The 15 Best Witch Shows Of All Time, Ranked

Witches have a long and illustrious history on the big screen, from the Wicked Witch that bedeviled Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” to the noble teenage witches and wizards in the “Harry Potter” series of movies. Witches on TV are no different, representing everything from the attractive young wife in “Bewitched” in the ’60s to edgier versions of today, such as the Bene Geserit in the TV show “Dune: Prophecy.” Witches can inhabit just about any corner of the pop culture landscape, and these TV versions represent the best and brightest of the bunch. Though these shows differ in their approaches, they have one thing in common: they all have at least one witch they can call their own.

While these series often feature such fantasy luminaries as vampires and werewolves, their witches left quite a mark on us. This list was formulated from the author’s own experience with witch shows with a healthy assist from Rotten Tomatoes, especially in the rankings. Here are the 15 best witch shows of all time, ranked.

“Dune: Prophecy” is set in the world of “Dune,” both the books by Frank Herbert and the movies directed by Denis Villaneuve. However, the show doesn’t take place in the time when Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) is the primary character. Instead it takes place 10,000 years before then, when humanity is just emerging from a war with the “thinking machines” which nearly wiped humans out. It focuses on the Sisterhood, which is later known as the Bene Geserit, who use their superhuman abilities to become a great influence on people in power. This is especially true of Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula (Olivia Williams) Harkonnen, who rise to power in the Sisterhood, despite their diminished house.

“Dune: Prophecy,” which references the “Great Schools of Dune” novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and has already been renewed for a second season, is a fascinating look at the political and personal machinations of a group of superpowered women who are witches in everything but name.

Showrunner: Alison Schapker

Cast: Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel

Years: 2024-present

Number of episodes: 6 and counting

Where to watch: Max

Based on the novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, “The Witcher” centers on Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill in seasons 1-3; Liam Hemsworth in seasons 4-5), a witcher from the fictional territory known as the Continent. Witchers are monster hunters that have been trained and magically enhanced as children. 

Though Geralt is magically enhanced, he only possesses minor magic. However, his lover Yennifer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) is a powerful sorceress, and his adopted daughter Ciri (Freya Allan), who has the Elder Blood gene that grants magical powers and is trained by Yennifer, has a great deal of magic. Yennifer and Ciri are not referred to as witches, but they might as well be in this cauldron of magic and intrigue.

Showrunner: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

Cast: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra

Years: 2019-present

Number of episodes: 24 and counting

Where to watch: Netflix

“Once Upon a Time” stars Jennifer Morrison as a bail bondswoman named Emma Swan. Emma never knew her parents and gave up her son for adoption, but one day she finds him — now 10 years old — at her door. His adoptive mother is the mayor of Storybrooke, Maine, but Henry knows that she’s actually the Evil Queen from “Snow White,” and she’s put a curse on everyone in the enchanted forest that brought them to the real world.

Though the Evil Queen’s curse was the original magic that created the circumstances of the series, throughout the seven seasons of “Once Upon a Time”, there are characters from many fairy tales, from Captain Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) to Cinderella (Dania Ramizrez), and there are a substantial number of witches among them, including Maleficent (Kristin Bauer) from “Sleeping Beauty,” Ursula (Merrin Dungey) from “The Little Mermaid,” and even Mother Gothel (Emma Booth) from “Tangled.” As a result, this story is full of magic and magic wielders.

Showrunner: Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis

Cast: Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla

Years: 2011-2018

Number of episodes: 156

Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+

“The Vampire Diaries” gets most of its attention for its (many) vampires, but it also features a very powerful witch. Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham) is one of the strongest characters on the show and is one of only five characters to appear in every episode. She is descended from a long line of witches, and becomes a force to be reckoned with. Bonnie has also sacrificed a lot over the course of the show, even dying at one point to bring back her ex, Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen), although she’s eventually resurrected.

And Bonnie isn’t the only witch on “The Vampire Diaries.” There are a number of other magic users, most notably the Heretics, a group of witch/vampire hybrids who happen to be led by Lillian, the mother of Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) Salvatore, the vampires at the heart of the show. There’s a lot more to “The Vampire Diaries,” but suffice it to say that Bonnie and the Heretics are two high points of the series.

Showrunner: Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson

Cast: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham

Years: 2009-2017

Number of episodes: 171

Where to watch: Max, Peacock

“Motherland: Fort Salem,” which lasted for three seasons, focuses on an alternative version of America where instead of being burned alive, the witches of Salem strike a deal with the United States to fight for them. This leads to a female-dominated society where witches are forced to join the U.S. Army. Into this come three young women — Raelle Collar (Taylor Hickson), Abigail Bellweather (Ashley Nicole Williams), and Tally Craven (Jessica Sutton) — who train at Fort Salem and face down terrorist threats, including the Spree, a group determined to combat the forced service of witches.

Though “Motherland: Fort Salem” gets some things wrong about witches, it’s still a thought-provoking story, especially because it’s just a step removed from our world. While the terrorist threats are different, the drama is potent.

Showrunner: Eliot Laurence

Cast: Taylor Hickson, Jessica Sutton, Ashley Nicole Williams

Years: 2020-2022

Number of episodes: 30

Where to watch: Prime Video or Apple TV+

“The Order” is about a college student, Jack (Jake Manley), who goes to Belgrave University so he can join The Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, because he wants to get revenge on its leader for the death of his mother. There’s just one problem: this order practices black magic, and as he becomes a member he starts training in magic too. And it doesn’t help matters that he has inadvertently become a werewolf, and every time someone uses magic his wolfish side attempts to come out.

“The Order” plunges viewers into a secret war between werewolves and magic users with Jack right in the middle of it. It’s an exciting, engaging show with more to it than initially meets the eye. In fact, the biggest drawback is that Netflix cancelled it after only two seasons.

Showrunners: Dennis Heaton, Shelley Eriksen

Cast: Jake Manley, Sarah Grey, Matt Frewer

Years: 2019-2020

Number of episodes: 20

Where to watch: Netflix

“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” draw from the same “Archie” comics character, Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka in the former, Melissa Joan Hart in the latter), and therefore have some similar elements, including Sabrina herself and her two aunts, Zelda (played by Miranda Otto and Beth Broderick) and Hilda (Lucy Davis and Caroline Rhea). However, they are very different shows. While “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” was a sitcom that had a lighter feel, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is more complex. While it’s also a coming-of-age story, it goes dark — sometimes very dark — as Sabrina fights all manner of loathsome beings that threaten her and her friends.

The series was cancelled after two seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic, although Kiernan Shipka reprised her role as Sabrina in the series “Riverdale,” which is also based on the “Archie” comics, giving some closure to mourning Sabrina fans.

Showrunner: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Miranda Otto

Years: 2018-2020

Number of episodes: 36

Where to watch: Netflix

“Bewitched” was filmed in the ’60s, and therefore can be forgiven for Darrin (Dick York 1964-1969, Dick Sargent 1969-1972) having very basic expectations of his new wife Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), who reveals that she’s a witch after they’re married. All he asks of her is that she act like a normal suburban housewife. Of course, the problem is that Samantha is anything but normal. And though she agrees to Darrin’s demand of her, she continuously uses magic anyway. Not only that, her relatives — especially her mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead) — don’t approve of the marriage and constantly interfere in Darrin and Samantha’s affairs.

“Bewitched” is an early but beloved example of a witch show, complete with a secret society of witches and warlocks and magic galore, including Samantha using a nose twitch to make spells work.

Showrunner: Sol Saks

Cast: Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, Dick Sargent, Agnes Moorehead

Years: 1964-1972

Number of episodes: 254

Where to watch: Reelz Now (Season 1), Roku Channel (Seasons 5-8)

The horror anthology series “American Horror Story,” created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, has tackled all sorts of horror staples in its 12 seasons and counting, from a haunted house to vampires to a summer camp. But it’s the third season, subtitled “Coven,” that we’re interested in here. That’s because it’s this season that centers on a coven of witches at Miss Robichaux’s Academy, a school in New Orleans where Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga) goes when she discovers she’s a witch after a tragic encounter with her boyfriend.

Though this season focuses on the coven, it also has zombies, a war between the witches and voodoo practitioners, a Frankenstein-style monster with an abusive mother, and more. In other words, like every season of “American Horror Story,” this one is packed, even as it balances its excesses against themes of racial and gender oppression.

Showrunner: Ryan Murphy

Cast: Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters

Year: 2012

Number of episodes: 13

Where to watch: Hulu, Prime Video

In “The Magicians,” Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph), a depressed college student on the verge of graduation, and his best friend Julia Wicker (Stella Maeve) take an entrance exam for Brakebills University, a sort of graduate school for magic. While Quentin passes and goes on to learn wondrous things at Brakebills, Julia doesn’t and ends up joining a group of hedge witches to learn magic from what they can piece together.

Through its five seasons, “The Magicians,” had magic and mysteries aplenty, none more captivating than the magic uncovered in Quentin’s beloved book series “Fillory and Further,” which poses a serious threat to the real world.

Showrunners: Sera Gamble, John McNamara

Cast: Jason Ralph, Stella Maeve, Hale Appleman

Years: 2015-2020

Number of episodes: 65

Where to watch: The CW, Tubi

“A Discovery of Witches” is a three-season series based on the first three books in Deborah Harkness’s All Souls Series. It revolves around Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) and Matthew Clairmont (Mathew Goode), a witch and vampire, respectively, who fall in love and end up protecting a mysterious book and its secrets. At the beginning of the series, Diana is a visiting scholar at Oxford who wants nothing to do with witches, vampires, or daemons. In fact, she rejects her magical heritage and tries to stay away from all things creature-related. But then she discovers the manuscript Ashmole 782 at the Bodleian Library and suddenly all the monsters are paying attention — including Matthew, who happens to be a professor at Oxford. But there’s something more to his attraction to her, and soon they’ve come together, despite the distrust between their clans.

“A Discovery of Witches” takes place across centuries as Diana learns to timewalk, a skill that puts her and Matthew in Elizabethan London in the second season. The series does some things better and some things worse than the books, but as a show, it’s lush and vibrant while still grounded in the leads’ accomplished performances.

Showrunners: Kate Brooke, Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner

Cast: Matthew Goode, Teresa Palmer, Edward Bluemel

Years: 2018-2022

Number of episodes: 25

Where to watch: Netflix, AMC+, Sundance Now, Acorn TV

“Charmed” was a popular series on the teen-focused WB, a precursor to today’s CW, with a witchy narrative. Specifically, it dealt with the Halliwell sisters — Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) — who learn that they are witches when Phoebe discovers their family’s “Book of Shadows.” Though she doesn’t realize it at the time, she activates the trio’s supernatural abilities as the most powerful good witches ever. Each has a specific magical skill, but as the Charmed Ones, they combine their unique gifts and fight against evil, even as they attempt to maintain their normal lives.

“Charmed” ran for eight seasons and weathered the death of major character Prue (who was replaced by Rose McGowan’s Paige), to become one of the most enduring shows on its network. It was an — ahem — charming series that many future witch shows took their cues from, including a reboot in 2018 that lasted for four seasons.

Showrunner: Brad Kern

Cast: Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, Shannen Doherty

Years: 1998-2006

Number of episodes: 179

Where to watch: Hulu, Peacock, The Roku Channel

“WandaVision” was the first show in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and several years later it’s still one of the best. It focuses on Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they move to the small town of Westview, New Jersey to start their lives as a newly married couple after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Of course, things quickly unravel as they move from decade to decade, and they soon learn that Wanda has entrapped the whole town and is forcing them to play characters in her version of happily ever after.

The show brilliantly pays homage to past sitcoms while balancing a powerful story about grief and love. “WandaVision” packed a wallop, with great performances by its leads, especially Elizabeth Olsen.

Showrunner: Jaq Schaeffer

Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn

Year: 2021

Number of episodes: 9

Where to watch: Disney+

Yes, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is about a slayer named Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) who hunts vampires, but she also comes up against other potent threats, including the odd witch. In fact, Buffy had faced her first witch by the third episode of the show. But the magic really started flowing when Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Buffy’s best friend, began channeling her magical powers. Willow was so powerful, in fact, that many of Buffy’s most important fights would have turned out very differently without her magic.

Though Hannigan wasn’t the original Willow in the unaired pilot, she owned the role, showing all aspects of the character, from uncertain nerd to confident witch. Plus, Willow wasn’t the only witch on the show. Her girlfriend, Tara (Amber Benson), and others expanded the show’s lore about magic use, making “Buffy” a surprisingly great show about witches.

Showrunner: Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon

Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan

Years: 1997-2003

Number of episodes: 144

Where to watch: Hulu, Tubi

In the 1800s, penny dreadfuls were pulpy, sensational British fiction, making the phrase a perfect title for this series that showcases some of the best-known 19th-century fictional characters of all time, including Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), Mina Harker (Olivia Llewellyn), and Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway). Into this stew of characters is dropped Vanessa Ives (Eva Green), a wholly original creation and the protagonist of “Penny Dreadful.” Vanessa is a witch of the highest order — or she could be, if it weren’t for the fact that the forces of darkness continually attempt to prey on her soul.

“Penny Dreadful” was canceled unceremoniously; however, throughout the series’ three seasons, Vanessa had a full arc. She tries to stay on the path of light, although she is frequently possessed by darkness, and the witches that surround her make for formidable enemies and, in one case, a friend. Eva Green gives a fantastic performance as Vanessa as she treads a fine line with vigor and ferocity.

Showrunner: John Logan

Cast: Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Reeve Carney

Years: 2014-2016

Number of episodes: 27

Where to watch: Paramount+