#like despite its cuteness wynonna earp's main wlw romance involves a cop y'know

[billiewena]

If you’re for feeling tempted to watch the Supernatural prequel because of the new diverse character announcements, I’m here to remind you that there are other fantasy/sci-fi/horror TV shows that not only have diversity (but are even led with it!)

“I want to watch a monster-hunting show led by a powerful woman!”

Wynonna Earp (SyFy): two sisters, one a wise-cracking but badass hunter of the undead and the other a more serious but sweeter girl with mysterious monster origins, are reunited after years apart. Basically, it’s Supernatural but funnier (and gayer!)

Van Helsing (SyFy): a re-imagining of the vampire hunting icon that follows his descendant Vanessa Helsing, 

Warrior Nun (Netflix): A girl comes back from the dead and learns she’s part of a secret order of demon-hunting nuns. 

Lost Girl (SyFy): Bisexual succubus Bo and her human best friend Kenzi become private investigators of the world of the “fae”, supernatural beings that range from fairies to wolves to sirens and succubi like Bo.

“I want to watch a show about Asian characters in the world of fantasy and monsters!”

Okay well, first off, I also cannot begin to tell you about how many amazing non-American supernatural shows are out there if you’re willing to read subtitles. A couple of my personal favorites are Black (a Korean horror/fantasy/mystery show about reapers and a woman who can see when people will die, Netflix) and All of Us Are Dead (a new action-fantasy drama about high schoolers battling a zombie invasion, Netflix) and I would love to hear people rec their faves, too! A few that don’t need subtitles though…

Shadow & Bone (Netflix): A well-received adaptation of the high fantasy book series, with a diverse writing staff and cast including half-Chinese Jessie Mei Lei as the lead. Fan-favorite characters from the sequels such as Inej and Jesper (a South Asian woman and a mixed-race bisexual man respectively) also got integrated into the series early and become prevalent characters in the books’ spinoffs.

Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu): a darker, teen superhero show with the found family themes you always wanted from their movies. Its highlight is easily Nico Minoru, a Japanese-American and queer sorceress who learns her and her friends' parents are part of a super-villain organization

Wu Assassins (Netflix): a Chinese-Indonesian man in San Francisco discovers he has magical origins and has to fight to keep his family’s power out of the wrong hands

Teen Wolf (MTV/Amazon Prime): While only part of the cast for Season 3-5, the show’s introduction of Japanese-Korean Kitsune Kira Yukimara and her mysterious family led to the shows’ most well-received storyline and arc. She teams up with troubled teen werewolf Scott McCall and his pack to fight an evil creature tormenting the town.

And of course Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel Legend of Korra (Nickelodeon/Amazin Prime): AMAZING animated shows with all-Asian characters and original fantasy world inspired by multiple East Asian and South Asian countries. They may be kids’ shows but they deal with a lot of heavy and mature themes that make it enjoyable for any age. 

“I want to watch a genre show with a Latino lead (bonus points if queer!)”

What We Do in the Shadows (FX/Hulu): a horror-comedy TV spinoff of Taika Waiti’s iconic and hilarious vampire mockumentary film, with racially diverse writers and cast and basically all LGBT lead characters. The true heart of the show is the queer, Mesztizo and Mexican human character Guillermo (whose identity isn’t hypersexualized like some of the vampires characters’ more fluid bisexuality/pansexuality are)

The Owl House (Disney): yes, another animated kids’ show, but I cannot recommend this fantasy series enough especially to any former "Harry Potter" fans. It’s led by a teenage, Latina human who discovers witches and a secret world of magic and is eager to learn so she can be a part of it. Luz is also bisexual, and her relationship with another young witch has been one of the most talked about storylines of the show.

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Showtime): a horror-drama spinoff of Penny Dreadful set in Los Angeles in the 1930s that tackles both Mexican-American tensions and folklore with characters connected in a conflict between the angel Santa Muerte and demoness Magda.

Roswell, New Mexico (The CW/Netflix): While I’m hesitant to recommend any CW show, this remake of the 90’s sci-fi drama/romance (which infamously whitewashed characters from the books) ingrains diversity into the cast and plot, with the Mexican-American lead’s immigrant family dealing with real-life racial tension in New Mexico in addition to the show’s original storyline of immigrant aliens adjusting from life on a whole other planet.

p.s. adding to this list is not only okay but highly encouraged!