After nearly a two-year break, HBO’s hit post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us is finally returning to screens — the premiere of the first episode of Season 2 will take place on April 13, with Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal reprising their roles. Although the show has arguably become the most popular representative of its genre in recent years, fans can still find plenty of similar series that were major hits in their time. This selection covers a few of them.
Station Eleven (2021)
Another successful dystopia from HBO, Station Eleven is practically a perfect match for fans of The Last of Us. Here too, a group of survivors tries to return to a normal life after a pandemic wipes out nearly all of humanity.
The lead role is played by Mackenzie Davis, whose character joins a traveling theatre troupe roaming among the ruins of the former civilization.
True to genre tradition, the characters uncover dark secrets — and in a shocking reveal, a key role is played by one of the troupe’s own members.
The Last Man on Earth (2015)
Created by Will Forte (who also stars in the lead role), this series offers a not-so-bleak take on the end of the world, though at times it still manages to hit surprisingly realistic notes — especially considering that the show partially predicted the 2020 pandemic.
The story is set in 2022, nearly a year after a deadly virus outbreak. The main character, Phil Miller, believes he’s the last man alive — yet he’s obsessed with finding someone, anyone, to ease his loneliness. After walking across different countries, Phil finally meets a woman — but when more survivors begin to appear, he realizes that maybe solitude wasn’t so bad after all.
Falling Skies (2011)
A great choice for those who prefer darker science fiction, Falling Skies offers a very different version of the apocalypse — this time, following an alien invasion.
Tom Mason, a history professor from Boston, begins his own resistance after his wife is killed in the first wave of attacks. Along with his son and a group of fellow survivors, he tries to use his knowledge of military history to fight back. But things don’t go as planned — it turns out their opponents are a highly advanced civilization with very specific goals for Earth.
Into the Badlands (2015)
This series is sure to attract fans of both science fiction and martial arts. Into the Badlands delivers a compelling, multilayered drama full of twists and outstanding visuals.
At the center is Sunny, a hardened warrior who becomes a mentor to a teenage boy named M.K. Together, they embark on a spiritual journey through a feudal society known as the Badlands.
The land is divided among powerful barons, and when a new figure — the Widow — sets her sights on M.K. as a path to power, Sunny and his student must join forces to survive and protect their freedom.
The 100 (2014)
Still considered one of the best post-apocalyptic series of recent years, The 100 is based on the novel series of the same name. The story follows a group of one hundred survivors who return to Earth nearly a century after a nuclear disaster.
But they’re met with a surprise: descendants of humanity who stayed on the planet have somehow survived and built a new civilization.
Born and raised in space, the main characters know nothing of the changed Earth — but they have no choice. The space station that was once their home is no longer habitable.
