15 Best Superhero TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked

Just like the genre’s cinematic prevalence for the last 20 years, superhero stories have wowed fans on television. With the genre exploding in recent years, there is no shortage of superhero shows during the streaming era. Whether part of a larger shared universe or postmodern series deconstructing the genre, there is a multitude of tales following heroes and villains duking it. Though often based on various comic book properties, there has been a growing number of original superhero stories offering fresh takes on familiar tropes.

From family-friendly animated shows to more mature series that literally don’t pull their punches, modern superhero shows cover a wide spectrum. With so many fan-favorites to choose from, we’ve narrowed down our top picks in the genre. Here are the 15 best superhero TV shows of all time ranked, standing at the top of an increasingly crowded genre.

My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way teamed up with comic book artist Gabriel Bá to create the postmodern superhero series “The Umbrella Academy.” Adapted for television by Netflix in 2019, the show follows a group of misfit heroes adopted and raised by the eccentric Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore). Reuniting as adults after Hargreeves’ death, the super-powered ensemble work together again to avert a prophesied apocalypse. Subsequent seasons explore the fallout of these actions, including the formation of unstable alternate timelines.

Like its comic book source material, “The Umbrella Academy” is just so wonderfully weird in its subversion of superhero tropes. These include impromptu dance parties, time-traveling secret agents, and, of course, one of the hippest soundtracks to any superhero series. The show would’ve ranked even higher on this list if it wasn’t for the dubious distinction of having one of the worst final seasons in 2024. Weak conclusion aside, “The Umbrella Academy” is still an enjoyably quirky distillation of Way and Bá’s comic book tale.

Premiering in 2012, “Arrow” offered a dark and gritty take on the superhero Green Arrow, with Stephen Amell playing the Emerald Archer. After (supposedly) being stranded on a remote island for five years, rich playboy Oliver Queen (Amell) returns to his hometown of Starling City a changed man. Now an expert in combat skills, especially archery, Queen puts his new abilities to use by punishing the villains secretly controlling the city. As he builds a small team of allies, he confronts some of the greatest supervillains the world has ever known.

Launching the Arrowverse, a shared universe of other superhero shows mainly broadcast on The CW, “Arrow” maintained the most consistent quality of them all. Whereas other shows, even “The Flash,” saw significant rocky periods, “Arrow” largely maintained a solid storytelling standard. This came as the series evolved from a relatively grounded story to one that saw Oliver Queen battling for the fate of the entire multiverse. A more intense take on the popular hero’s mythos, hopefully Stephen Amell will suit up as Green Arrow again.

One of Cartoon Network’s biggest hits going into the 21st century was “The Powerpuff Girls,” a superhero property created by Craig McCracken. The show has genius scientist Professor Utonium (Tom Kane) accidentally create three super-powered sisters, deciding to adopt them as his daughters. The Powerpuff Girls, Blossom (Cathy Cavadini), Bubbles (Tara Strong), and Buttercup (E.G. Daily), use their powers to defend their hometown of Townsville. In between battling supervillains, the girls go through all the complexities of growing up, including going to kindergarten.

Part of the charm of “The Powerpuff Girls” is that the original series always keeps the young age of its main characters in sight. So much of the humor and episodic plot points are drawn from the girls still dependent on comfort items, maintaining childhood fears, or learning how to handle social situations. There’s a reason why the planned live-action, more mature, reboot didn’t work and it’s because the show is fundamentally about kindergarteners saving the world. Colorful, action-packed, and funny as ever, “The Powerpuff Girls” truly is a superhero cartoon that appeals to all ages.

“The Boys” stands as one of the most popular Prime Video original shows, adapting the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The hit show spawned its own spin-off series, “Gen V” taking place between the events of the main narrative. The spin-off takes place in the Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, a private academy for one superheroes to hone their powers and abilities. The students are shocked to discover the true nature behind their school and the country falling under the sinister reign of the powerful Homelander (Antony Starr).

Just as “The Boys” takes the mickey out of adult superhero tropes, “Gen V” skewers the concept of young heroes-in-training. Even in primarily dealing with younger characters, the show doesn’t hold back, which is particularly visible in its fatal season finales. That said, like “The Boys,” the spin-off is wickedly funny too, with its energetic cast bringing fresh voices to the franchise’s sense of humor. A solid expansion of Prime Video’s violent superhero success, “Gen V” maintains the franchise’s qualities while bringing its own voice to the table.

One of the biggest loose ends deliberately left open by “Avengers: Endgame” was the whereabouts of an alternate timeline’s Loki (Tom Hiddleston). After escaping the team’s custody, the trickster god’s fate was revealed in the Disney+ original series “Loki,” as the Marvel Cinematic Universe embraced the streaming era. Apprehended by the Time Variance Authority, Loki is tasked with repairing the timeline, pursuing a rogue variant of himself named Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino). Through this reality-bending hunt, Loki explores the expansive multiverse, learns the true nature of the TVA, and confronts the villainous Kang (Jonathan Majors).

After appearing as the character in half a dozen movies, Hiddleston’s deepest and most nuanced approach to Loki is in the series, with the actor performing his heart out. The show’s stylishly retro aesthetic and an entertaining turn from co-star Owen Wilson elevate the proceedings, distinguishing it from much of the MCU. But the real highlight is the dynamic between Loki and Sylvie, with Hiddleston and Di Martino giving this time-warping saga its emotional core. With Tom Hiddleston confirmed to play Loki in “Avengers: Doomsday,” hopefully the Disney+ show will get more seasons to play with the beloved antihero.

A number of Marvel Comics properties were adapted into animation in the ’90s but none with quite the same staying power as “X-Men: The Animated Series.” The show depicts the iconic mutant superheroes defending the world despite humanity’s continued prejudice toward their species. Based out of a private school in New York, the X-Men battle humans’ attempts to exterminate them while checking rogue mutants from upsetting the fragile peace. The Disney+ revival series “X-Men ’97” provided a confident and kinetic continuation of the original series’ story, with many of the classic voice cast reprising their roles.

Premiering during the X-Men’s complete comic book dominance and featuring the best theme song of the era, “X-Men: The Animated Series” is still the definitive depiction of Marvel’s Merry Mutants. The show perfectly captures the appeal of the characters during their ’90s heyday, adapting several major comic book storylines in the process. Though all-age friendly, the show doesn’t play down to its audiences, while “X-Men ’97” subtly ups the maturity of the storytelling. A colorful adaptation that delves into the rich lore of the X-Men’s creative zenith, “X-Men: The Animated Series” holds up decades later.

The most sprawling Superman saga on television was the 2001 series “Smallville,” which ran for an incredible 10 seasons. This iteration of the Man of Steel mythos centered on his teenage and young adult years, as his powers developed and he embraced his superhero destiny. Tom Welling played Clark Kent, with early seasons including his romance with classmate Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and tense friendship with Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum). After college, Clark and his friends move from their small Kansas town to Metropolis where they begin their careers and adulthood in earnest.

For roughly the first half of its run, “Smallville” plays like a teen drama starring Superman rather than leaning heavily and constantly into superhero spectacle. The latter half brings in more and more heroes and supervillains, helping inform Clark’s coming-of-age journey to become the Man of Tomorrow. As with any long-running series, the quality varies season-to-season but does stay reliably consistent in telling a solid Superman story. Whenever “Smallville” takes flight, and it did so often, it was a genuinely thrilling take on the world’s most iconic superhero, while giving him a humanist core.

“The Boys” isn’t the only violent superhero franchise on Prime Video, with “Invincible” bringing the visceral thrills to animation. Based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, the show focuses on teenager Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun). Due to his mixed extraterrestrial heritage, Mark develops superpowers like his father Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), though he eventually discovers a murderous truth about his dad. Later seasons have Mark lead his fellow heroes to deal with new threats while reconciling with the traumatic fallout from the first season.

“Invincible” has all the joy of young adult superhero stories like Spider-Man, but with a constant sense of consequence. The action has a buoyant quality delivered by the animation, often accompanied by up-tempo pop music, but also punctuated with bone-crunching violence. What the story does well is pare down its super-powered cast considerably right away, narrowing its focus to Mark, before gradually building its ensemble up again. This gives “Invincible” an earned growth in its scope as it continues to bring the costumed mayhem across its multi-season run.

After revamping Marvel’s neighborhood superhero in “The Spectacular Spider-Man,” prolific animator Greg Weisman took DC Comics’ teen heroes to greater heights with “Young Justice.” The show follows a team of heroes, many of whom being sidekicks to older figures, operating around the DC Universe. Initially working under the supervision of the Justice League, the ensemble’s de facto leader is Robin (Jesse McCartney), with the group joined by Superboy (Nolan North), Superman’s clone. As the team grows, they become more autonomous while facing graver threats that pose cataclysmic danger to the entire DCU.

Like “Smallville” and “Invincible,” “Young Justice” is a super-powered coming-of-age story, albeit with a wider cast of characters growing into themselves. As the group matures, the challenges increase, the characters have to deal with their consequences, including death, matching the show’s evolving tone. Initially ending after two seasons, the series was revived for additional seasons for streaming, ending up on HBO Max and continuing the story. A tightly crafted tale of friendship and youthful optimism colliding with harrowing reality, “Young Justice” is the best show starring DC’s more youthful heroes.

One of the boldest things about HBO’s “Watchmen” limited series is that it’s not an adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal 1986 comic book. Instead, series creator Damon Lindelof crafted a sequel, with an original story set in the world of the comic taking place 34 years after its events. The show has a supremacist group inspired by the vigilante Rorschach attack the Tulsa police force, with Angela Abar (Regina King) among the few survivors who stayed with the force. As the police retaliate, Abar becomes embroiled in an investigation involving two different factions vying to kidnap the omnipotent Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

With its salient social commentary, “Watchmen” feels like an even eerier watch now, years after its debut. Lindelof pulls off the tricky feat of creating something that feels true to Moore and Gibbons’ comic, celebrating it, while making its themes feel especially vital decades later. The new characters coming to table, especially King’s Abar, feel just as morally complex and haunted as those from the source material. Lindelof chose to keep “Watchmen” to a single season and we’re thankful because this is a story that comes to a wholly satisfying conclusion.

Marvel’s most tortured superhero is Daredevil, constantly plunged into a world of gritty violence and moral ambiguity that actively taxes his soul. “Daredevil” led a wave of Marvel shows on Netflix, with attorney Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) defending Hell’s Kitchen from criminals under his alter ego at night. This places him on a collision course with Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), New York’s Kingpin of organized crime who isn’t afraid to get his own hands dirty. Matt gets a whole set of allies to help him, both with his legal career and as a superhero, though his heroic activities take a visible toll.

When it comes to grounded and gritty superhero shows, “Daredevil” remains the gold standard for Marvel’s street-level heroes. Cox gives a soulful performance as Matt Murdock, bringing all the physical intensity but pained vulnerability that the character exudes. This is matched by a strong supporting cast and action set pieces that are always tightly choreographed and executed. Finding new life on Disney+ under the relaunched title “Daredevil: Born Again,” “Daredevil” is a moody masterpiece.

After writing and directing 2021’s “The Suicide Squad,” filmmaker James Gunn continued the saga of gun-toting antihero Chris Smith (John Cena) in the HBO Max series “Peacemaker.” Surviving his injuries from the preceding movie, Peacemaker is recruited by A.R.G.U.S. to stop an extraterrestrial invasion that involves butterfly-like creatures possessing human hosts. As Chris deals with his lifelong trauma and guilt, he butts heads with his villainous father Auggie (Robert Patrick), a vengeful Rick Flag (Frank Grillo), and figures from a parallel universe.

“Peacemaker” is where Gunn’s creative vision for the DC Universe permeates unfettered by his more family-friendly movie projects. The raunchy humor and gory action provides the show with its captivating hook, but the story is really one about reconciling with one’s longstanding trauma. Through it all is John Cena delivering the best performance of his career as Peacemaker, playing both a lovable buffoon and heartbreaking victim. A show that outlived a preceding version of the DCU and forged a future for its successor, “Peacemaker” is a superhero dramedy, balancing action, humor, and vulnerability all at once.

The CW has had a flawless track record with its original series starring Superman, the most recent example being 2021’s “Superman & Lois.” The show focuses on Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) relocating to Smallville to raise their twin teenage sons Jordan (Alex Garfin) and Jonathan (Michael Bishop). This is complicated by the boys beginning to develop their superpowers while maintaining their family secret from the public. Along the way, they face several supervillain threats, including the corrupted Superman of an alternate universe and a revenge-obsessed Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz).

“Superman & Lois” is the warmest and most emotionally driven on-screen take on the Man of Steel to date. Boasting a cinematic-level production, the show really focuses on the Kent family and the surrounding community in Smallville, right down to its emotional series finale. The series still brings the super-powered action, of course, with Hoechlin’s Superman pushed to his physical limits on multiple occasions. While it’s a shame the show didn’t get to explore its planned future seasons, “Superman & Lois” is a four-season triumph and a bold take on the superhero mythos.

Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic book series “The Boys” is a gleefully violent and vulgar subversion of the superhero genre, qualities that translate to its 2019 adaptation. The Prime Video series takes place in a world where superheroes not only exist but stand behind major corporate sponsors. The CIA-backed misfit team, the Boys, led by the irascible Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), investigate and combat corrupt heroes. This includes the supremely powerful Homelander (Antony Starr), whose frustrations and pathological need for adulation lead him to overthrow his corporate handlers and go out of control.

“The Boys” is one of those rare adaptations that significantly improves upon the source material, downplaying the comic’s more unsavory bits. That said, the graphic violence and sex remains, but feels more organically earned while its social commentary is sharpened. The ensemble cast also enhances the story, with no discernible weak link in this super-powered saga. Darkly funny, with an engrossing tale of quirky underdogs taking on the superhero equivalent of psychotic jocks, “The Boys” is enormously entertaining.

Premiering in 1992, “Batman: The Animated Series” isn’t just the definitive television take on the Dark Knight, but the best superhero story produced for the medium. The show is set in a neo-noir vision of Gotham City, possessing modern technology but an art design directly evoking the 1940s. Batman (Kevin Conroy) and Robin (Loren Lester) defend Gotham from a whole host of classic supervillains, including the Joker (Mark Hamill). With most of its memorable episodes featuring standalone stories, the series builds out a haunting and timeless take on the Batman mythos.

Critically acclaimed across its entire run, “Batman: The Animated Series” led to a wave of animated movies and spawned a shared television universe that lasted for over a decade. But this iteration of the Caped Crusader works best in his faux period piece aesthetic that gives this series its distinctly artistic atmosphere. The shadowy visuals and art design also evoke the pulp origins of the character and his garishly extensive rogues’ gallery to great effect. Practically perfect in every way, “Batman: The Animated Series” appeals to audiences of all ages and eras in its celebration of the Dark Knight.