If you’re not ready to let go of Eleven and her band of misfits — I mean, friends — from Stranger Things, you’re in good company!
After all, we watched the cast grow up both on the show and in real life, and the story only got better with each season. The finale episode gave fans the closure we didn’t want, but definitely needed—it even left us with an open door for a potential spinoff show with the younger siblings. Hopefully, the citizens of Hawkins won’t have to deal with any more shared apocalyptic trauma on their own turf if there is to be a spinoff.
It can be difficult to find a replacement when you’ve just finished a really good show, and that’s why I’ve handpicked five of my favorite shows (new and old) with similar themes, in honor of El and her crew. Many on the list fare with Stranger Things when it comes to starring a young cast who must learn to work together to save the world, or at least themselves.
Fallout (2024-present)
There’s nothing like a little dark humor and dystopian conflict that combines retro and futuristic elements. This show has it all with its gore, action, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and good versus evil survival of the fittest type of vibes. It also brings a familiar face, Ella Purnell, from the film, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Stranger Things fans will appreciate the “blast from the past” in Fallout, where 1950s American culture clashes with futuristic nuclear technology and destruction.
The second season of the video game-turned series just premiered on Prime Video in December, so you’re not too far behind the times if you haven’t started watching yet. If you enjoy the nostalgic 80s vibe in Stranger Things, you’ll probably appreciate how the past shows up in Fallout as well. The concept of saving the world is a plus too! The newest episode of Fallout streams Jan. 7 on Prime Video.
Supacell (2024-present)
While current fans of the show just got confirmation of Supacell season 2 production, there is still time for others to hop on the superhero thriller bandwagon, as we could still be waiting awhile for the release. Stranger Things fans are the perfect candidates for becoming fans of the British series, created by UK musician and director, Rapman.
According to Deadline, the show hit the No. 1 global spot on Netflix after its release, and remained in the top 10 list worldwide for six weeks. Rapman’s concept was genius: superheroes band together to save the world, but they all come from South London.
His worldwide audience speaks for itself; Black superheroes from the UK was the perfect niche for bringing diverse representation and a unique plot to the table. We can’t wait to see how the next season unfolds!
The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024)
The Umbrella Academy is another take on a younger cast, such as Aidan Gallagher from Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, with supernatural powers who take on the challenges of a world on the brink of destruction. This show is a little bit less horror, and a lot more action and sci-fi for fans of Stranger Things who have had enough Vecna-ess.
With four seasons available on Netflix, you can carry this show out for as long as needed to make up for the lack of new Stranger Things episodes. While there is no match for El, Mike, Will, and even Steve, you will quickly find yourself relating to one of the seven gifted children as they take on the fate of the world, and the skeletons of their pasts, with humor and perseverance.
Black Summer (2019-2021)
What a show to air at the height of the pandemic! This could be why the horror suspense met its unfortunate end — that and the fact that there were already so many zombie series on the market — but I still give the show two thumbs up for keeping viewers on their toes! Think of Black Summer as a similar show to The Walking Dead and The Last of Us, where a horrific illness quickly plunges the characters into an apocalypse where they must fight for survival against the undead.
Stranger Things fans may be more into Demogorgons than zombies, but the idea of a group of people banding together to save humanity may still resonate. Seasons 1 and 2, starring Jaime King (Hart of Dixie), are available for streaming on Netflix.
The Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)
It’s hard to believe that this Prime Video series is over a decade old, but it is one of the most unique shows I’ve ever watched. It combines historical fiction with sci-fi, taking viewers on a journey that tests hypothetical theories in a way that feels strangely realistic and dystopian. The Man in the High Castle is set in a multiverse, which is just the type of plot that Stranger Things fans love.
The show also has its own version of the Upside Down—a world where the Axis powers won World War II. The main character gets tossed between this horrific version of the future, where a totalitarian regime exists that has indefinitely divided the United States in three sectors, and the more desirable version of the future, where the Allies won and democracy prevails. However, will venturing between these two realities tear down the good in favor of the bad? Will the fate of one cause the other to topple, or will one world fade away completely?
If you’re a history buff, sci-fi fan, Stranger Things fanatic, or any combination of the three, The Man in the High Castle, starring Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat) and Alexa Davalos (FBI: Most Wanted) is a must-watch for you!
One thing all of these shows have in common that fans of Stranger Things love the most is the presence of good that overcomes. That’s what we loved about the finale—the gang defeated Vecna once and for all, finally bringing a happy ending to the despair and destruction. Even after this list, if you’re still itching for more of your Hawkins favorites, Netflix reports that the Duffer brothers may just have a few projects up their sleeves for 2026, so stay tuned!