6 Netflix Sci-Fi Shows Better Than Stranger Things
Stranger Things is one of Netflix’s best sci-fi TV shows to date, but the truth is that there are other sci-fi shows that are even better. Netflix has a wide variety of original TV shows across different genres, some of them now regarded as some of the best TV shows of all time. When it comes to sci-fi, Netflix has had some of the most successful shows in recent years, one of them being the Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things. Stranger Things introduced the audience to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), her friends, and all the horrors unleashed by Hawkins Lab, most notably the parallel dimension known as the Upside Down, the different monsters that lived in it, and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Stranger Things ended in 2025 after five seasons, and while its finale was quite divisive, it still stands as one of Netflix’s best sci-fi shows to date. However, as great as Stranger Things is, Netflix has other sci-fi shows that are better than Eleven’s adventures. These shows are better either due to their tone, characters, stories, complexity, or overall quality, though some do have some flaws or have divisive endings. Still, these shows will often rank higher than Stranger Things when talking about Netflix’s best sci-fi shows.
The Umbrella Academy
Four Seasons
The Umbrella Academy the Hargreeves looking up
Based on the comic book series of the same name by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy premiered on Netflix in 2019. The Umbrella Academy introduces viewers to the title superhero team, formed by the Hargreeves, seven adopted siblings with different sets of superpowers. The Hargreeves and 36 other kids around the world were born on the same day, at the same time, and to women who weren’t pregnant when the day began. Scientist and billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) set out to adopt as many of those kids as possible, who he later trained to form the Umbrella Academy team. However, the Hargreeves gradually parted ways and don’t reunite until Reginald’s death, when they also learn that the end of the world is fast-approaching. The Hargreeves team up to stop it, which takes them into a complex journey of time-travel, trauma, and dark family secrets. Although The Umbrella Academy had a divisive final season, it’s still overall a better sci-fi show than Stranger Things. The Umbrella Academy has much better and consistent character development and depth, engaging and complex sci-fi elements like time travel, and a good dose of dark humor, with relatable characters who are far from perfect.
3 Body Problem
Season 2 Coming In 2026
Based on Liu Cixin’s novel series Remembrance of Earth’s Past, 3 Body Problem premiered in 2024 to great success. It all starts in the 1960s, when astrophysicist Ye Wenjie is sent to a secret military base where she’s racing against other countries to make first contact with aliens. However, her choices have a direct impact on the future. In the present day, a group known as the “Oxford Five” investigate a series of mysterious murders among scientists, which leads to the discovery of a shocking secret.
3 Body Problem is David Benioff and D. B. Weiss’ first TV project since Game of Thrones.
3 Body Problem was an instant critical success, and it was renewed for a second season shortly after its debut, with season 2 set for a late 2026 release. 3 Body Problem is a lot more mature than Stranger Things, with complex, hard sci-fi concepts, moral dilemmas, philosophical themes, and a narrative style that requires more focus. 3 Body Problem also has its horror elements, as does Stranger Things, but it’s aimed at a more mature audience with an interest on real science.
Bodies
Eight Episodes
Iris Maplewood and Mannix in Bodies
Based on Si Spencer’s graphic novel of the same name, Bodies is a British sci-fi mystery thriller miniseries developed by Paul Tomalin and released on Netflix in 2023. The events of Bodies begin with the appearance of a dead body in Longharvest Lane, in London… in four different years: 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053. Four detectives, one in each time period, takes on the case, and not only do their investigations become interlinked, but they also uncover a disturbing, complex, and massive conspiracy. Bodies is only one-season long but, unlike many other Netflix shows, it wasn’t canceled – instead, it’s a self-contained story crafted to be told from beginning to end in a limited number of episodes. This is a huge advantage over Stranger Things, as it’s a complete, tighter, and better written story with no filler episodes, instead of a stretched plot over various seasons. The core mystery and conflict in Bodies is also a lot more complex than the horrors in Stranger Things, and the characters deal with much more obscure and mature issues.
Love, Death, & Robots
Four Seasons
LOVE, DEATH & ROBOTS, ‘Spider Rose’
One of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time, which also ranks among the best animated shows ever made, is Love, Death, & Robots. Created by Tim Miller, Love, Death, & Robots is an adult animated anthology TV series that premiered on Netflix in 2019. Every episode of Love, Death, & Robots is a different story by a different crew and in a variety of animation styles, making the show a collection of short films from various creators and animators. As such, Love, Death, & Robots has a bit of everything – from full-on sci-fi stories to more dramatic ones and some that lean more into horror. What they all have in common is that they address one or more of the three themes in the show’s title, and while every episode is its own thing, season 1’s “Three Robots” got a sequel in season 3, titled “Three Robots: Exit Strategies.” Love, Death, & Robots has been praised for its overall quality, variety, creativity, and voice acting, with every episode being a unique experience, with many feeling cinematic. Despite being formed by a variety of stories in different styles, that’s exactly why Love, Death, & Robots is a much more complete experience than Stranger Things. Every episode of Love, Death, & Robots is a contained story, which will be refreshing to those who aren’t into serialized stories like Stranger Things.
Black Mirror
Season 8 In Development
Daniel Kaluuya in Black Mirror
Created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is a British anthology TV series that started on Channel 4 and moved to Netflix after its second season and Christmas special. Each episode of Black Mirror is a different story with a different cast, but they all have one thing in common: they explore the impact and consequences of technological advancements, the media and its influence, and how these affect society. Thanks to this, Black Mirror has plenty of disturbing episodes, which has become the show’s style.
Related
15 Best Black Mirror Episodes, Ranked
Black Mirror is one of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time, and while it has been consistently good, some episodes are better than others.
Every Black Mirror episode offers social commentary and gives the audience something to think about for a long time after the story is over. Black Mirror brings together sci-fi, drama, horror, and dark comedy, while covering real-life fears, exploring futuristic scenarios (some of which, unfortunately, have become true), and addressing mature themes. Black Mirror is superior to Stranger Things in terms of production, writing, tone, and creativity, and for many, an anthology show is less tiring than a show with a story across multiple seasons.
Dark
Three Seasons
The traveler in front of a wall with newspaper clips in Netflix Dark
There’s a reason why Dark is widely considered as “mature Stranger Things.” Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, Dark premiered on Netflix in 2017 and was a huge success with critics and general audiences, helping it rank among the best sci-fi shows of all time. Dark takes viewers to the fictional town of Winden, in Germany, where, one night, young boy Mikkel goes missing after he and his older sister and her friends go into a cave.
Mikkel’s disappearance leads to different investigations as his father, police officer Ulrich, investigates on his own, as does Jonas, one of Mikkel’s sister’s friends, and the discovery of a complex truth involving time, family connections, and other secrets. Dark is one of the most complex, smartest, and overall brilliantly made sci-fi shows of all time, and it’s pretty much perfect from beginning to end. Dark also addresses complex philosophical themes, has character depth and development, and a perfectly crafted story where every clue and detail eventually pays off. All this also makes Dark a show worth rewatching, as it’s full of details that further elevate the watching experience.
Release Date
2016 – 2025-00-00
Network
Netflix
Showrunner
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Directors
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz
Writers
Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
تم النشر: 2026-07-28 00:15:00
مصدر: screenrant.com
