12 Shows Like The Last of Us on Netflix Right Now

‘The Last of Us’ is a post-apocalyptic drama series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, based on the eponymous video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog. After a deadly pandemic driven by a mutated Cordyceps fungus infects much of the population, society collapses, and the fungus’s victims become zombie-like creatures. A couple of decades later, survivors live in a ruined US where quarantine zones offer protection while also being controlled by an oppressive government. Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor in Boston, is entrusted with the strange task of helping Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, safely reach a resistance group called Fireflies outside the city. Ellie is immune to the infection and may hold the key to finding a cure.

What begins as a simple smuggling job becomes a dangerous journey across the country, forcing Joel and Ellie to rely on each other to survive as they battle both monsters and humans. While Joel is burdened by an extremely tragic past event, Ellie has her own issues to deal with. What follows is a complex relationship between the two that challenges both their beliefs. If the saga impressed you, these shows on Netflix, similar to ‘The Last of Us,’ tell stories of transformation, danger, and courage that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

12. The Society (2019)

‘The Society’ is a mystery drama series about Allie Pressman (Kathryn Newton) and a group of teenagers who return from a school trip to find their town completely empty. Every adult in West Ham has disappeared, and the teenagers are left alone with no way to contact the outside world. Forced to manage the town themselves, they must find food, maintain order, and decide who should lead them. What first appears to be a chance to live without adults soon becomes difficult as resource shortages, disagreements, and changing alliances create divisions among them.

While Allie and the others try to keep their new community together, they also investigate the reason behind their strange situation and look for a way to restore some sense of normalcy. The Christopher Keyser creation, akin to ‘The Last of Us,’ is a commentary on how a world-altering event affects human behavior and forces survivors to deal with complicated questions about the future. Watch it here.

11. Into the Night (2020-2021)

Creator Jason George’s ‘Into the Night’ begins when Terenzio (Stefano Cassetti), an Italian NATO soldier, hijacks a flight from Brussels and forces the plane to take off early. Soon, the passengers discover that sunlight has become deadly, killing any living thing exposed to it. Led by pilot Mathieu (Laurent Capelluto) and Sylvie (Pauline Etienne), a former military helicopter pilot, the group heads west to stay ahead of the Sun. With people from different backgrounds trapped together, survival becomes increasingly difficult as they face limited supplies, and their journey eventually leads them toward an underground military bunker.

The escalating crisis forces the passengers to work together while dealing with both the deadly catastrophe and inner conflicts. While ‘The Last of Us’ primarily centers on two main characters navigating a ravaged US, ‘Into the Night’ is an adventure involving several characters trapped together and forced to face a potentially terrifying fate. Inspired by Jacek Dukaj’s novel ‘The Old Axolotl,’ the Belgian apocalyptic sci-fi thriller series is streaming on Netflix.

10. Resident Evil (2022)

‘Resident Evil’ is an action horror series from the creative mind of Andrew Dabb, loosely based on Capcom’s eponymous video game franchise. The story moves between 2022 and 2036, following the Wesker family before and after a global disaster caused by the T-virus. In 2022, twins Jade Wesker (Tamara Smart) and Billie Wesker (Siena Agudong) move with their father, Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick), to New Raccoon City, where they uncover disturbing secrets connected to Umbrella Corporation and their own origins. While the virus spreads, civilization collapses.

Fourteen years later, adult Jade (Ella Balinska) lives in a world where infected humans known as Zeroes have overrun much of the planet. Fighting to survive, she remains haunted by what happened to her sister and pursued by Umbrella, which is determined to find her. Much like Ellie in ‘The Last of Us,’ Jade is a girl fighting against her own insecurities and the larger world surrounding her. Secrets and deceptive choices play an important role in both stories. You may enjoy the show here.

9. The Last Ship (2014-2018)

‘The Last Ship’ centers on Captain Tom Chandler (Eric Dane) and the crew of the USS Nathan James, a US Navy destroyer sent to the Arctic on a mission with scientist Dr. Rachel Scott (Rhona Mitra). Their situation changes when they discover that a deadly virus has spread across the world, killing more than 80 percent of the population. Having avoided the outbreak while at sea, the crew becomes part of humanity’s last hope for survival. Rachel believes a cure can be developed aboard the ship, so Chandler and his crew protect her while she works on a vaccine.

Their mission becomes even more dangerous when hostile groups try to seize control of the potential cure. The action drama series from the creative minds of Steven Kane and Hank Steinberg is partly based on William Brinkley’s novel of the same title. ‘The Last Ship’ and ‘The Last of Us’ focus on the experiences of people who must endure a period of death and destruction during an apocalyptic event, while also being courageous enough to survive, find a cure, and face an uncertain future. The show is accessible on Netflix.

8. The Eternaut (2025-)

‘The Eternaut’ or ‘El Eternauta’ begins in Buenos Aires when a strange snowfall suddenly kills most of the local population. Juan Salvo (Ricardo Darín) and a group of his friends are among the survivors, but staying alive becomes increasingly difficult as the city descends into chaos. Their situation takes a terrifying turn when they discover that the deadly snowfall is only the first stage of an invasion by extraterrestrial forces. Facing an enemy controlled by an unseen power, Juan and the other survivors realize that they cannot survive alone. Forced to work together, they prepare to fight back against the alien threat at any cost.

The Argentine sci-fi series is driven by the creative ideas of Bruno Stagnaro and is based on the eponymous comic book by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López. Along the lines of ‘The Last of Us,’ it is a saga of human courage and cooperation against seemingly insurmountable forces determined to counter any threats in their path. While the aliens make life difficult for Juan and team, the monsters try to hunt down Joel and Ellie. Enjoy the story here.

7. Kingdom (2019-2020)

In ‘Kingdom,’ Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) becomes suspicious when his father, the King, falls seriously ill and rumors begin spreading about his death during the Joseon era. Lee Chang leaves the palace amid serious accusations of treason and pursues a different path. With his guard Moo-young (Kim Sang-ho) by his side, Lee Chang plans to uncover the truth. Their search leads them to discover a deadly plague that turns people into flesh-eating monsters. As the infection spreads across Joseon, Lee Chang is caught between the growing army of infected and enemies who threaten his claim to the throne.

He must uncover the source of the outbreak while trying to save the kingdom from destruction. While ‘Kingdom’ is a tale of monsters and survival set during an important period in Korean history, ‘The Last of Us’ is a similar tale that unfolds in modern America. The contrasting time periods and overlapping themes uniquely connect the two shows. The Korean action-horror thriller series created by Kim Eun-hee and based on her webtoon ‘The Kingdom of the Gods’ is available to stream on Netflix.

6. The Rain (2018-2020)

In ‘The Rain,’ a deadly virus carried by rain wipes out most of the population across Scandinavia, forcing Danish siblings Simone Andersen (Alba August) and Rasmus Andersen (Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen) to hide in a bunker. Six years later, they leave their shelter after their father, a scientist, fails to return. With almost all signs of civilization gone, the siblings join a group of young survivors and begin traveling through Denmark and Sweden in search of safety and answers. They also hope to find their father, who may know more about the virus and possibly have a way to stop it.

The young survivors face the dangers of their new world while also dealing with personal struggles that continue to shape their lives even after society has collapsed. The transformative experiences of Simone and Rasmus reflect the tribulations of Ellie in ‘The Last of Us.’ In both shows, young characters are forced to survive a brutal world while also dealing with the trials of youth. From the creative team of Jannik Tai Mosholt, Esben Toft Jacobsen, and Christian Potalivo comes this Danish post-apocalyptic series, available to watch here.

5. All of Us Are Dead (2022-)

Creators Chun Sung-il, Lee Jae-kyoo, and Kim Nam-su’s ‘All of Us Are Dead’ is a Korean horror series based on Joo Dong-geun’s webtoon of the same name. When a mysterious virus turns students into flesh-eating zombies, Nam On-jo (Park Ji-hu), Lee Cheong-san (Yoon Chan-young), and their classmates become trapped inside Hyosan High School. With the infected students spreading throughout the building, Cheong-san and friends must find a way out while relying on each other to stay alive.

Their situation becomes even more dangerous when the outbreak reaches the surrounding city, leading authorities and the military to step in. As the students move through classrooms and corridors filled with infected classmates, fear and desperation put their friendships to the test. With no safe place inside the school, they must work together and make difficult choices as they fight to escape. While ‘The Last of Us’ is spread across the vast and transformed US, ‘All of Us Are Dead’ keeps the tension more claustrophobic by focusing on the school. Access the show on Netflix.

4. Fear the Walking Dead (2015-2023)

‘Fear the Walking Dead’ is a spin-off of ‘The Walking Dead’ set in LA at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. The narrative follows Madison Clark (Kim Dickens), a high school counselor raising her two children, Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Nick (Frank Dillane), on her own. She is in a relationship with English teacher Travis Manawa (Cliff Curtis), who has a son named Chris (Lorenzo James Henrie) from a previous marriage. Society begins to break down, and the two families are forced to stay together and learn how to survive the growing threat around them.

With the world they know disappearing, Madison, Travis, and the others must adapt to unfamiliar dangers, develop new survival skills, and also make difficult choices as fate plays its hand. The post-apocalyptic horror drama series, like ‘The Last of Us,’ centers on tightly-bound individuals whose loyalty to each other is constantly threatened by forces beyond their understanding or control. The Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson creation can be found here.

3. Sweet Tooth (2021-2024)

Based on Jeff Lemire’s eponymous comic book series, ‘Sweet Tooth’ picks up ten years after a viral pandemic known as the Sick causes the collapse of society. Most of the human population is gone, and hybrid babies with both human and animal traits begin appearing. Many people fear that the hybrids are connected to the disease and hunt them. Gus (Christian Convery), a deer-human hybrid, grows up in isolation with his father, Pubba, until Pubba dies of the Sick. After finding a photograph of his mother marked with the word “Colorado,” Gus decides to search for her.

When hunters discover him, he is rescued by Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), a lone traveler. Gus convinces Jepperd to accompany him, and the two begin a dangerous journey across a drastically transformed land. ‘Sweet Tooth’ and ‘The Last of Us’ are essentially stories about two characters who learn more about each other as they travel through dangerous territories in a ravaged US, facing an uncertain future. Stream the Jim Mickle creation here.

2. Black Summer (2019-2021)

In ‘Black Summer,’ as a zombie outbreak throws society into chaos, Rose (Jaime King) is separated from her daughter Anna (Zoe Marlett) during a military evacuation. Refusing to give up on finding her, Rose sets out into a world where normal life has seemingly disappeared. She eventually joins a group of survivors, and together they move through dangerous areas filled with the undead while trying to stay alive. With threats appearing at every turn, the group is forced to make difficult decisions and adapt to the harsh conditions around them.

While the survivors struggle to protect themselves, Rose remains focused on finding Anna, whatever it takes. The horror drama series from the creative minds of Karl Schaefer and John Hyams serves as a prequel to ‘Z Nation.’ Rose’s deep affection for her daughter keeps her motivated to risk her life, whereas Joel’s growing love for Ellie as a daughter-like figure forces him to sacrifice his own safety to ensure hers. It can be viewed on Netflix.

1. The Walking Dead (2010-2022)

‘The Walking Dead’ is a post-apocalyptic horror drama series created by Frank Darabont and based on the comic book series of the same title by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The story begins when police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) wakes from a coma and finds the world he knew destroyed by a zombie outbreak. After searching for his family, Rick joins a group of survivors and gradually becomes their leader. Together, they move through the ruined landscape looking for food, shelter, and somewhere safe to settle. Their journey is constantly threatened by walkers, who are drawn to human scent and sound, but the survivors also face other people willing to cross any moral limits to stay alive.

As the group struggles to build a new life, they discover that human nature, conflict, and helplessness can be just as dangerous as the undead surrounding them. A transformed world, compromised morality, human survival skills, complex relationships, sacrifices, and the cost of staying alive are themes that both ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘The Last of Us’ explore in intricate ways. The show is available to stream here.

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