The thrilling and successful HB series The Last of Us has returned for season 2. Audiences have been captivated by the live-action adaptation of the video game of the same name, preparing themselves for what promises to be another violent, heartbreaking, and addictive season.
For those who can't get enough of Joel and Ellie or are simply too excited to wait for a new episode to drop each week, we've made a list of TV shows to help pass the time. These shows are similar to The Last of Us in a multitude of ways, from the story to the characters to the overall setting.
1. The Walking Dead
We couldn't begin our list without mentioning the show that changed the zombie genre forever: The Walking Dead. For 11 seasons, audiences followed how one man's journey to find his family in the midst of the unexpected zombie apocalypse led to him lead a group of survivors. They lived in several communities, lost friends, fought enemies, and tried to keep hope going.
Easily one of the most influential television shows of all time, zombies (or walkers, as they're called on the show) were the main obstacle for our characters. If you got bit or died, you became one; everyone was the walking dead, after all. While the flagship show has concluded, several spinoffs continue to follow the story of some of the characters as they settle old scores, reunite against all odds, and learn how far and wide the apocalypse has spread. In fact, the second season of The Walking Dead: Dead City premieres on AMC on May 4.
The show either catapulted several acting careers or revived them. It starred the likes of Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Steven Yeun, Ross Marquand, and Cailey Fleming.
2. Station Eleven (2021)
Station Eleven was a miniseries based on the book of the same name that will pull at the heartstrings over and over and over again. Starring Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler, and David Wilmot, the end of the world comes in the form of of a deadly flu.
Station Eleven was released on Max, the streaming service for HBO; perhaps it was a test to see how well a post-apocalyptic show would do before The Last of Us aired. The story unfolds 20 years after the flu pandemic, where we follow a group of traveling performers. Like most post-apocalyptic shows, the most groundbreaking and memorable scenes are the ones that depict how everything collapsed.
From panic buying, sheltering in place, to planes falling from the sky, Station Eleven and The Last of Us channel a lot of energy and story of something so devastating and unthinkable. Writing, theater, and the arts play a heavy part in the overall story that we recommend binge-watching.
3. The Leftovers (HBO, 2014-17)
Possibly the most unique of all the TV shows on this list, The Leftovers is a three-season show that feels a little more fantastical and a little less sci-fi than a lot of zombie dramas. Essentially: what happens to the people who are left behind when an event called the "Sudden Departure" occurs, where over 100 million people suddenly vanish?
If something like this occurred tomorrow, so many questions would run through your mind. "Why was I left behind?" "Why was my friend taken?" "Will I ever see my loved ones again?" "What happens now?" Each season followed different characters and was set in new locations. Characters undergo spiritual journeys in their quest to find normalcy.
The cast is star-studded and includes the likes of Christopher Eccleston, Justin Theroux, Liv Tyler, Regina King, and Amy Brenneman. Like The Last of Us, the show explores questions of survivor's guilt. These themes are often present in post-apocalyptic shows and lead to some of the more raw and emotional moments that stay with you well beyond the end credits.
4. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC, 2023-now)
Of all The Walking Dead spinoffs, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is the most similar to The Last of Us in this key way: the hero (or antihero) gets tasked with protecting and transporting a child/teen unwillingly until an inevitable bond is created.
In Daryl Dixon, our fan favorite title character finds himself in France, far away from the rest of his friends and family. After getting rescued by a group of nuns, he is asked to take a young boy, Laurent, to a place called the Nest, as Laurent is destined for greatness that could lead to the survival of humanity.
Much like Joel, Daryl is tough, quiet, and a lone wolf type. But once you get to know him and trust is formed, Daryl will be loyal to the bitter end. His relationship with Laurent builds naturally as Daryl, like Joel, cannot deny their soft spot and natural talent for connecting with kids.
Daryl Dixon has been renewed for season 3, leaving our hero and friend Carol behind in France, allowing Laurent to finally escape.
5. Z Nation (Syfy, 2014-2018)
Z Nation was Syfy's addition to the growing zombie genre craze, growing a fanbase of their very own. For 5 seasons, which to be fair is a decent amount of time for a television shows considering how many are canceled left and right nowadays, audiences followed the story of Murphy and other survivors of the zombie apocalypse.
Murphy, like Ellie from The Last of Us, appears to be immune to a zombie bite, although his situation is a little different. He was given a government-approved injection that works well at first until he slowly begins to transform into something of a dangerous human zombie-combination.
Audiences will recognize several familiar faces from the show, including Harold Perrineau, Kellita Smith, DJ Qualls, and Michael Welch. Perhaps one of the biggest differences from the rest of the shows on this list was Z Nation's use of comedy. It might not be the same humor as Ellie's bad puns, but it's still fairly unique as far as zombie shows go.
6. Black Summer (2019-21)
Given the title, you might not have guessed Black Summer is spinoff of Z Nation. Unlike Z Nation, Black Summer only lasted two seasons, but they were compelling to say the least.
Starring Jaime King, Zoe Marlett, and Justin Chu Cary, the story follows a mother's journey to find her daughter, and it's just as bleak as it sounds. There is no laughter to be found here, but it will resonate with fans of The Last of Us due to its gritty and sometimes depressing nature.
If you can handle a show that hits harder than most, give Black Summer a try.
7. The Stand (Paramount+, 2020)
Last but not least is the most controversial show on our list, the recent live-action adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand. Based on the book of the same name, this show was poorly received despite its impressive cast, which included James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgård, Katherine McNamara, and Greg Kinnear.
The Paramount miniseries tells the story of a lethal strain of influenza infecting and killing a large portion of the population. In the chaos that follows, a dark force rises and humanity it pit against itself. Stephen King tropes abound in this post-apocalyptic story, which makes a lot of changes from the original source material. If you are a fan of Stephen King and can see past the changes and follow along, we suggest giving the 2020 version of The Stand a try. And if you love that, there's also a 1994 TV miniseries version.
Watch new episodes of The Last of Us season 2 on HBO and Max every Sunday.
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