The new year is going to be packed with new TV originals, spinoffs, and season premieres of returning shows. While I'd love to give a shout out to all the upcoming shows, I picked six great sci-fi and fantasy shows that you need to watch in 2026.
Let's get the list stated with the Blade Runner spinoff, Blade Runner 2099.
1. Blade Runner 2099
Blade Runner has been a sporadic franchise in recent years. As a super fan, it's sat in a comfortable spot for me where there's still enough to keep me satisfied while not milking too much. It's still one of the more "niche" sci-fi series.
Blade Runner: 2049 (the 2017 film) was critically acclaimed and beloved by fans. Even though it didn't break box office records, we'll still get a video game, Blade Runner 2033, and the upcoming TV show, Blade Runner 2099, in the dark, rainy, cyber-noir universe.
The show boasts some excellent talent on board, including director Jonathan van Tulleken from Shogun and Michelle Yeoh, who starred in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Blade Runner 2099 is set to air on Prime Video in the first quarter of 2026 at the earliest.
2. The Boys season 5
The Boys has come a long, long way from its vulgar and grotesque source material and has transformed into a multifaceted, profound superhero show that balances its tropes with introspective satire. And it kept all the vulgar and grotesque stuff, of course. To great effect, I might add.
People are often sad about their favorite shows ending, but I am so ready to see the brutal conclusion of Butcher and Homelander's war. The production team and cast has also promised, like they have many times before the release of previous seasons, that some scenes in season 5 will leave you speechless. I'm especially interested to see if Homelander can top what he did last season. The Boys, final season, will air on Prime Video on April 8, 2026.
3. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2
First aired on Netflix in 2022, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, produced by Studio Trigger, reintroduced us to Night City with new characters we came to love and grieve for. It also revitalized interest in the video game source material, Cyberpunk 2077.
Four years later, we're close to the second season, but with completely new characters in a new plot that'll take us deeper into the corrupt, grimy dark future. Even though one character, which I won't name in case you haven't seen season 1, is rumored to return, the series is likely to focus on a new protagonist and their life in Night City.
The first season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was one of the best animated series we got on Netflix, but anywhere. Not to mention, it eroded the "video game adaptation curse" yet again, proving it's possible to tell new stories in a video-game based IP. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is expected to air on Netflix in late 2026.
4. Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Continuing on Netflix animation, we can also look forward to Stranger Things: Tales From '85. The final season is currently ongoing through Dec. 31, 2025, with the grand finale set to air on New Year's.
Your favorite characters may or may not make it out alive, but you'll be able to watch the prequel animated series, which takes place between season 2 and 3. It is a bit risky to go back years in the show to add more lore fans weren't necessarily asking for, as it could create more plot holes than it already had and people ignored. However, giving benefit of the doubt, this series could explore facets of the characters we haven't seen. And I'm incredibly interested to see Stranger Things animated. It's set to air on Netflix in 2026.
5. One Piece season 2
What's rarer than a good video game adaptation is a good anime adaptation. Staying true to the source material is one thing, but respecting the visual language and the character's quirks, which were expressed in stylistic art, is a whole other challenge. Somehow, Netflix made it work with One Piece.
It's probably because the creator of One Piece manga, Eiichiro Oda, was closely involved with most, if not all, creative decisions. The characters' powers look impressive and are true to their personalities, and the pirate ship was constructed from the ground up. All of this passion has hopefully transferred to the second season.
The One Piece anime is notorious for its intimidating episode count, which is well over 1000. However, the creators of the show confirmed that lots of filler will be skipped, and the plots will be compact and efficient. Sail the seven seas with the Straw Hat crew again on March 10 on Netflix.
6. Neuromancer
Apple TV puts out quality shows and movies that hardly get attention, but hopefully their adaptation of the foundational cyberpunk novel Neuromancer can make some noise. Apple TV seems to understand sci-fi shows, with their hits like Foundation and Silo.
Neuromancer might be the series to draw more eyes to the platform, and probably many viewers' first taste of cyberpunk as a sci-fi genre. It'll air in the last quarter of 2026 at the latest.
I had a couple of "hopeful" mentions, meaning I wish I could've talked about them more if they had more concrete release windows.
Henry Cavill's Warhammer series, coming to Amazon Prime, supposedly could be released in late 2026, but that's a bit too optimistic. It's also felt like we've known about Amazon Prime's adaptation of Leigh Bardugo's dark academia fantasy novel, Ninth House, forever now. It's still in development with no concrete release window.
These other sci-fi and fantasy shows in the list, though, are guaranteed to make 2026 a great year.