From ‘The Last of Us’ to ‘The Walking Dead,’ here are the best post-apocalyptic TV shows

As The Last of Us reinvigorates the zombie craze on TV, the post-apocalypse is coming back into view. While there’s certainly been no lack of overgrown cities and transmissible illnesses on TV over the past decade, there hasn’t been a standout hit like we’re seeing now since, well, The Walking Dead. And with the genre poised to grow with new shows — like the upcoming Amazon Prime series based on Bethesda’s hugely popular post-apocalyptic open world role-playing series Fallout — we’re looking at what already out there is worth watching.

The Rain

Rain is the method of transmission in this viral Danish drama. In The Rain, a virus has sent humanity into the underground. Emerging six years later, siblings Simone and Rasmus search for their scientist father who had been researching a cure. Traversing the fjords, mountains, and forests of Scandinavia, the siblings team up with other survivors roaming the European wilderness for safety.

You can watch The Rain on Netflix.

The Last Man on Earth

Will Forte’s The Last Man on Earth aims for originality, taking on comedy in the post-apocalypse as Phil (played by Forte) discovers that he is not, in fact, the last man on Earth after a virus wiped out most of humanity. The few survivors roam a desolate America, start their self-appointed task of repopulating the planet, and try to find other survivors in the countryside, ending up in awkward if humorous life-and-death situations along the way.

You can watch The Last Man on Earth on Hulu.

Snowpiercer

Building off of Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 film of the same name, Snowpiercer explores class in a dystopian post-apocalypse. Following climate collapse, class divisions are only further stratified when the dwindling remnants of humanity relocate to a train that, by constantly circling the Earth, is able to keep conditions onboard warm enough for life. Hierarchy becomes enshrined in the layout of the train, a strong visual metaphor as the lower classes begin a revolution.

You can watch Snowpiercer on Netflix.

Adventure Time

We shouldn’t overlook animation when considering post-apocalypse television. Adventure Time presents a zany end-the-world premise filled with — erm — adventure, dungeons, and princesses. Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure Time takes place in the post-apocalyptic world of Ooo, and is one of the most original takes on the post-apocalypse – exploring how life rebuilds after the nuclear Mushroom War deformed the planet and reintroduced magic to the world.

You can watch Adventure Time on Hulu.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

We can’t talk about animated post-apocalyptic shows without talking about anime. The medium itself emerged in the wake of WWII, and many early anime explored the political, environmental, and emotional consequences of weapons of mass destruction. Hideaki Anno and studio Gainax’s 1995 mecha series Neon Genesis Evangelion reinvented how the medium talked about the end of the world. Set after the apocalyptic second impact, it presents a world struggling to return to normal as Kaiju continue to attack. It’s aged well as millennials and zoomers have come to see themselves in the show’s iconic cast of pilots.

You can watch Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix.

The Last of Us

There’s much that could go wrong — and will go wrong for Joel — in the remaining episodes of season one of HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation – but so far, it’s been a knockout success. Taking the narrative-driven zombie shooter game first released on PS3 and making it into prestige television is a mostly straightforward act, but Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have taken the opportunity to expand on stories from the original and further explore the complicated characters of its setting. And with the perfect casting of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, deuteragonists Joel and Ellie are perfectly transplanted to live-action. 

You can watch The Last of Us on HBO Max.

The Walking Dead

11 seasons in, The Walking Dead remains a staple of post-apocalyptic television. With a star-studded and iconic cast of action heroes, including Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), and Michonne (Danai Gurira), the series set the tone for what post-apocalyptic storytelling would look like in the 2010s. Whether you stopped watching after season 4 or have read all the original comics by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, you can’t deny the importance and longevity of The Walking Dead, earning it a top spot on our list.

You can watch The Walking Dead on Netflix.