10 Stellar Fantasy Shows That Completely Lived up to Their Amazing Pilot Episodes, Including ‘Game of Thrones’

The first episode of a show is, in some ways, the most crucial. After all, if the premise and characters cannot hook audiences and get them invested to come back for the next episode, then the show is starting on a bad foot. Sure, some shows can bounce back from a bad pilot, but it’s still best to come out with a strong start.

Fantasy shows have it even worse, since they have to establish an entirely new world and explain what sets it apart from other shows in the genre. Fortunately, many great shows have a strong first episode that serves as a teaser of what else the creative team can cook up.

1

‘Shadow and Bone’ (2021–2023)

Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) is a cartographer serving in the military of Ravka, a country divided into two by a massive wall of shadows called the Fold. When her best friend Malyen Oretsev (Archie Renaux) is selected to go on a mission through the Fold, Alina burns their maps, forcing the expedition to take the cartographers along. Meanwhile, in the city of Ketterdam, a trio of criminals called the Crows learn of a job that will pay them a fortune, but they’ll be competing for it against local crime boss Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly).

Shadow and Bone is, sadly, another example of Netflix canceling a show before its time, especially since it started so strongly. It gets its worldbuilding across through a healthy mix of necessary exposition and visual storytelling, especially concerning the Fold and the horrors within. Character-wise, the Crows completely steal the show thanks to their great chemistry and their comparatively smaller yet still high-stakes storyline, which only gets better and more engaging with each episode.

2

‘DuckTales’ (2017–2021)

Late for a job interview, Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo) is forced to drop his nephews, Huey (Danny Pudi), Dewey (Ben Schwartz), and Louie (Bobby Moynihan), at the estate of his estranged uncle, famed explorer Scrooge McDuck (David Tennant). They befriend the granddaughter of his housekeeper, Webby Vanderquack (Kate Micucci), and learn more about the McDuck family’s history of adventuring. Meanwhile, Scrooge decides to try his hand at an expedition to find Atlantis, but the kids accidentally mess around with some of his artifacts, unleashing ghosts and a dragon that must be dealt with first.

“Woo-oo!” is longer than the usual DuckTales episode, ensuring that this reboot of a beloved classic starts strong. It perfectly captures the sense of adventure you expect from the franchise through fun action scenes, funny jokes, and gorgeous animation that gives the show a comic book-style. Each of the characters gets a moment to shine, and the ending promises a mystery linked to the triplet’s absent mother.

3

‘Gravity Falls’ (2012–2016)

Fraternal twins Dipper (Jason Ritter) and Mabel Pines (Kristen Schaal) are sent to live with their great uncle, Stan (Alex Hirsch), in Gravity Falls. Upon arriving, Dipper discovers a mysterious journal full of paranormal information, and Mabel falls in love with a guy named Norman (Alex Hirsch). Thanks to the book, Dipper suspects that her boyfriend is really a zombie, and does what he can to protect her.

“Tourist Trap” is the perfect episode to get audiences hyped for the mixture of intriguing mystery and hilarious comedy that is Gravity Falls.Dipper’s attempts to expose Norman build into a hilarious subversion of expectations, and shift the final half of the episode to an absurdist conflict with a colony of gnomes. Peppered throughout are plenty of silly moments, such as Stan showing off the world’s most distracting object, and the final shot of the episode leaves you with a million questions in need of answers.

4

‘Gargoyles’ (1994–1997)

In 994 AD, Castle Wyvern in Scotland is attacked by Hakon (Clancy Brown) and his Viking army, but is driven back by a clan of gargoyles who come to life at night. Unfortunately, the humans of Castle Wyvern don’t appreciate the gargoyles and see them as monsters, despite the efforts of the clan leader, Goliath (Keith David), and the human Captain of the Guard (Ed Gilbert). Still, Goliath remains committed to protecting the castle, unaware that a traitor lies among them.

“Awakening” introduced the world to Gargoyles, perhaps Disney’s best animated show, and expertly uses its runtime to establish the world and make the gargoyles feel distinctly non-human. They do this through lavish animation that shows the majesty and capabilities of the gargoyles, and small hints of culture, like how gargoyles don’t normally name one another. Its ending is also incredibly dark for a Disney property,and sets the stage for an epic show with magic, mystery, action, and melodrama aplenty.

5

‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)

In the aftermath of a failed Zaunite uprising against Piltover, sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder (Mia Sinclair Jenness and Ella Purnell) are adopted by Vander (JB Blanc), who led the uprising and was friends with their parents. Years later, the two of them and their adopted brothers Claggor (Roger Craig Smith) and Mylo (Yuri Lowenthal) sneak into Piltover and rob the laboratory of a young inventor named Jeyce (Kevin Alejandro). During their escape, Powder accidentally destroys the lab, leading to an investigation from Piltover and a phantom from Vander’s past to resurface.

Beginning “Welcome to the Playground” with a massacre was the perfect way to establish that Arcane wasn’t going to be like other animated shows. It presents audiences with a harsh look at class struggle and a tangled web of moral complexities, such as Vander’s compliance with Piltover enforcers as a means of keeping the peace. It also has some great dialogue, especially at the end, which is but a taste of the fantastic quotes to come from the show.

6

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)

While fishing, siblings Sokka (Jack DeSena) and Katara (Mae Whitman) of the Southern Water Tribe discover a boy named Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen) frozen in an iceberg with a sky bison named Appa (Dee Bradly Baker). They learn that Aang is an Airbender, and explain to him that, for the last hundred years, the Fire Nation has been waging an imperialistic war of conquest. Meanwhile, Zuko (Dante Basco), the banished prince of the Fire Nation, spots a light that was released when Aang awoke, and thinks that he has found the Avatar: the only being who can control all four elements and end the war.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is widely regarded as one of the best animated series ever made, and “The Boy in the Iceberg” hints at this future greatness thanks to its pacing and character work. Within its half-hour runtime, the episode establishes the basic rules of bending, the backstory involving the war, and the nature of the Avatar without relying too heavily on exposition dumps. As for the characters, each of our main players has their basic archetype laid out, promising future exploration as we delve deeper into the show.

7

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997–2003)

Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is the newest Slayer, destined to protect humanity from vampires, demons, and other supernatural threats. However, she rejects this calling and would rather focus on living the life of a regular teen by attending high school at Sunnydale. As she befriends fellow students Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), vampire activity increases around Sunnydale, putting everyone’s lives at great risk.

“Welcome to Hellmouth” tells you everything you need to know about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, especially when it kicks things off with a vampire played by Julie Benz toying with a teen before sinking her fangs into him. It’s the perfect way to establish the unique blend of horror, lighthearted fun, and interesting subversions that made Buffysuch an influential show. Plus, it’s paced really well, establishing the main characters, giving as much lore as necessary for the first episode, and even gives a look at the first season’s main antagonist, the Master (Mark Metcalf).

8

‘Supernatural’ (2005–2020)

After Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith) died under paranormal circumstances, her husband, John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), trained himself and their sons, Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki), to fight supernatural creatures. 22 years later, Sam tries to move on from this life and attend law school with his girlfriend, Jessica (Adrianne Palicki). However, Dean soon arrives and tells him that their father is missing, leading them to confront an angry spirit called the Woman in White (Sarah Shahi).

Supernatural was a staple of 2000s television, and it all started with the image of Samantha Smith being incinerated on the ceiling. Following such a shocking intro, “Pilot” does everything else right: it establishes the brotherly dynamic that would be the heart and soul of the show, showcases a creative monster of the week, and sets up future mysteries. By the time the credits roll, you’ll be left champing at the bit for more.

9

‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)

Lord Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) of Winterfell is shocked and surprised when his friend, King Rober Baratheon (Mark Addy), visits with two offers: to make Eddard the new Hand of the King, and unite their houses with the marriage of Eddard’s oldest daughter, Sansa (Sophie Turner), and Prince Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson). Though initially hesitant, a letter from Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie), his sister-in-law and wife to the previous Hand, suggests that there is a sinister plot afoot. Meanwhile, strange activity is occurring in the north, and in the east, exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) marries Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) so that his army will help her brother, Viserys (Harry Lloyd), reclaim their father’s throne.

“Winter is Coming” might be one of the best first episodes in television history, and planted the seeds of Game of Thrones‘ rise to pop-culture dominance. Somehow, it manages to juggle the introduction of over a dozen major characters in a way that allows each of them to shine, though particular mention goes to Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who instantly wins the audience’s heart with his wit, charisma, and harsh yet helpful advice. Its ending is also one of the most shocking ways you could end a first episode, establishing that, in this show, nobody will be safe.

10

‘Lost’ (2004–2010)

While flying from Sydney, Australia, to Los Angeles, Oceanic Flight 815 crash-lands on a mysterious island. Dr. Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) does what he can to tend to the wounded survivors before an expedition sets off to find the plane’s transceiver. However, it soon becomes apparent that they are not alone on the island, while flashbacks reveal what the survivors were doing as the plane crashed.

Lost‘s two-part pilot overcame a tricky production to become one of the best and most praised episodes of television. Everything about it just works: the characters are diverse and engaging, the dialogue enthralling, and the pacing allows for characters and worldbuilding to be established without having them fight for space. But perhaps its greatest strength is how effectively it conveys a creeping sensation of unease and dread based on the unknown, which kept audiences glued to their screens for six seasons in the hopes of getting answers.