Top 5 Fantasy Universes
- maincritz
- Feb 11
- 8 min read
5. The Wizarding World
Starting strong, The Wizarding World represented in J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter novels and other works is a world packed with relatable and memorable characters and locations, Harry with rise from an orphan hated by his adoptive family to the Chosen One, then there is the grand, imposing and magical Hogwarts, a place where students realise their magical potential.
The Wizarding World draws you in with its world saving hero arcs that grip you with the desperate hope that the protagonist can stop the great evil, but you also find yourself enthralled by the dozens of individual stories that accompany this grand narrative, each character you meet in this world seems to have a story to tell. Thanks to the semi-real world setting The Wizarding World feels like a place you can really be a part of, and it makes the tension even more real.
Rowlings brilliant writings and the dedicated and invested community around The Wizarding World mean there is a plethora of lore to delve into, discovering the origins of people, spells and items, seeing a vast hidden world of magic reveal itself to you piece by piece like a magically woven tapestry.
As you read, watch and discover more about The Wizarding World you will find yourself hoping that one day Hagrid will knock down your door to tell you that you’re a wizard! And whisk you away to Hogwarts!
4. Elder Scrolls
Based on the continent of Tamriel on a planet called Nirn, the Elder Scrolls universe is vast and beautiful. From Morrowind with its ashy wastes and alien flora and fauna to the frozen peaks and tundra of Skyrim and the vast and wild forests of Valenwood the scenery on Tamriel is often awe-inspiring, and that’s before you explore the incredible and often mind-bending locations like the Clockwork City or Apocrypha.
There are many races that inhabit Tamriel, from the human races of Nords and Imperials to the elven races like the Bosmer (Wood Elves) and Altmer (High Elves) and the reptilian Argonians, the cat people or Khajiit and let’s not forget the mysteriously absent Dwemer (Dwarves). These races come with their own cultures, beliefs, architecture and foods, this depth to each of the races of Tamriel provides a huge well of discovery to dive into.
Rounded out with a pantheon of gods, the Aedra and Daedra represent various godlike aspects both good and evil, they interfere in the mortal realm to varying degrees and as you discover the Elder Scrolls universe you will encounter their influence throughout. The Elder Scrolls universe is rich with mysticism and wonder, through its history empires have rose and fell, entire races have been wiped out in conflicts, and some have disappeared in an instant. The near constant conflicts between the races, religions and alliances mean the political landscape is changing all the time, these ebbs and flows between the inhabitants of Tamriel are punctuated by external threats usually the machinations of one Daedric Prince or another.
Whether dealing with a world ending crisis or simply helping some poor citizens recover stolen goods you will find yourself immersed in this expansive and lore-rich universe with magic and mystery around every corner.
3. World of Warcraft
Ok I admit this one is viewed through rose tinted glasses for me, I have spent thousands of hours in WoW, I’ve read all the chronicles lore books, played every expansion since vanilla and enjoyed it (mostly).
From the multiple continents of Azeroth to the fractured world of the Outlands and the ethereal realm of the Shadowlands, World of Warcraft offers myriad locations to discover, each with unique scenery, architecture, flora and fauna. You could spend hours just exploring the various worlds, realms and dimensions that exist in the World of Warcraft universe.
World of Warcraft can be characterized as a persistent battle between diametrically opposed forces, life and death, light and dark, order and chaos, these forces clash with cataclysmic consequences time and time again, in addition to these cosmic forces there is also the eternal conflict between the Horde and the Alliance.
Through these conflicts many heroes have risen on Azeroth and beyond, from Illidan to Anduin, Thrall to Khadgar and many, many more, from mighty warriors to great kings and powerful mages these characters bring with them their own backstories to discover and their own epic stories to follow as you join them in defending Azeroth from sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds, be it the hordes of demons that make up the Burning Legion or the necromantic storm brought forth by the Lich King.
That brings us to the most important hero of them all, YOU! Along side the other players in World of Warcraft you will be called upon by the peoples of Azeroth and beyond to band together and defeat the various threats they face, and this is where the real magic of World of Warcraft is, the friends, raid groups and guilds that bring you together with the other players make it feel like you truly belong, that you are what determines the destiny of the universe, and this I think is what truly makes this universe special.
As you explore and discover the World of Warcraft universe you build friendships and relationships with the other players, and you find yourself collectively with those players eagerly anticipating the next grand quest you must embark on!
2. Warhammer 40K
In the grim, dark future of the 41st millennium there is only war. This sentence does a good job of summing up the Warhammer 40K universe, conflict on a barely comprehensible scale, death and destitution is ever present and even those that may appear to be heroes often reveal themselves to have dark or questionable motivations.
The Imperium of Man, a totalitarian theocratic empire, is besieged on all sides by xenos (aliens), heretics, and supernatural horrors. Despite its size and power, the Imperium is decaying, relying on superstition and brute force to maintain control. Humanity in 40K is ruled by the God-Emperor of Mankind, a nearly dead psychic ruler kept alive on the Golden Throne. His Imperium spans a million worlds but is plagued by corruption, inefficiency, and religious zealotry. The Imperium is both awe-inspiring and terrifying—its technology is advanced yet barely understood, and its people are caught in a brutal cycle of war, oppression, and ignorance.
Everything in 40K is massive—from planet-destroying fleets to city-sized battle tanks and billion-strong armies. The sheer scale of war makes it endlessly fascinating, with constant battles between factions that range from skirmishes to apocalyptic conflicts.
Unlike traditional sci-fi settings, Warhammer 40K has no true heroes. The Imperium is a xenophobic, oppressive nightmare, but necessary for humanity’s survival. The Eldar are arrogant and manipulative. The T’au seem hopeful but are just as ruthless when it suits them. Every faction is morally grey or outright horrific, making for rich, morally complex storytelling.
Warhammer 40K is a setting defined by constant, unending warfare between vastly different factions, each with its own tragic, horrifying, or noble reasons for fighting. The Space Marines, genetically enhanced warriors clad in power armour, serve as the Imperium's most elite defenders, fighting in the name of the Emperor with fanatical devotion. Their foes are many, including the twisted forces of Chaos, former Imperials and other lost souls corrupted by the chaotic energies of the Warp and the dark will of the Chaos Gods. The Orks, a brutish, war-obsessed species, fight for the sheer joy of battle, their crude but effective technology sustained by an innate, reality-warping belief system. The once-mighty Eldar (Aeldari), an ancient and dying race, struggle to stave off extinction, their dwindling numbers a result of their own hubris.
Other threats loom across the galaxy, such as the Tyranids, a nightmarish swarm of bioengineered monstrosities that consume entire star systems to fuel their endless hunger. The Necrons, skeletal robotic beings from a bygone era, seek to reclaim their former empire and purge the galaxy of all organic life. Meanwhile, the T’au Empire, a young and idealistic race, promotes unity through the doctrine of the "Greater Good," yet harbours an authoritarian undercurrent that suggests a more sinister reality. Each of these faction’s clash in an endless cycle of violence, their ambitions, grudges, and ideologies colliding on a galactic scale. In Warhammer 40K, no side is truly good or evil—only different shades of brutality and survival in a universe that knows no peace.
1. Middle Earth
And so, we come finally to my personal favourite fantasy universe, the one sung into existence by Eru Iluvitar and the Ainur, the one most people know from the Lord of the Rings novels and films.
Middle Earth is the result of 50+ years of work by J.R.R Tolkien, it has thousands of years of detailed history and lore, hundreds of heroic and villainous characters each with fleshed out stories of their own, and a plethora of epic battles, world engulfing wars and cataclysmic events. Middle Earth epitomises what a life’s work of passion can create.
From the time before the creation of Ea to the 4th age there are thousands of years of history, civilisations come and gone, alliances made and broken, borders changed and changed again, it feels almost endless and even now after all this time there are still mysteries unsolved like who or what is Tom Bombadil and what happened to the blue wizards?
The depth of Middle Earth is something that could only come from decades of dedication, creating languages, building a world of grand cities and fortresses, vast dense forests and towering mountain peaks. From the beauty of Rivendell to the gleaming white walls of Minas Tirith and the ashen wastes of Mordor, from the rolling green hills of the shire to the sprawling depths of Erebor and the grasslands of Rohan the world of Middle Earth is beautifully crafted.
The races of Middle Earth are as unique and diverse as the lands they inhabit, from the proud and brave people of the kingdoms of men, the wise and elegant elves, the reclusive and secretive dwarves to the simple and hospitable hobbits. Each race has its own traditions, architecture, belief systems, military forces, political systems and cultural quirks. As you travel through the ages of Middle Earth you will see how each of these races and their unique qualities impact the world and how despite their differences, they often band together to face common threats.
As you embark on your journey through Middle Earths vast history you will discover the monolithic quests undertaken by the many heroes of Middle Earth, from Earendil who led his people in their darkest hour and then went to extraordinary lengths to protect all the peoples of middle earth by convincing the Valar to assist in the destruction of Morgoth and end his tyrannical reign to Frodo Baggins who managed to travel in secret along side his equally heroic friend Samwise Gamgee for months carrying The One Ring an object that had corrupted many a stout spirit throughout it’s history all the way to Mount Doom in the heart of Mordor and destroy it and in turn defeating the dark lord Sauron.
The thing that really sets Tolkien’s masterpiece from other fantasy settings is its influence, there isn’t a collective set of works that has had more of on impact on high fantasy than that of Tolkien. From the grandeur of it’s setting and magical essence to its legendary items, unforgettable heroes and epic adventures, Middle Earth has inspired a myriad of other fantasy works and continues to inspire to this day.
You could spend years (believe me I have) diving in to Middle Earths rich and vibrant history and still be enthralled by its magic, mystery, and scale, discovering more and more the deep you dive. You will find yourself routing for the hero of each story as if you were right alongside them on a quest to champion the good and banish the evil, a conflict that has existed since the dawn of time.
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