Entertainment
10 Action Shows That Are Amazing From Start to Finish
Whether it’s in a superhero, science fiction, fantasy, or the viewer’s own universe, everyone and their mother loves a good action-packed project. Sure, it’s fun to see a high-stakes, action-focused romp for 2+ hours, but with action television shows, audiences get to spend hours, on hours, on hours with the characters and the excitement they bring.
Action may be considered a genre, but it’s so general that it’s a genre that applies to all the others as well, which means audiences can get action sci-fi, fantasy, and so much more. The possibilities are genuinely endless with action—because all the term means is that there are chases, stunt-heavy sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and more. Which are some of the best action shows, though? Which are amazing from start to finish?
‘One Piece’ (2023–Present)
The 1999 anime, One Piece, is one of the most popular (arguably the most popular) anime of all time. So, it only makes sense that, eventually, it would get a live-action remake. It’s honestly surprising that it took them this long to make one. What makes Netflix’s One Piece so much different, though, is it’s a live-action remake that actually works and is genuinely so dang good.
While making a good non-animated adaptation of an animated show shouldn’t be too difficult, in theory, this project proves that it’s possible (and really shouldn’t be as hard to do as Hollywood seems to make it seem it is). One Piece is a genuinely amazing show that is so entertaining and gets everything right about the original that the studios needed to from the get-go.
‘Invincible’ (2021–Present)
Speaking of animated shows, one of the most popular animated shows of recent years is, without a doubt, Robert Kirkman‘s Invincible. The Invincible (2003) book is easily one of the most influential and important non-Marvel Comics or DC Comics series of all time. Robert Kirkman is the mastermind of comics, bringing to life not just this but also The Walking Dead and Marvel Zombies.
This in mind, with how involved Kirkman is with the show, Invincible is not just one of the coolest action shows out there, but one of the better comic book adaptations on television, too. Paired with great voice acting—Steven Yeun, J. K. Simmons, and Sandra Oh being the stand-outs—and absolutely thrilling action, Invincible is one of the greats.
‘Ben 10’ (2005–2008)
While some may not believe it (because of how pushed to the side the series has been in America for quite some time), Ben 10 is actually one of the most popular franchises, specifically overseas—genuinely on the level of Marvel and DC Comics. This is because Ben 10 is not only the perfect fantasy for a young person to be any kind of hero they want, but because it’s just that well-made.
Ben 10 is everything that a good kids’ action series needs to be. It’s not just for younger audiences, but can easily be enjoyed by older audiences, too. It manages to still handle more serious topics and themes, while having a main character that is goofy, irresponsible (some of the time), and fun-loving. All-in-all, it’s really hard not to like Ben 10.
‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)
Before the year of 2021, literally nobody would have expected one of the best modern television shows to be based on the infamous video game, League of Legends. However, they’d be proven wrong with the release of Arcane. Bringing an incredibly unique style to the silver screen, Arcane doesn’t just have phenomenal action—who could forget the fight in Season 1, featuring Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) facing off against an army of Turbo Chemtanks?—but even better writing to match it.
Pretty much everyone wished this series lasted more than the two seasons it did, but that short longevity is proof of the masterful writing at play. It does not overstay its welcome. It has a clear beginning, middle, and end, and does not try to push itself further than it needs to just to milk for more seasons, a problem so many television shows have.
‘Reacher’ (2022–Present)
Remember the Jack Ryan movie series with Tom Cruise? Yeah, not many people do, and that’s for a reason. However, the famous book franchise finally got a wildly good adaptation with the one and only Prime Video series, Reacher, starring Alan Ritchson. This show isn’t just for action lovers, but for those who enjoy a good mystery/thriller, as well.
What’s better than badass action but badass action that features one of the buffest men in Hollywood destroying—and I mean destroying—any person or obstacle that dares stand in his way? Reacher has become extremely popular in the last few years, and that’s for countless reasons, but the action is, without a doubt, one of the strongest.
‘Andor’ (2022–2025)
If one were to ask pretty much anyone who has seen Andor, they’d most likely say that the 2022 show is one of the most well-written Star Wars pieces of media of all time. The overall story is smart, impactful, meaningful, compelling, and tells a tale that has incredible relevance today. Andor stands out for all the right reasons.
For a lot of the series, Andor is a slower, more dramatic story. It’s very much a space political thriller at heart. However, the action genre comes to life throughout the series thanks to the action sequences within it that contrast the slower parts of the story, making them all the more impactful than they’d have been in a faster-paced romp. Andor is a must-watch for any fan not only of Star Wars, but action, too.
‘My Hero Academia’ (2016–2025)
In the last two decades, anime has become a lot “cooler” here in the West than it ever was before. One of the shows that has directly helped make this possible is none other than the likes of My Hero Academia, created by mangaka Kohei Horikoshi. Following the young Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita and Justin Briner), a quirkless boy who is given the power of the world’s greatest superhero, All Might (Kenta Miyaki and Christopher Sabat), the story in My Hero Academia is iconic.
Like most shōnen anime, though, what stands out the most about this hit series is the action that takes place within it and helps drive the plot forward. Despite some people having slight issues with the animation in Season 5, My Hero Academia is relatively one of the better animated shows of the modern shōnen anime era, especially when it comes to the most recent final season. Safe to say, the action in My Hero Academia is spectacular, thrilling, and makes it an enjoyable watch the whole way through.
‘Attack on Titan’ (2013–2023)
While My Hero Academia is explosively popular, there are few modern anime that have had the profound impact that the high-stakes, action-packed, amazingly-animated series, Attack on Titan has. People absolutely fell in love with this show almost immediately, thanks to the way it completely subverts the expectations of the viewer just a few episodes in—audiences, thanks to the first few episodes, thought that it was just going to be the Scouts against the Titans, until Eren Yeager (Yuki Kaji and Bryce Papenbrook) becomes one, that is.
Attack on Titan has super fast-paced action via the Scouts and their iconic ODM (Omni-Directional Mobility) gear. Meanwhile, they also get the titanic action of Titan-on-Titan fighting. There’s a variety in the kind of action that is seen, and that keeps things incredibly exciting. Outside of that, though, Attack on Titan is one of the most masterfully-written animated series of all time. It’s phenomenal, and well-worth the watch.
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)
Avatar: The Last Airbender isn’t just among the best action shows, but it’s genuinely considered one of the greatest television shows ever made. It’s written with a grace, taste, and skill unlike any other airing at the time. Next to that, though, it’s also got some excellent action that is animated with such skill and precision that it’s another huge part of why the show is so successful.
What makes the action in Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s action so special is the fact that, despite being an animated series in a completely fantastical world, it bases its fights and bending in general on real world martial arts styles. Using real martial arts techniques and forms to bring the action to life helps ground the series in a way that is unlike any other animated series of its kind.
‘Daredevil’ (2015–2018)
Very rarely does a show get the high praise of being considered “art,” but when Daredevil is in the discussion, said praise is always thrown around. It’s not only one of the best superhero shows of all time, but Daredevil is one of the best streaming shows out there. It’s not just a Marvel superhero series. This is truly a story that is abundantly raw, genuine, and, of course, filled with brutal, gritty action.
Daredevil knows exactly what it is, and delivers on it with every single entry throughout all three seasons. Even at its lowest—Season 2, to most—the show manages to be amazing and tell stories that really feel like the cast and crew put their entire hearts and souls into the production. They made sure that this series turned out as close to perfect as they could. Spoiler alert: they did.
Daredevil
- Release Date
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2015 – 2018-00-00
- Showrunner
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Steven S. DeKnight
- Directors
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Phil Abraham, Stephen Surjik, Peter Hoar
- Writers
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Drew Goddard
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