It’s no surprise that Netflix, which has more than 137 million subscribers, is the most widely used streaming service in the world given the abundance of new series being released this year as well as the abundance of enduring classic series being made available on the platform.
Additionally, Netflix’s original content offers viewers top-notch programming that they cannot find anywhere else. This has made it possible for fans of all genres to find programming that appeals to them, including those who want to watch high-impact action scenes with lots of thrills and spills. Let’s look at some of the top action TV shows available on Netflix.
Although it has nothing to do with the type of television show, the phrase “lights, camera, action!” serves as a reminder that it’s entertaining to watch actors use weapons like swords and guns and engage in fistfights without anyone getting hurt (usually).
So let’s give the people what they want: a list of the top action television series that are available to stream on Netflix right now. This list includes both Netflix original series and series that have their roots elsewhere.
Alice in Borderland (2020)
In Alice in Borderland, which is based on the graphic novel series of the same name by Haro Aso, players are compelled to compete in perilous difficulties, the complexity of which is determined by having drawn playing cards. The setting is dystopian, abandoned Tokyo. If they fail, lasers from the sky will kill them. Imagine the fusion of Cube and Battle Royale with Sword Art Online.
Altered Carbon (2018–2020)
Altered Carbon, which is based on the same-titled 2002 novel by Richard K. Morgan, is a flashy, jargon-filled, and occasionally vertiginous descent into sci-fi indulgence. The show centers on a 22nd-century mercenary hired to solve the murder of a powerful aristocrat (Joel Kinnaman in Season 1 and Anthony Mackie in Season 2).
The problem? In this future, wealthy people can’t actually pass away; instead, their consciousness is primarily posted to the cloud and uploaded into new bodies, which is why said aristocrat is still alive.
The ensuing caper, set in a world without death, has the same jaw-dropping visuals and world-building as Blade Runner and the same compelling mystery as HBO’s Westworld. To put it another way, there is a lot to process here, but also but if you’re patient, there’s a LOT to appreciate.
Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015–2018)
Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell), who survived and overcame the Deadites in Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy, has done nothing with his life since then other than living in a trailer, work at the Value Stop, and generally feel sorry for himself. It’s been more than 30 years since those events.
But even after being blown to smithereens during a Lord of the Rings battle in the middle ages, things that go bruise in the night have a peculiar way of coming back, and Ash soon realizes the battle against evil remains far from over.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)
For good reason, this Nickelodeon program has indeed been praised as one of the best-animated television programs ever. There’s never a bad time to watch or rewatch this stunning Western-meets-anime series, whether you were a part of the generation that was obsessed with it during its initial run or you’ve yet to immerse yourself in this world of elemental nations.
Adventure story Avatar: The Last Airbender centers on the journey of waterbender Katara, her brother Sokka, and a boy they discover frozen in an iceberg named Aang. Aang turns out to be the avatar, a reincarnated being with control over all four elements whose duty it is to maintain harmony between the Four Nations.
As they travel through the countries, the catastrophic scope of the world without Aang becomes increasingly obvious as they travel through the nations so that Aang can ace all of the factors and potentially face the fascistic ruler of the Fire Nation. Beware: This kid’s show has a lot more to it than you might think, despite the fact that Avatar: The Last Airbender helps make it seem effortless.
Cobra Kai (2018)
The series Cobra Kai is set in the present and stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka returning to the mat, but it flips the roles of their characters. It debuted on YouTube when the platform was still producing original content before being picked up by Netflix.
Now that Johnny has hit rock bottom, former underdog Daniel is making tonnes of money and is still making the most of his childhood stardom. Johnny’s midlife crisis’ solution? Clearly, reopen the dojo. A new class of karate kids must inevitably be introduced into the martial arts world, and old rivalries must be revived, resulting in a severely butt-kicking take on nostalgic possessions you didn’t know you needed.
Daybreak (2019)
High school is difficult because of the cliques, political debates, and bullies there. But if those years took place in a post-apocalyptic setting with rampaging zombies, we’d probably choose to embrace the trivial things instead. Zombies are the reality in Netflix’s Daybreak, making for a delightfully ridiculous premise for a show.
Daybreak is a Brian Ralph comic book adaptation that centers on Josh, a boy searching for his girlfriend along with a group of other strange, lost teenagers in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Imagine how the football team, cheer squad, and others would band together and react to flesh-eating creatures. It’s all very pompous, but that adds to the fun by raising the stakes in a typical, rudimentary high school setting.
Fauda (2015)
The best foreign-language show on Netflix is probably Fauda, an action thriller about an elite group of Israeli commandos operating undercover in Palestine. It is a franticly paced, politically charged melodrama with scenes of nail-biting suspense straight out of Homeland or 24. Fauda, however, spends almost as much time on the personal lives of Palestinians as it devotes to its armed heroes, in contrast to those spy dramas. It has a complexity and nuance that its frequently less complex American counterparts do not.
Kingdom (2019)
Kingdom, a zombie historical drama set in the Korean Joseon dynasty, combines political intrigue and biological terror. In Kingdom, which is based on the occurs occasionally series The Kingdom of the Gods by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il, Crown Prince Yi Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) is forced to look into the undead plague that is afflicting the southern provinces as well as his father, the current emperor. He must prevent a coup led by those looking to capitalize on the crisis while attempting to stop its spread and stop it from reaching the capital. Kingdom, the first Korean-made original series on Netflix, offers a unique historical perspective on the clichéd zombie thriller.
Love, Death + Robots (2019)
Making entertaining, impactful, and imaginative short films requires a certain level of artistry, and Netflix’s animated series Love, Death + Robots combines all three of those qualities with some seriously bizarre sci-fi tales. The title is pretty much self-explanatory: Every episode will contain elements of robots, death, and/or love which obviously means that sex is a big part of the show. Love Death + Robots is a multifaceted collection of some of the most thrilling stories ever told. From an android tourist group wandering through a post-apocalyptic Earth to a monster-fighting arena where the monsters are operated by human consciousness, to an ancient civilization thriving in a couple’s fridge, to a lovely fable around an artist in the future who only likes to paint using one shade of blue, Love Death + Robots has it all.
Money Heist (2017–2021)
This Netflix import from Spain is not only one of the most-watched foreign series, but it has also become a global phenomenon. The show, which follows a group of thieves as they plot a sophisticated heist, has prompted fans to dress as the cast for various pranks and even attempt to replicate their schemes in real life. That sort of pull is rare in television. The best heist thriller currently airing is Money Heist, also known as La Casa de Papel, which follows a plot to kidnap hostages at the Royal Mint of Spain in order to print and steal money. The heist unfolds in exhilarating moments, and the characters hiding behind their masks, each dealing with their own inner turmoil, add intelligence to the series.
The 100 (2014–2020)
How many shows featuring attractive young people in post-apocalyptic settings do we really need? It seems like one more! A group of teenagers is sent from a colony floating in space to bombed-out Earth in the film The 100, which writer Kass Morgan adapted from a young adult series. Things inevitably go wrong: rival factions form, relationships are destroyed, and as required by TV law, beloved protagonists are killed. Don’t be fooled by the show’s superficially soapy exterior; underneath the glossy, teen-friendly exterior is dark, thoughtful content.
Outlander (2014)
Outlander is the ideal solution to your craving if you’re searching for an action film that’s also steamy and seductive. The long-running, highly regarded drama based on Diana Bagaldon’s series of books centers on the romance between Claire, a WWII nurse who is miraculously transported to Scotland in 1743, and Jamie, a dashing Highland rebel.
The time-traveling program, which is produced by Ronald D. Moore (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica), has received praise for both its nuanced historical rendering and its adept handling of the female gaze in many of its intimate scenes. While Claire and Jamie’s relationship is swept up in the time-space continuum, it is pure escapism, but Outlander succeeds in making it much more human than just a sappy romance.
