further into the otherworldly aspects of the story.
Lost
Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
2Henry Cavill’s Exit
The Witcher (2019–Present)
There have been many controversial moments throughoutThe Witcher’s three seasons, as Netflix’s sweeping fantasy TV show makes significant changes to the source material by Andrzej Sapkowski. However, for dedicated fans of the series, nothing was more upsetting than the announcement that Henry Cavill, who had portrayed Geralt of Rivia since the series premiered, was leaving the show. In his final episode, season 3, episode 8, “The Cost of Chaos,“it was tough to see Cavill in his last scene as Geralt.
10 Most Anticipated Fantasy TV Shows Of 2025
As 2025 quickly approaches, many fantasy TV shows, old and new, will have season premieres in the new year, and fans can’t wait for the results.
Liam Hemsworth will take over as Geralt inThe Witcherseason 4,and there’s a lot of pressure riding on his performance. It wouldn’t be surprising if many fans didn’t return to watch the next installment of the show since they know that Geralt will be unrecognizable. Hopefully, Freya Allan’s work as Ciri and her character’s renewed importance will be enough to bring in viewers for the last two seasons ofThe Witcher.
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1Lexa’s Death
The 100 (2014–2020)
Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) had an incredible romantic arc inThe 100, but it was tragically ended by Lexa’s death in season 3. After slowly building trust and forming an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers arc, Clarke and Lexa were making strides to align their two groups. Unfortunately, Lexa’s faction never fully trusted Clarke and the Sky People, and in an attempt to assassinate Clarke,Lexa is shot and quickly succumbs to her wounds.
This moment inThe 100is an example of the trope in bothfantasyTV shows and series of all genres that sees LGBTQ+ characters quickly killed off after having their relationships made canon. Though Clarke would go on to have other romantic entanglements, her connection with Lexa is one of the best on the show, and neither character deserved to have it end this way. The choice to kill off Lexa could easily make viewers lose faith inThe 100and feel that the series had undercut its strides forward in representation.
The 100
The 100 is a sci-fi post-apocalyptic TV series set ninety-seven years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization. When a spaceship housing humanity’s lone survivors send one hundred juvenile delinquents back to Earth in hopes of possibly re-populating the planet, they discover that Earth is still inhabited. Now constantly in a state of power flux with warring clans, cannibals, and mountain-dwellers, the juveniles must attempt to survive while re-establishing contact with the Ark.
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