When it comes to overpowered and formidable TV characters,fantasyshows have some of the best in history. From supernatural creatures like vampires and witches to characters who are practically gods,even good work of fantasy needs a character so jaw-droppingly powerfulit stops the audience in their tracks. These characters belong tofantasy shows that changed the genre forever, sparking interest in viewers of all kinds as they imagine just how much these commanding figures are capable of. Whether they use their powers for good or evil, it’s always interesting to watch.
Of course, more often than not, the most powerful character in a TV series isn’t the hero but the morally bankrupt antagonist. Thebeloved fantasy characters that shouldn’t have been killed offin all our favorite shows typically fall victim to the heightened strength and skill of the overpowered characters. This would make them easy to hate if they weren’t so intriguing to watch and made for such dynamic television. It’s all the more satisfying when a hero finds a way to outsmart the villain when there’s a clear imbalance of power.
10Klaus - The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017) & The Originals (2013–2018)
The Oldest Vampire In The World Is Also A Vampire-Werewolf Hybrid
Before Klaus (Joseph Morgan) is introduced inThe Vampire Diaries, his coming is foreshadowed and talked about for almost the entirety of season 2. It’s not until the very end of the season that he makes his first appearance in the flesh, and he’s everything that the series built him up to be.Cruel, ruthless, and bloodthirsty, all Klaus cares about is consolidating powerand ensuring he can never be killed for a long time. However, being reunited with his family and eventually becoming a father changes all of this.
InThe Originals, it’s still nearly impossible to kill Klaus, but he’s beginning to soften and open himself up to the thought of letting people past his emotional walls. However,Klaus’s long legacy as the world’s most notorious villain follows himfor a long time, even when he’s on the road to redemption. Klaus and the rest of the Mikaelsons show howThe OriginalsrepeatedThe Vampire Diaries' best strength, which was highlighting the humanity and complexity of the villains.
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9The Darkling - Shadow And Bone (2021–2023)
Ben Barnes Makes The Darkling As Scary & Intriguing As Possible
Shadow and Bonebrought to life the acclaimed book series of the same name, and couldn’t have picked a better actor to embody the mysterious and seductive Darkling.Ben Barnes was the perfect choice to portray The Darkling,as he has enough humanity and a tragic backstory that makes the viewer empathize with him, but he’s capable of turning on his dark side in a flash. It’s not surprising that Alina is sucked into his dangerous world and is later willing to go to extreme lengths to defeat him inShadow and Bone.
The foil to Alina’s Sun Summoner,The Darkling, is a Shadow Summoner as well as an amplifier,which gave him the power to extend his life over many centuries and create the Shadow Fold. Though one of the pitfalls of The Darkling’s Grisha abilities is that the merzost, a dark form of magic, feeds on his physical body, making it unsustainable. It’s this weakness that makes The Darkling less formidable than some of the other magic practitioners in the fantasy genre, but he’s still a force to behold when he works against Alina.
Shadow and Bone (2021–2023)
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8Willow - Buffy (1996–2003)
From Meek School Girl To Dark Witch, Willow Is Capable Of Anything
Witches are often the most powerful characters in their shows,as tapping into the vast and unpredictable well of nature and spell casting can be very rewarding. However, it can also be dangerous, as Willow (Alyson Hannigan) discovers inBuffy The Vampire Slayer. While the titular Slayer has the most physical strength and is connected to the lineage of Slayers, giving her generations of sharpened instincts and abilities, the raw power at Willow’s fingertips is staggering.
At this point, not even Buffy can stop her.
This is never more obvious than when Willow goes dark at the end of season 6, when she goes on a murderous rampage and comes very close to ending the world. At this point, not even Buffy can stop her. It’s Xander’s emotional appeals that eventually get through to Willow, not brute force. The seeds of Willow’s dark turn and the way magic corrupts her are planted early on in the show, as Willow overestimates her own limits and pushes herself to be the most competent member of the team.
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7Ciri - The Witcher (2019–Present)
Her Hidden Powers & Budding Potential Will Make Ciri An Unprecedented Power
There are many differences betweenThe WitcherTV show and the original booksby Andrzej Sapkowski, but Ciri’s powers are one of the best parts of both. ThoughThe Witcherseries has only just begun exploring all of Ciri’s abilities and turning the focus of the story toward her, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ciri’s world-jumping storyline takes center stage in season 4, even though she relinquished her powers in season 3.
Part of the reason Ciri wanted to give up her powers inThe Witcherseason 3 was because she was frightened of what she was capable of. Though Geralt is physically strong and can perform some small magics through mutation, and Yennefer is a conduit for chaos, Ciri has Elder Blood. As Ciri comes into her own as a wielder of magic and powerful being, despite her mortality,The Witchershould continue furthering her story and leaning intoher position as one ofThe Witcher’s most secretly powerful characters.
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6Merlin - Merlin (2008–2012)
The Iconic Warlock Might Be A Young Man In Merlin, But This Doesn’t Stop His Magic
Arthur (Bradley James) might be the prophesied king inMerlinand the legends of King Arthur, but it’s the wizard behind the scenes who has the real power. The titular character, Merlin (Colin Morgan), is just coming into his power and discovering what he can do with it when the series begins, buthe’s already more than a prodigy.Merlin inherently has control over his environment, able to control things with his mind without enchantments, showcasing just how much more powerful he would become.
One of the only reasons that Merlin doesn’t stop every villain dead in their tracks when they appear is that he has to keep his magic a secret.
One of the only reasons that Merlin doesn’t stop every villain dead in their tracks when they appear is that he has to keep his magic a secret from King Uther (Anthony Head). Morgana (Katie McGrath) eventually comes to rival Merlin in terms of ability, but Merlin’s raw power and connection to the dragons set him in a class of his own.Merlinwas a standout fantasy series of the early 2000s, and even the reimagining of Merlin as a young man, uncertain of his future, doesn’t detract from Merlin’s capacity for magic.
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5Dracula - Castlevania (2017–2020)
This Iteration Of The World’s Most Famous Vampire Doesn’t Disappoint
There have been many takes on the legendary figure of horror and folklore, the vampire Dracula. However,Castlevania’s adaptation of the character is one of the most shocking and compelling. Weighed down by grief and disillusionment in humanity’s capability to do good after the death of his wife,Dracula uses his abilities as a vampire and a sorcererto bring about the end of the world. While it isn’t Dracula himself who wreaks all the havoc of the show, it’s the demons that he calls and the vampires that serve him.
Additionally, in every confrontation with Dracula, the heroes ofCastlevaniaare pushed to their limits, trying everything they can think of to take him down. In the end, it’s only because Dracula willingly gives up and succumbs to his desire to end his crusade that the protagonists are able to kill him. As one of thebest cartoons that’s as good as anime,Castlevaniaquickly made a name for itself on Netflixthanks to villains like Dracula. It eventually earned a spinoff,Castlevania: Nocturne.
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4Aang - Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)
The Young Avatar Quickly Proved Himself To Be Capable Of Besting The Most Overpowered Benders
Aang is only twelve years old when the events ofAvatar: The Last Airbendertake place, but this doesn’t stop him from developing into an unstoppable bender by the end of the show. Though the timeline of the entire series unfolds over just a few months,the Aang who faces down the Fire Lord and takes his bending is a very different personfrom the boy inside the iceberg. However, the series foreshadows Aang’s power well, showcasing his deep connection to the Spirit World from the beginning.
It isn’t just Aang’s position as the Avatar that makes him such a dangerous opponent.
It takes incredible skill and focus to master all four elements in such a short amount of time, and Aang’s recovery following his disconnecting from the Avatar State at the end of season 2 makes this even more difficult. This demonstrates that it isn’t just Aang’s position as the Avatar that makes him such a dangerous opponent, but his strength of character. As the audience learns more about the rest of Aang’s tenure as Avatar throughoutThe Legend of Korra, it’s clear that he never stopped fighting for the best possible reality and continued honing his skills.
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3Moiraine Damodred - The Wheel Of Time (2021–2025)
The Formidable Member Of The Aes Sedai Plays A Dangerous Game In The Wheel Of Time
Rosamund Pike’s turn as Moiraine in Prime’s adaptation ofThe Wheel of Timeis one of her best performances,as the actress is stunningly believable as the intimidating Aes Sedai. Though the series won’t be able to bring to life every heroic feat that Moiraine achieves throughout the narrative, as the show recently came to an end, the time we have spent with Moiraine proves what an unforgettable character she is. Though the younger Aes Sedai, who came up after Moiraine, are amazing channelers as well, few people have the unique blend of abilities that she does.
It’s a shame thatThe Wheel of Timewas canceled following season 3,as this was the strongest installment of the show so far and demonstrated just how much more excitement there was for the story to chronicle. Her search for the Dragon Reborn is legendary, and few people would be as dedicated and successful in their quest to uncover him as she is. Though Moiraine does disappear for a time inThe Wheel of Timebooks, it’s because she bests a great evil, Lanfear.
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2The Night King - Game Of Thrones (2011–2019)
Though Politics Games Were Terrifying In GOT, The Night King Was Scarier
As the corrupt politicians and would-be kings played games in King’s Landing throughoutGame of Thrones,Jon and the Night’s Watch faced down the White Walkers and their Night King.The ancient leader of the White Walkers is a nightmare-inducing enemy and has been built up for a long time over the seasons inGame of Thronesbefore he finally appears to Bran in a vision. When an antagonist is so terrible he’s only known through whispers and legends, it’s usually a good indicator that he’s going to be a powerful figure.
Shown to be able to move and communicate through visions and hold power over both the night and the winter, the Night King is a different kind of antagonist than the other villains inGame of Thrones. He doesn’t want political control and only aims to spread winter through his near-unstoppable army, which he created through the raising of the wights beyond the Wall. Cunning and strong, the Night King is also patient and capable of restraint,striking fear in the hearts of the characters through his distance from humanity.
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
1Sauron - The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power (2022–Present)
The Dark Lord Who Plagues Middle-earth In The Lord Of The Rings Franchise
Despite the divisive nature ofThe Rings of Power, Prime Video’s prequel series within the world ofThe Lord of the Rings, it’s tough to argue that Sauron might be one of the most powerful characters in fantasy TV or otherwise. Charlie Vickers portrays Sauron inThe Rings of Power, and though he isn’t as terrifying and otherworldly as his movie counterpart, the audience can feel the raw power pouring off him. As a member of the Maia,Sauron is essentially a fallen angel in Middle-earth.
Though he isn’t on the same level as the gods, the Valar, few other beings in Middle-earth come close to being able to face Sauron, especially after he forges the Ring. Not only is he automatically on another power scale than mortals within thefantasygenre, but Sauron’s intelligence, planning, and thirst for domination make him even more formidable. When he’s wearing the Ring, there’s little that can stop Sauron, as he can control the other rings, and he and the One Ring form a despicable bond.
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