Legend has it: The 20 greatest mythology-based TV shows

Years before he would become one of Hollywood’s most bankable heartthrobs, Ryan Gosling appeared in the series  Young Hercules. It has a lighter tone than The Legendary Journeys, and it gives some much-needed background to the title character’s youth. In addition to meeting characters such as the centaur, Cheiron, there are also familiar faces such as Kevin Tod Smith, who portrays Hercules’ nemesis and half-brother, Ares, determined to destroy this threat to his own divine supremacy. It is, overall, a fun little show and a good showcase for Gosling’s charisma.

Years before Gal Gadot would become the iconic Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter would don the suit of the powerful Amazon from Paradise Island. The show might look a bit dated from the point of view of 2025, but Carter is still undeniably charismatic as the title character. Moreover, it’s also a fascinating look at how the feminist revolution in American culture managed to transform what was possible within the realm of TV, and the series remains an important touchstone in Wonder Woman’s development as a character.

One might guess from the title of Krapopolis that this series often aims for low-hanging comedy fruit, and that guess would be correct. The series primarily focuses on various gods, humans, and monsters in the ancient world. Its earthy sense of humor, as well as the often reprehensible behavior of many of the characters, does manage to capture some of the complexity of the Greek myths, in which the gods are more than capable of behaving capriciously and cruelly as their human counterparts.

The aptly-named series Hercules is a spin-off of the popular feature film of the same name. In this case, the action focuses primarily on the title character’s training to be a hero under the tutelage of the satyr Philoctetes. He’s joined by several other notable characters from Greek mythology, including both Icarus and Cassandra (the former famous for his misadventure with his wings and the latter for her prophecies that no one believes). It might not achieve the greatness of its film counterpart, but it’s still a fun animated adventure.

As its title implies, the Disney+ series Loki  focuses on the character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe who becomes a part of the Time Variance Authority after he accidentally creates a new timeline. Tom Hiddleston delivers another remarkably nuanced performance as the title character, drawn from the same figure in Norse mythology. The series is one of the better offerings from the MCU’s television arm. Though it wanders a bit in the second season, it nevertheless provides Loki with a remarkably moving redemption narrative arc.

Merlin is one of the most famous figures in Arthurian mythology and has appeared in numerous screen media. One of the most popular and enduring is the British series Merlin, which starred Colin Morgan as the title character. The series provides some much-needed background to this fascinating character, and it devotes particular attention to developing the relationship between Arthur and Merlin, whose tense relationship soon blooms into something much more companionable, and a true bond of friendship emerges between the two boys.

The short-lived American Born Chinese was one of the better series from Disney+. Though this show, like so many others, was ultimately canceled after only one season, it’s still worth watching because it addresses the immigrant experience and features many figures and god figures from Chinese mythology. It is quite adept at adapting the graphic novel on which it’s based, maintaining the essential spirit and ethos of its source material while also playing to the strengths enabled by television.

Oscar Isaac has had a very good decade in Hollywood, and in the series Moon Knight he makes his official entry into the sprawling MCU. He plays Marc Spector/Steven Grant, a man who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. As the series goes on, he finds himself drawn further and further into a sinister plot involving the gods of ancient Egypt. Given that the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt are rather underrepresented in popular culture, this series makes for a welcome change.

The TV adaptation of Rick Riordan’s beloved series about Percy Jackson — the illegitimate son of the sea god Poseidon — is much more faithful to the books than the big screen adaptation of the 2010s. Walker Scobell is perfectly cast as Percy, and the series manages to be faithful to the books while also forging its own identity. Moreover, it is a very inclusive series, which helps it to stand out from the crowd. It certainly does justice to Riordan’s work, and it brings the gods of antiquity firmly into the present.

Atlantis has long exerted a strong pull on the imagination, and it’s been brought to the screen on several occasions. The British series Atlantis, for example, focuses on a young man, Jason, who ends up stumbling upon the lost kingdom, and he soon finds himself pulled into various political conflicts, particularly that between King Minos and his wife, Queen Pasiphae. It has a nicely-balanced blend of politics and mythology, making it a compelling and fun watch and demonstrating just how flexible mythology can be as a storytelling backdrop.

The Disney series Aladdin is a spinoff of the popular film of the same name, as well as its sequel The Return of Jafar. Featuring the same characters as the films, it follows Aladdin, Jasmine, and the others encounter various magical and mythological beings, many of whom attempt to harm or destroy Agrabah, Aladdin himself, or both. While it may never quite attain the majesty and animated sophistication of the original feature film, it is still a very enjoyable show that helps to expand the mythology surrounding the title character.

Kevin Sorbo puts his hunky physique and face to good use in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, in which he plays the titular hero. The series takes several liberties with conventional stories of Greek myth, but there’s no question that Sorbo was the perfect person to play the son of Zeus, and Michael Hurst was likewise perfectly cast as his companion, Iolaus. It proved to be a remarkably enduring series, eventually running for six seasons, and it featured several notable guest actors, including Anthony Quinn as Zeus. 

Lucy Lawless earned herself a place in the history of Greek myth due to her performance as Xena in the series that bears her name. Throughout the series’ run Xena works to gain forgiveness for her earlier life of cruelty, and she is joined in these efforts by her companion, Gabrielle. The bond between the two women is a key part of the show’s enduring appeal, particularly for LGBTQ+ viewers. Thus, the show is a refreshing change from most myth retellings, since it puts women and their lives at the story's center.  

The Trojan War is arguably the most famous conflict in history, and it has been depicted many times. One of the more remarkable recent explorations of the conflict was Troy: Fall of a City. Over the course of its eight episodes, it shows the various events that led to the fatal conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans, a long war that leaves tragedy, heartbreak, and death in its wake. The series is epic storytelling, and it gives the viewer a renewed appreciation for the human stakes of this mythological war.

American Gods might be more famous for its troubled production — it went through several showrunners — than for its storytelling, but it still has a fascinating premise and taut execution. Many of the central plots of the story revolve around the ever-growing conflict between the Old Gods and the New, the latter of whom are slowly supplanting the former. The series was unfortunately canceled after three seasons and thus denied a truly fitting sendoff, but it still makes for a compelling watch for the way that it brings so many mythological strands together.

The works of Neil Gaiman have been adapted many times, and the Netflix series The Sandman is one of the better examples of this phenomenon. As with the comic book on which it’s based, the series focuses primarily on Morpheus, a being of tremendous power. During the course of the show, however, he encounters various other beings from mythology, including Calliope, Desire, and the Fates. The series is as visually and narratively innovative as Neil Gaiman’s work and a demonstration of the many different forms that myth can take. 

The anime Blood of Zeus takes some significant liberties with the myths of ancient Greece, but it’s an undeniably beautiful series with lots of bloodshed, violence, and tragedy. The heart of the story is Heron, who is a bastarđ son of Zeus and who has to try to protect Earth (and Olympus) from those who would destroy them. The series has gone from strength to strength, thanks to stirring voice performances, stunning animation, and brave storytelling choices. As a result, ancient myth lives again, showing the eternal relevance of these stories.

Even though the Netflix series The Witcher primarily draws on the novels and short stories of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, those works drew amply on Eastern European mythology and folklore. As a result, the adaptation features the appearance of a number of fantastical creatures. Though these are frequently depicted as monsters — hence the hiring of Witcher Geralt to hunt and kill them — many episodes reveal that there is far more to the monstrous than many people are willing to believe. In the world of the series, right and wrong are often complex and depend on who tells the story.

In addition to its clever pun of a title, Class of the Titans puts a unique modern spin on the various myths of the ancient gods. In this case, the action takes place in the present, in which a group of teens, who are the descendants of heroes of old, have to train in order to defeat the Titan Cronus. Because it doesn’t take place in the past, it can be a bit more playful than other similar shows, and it’s a fun watch for both adults and teens alike.

The short-lived series Kaos  was one of the most inventive takes on Greek mythology in recent years. Though set in a quasi-present day, the world presented here is still ruled over by the capricious and sometimes cruel gods, including Jeff Goldblum’s Zeus. The series raises all sorts of fascinating questions surrounding the potency of human agency in the face of divine wrath, and it featured some truly remarkable performances. Though it was canceled after just one season, it’s still well worth a watch for its unique take on these ancient stories.