It was hard to find many TV shows like The Boys when it first became available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription. However, developer Eric Kripke’s adaptation of Garth Ennis’ twisted comic book series about morally defunct superheroes and corporate malfeasance is considered one of the best Amazon Prime original TV shows, thanks in large part to its unpredictable action, its hilarious cynicism, and the unforgiving way in which it skewers superhero media. It would even inspire two spin-offs – an animated anthology called The Boys: Diabolical and the live-action coming-of-age series, Gen V, which has a second season on the way.
Of course, the comparisons to one of the best TV shows not based on a Marvel or DC comic (well, to be fair, it was a DC Wildstorm title before moving to Dynamite Entertainment) do not stop at the series that exist in the same universe. So, to prepare yourself for the ensuing gap between Season 4 and the upcoming fifth and final season, we've rounded up a selection of TV shows from recent years that fans will likely enjoy watching. Now, put on your snazziest costume, smile for the cameras, and check out all the shows that we think The Boys fans should be watching.
Invincible (2021-Present)
A teenage boy (voiced by Steven Yeun) aspires to live up the expectations of his superhero father (voiced by J.K. Simmons) by joining a group of other young heroes.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: Another great superhero TV show on Amazon Prime is its adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s Image comic, Invincible, which immediately drew comparisons to The Boys for its similarly violent content and dark humor involving costumed vigilantes.
Peacemaker (2022-Present)
A morally misguided vigilante (played by John Cena) is recruited onto a top secret mission.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: When it comes to DC TV shows, few are as comparable to The Boys’ ultra-violent, foul-mouthed, and uproariously funny elements than creator James Gunn’s Peacemaker, which has a second season on the way.
Jupiter’s Legacy (2021)
Veteran superheroes (played by Josh Duhamel and Leslie Bibb) try to savor their relationship with their grown-up son (played by Andrew Horton) and daughter (played by Elena Kampouris) in order to better prepare them for inheriting the mantle as Earth’s protectors.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: Exclusively available with a Netflix subscription, Jupiter’s Legacy is another series based on an Image Comic – this one from Kick-Ass and Kingsman creator Mark Millar – that offers a dark take on superhero fiction, but was cancelled after one season.
Misfits (2009-2013)
While performing community service, a group of troubled youths get caught in an electrical storm which gives them special abilities.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: While not based on a comic book, creator Howard Overman’s U.K.-based coming-of-age dramedy, Misfits, is one of the most acclaimed, darkly comedic takes on superhero fiction in recent memory.
Fallout (2024-Present)
Two centuries after a cataclysmic nuclear war, a young woman (played by Ella Purnell) on a personal mission ventures out beyond her sheltered home to experience the wasteland for the first time.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: While not based on a comic book, developers Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner’s adaptation of the popular Fallout video game franchise is another Amazon Prime original series boasting an incredibly twisted, politically-charged sense of humor, and has a second season in the works.
Titans (2018-2023)
A group of young, costumed vigilantes – including Robin (Brenton Thwaites), Starfire (Anna Diop), Beast Boy (Ryan Potter), and others – come together as a powerful crime fighting team.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: Though the brooding drama does have its share of offbeat humor, Titans – originally developed for DC Universe before becoming exclusive with a Max subscription – is like The Boys with far less wink-at-the-camera hijinks
Supernatural (2005-2020)
Two brothers (played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki) travel the country defending the Earth from bizarre, otherworldly, and evil phenomena.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: Comparisons between The Boys and The CW’s long-running hit, Supernatural – also one of the best horror TV shows on Netflix – include unique twists to traditional genre storytelling, cheeky humor, and creator Eric Kripke.
Watchmen (2019)
A new group of costumed vigilantes come forth to right wrongs in a corrupt world in which superheroes have been outlawed for years.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: The Boys’ commentary on superheroes and corporate corruption can be easily traced to the pages of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen, which was sequelized in the form of an acclaimed HBO miniseries from developer Damon Lindelof that is a far bleaker, but still visually stunning, story to behold.
The Punisher (2017-2019)
After the violent death of his wife and daughter, Marine veteran Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) takes matters into his own hands with his own unmerciful form of justice.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: For fans who want all of The Boys' rampant bloodshed, bone-crunching violence, and vengeful protagonists, but with its quirky humor replaced by even more bones getting crunched, Marvel’s The Punisher (formerly exclusive to Netflix and now available with a Disney+ subscription) has more than enough grunt-infused brutality to spare.
Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)
The lives of two married real estate agents (played by Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant) change forever when the wife becomes a flesh-eating member of the undead.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: Netflix’s tragically short-lived, horror-tinged comedy, Santa Clarita Diet, features ill-equipped lead characters humorously engaging in conspiratorial investigations that could negatively affect their loved ones, much like what The Boys specialize in.
Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
A high school chemistry teacher (played by Bryan Cranston) undergoes an extreme personality change after a life-threatening diagnosis convinces him to turn to crime to financially support his family.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: In addition to the presence of drugs being connective tissue, many characters from Breaking Bad bear similarities to characters from The Boys – such as the despicably self-righteous Homelander (Anthony Starr) and Walter White and Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) both, essentially, being pawns within another character's search for glory.
The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024)
Years after they were brought together at a school for youngsters with special abilities, a group of super-powered adults must reunite to prevent a cataclysmic threat.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: Based on Gerard Way’s hugely popular comic, Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy – which has a fourth season on its way – is another cynical superhero drama involving a team with a complicated history, but also stands out as a twisted version of Professor X's school and a "family" of superpowered individuals.
Silicon Valley (2014-2019)
An ambitious computer programmer and his co-workers try to stay afloat after making a huge impression on the tech industry with their revolutionary software.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: In addition to the HBO’s comedy’s sharp satirical edge, Richard Hendricks’ (Silicon Valley cast lead Thomas Middleditch) life seems to mirror what tech whiz Hughie’s life could have been if not for Robin’s death by A-Train, and Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso) and Frenchie’s (Tomer Capone) antagonistic dynamic mirrors that of Gilfoyle and Dinesh with more physical aggression and roughly the same amount of dirty jokes.
Preacher (2016-2019)
A criminal-turned-minister (played by Dominic Cooper) teams up with his ex-girlfriend (played by Ruth Negga) and a mischievous vampire (played by Joe Gilgun) to, literally, find God.
Why it is one of the best TV shows to watch if you love The Boys: Despite not involving superheroes, AMC’s Preacher – which is available with a Shudder subscription – perhaps, has the most in common with The Boys as it comes from the mind of comic book icon Garth Ennis (with the late Steve Dillon), is executive produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and boasts a dark, shamelessly uproarious satirical tone, this time targeting religious faith.
We hope that everything above will help to keep you and other fans of The Boys busy between episodes of Season 4 – which has had some amusing twists – and after Season 5 brings it all to an end. Fans can also catch up on The Boys comic books when watching TV starts to be a strain on the eyes.
