Entertainment
10 Best Sci-Fi TV Finales of the Last 10 Years, Ranked
The following article contains spoilers.Over the course of the past decade, modern times’ greatest sci-fi shows have gifted us some of the best series finales that the genre has ever seen. When a sci-fi show comes to an end, no matter how long it ran for, it’s a big event, and fans expect it to come to a fittingly satisfying close. Whether that close is exciting, mind-bending, emotionally devastating, or all of those things—and more—at once, it has to be something that’ll make fans happy with how their favorite series ended.
Thankfully, the best sci-fi series finales of the last 10 years are precisely that: Entirely satisfying while still packing enough surprises to bring a smile to any fan’s face. From cult classics like 12 Monkeys to beloved sci-fi anime gems like My Hero Academia, these shows’ conclusions provided more than just closure: They gave fans a reason not just to look back on their favorite shows fondly, but also a reason to go back and re-watch them over and over again.
10
“Babylon’s Ashes” (Season 6, Episode 6)
‘The Expanse’ (2015–2022)
Widely regarded by most who have seen it as one of the most scientifically accurate sci-fi shows of all time, The Expanse is based on the series of novels by James S. A. Corey. After being canceled following three seasons on Syfy, it was picked back up by Amazon, which produced another three exceptional seasons. With that, this easily became one of the greatest sci-fi shows of the last few years.
It’s also one of the most rewatchable sci-fi shows out there, and that’s in no small measure thanks to how great its finale is. Since the series still had plenty of gas left in the tank, not every plot point comes to an entirely satisfying conclusion, but what is present is phenomenal. Exciting and full of emotional character moments, “Babylon’s Ashes” was an amazing way of bringing one of Prime Video’s best shows to a close.
9
“The Beginning Part 2” (Season 4, Episode 11)
’12 Monkeys’ (2015–2018)
Back in 1995, Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame made one of the best sci-fi movies of the decade, Twelve Monkeys. A Syfy adaptation of a beloved, incredibly mind-bending sci-fi cult classic? The show 12 Monkeys may not have seemed impressive at first, but it ended up turning out to be one of those underrated sci-fi shows that are much better than they look.
The series came to a close with a two-parter that ended with “The Beginning Part 2,” an episode so vast and complex that it’s a surprise that it turned out as well as it did. Many shows leave mysteries unsolved and questions unanswered by the time they come to an end, but not 12 Monkeys. “The Beginning Part 2” ties up all loose ends and leaves no possible stone left unturned, resulting in a finale that feels tailor-made for satisfying fans.
8
“A New Napkin” (Season 3, Episode 13)
‘Daredevil’ (2015–2018)
Before Disney+ started adding mainline chapters to the MCU in the form of TV shows, there was Netflix’s street-level side of the franchise. That all began with Daredevil, which is still not only the best Marvel TV show produced thus far, but perhaps even the best piece of MCU content ever. It’s one of those superhero shows where every episode is a masterpiece, and that’s particularly true about its finale.
“A New Napkin” is what the entirety of Daredevil had been building up to. Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk’s climactic final showdown is emotionally stirring and thematically riveting, and every other plot point around that whole sequence is absolute perfection. Fans of the series couldn’t have asked for a better finale.
7
“Jedha, Kyber, Erso” (Season 2, Episode 12)
‘Andor’ (2022–2025)
A spin-off/prequel series based on a random character from a Star Wars spin-off movie? Not exactly an idea that screams “masterpiece potential.” Leave it to Tony Gilroy, however, to make what would end up being widely regarded as the best piece of Star Wars content since the Original Trilogy. Andor is far more than just a spin-off: It’s a thesis of everything that this franchise has come to mean and represent throughout its history.
It’s one of the 2020s’ best TV show masterpieces, and “Jedha, Kyber, Erso” was the perfect way to bring that masterpiece to an end. Bringing every character and story arc that the show had set up to a satisfying close while also tying into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in a believable way was always going to be a huge task, but Gilroy and company did a magnificent job. Exciting, poignant, and thematically sharp, “Jedha, Kyber, Erso” is one of the best-ever episodes of Star Wars television.
6
“My Hero Academia” (Season 8, Episode 11)
‘My Hero Academia’ (2016–2025)
My Hero Academia is far and away one of the most acclaimed and beloved anime shows of the 2010s and 2020s, based on the equally well-liked manga series by Kōhei Horikoshi. Praised for its eye-popping animation, memorable music, and exceptional voice acting (in both the original Japanese and the English dub), it also happens to be one of the best sci-fi shows of the last decade.
Now that the series has come to an end, there are plenty of other good animated superhero shows out there for fans to check out, but nothing could ever match My Hero Academia and its eponymous series finale. It’s a beautifully emotional episode perfectly designed to keep fans satisfied, and though it’s hard to say goodbye to these characters, there couldn’t have been a more fitting way to do so.
5
“Das Paradies” (Season 3, Episode 8)
‘Dark’ (2017–2020)
Dark was Netflix’s first-ever German-language show, and it’s also easily one of the streaming giant’s best genre series. Though it’s the kind of show that necessitates keeping a notebook by one’s side in order to keep track of everything going on, the mental effort is oh so worth it. This may be one of the heaviest sci-fi shows ever, but it’s also one of the best.
Quite fittingly, the show’s series finale is a mind-bender. “Das Paradies” does not let up with all the plot twists, expectation subversions, and complex mental gymnastics that it demands from its audience. However, it’s also sure to reward that effort with a conclusion that’s immensely satisfying both emotionally and intellectually, which is nothing less than what fans deserved.
4
“Come Along With Me” (Season 10, Episode 13)
‘Adventure Time’ (2010–2018)
Sure, Adventure Time is a fantasy animated show first and foremost, but its clever sci-fi elements are not to be ignored. It’s one of those action shows that are fast-paced from start to finish, and that dynamism carries over to its quirky sense of humor and colorful, vibrant animation. Of course, it also carries over to the series finale, “Come Along With Me.”
It’s an episode as imaginative, as original, and as emotionally investing as any fan that had been following the series for a whopping 10 seasons would have come to expect. Everything is wrapped up neatly, giving every type of fan—both those who grew up watching the show and those who discovered and binge-watched it right before it ended—everything they could have wanted from a finale.
3
“A Regular Epic Final Battle” (Season 8, Episode 27)
‘Regular Show’ (2010–2017)
Yet another legendary animated sci-fi show, Regular Show is one of the funniest and most original animated sitcoms of all time. Witty, colorful, and often off-the-wall amusing, it’s a delightful show that’s up there among the highest-rated shows of all time on IMDb. Not coincidentally, its finale is also one of the highest-rated TV episodes ever on the platform.
“A Regular Epic Final Battle” is the three-part series finale that sees the characters’ final battle against Pops’ evil twin, and it’s an episode every bit as exciting, high-energy, and hilarious as the rest of the show. It can also be surprisingly sad, but isn’t saying goodbye to a show you’ve been following for over seven years always sad? The creative decision to end with a reset of the show’s timeline was as brilliant as it was emotionally satisfying.
2
“Return 0” (Season 5, Episode 13)
‘Person of Interest’ (2011–2016)
Person of Interest remained one of the best genre shows on broadcast television throughout the entirety of its run, but its final season in particular (one of the highest-rated seasons of television on IMDb) was absolutely stellar. That incredible season came to a close with “Return 0,” widely regarded as one of the greatest series finales of all time.
It’s the kind of ending that leaves you speechless, an exquisitely satisfying end to the story with the balance between action and deep emotion that any fan would have come to expect by this point. Character arcs come to explosive climaxes, storylines are brought to surprising yet satisfying conclusions, and fans are craving an immediate rewatch.
1
“Victory and Death” (Season 7, Episode 12)
‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ (2008–2020)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars isn’t just top-tier Star Wars, it’s also one of the greatest anthology series ever created. It was, of course, never without its fair share of flaws. In fact, not even its final season is beyond reproach. But its final story arc? Beyond a shadow of a doubt, “The Siege of Mandalore” is one of the greatest stories ever told from the galaxy far, far away.
Said arc comes to a close in what’s probably the best—and saddest—episode of animated Star Wars ever: “Victory and Death.” It brings the arcs of Ahsoka, Rex (two of the best Star Wars TV show characters ever), and Maul to a perfectly satisfying close; and it also ties into the events of Episode III — Revenge of the Sith in a way that’s as depressing as it is exciting. It is, no doubt, the best sci-fi series finale of the last decade.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Release Date
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2008 – 2020-00-00
- Network
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Cartoon Network, Netflix, Disney+
- Directors
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Brian Kalin O’Connell, Steward Lee, Giancarlo Volpe, Bosco Ng, Danny Keller, Rob Coleman, Justin Ridge, Nathaniel Villanueva, Saul Ruiz, Jesse Yeh, Duwayne Dunham, Atsushi Takeuchi, Robert Dalva, Walter Murch
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Tom Kane
Narrator / Yoda / Medical Droid / Yularen / Kraken (voice)
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Matt Lanter
Anakin Skywalker (voice)
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