It’s not always the case, but remarkably often, sci-fi is at its best when it’s bleak. There’s nothing wrong with a campy, more upbeat sci-fi show—in fact, many of the best ever made meet those qualities—but there’s just something about shows that match the darkness of the real world to tell their stories. Whether they’re supposed to be actual allegories for modern society, or their stories simply followed their due course and found growing darkness along the way, these are some of the best sci-fi shows of all time.
From modern cult classics like Counterpart to quintessential staples of the genre like Babylon 5, these shows somehow managed to keep getting better as they went along while also becoming more grim and poignant. They might have had a few hiccups along the way, but overall, they proved that dark sci-fi has a je ne sais quoi to it that’s hard for fans of the genre to resist.
10
‘Counterpart’ (2017–2019)
A restrained espionage drama that also happens to be one of the most underrated sci-fi shows of the 2010s, Counterpart had a first season that was an absolutely spellbinding thriller with an attention-hijacking J.K. Simmons in the lead. With some exceptional writing and an interesting retro-contemporary aesthetic, this immediately became one of sci-fi fans’ favorite new shows.
Tragically, Counterpart was never renewed for a third season, but its second still stands as one of the best seasons of sci-fi television of the 2010s. Far more intense and labyrinthine than its predecessor, this final season unfortunately never had the level of finality that fans deserved, but it’s still an undeniably artful piece of highbrow science fiction.
9
‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ (1993–1999)
If there’s anything that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is known for, aside from being terribly underappreciated by many fans of the franchise, it’s for being the darkest Star Trek series by design. This constant questioning of the franchise’s ideals and ever-evolving tone started out less complex in earlier seasons, but as it went along, Deep Space Nine kept getting smarter and more mature.
Moral ambiguity, more ethically complicated characters, and some of the most enthralling yet dark storylines in Trek history all contribute to making this one of the most binge-worthy sci-fi shows of the ’90s. It was never without its flaws, but Deep Space Nine‘s unique approach to the messiness of war, politics, and evil has all made it remain timeless.
8
‘The 100’ (2014–2020)
Based on the young adult novel series by Kass Morgan, The CW’s The 100 jumped on the young adult dystopian story craze of the 2010s immediately, and it rode that wave all the way until the end. The result? One of the genre’s most memorable TV shows, which starts more clichéd but slowly gets more and more creative, unique, and—of course—grim.
Granted, the show’s early days lacked a bit of depth and personality, but things only kept going up from there. The stakes become higher, the morals become muddier, the characters become more desperate, and every action is capable of having an earth-shattering consequence. It’s surprisingly dark for a young adult dystopian show, but that’s precisely what makes The 100 stand out.
7
‘Babylon 5’ (1993–1998)
In television history, there’s a before Babylon 5 and an after Babylon 5. This iconic space opera was conceived as a kind of novel for television, with a pre-planned five-year story arc where each episode essentially functioned as a chapter. This was pretty much unprecedented for American television at the time, and since then, countless shows have followed in this cult classic’s footsteps.
“Dark” would perhaps not be the first word people would think of to describe a show that’s often so campy and cheesy, but in reality, it fits remarkably well. After the first season takes the time to do some much-needed world-building, later seasons give themselves the chance to give darker, more serious commentary on topics like media manipulation and the nature of fascism.
6
‘Fringe’ (2008–2013)
Following up the tremendous pop-cultural sensation that was Lost was never going to be an easy task, but when he co-created Fringe, J.J. Abrams proved that he still had the sauce. Though it starts more episodic and, quite frankly, not all that exceptional, it quickly transitions into a more serialized masterpiece inspired by the likes of The X-Files and The Twilight Zone.
It’s one of the best sci-fi shows ever, tragic and deeply intimate when it needs to be, but also incredibly fun when it focuses a little more on its procedural aspects. There’s grief, there’s sacrifice, and all that pain and darkness keep recontextualizing the whole series every time it pops its head over the corner. It’s no wonder this is considered one of the best sci-fi shows of the 2000s and 2010s.
5
’12 Monkeys’ (2015–2018)
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Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame is well-known for his mind-bending work as a movie director, and the sci-fi thriller Twelve Monkeys is probably his best work. Itself based on the French short film La Jetée, it inspired the creation of the time travel sci-fi show 12 Monkeys, one of the few time travel shows that actually make some sense.
The series’ first season is of significantly lesser quality, but patient viewers willing to stick with it will be treated to another three seasons that get increasingly close to perfection. This happens as the narrative is gradually and constantly recontextualized to turn hope into horror and sacrifice into a necessity. It all leads to one of the best series finales of any sci-fi show of the 21st century.
4
‘Person of Interest’ (2011–2016)
It starts as more of a generic case-of-the-week kind of sci-fi show, but soon enough, Person of Interest becomes one of the most enthralling sci-fi series of the 2010s. The softer techno-thriller vibes of its first few episodes don’t really last long, as the show quickly transforms into a high-stakes commentary on mass surveillance in a post-9/11 world.
By showing just how easily authoritarian systems can be mistaken for public safety efforts, Person of Interest keeps becoming more and more of a dystopia led by characters living in a dehumanized world. It’s an ugly truth, but freedom is expensive, and the series is more than willing to show that dark prospect as its seasons keep getting more and more high-quality.
3
‘The Expanse’ (2015–2022)
Widely regarded as one of the most scientifically accurate shows of all time, The Expanse is based on the series of novels of the same name by James S. A. Corey. Though it was originally canceled by SyFy after just a three-season run, Amazon picked it up for another three seasons, and the world is all the better for it: This truly is one of the best sci-fi series of modern times.
The show’s first season is pretty slow-paced due to its focus on world-building, but once that fascinating world is well-established, things really kick off. It’s honest to the core about politics, power, and their impact, and though it can easily be described as a space opera more on the realistic side, that’s by no means the only thing it has going for it.
2
‘Dark’ (2017–2020)
Netflix’s first-ever German-language show, Dark is famous for being a mind-bender like no other. It almost makes watching it with a notebook and pen by one’s side to keep track of the narrative a necessity, but all that effort is fully worth it. The title is a well-earned one: Dark may be fun, and it even has a sense of humor, but it’s undeniably bleak through and through.
That bleakness is structurally built into the very foundations of the show, coldly and perfectly calculated to make this one of the most rewatchable thriller shows ever. Mysterious, impossible to fully pin down, and absolutely exceptional from pilot to series finale, this gem makes its darkness impossible to escape, tightening its rules as its world keeps growing.
1
‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004–2009)
For fans of science fiction in general, and particularly science fiction television, Battlestar Galactica should need no introduction. It’s probably the best-ever sci-fi show without aliens, a Greek tragedy in space whose social and political commentary has aged like fine wine. It’s a space opera for the 21st-century generation, a gritty survival tale like no other.
Torture, civilian deaths, humanity running away from evil. It’s all really bleak stuff, but it makes for some of the most compelling sci-fi storytelling imaginable. It tends to be widely agreed that the show’s fourth and final season isn’t the best, but it’s still undeniable that Battlestar keeps getting better and darker as it goes along. Character-driven and mature, this is a complex drama first and a space adventure second.
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