If there’s a TV equivalent to comfort food, it’s a great action show. These shows allow you to turn off your brain, grab your favorite snack and drink, and stream a great thrilling action series. One of the best streaming platforms to watch a great action show is Netflixwhich has a treasure trove of great series to choose from. Whether you’re interested in its original content (which the service is excellent at) or that which has been imported into the service, you won’t be disappointed with Netflix’s offerings in the action series department.
It got us thinking: with so many shows, which ones are the best? Using this question as a basis and organizing all the different action shows you can watch on the service, we’ve picked the seven biggest action shows you should definitely stream on Netflix. Of course, all lists are subjective, so consider them a starting point for finding your next favorite.
7
“Alice in the Borderland” (2020–present)
Most of us grew up with the story of Alice in Wonderlandand it is a timeless tale. Well, what if you took this classic story and twisted it into something more daring and exciting? It seems that the writers Yoshiki Watabe, Yasujo KuramitsuAnd Shinsuke Sato had this thought, like in 2020, Alice in the Borderland created on Netflix.
Directed by Sato, Alice in the Borderland tells the story of two allies who find themselves trapped in an alternate Tokyo – one that forces them to participate in different and dangerous games to prevent their “visas” from expiring. If you’re wondering why visas are in quotes, well, it means staying alive and not getting shot. This is a twisted version of the classic children’s story.and a film steeped in sci-fi action at every turn. We really don’t have the feeling that our protagonists are going to come out of this sadistic game alive, and that’s the best thing Alice in the Borderland. Man, we hope there’s a season 4 around the corner.
6
“The Night Agent” (2023–present)
On the surface it seems that The Night Agent is your typical, generic action drama, which follows tropes to a T. In some ways it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad series. Far from it. The Night Agentcreated by Shawn Ryan and based on the Matthew Quirk novel of the same name, is actually one of the best action series on Netflix today.
The action thriller follows FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), a low-level agent who is suddenly thrust into a vast conspiracy that connects all the way to the highest levels of the U.S. government. The action and tension in The Night Agent build with each episode, and the action is certainly palpable. Not only that, but the big mystery that unfolds here is quite shocking and fun to uncover. We write all this to tell you not to sleep The Night Agent. Sure, it plays by the rules, but it’s a fun watch that lets you take your mind off things and enjoy the action that’s happening.
5
“Thanks for Nobody” (2025)
If there’s one thing Netflix does incredibly well, it’s showcasing foreign shows that can compete with the best that Hollywood has to offer, especially when it comes to action. When discussing the service’s biggest action shows, you can’t leave out Pity no onea black action from South Korea.
Based on the webtoon Plaza Wars: No Mercythe Netflix series follows Nam Gi-jun (So Ji-sub), a former criminal gang leader who returns to the world of crime to investigate and take revenge on the people responsible for his brother’s murder. Some can see the ranking Pity no onea series released in 2025, almost prematurely, but trust us – once you see how this brutal revenge story unfolds, you will agree that this is without a doubt one of the best action shows that Netflix has ever produced.
4
“Arcana” (2021-2024)
Esotericwith its incredible steampunk action, will impress you instantly. Created by Christian Linke And Alex Yee, Esoteric was a series that had big ambitions, and we can say that it succeeded in what it set out to accomplish, creating a world that will be difficult for other series to replicate.
Arcane follows the Violet/“Vi” sisters (Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder/”Jinx” (Ella Purnell), who find themselves embroiled in a conflict between Piltover, a wealthy utopian city, and Zaun, a poorer enclave where the sisters reside, over obscure technologies. The action in this show is thrilling and there is never a dull moment in this beautifully animated series. You will be intrigued by the story Esoteric tells, and the series was rightly praised by critics. Even though the series ended in 2024 after two seasons, it still has to be considered one of Netflix’s best action series.
3
‘Lupin’ (2021–present)
As previously mentioned, Netflix has done an incredible job producing original content from other countries that is just as engaging and action-packed as content produced in the United States. This applies to Lupinea French mystery thriller that also contains a good amount of action that will satisfy any fan of the genre. Created by George Kay And François Uzanthe series is actually inspired by the adventures of Arsène Lupinea master thief created by the French novelist Maurice Leblanc in 1905.
Lupine gives a modern twist to Leblanc’s famous thief, here played by Omar Sywho goes by the name of Assane Diop, who is greatly inspired by Lupin’s mastery of stealing objects. Diop, however, has a reason. You see, after her father was accused of stealing an expensive diamond necklace from Hubert Pellegrini (Hervé Pierre), he sets out on a revenge mission to take revenge not only on Hubert, but on the entire Pellegrini family. There’s a lot of mystery here, but the story also allows for a lot of action. One of Netflix’s most underrated series, Lupine is a superb watch that will easily satisfy any fan of international action.
2
“The rookie” (2022-2025)
Imagine you’re fresh out of college and landed a job as a lawyer at the CIA. You think this job is going to be enjoyable. Good salary and normal workload. That is, until you come across a CIA agent who threatens to extort a longtime CIA agent. Now, instead of being in a comfortable position as a lawyer within the CIA, you’re suddenly thrust into international politics, having to negotiate with individuals who aren’t so savory, risking your life just doing so.
Welcome to the life of Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo) in Netflix’s hit spy action series The rookie. Even though the series was canceled after just two seasons, there was a lot to like, especially when it came to the action. Sure, the series focuses on espionage, but the plot, just like Lupineleaves room for the action to take root and become a central point of the story. Centineo is a great protagonist, with some fun moments that will make you wonder how he got involved in this in the first place, and holding his own when it comes to the action sequences. The entire series is an enjoyable spy action series that will leave you very satisfied (and a little upset that Netflix dropped this great series so early).
1
“Cobra Kai” (2021-2025)
“You are the best!”
This song, by Joe Esposito within the framework of The Karate Kid’s soundtrack, is the perfect melody to describe the television adaptation of the famous martial arts film series, Cobra Kai. First premiered on the now-defunct YouTube Red in 2018 and presented and produced by Netflix in 2021, Cobra Kai has since been recognized as one of, if not the, greatest Netflix action series of all time and one of the best television adaptations of a famous film franchise.
With Ralph Macchio And William Zabka reprising their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, Cobra Kai brought the franchise into the 21st century, perfectly blending nostalgia with a fresh new story full of martial arts action that yielded no results. One might think that Cobra Kaiwhich was intended as a redemption story for Johnny Lawrence, would rest on its laurels and depend on nostalgia to move the story forward, but Cobra Kai did something special: it told a different story while still tying into the plot of the films. The end result was the biggest action series Netflix has ever produced.
Cobra Kai
- Release date
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2018 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix, YouTube Premium
- Showrunner
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Jon Hurwitz
- Directors
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Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, Joel Novoa, Jennifer Celotta, Steven K. Tsuchida, Sherwin Shilati, Marielle Woods, Steve Pink, Lin Oeding, Michael Grossman
