15 Best TV Shows To Watch If You Like Invincible

“Invincible” is one of the strangest and best TV shows you can stream right now (the Prime version, not the lost MTV version). Ostensibly, it’s a teen-focused superhero drama about Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) discovering that he has a set of superpowers, including what’s basically invincibility, inherited from his father Nolan, aka Omni-Man (J. K. Simmons). The pilot makes it seem like it will follow this story earnestly, providing a fastball full of heart right down the middle. And then the final sequence happens and everything changes.

What results is a show full of ultraviolence, complicated father-son dynamics, a wicked sense of humor, and, yes, heart. It’s also more than willing to poke fun at the superhero tropes it’s so lovingly presenting, making it the ideal, unique watch for those oversaturated with more basic movies and shows of superheroism.

If you’re a fan of “Invincible” and want to try other shows that have similar vibes, creative personnel, animation style, or thematic explorations, look no further. Here are the 15 best TV shows to watch if you like “Invincible.”

Based on the successful “League of Legends” video game universe, “Arcane” is an animated Netflix fantasy show that joins the pantheon of excellent TV game adaptations like “The Last of Us” and “Fallout” while fostering its own, less slavishly faithful identity.

Hailee Steinfeld stars as Vi, one of the main characters (or Champions) of “League of Legends.” After the death of her parents in a vicious battle, Vi is an orphan who lives in the oppressed, slumlike city of Zaun (as opposed to the uber-wealthy Piltover). She, her sister Jinx (Ella Purnell, also in “Fallout”), and their adoptive brothers Mylo (Yuri Lowenthal) and Claggor (Roger Craig Smith) become active members of a rebel alliance led by her adoptive father, Vander (JB Blanc). But the fight for a better future is beset by interpersonal conflicts, criminal impulses, and the powerful technology developed by Piltover scientist Jayce Talis (Kevin Alejandro).

Like “Invincible,” “Arcane” features excellent voice performances, surprisingly mature storytelling, and a captivating mixture of genre pleasures and interrogations.

What are superhero stories but American mythology? To tap into those kinds of vibes (and to mainline some more daddy issues along the way), give “Blood of Zeus” a stream on Netflix.

Zeus (Jason O’Mara) is a little bit like the Omni-Man of ancient Greece. He’s an all-powerful God in charge of a hierarchy of power, and wielding lightning ain’t nothing to sneeze at, either. Yes, everyone loves Zeus…

…except Heron, that is. Or, at least, it’s complicated. As voiced by Derek Phillips, Heron is the abandoned, bastard son of Zeus, coming to terms with the depths of his powers and his supernaturally familial trauma. What results in the Parlapanides brothers’ show is a series of gory, action-packed set pieces intersecting with primal pieces of psychological drama.

“Blood of Zeus” isn’t necessarily reinventing the wheel, but it’s showing its audience just how satisfying a wheel is when delivered with muscular confidence. It, and “Invincible,” are proof positive of the staying power to certain forms of storytelling.

Hey look, here’s the other Prime Video superhero deconstruction executive produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg!

“The Boys” is a sleazy and cynical piece of work, a merciless and pitch-black satire of how our broken world might actually engage with the concept of superheroes (and it makes “Watchmen” look like “Pollyanna”). The show’s superheroes, referred to as “Supes,” work for the mega-conglomerate Vought International, ostensibly delivering truth and justice while reckoning with their interior demons and pathologies. Leading this group of Seven is Homelander (Antony Starr), who is just the worst human being you’d never want to have Superman’s powers.

The titular Boys are black ops agents trying to stop these overpowered agents of selfish chaos led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), who has a personal vendetta against Homelander in particular. The show pits these two forces against each other over five seasons, offering a ton of audacious world-building along the way.

A Marvel series created by Joe Pokaski, “Cloak & Dagger” is an underrated teen superhero series, one that ran for only two seasons before being unjustly canceled. But unlike the more superficial CW DC teen superhero shows, “Cloak & Dagger” has a lot on its mind both interpersonally and societally.

Tyrone Johnson (Aubrey Joseph) and Tandy Bowen (Olivia Holt) are teenagers who live in New Orleans, Louisiana. After the collapse of an oil apparatus results in the two gaining superpowers, they find each other and begin working together to clean up the Nola streets, no matter how dark and all-consuming the world’s problems seem to be.

Tyrone becomes known as Cloak, a hero who can observe people’s darkest fears and transport them into the Darkforce Dimension. Tandy becomes known as Dagger, a hero who can access people’s brightest hopes and weaponize the force of light into corporeal weapons. With these complementary powers, these youngsters fight various foes, including human trafficker D’Spayre (Brooklyn McLinn) and vigilante Mayhem (Emma Lahana), all while coming of age as best as they can.

“The Guardians of Justice” is an absolutely bugnuts series, a live-action-animated hybrid show that satirizes superhero storytelling with the uninhibited glee of the best Adult Swim fever dreams (even though it’s on Netflix). It plays a little like “Invincible” crossed with “The Boys” crossed with “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” crossed with a middle schooler hopped up on Mountain Dew and death metal records, and it also plays like nothing you’ve ever seen.

Marvelous Man (Will Yun Lee) is an alien superhero who’s kept Earth at peace after thwarting World War III by defeating Robo-Hitler (you didn’t misread that). But when he suddenly dies on live television, his colleague Knight Hawk (professional wrestler Diamond Dallas Page) suspects foul play, and suspects one of the titular Guardians of Justice might be the murderer.

Knight Hawk, however, isn’t exactly a reliable narrator, and the show deconstructs every facet we enjoy about a Batman-styled superhero, revealing a bitter, neo-fascist heart at the center. If you want a seven-episode descent into heroic madness, give this a stream immediately.

Created by Tim Kring, “Heroes” debuted on NBC in 2006, capturing the zeitgeist with its interconnected storylines of everyday people suddenly learning they have superpowers and using all manner of mystery boxes and marketing know-how to intrigue anyone who watched (“Save the cheerleader, save the world” is a hook impossible to ignore). After its unimpeachable first season, its following three started to lose the juice, and its 2015 revival series “Heroes Reborn” didn’t do much to regain any goodwill.

However, “Heroes” is still worth recommending for fans of “Invincible.” For one, that first season absolutely cooks, feeling like a proto-MCU take on something like “Lost.” Its cast is endearing and magnetic, especially Hayden Panettiere as the aforementioned cheerleader and the effortlessly delightful Masi Oka as an average white-collar worker who can manipulate space and time.

And when it zeroes in on the joys and difficulties that would happen were a “normal” person to suddenly be gifted with supernatural powers, it finds ample truth among the fantasy, feeling as human as something like “Invincible.”

If you love J. K. Simmons’ voice role as Omni-Man, then check out “The Legend of Korra,” the Nickelodeon sequel series to the acclaimed animated show “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (and if you haven’t seen that show, then we have two shows to recommend to you).

Simmons stars as Tenzin, the son of “Avatar” hero Aang, who is now mentoring Korra (Janet Varney). Over four seasons (or “books” as they’re referred to), Korra learns how to cultivate her “bending” powers, which give her the ability to manipulate the elements, and uses them to be a worthy soldier in an ongoing, world-spanning, generational war.

“Invincible” is technically an adult animation, and “The Legend of Korra” is technically family-friendly. But both share a moral complexity in common, with “Korra” tackling trauma, coming out, the consequences of war, and what it means to be a young adult during such troubling times. And, no spoilers, but we’d rather have Tenzin as our dad than Omni-Man. Just saying.

Another television show based on a comic co-created by Robert Kirkman, who also developed the project for TV, “Outcast” ran for two seasons on Cinemax before getting unfairly canceled. The horror series unpacks demonic possession, making it arguably a better TV adaptation of “The Exorcist” than the actual “Exorcist” TV adaptation (though that show is underrated, while we’re here).

Patrick Fugit stars as Kyle Barnes, who has struggled with being possessed throughout his life, though he’s faced with nothing but skepticism for his sometimes violent actions whilst possessed. In his small West Virginia town, Kyle starts helping his friend, Reverend John Anderson (Philip Glenister), when other residents start showing signs of possession, including children, police officers, and little old church ladies. Can the two fight against Hell’s most nefarious forces? Or are they condemned to be outcasts themselves?

Beyond the obvious comparisons to “The Exorcist” and the further exploration of Kirkman’s voice, “Outcast” might remind the viewer of Mike Flanagan’s horror shows, particularly “Midnight Mass,” with its similar focus on small communities, religious trauma, and people being overtaken by devilish forces.

Before Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg adapted a Garth Ennis comic for television with “The Boys,” they cut their teeth on “Preacher,” which aired for four seasons on AMC. Like “The Boys” (and like “Invincible”), “Preacher” has a sick sense of humor, tonal experimentation, a wonderful ensemble cast, and a lot to say underneath the viscera and cuss words.

Dominic Cooper stars as the titular preacher, Texas-born Jesse Custer. Jesse has some skeletons in his closet (i.e., a history of crime), making him a curious choice to endow with the powers of persuasion. That is to say, his preaching is so powerful that he can literally compel people to follow his will. Take that, Joel Osteen.

So what does Jesse do with this gift? He takes his intense, unpredictable girlfriend Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga) and his intense, unpredictable, and literally vampiric friend Proinsias Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) on a journey to find God. Like, literally, God, the all-powerful deity who allegedly created and is in charge of everything.

On this journey, the trio gets into all kinds of entertainingly violent shenanigans, giving the entire cast (especially Negga, a treasure) the room to get their freak on. Check this underseen gem out, posthaste.

A spinoff of a ’80s show set in the “He-Man” universe, Netflix’s “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” is a five-season wonder of inclusive storytelling, mature thematic explorations, and good old-fashioned animated fun.

Aimee Carrero plays Princess Adora, who was raised as a soldier in the army of Hordak (Keston John), an evil tyrant who dreams of domination. But when Adora finds a magical sword that transforms her into the powerful She-Ra, she realizes she’s been playing for the wrong team, and becomes a rebel to Hordak’s forces. As She-Ra puts together a team called the Princess Alliance, her former comrade Catra (AJ Michalka) channels her feelings of betrayal into direct conflict. Can She-Ra get through to Catra to see the light? Or are some destinies too entrenched to fight against?

“She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” is an essential work of 21st-century animation, a show more than willing to treat its audience with respect, thanks in (heavy) part to showrunner ND Stevenson.

Another Steven Yeun-starrer, “Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia” comes to us from maestro Guillermo Del Toro, based on a novel he co-wrote. Yeun plays against type as Steve Palchuk, a mean jock who constantly bullies our hero, Jim Lake Jr. (Anton Yelchin and Emile Hirsch).

Jim finds a magical Amulet of Daylight, as one does, which gives him access to a supernatural realm full of trolls with delightful names like Blinky (Kelsey Grammer) and AAARRRGGHH!!! (Fred Tatasciore). As these worlds collide and monsters invade the margins of Jim’s sleepy, suburban town, Jim must join forces with his magical allies and take on the role of Trollhunter.

Simply put, “Trollhunters” is a delight. It has an offbeat sense of humor that reminds one of Laika’s “ParaNorman,” while never sacrificing its emphasis on character development or surprisingly mature themes. And if you dig “Trollhunters,” you can check out Del Toro’s two sequel series in the overall “Tales of Arcadia” franchise: “3Below,” a sci-fi flavored adventure, and “Wizards,” a more fantastical series (both of which feature Yeun reprising his role).

One of the best superhero TV shows, “The Umbrella Academy” is based on a comic series co-created by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way. As you might imagine from the mind of Way, it has an almost Tim Burton-feeling quality of maladjustment, angst, black comedy, and fantastically goth-flavored production design.

On October 1, 1989, 43 women across the world gave birth at the same time. Strange billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) adopted seven of these children to create a force of superheroes called the Umbrella Academy. All of these kids demonstrate supernatural powers, except for Viktor (Elliot Page), who seems to be ordinary … on the surface.

Flash-forward to the present day, and these kids have become estranged and messed up in all kinds of ways. But when Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) travels from the future to tell news of an impending apocalypse, the adoptive siblings must try and put their differences behind them as they reunite to save the world (at least, as best as they can).

Like “Invincible,” “The Umbrella Academy” reckons with a dysfunctional father figure and charts the toll of possessing powers on its young inhabitants. It’s a wild ride from start to finish.

An anime series based on a manga by acclaimed artist Makoto Yukimura, “Vinland Saga” puts a young, would-be Viking on a path of revenge that only offers existential malaise and horrific violence along the way, cementing itself as one of the best historical TV shows.

Yūto Uemura plays Thorfinn, an Icelandic teen who wants desperately to follow in the footsteps of his warrior father, Thors (Kenichirou Matsuda). But when Thors is slain by forces led by Askeladd (Naoya Uchida), Thorfinn undergoes a different journey. He hardens every part of himself, picking up jobs with roving Viking crews, all so he can one day strike vengeance upon the fearsome Askeladd.

But that’s just the first season’s arc. No spoilers, but next season introduces a new character, Einar (Shunsuke Takeuchi), who upends Thorfinn’s journey in disquieting but satisfying ways. Like “Invincible,” “Vinland Saga” takes a good, long look at violence and the men who commit it, asking “why” without blinking. It makes for rich, primal storytelling.

And now, the TV show that introduced mass popular culture to the forces of Robert Kirkman and Steven Yeun. If you love “Invincible,” you must take a pilgrimage to the original temple.

“The Walking Dead,” based on the comic book series co-created by Kirkman, aired on AMC for 11 seasons (not to mention the multiple spinoffs it inspired). It stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, a former sheriff who woke up from a coma to find the world had devolved into chaos thanks to a zombie apocalypse (sorry, “walker” apocalypse). So, Rick finds a group of human survivors in the overgrown wilderness of Atlanta, including his son Carl (Chandler Riggs), and the team of misfits must survive the flesh-eating creatures surrounding them without succumbing into the dark monstrosity inherent in all of humankind.

Yeun plays one of these survivors, Glenn Rhee, a former pizza delivery guy who becomes an integral part of the group. Glenn is kind, sensitive, funny, and a perfect vehicle for Yeun to show the world his boundless appeal as an actor.

Finally, another animated superhero series about teenagers. It takes place in the DC universe, though we’re not talking about the more well known “Teen Titans.” This is “Young Justice,” which has become quite the cult hit despite numerous network shifts (from Cartoon Network to DC Universe to HBO Max).

The core group of young sidekicks functions as a black ops team under the more established Justice League. The characters range in familiarity, including Robin (Jesse McCartney), Aqualad (Khary Payton), Superboy (Nolan North), Kid Flash (Jason Spisak), Miss Martian (Danica McKellar), and Artemis (Stephanie Lemelin). As they fight supervillains in the service of justice, they also come of age, with show creators Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman flinging all kinds of mature issues at the fledgling heroes.

Each season after the first has a new subtitle and new focus, with “Invasion” centering on an alien invasion, “Outsiders” diving into the dark topic of human trafficking (well, “metahuman” trafficking in this case), and “Phantoms” slowly positioning the young heroes against some of DC’s most notorious villains.