10 TV Shows To Watch If You Like Percy Jackson And The Olympians

For teens growing up in the late 2000s or early 2010s, reading the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" novels was practically a rite of passage, especially for those obsessed with Greek mythology. It's only a shame it took nearly two decades for a faithful adaptation to hit TV with the Disney+ series of the same name. The series follows the adventures of the titular teen (Walker Scobell), who discovers he's the demigod son of Poseidon (Toby Stephens) after arriving at Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for young demigods. 

With lots of Easter eggs that fans of Greek mythology will love, and a star-studded cast that includes Jason Mantzoukas, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Kate McKinnon as Olympian gods, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" returns for Season 3 on November 20. The wait between seasons can be grueling for fans, and those who've already read the books dozens of times might want something new to obsess over in the coming months.

Thankfully, these 10 shows are practically tailor-made for fans of the "Percy Jackson" franchise, even with some of them predating the first book's release. From lore-filled adventure series and coming-of-age fantasy shows, there may not be Greek gods in every one of these shows, but their diversity and appeal to all ages will certainly satisfy anyone who's been enjoying the mythological chaos of Disney+'s latest hit. 

Kicking things off with the most overtly Greek mythology-based show on this list, "Blood of Zeus" is tonally quite a far cry from "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." However, the two shows have more in common than simply including the Hellenistic deities and mythos. "Blood of Zeus," like "Percy Jackson," follows the demigod son of an Olympian; in this case, Heron (Derek Phillips), son of Zeus (Jason O'Mara). However, its interpretations of various figures from Greek mythology often skew darker than those in the mainly family-friendly Disney+ series. 

When the series begins, Heron is a lot like Percy Jackson, having no idea about his true parentage and living a rather modest life before being thrust into a war against an army of demons. Mentored by his disguised father and allied with the Amazonian warrior Alexia (Jessica Henwick), Heron sets out to save humanity, drawing the ire of vengeful gods like Hera (Claudia Christian) and Ares (Matt Lowe). 

Although it forges a new narrative in Greek mythology rather than replaying certain iconic stories like "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" does, "Blood of Zeus" might be one of the strongest additions to Greek mythology-based fiction of all time. Even its stunning, gritty animated visuals hold a candle to the best fantasy shows on TV, drawing comparisons to "Game of Thrones" and "Castlevania," among others. That being said, its graphic violence and mature content make it a better recommendation for older "Percy Jackson" fans. 

At this point, it's rare to find someone who hasn't watched "Avatar: The Last Airbender," especially if they're purportedly a fan of fantasy television. The Nickelodeon series premiered in 2005, and though its original incarnation only aired for three years, "Avatar" has remained one of the network's largest franchises, spinning off into "The Legend of Korra," the sequel film "Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender," several live-action adaptations, and an upcoming new series, "Avatar: Seven Havens." 

For the purposes of this list, we're only going to be focusing on the original "Avatar: The Last Airbender," which also happens to share the most in common with "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," story-wise. "The Last Airbender" centers on Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), the latest reincarnation of the Avatar, who must master water, earth, fire, and air to restore balance to a world threatened by the Fire Nation. Aang teams up with Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack De Sena) of the Southern Water Tribe to stop the Fire Nation, whose conquest began with the near-total extermination of the Air Nomads. 

With a perfect balance of Saturday morning cartoon charm and enough action and worldbuilding to satisfy hard fantasy fans, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" elevated the children's TV show into something that can be enjoyed by all audiences. The best episodes of "The Last Airbender" stand among the greatest episodes of TV, proving that some chosen-one coming-of-age stories, like "Percy Jackson," are hard not to love. 

If you know Arthurian legend as well as Greek mythology, you may see easy potential for a show like "Merlin" to reinterpret its canon for a wider television audience. The five-season fantasy TV series follows a young Merlin (Colin Morgan), a warlock living in the Kingdom of Camelot following King Uther Pendragon's (Anthony Head) banishment of all magic. Whilst fulfilling his destiny of protecting Uther's son, Arthur (Bradley James), Merlin also struggles to protect the future of magic in Camelot, particularly as Uther's ward, Morgana (Katie McGrath), becomes an increasingly dangerous adversary. 

Across its five seasons, "Merlin" never feels bogged down by having to know tomes of backstory about Arthurian legends. Instead, it focuses on the human drama that predates any of the iconic stories, resulting in a series that may not always follow the mythos down to the letter of the law, but tells a wider, more relatable story about oppression, identity, and destiny through the eyes of one of history's most famous wizards. 

Even at the series' worst, the characters are enjoyable enough to watch, and its ambitious visual effects help keep the fantasy adventure entertaining. Like "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," the mythos is often just the backdrop for a deeply human story about coming into your own, even if in this world, coming into your own involves harnessing fantastical powers. 

Since you already have a Disney+ subscription as an ardent fan of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," odds are you've probably scrolled past a few "Star Wars" series and wondered how they stack up against the tales of Camp Half-Blood. However, of all the "Star Wars" projects made for television, "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew" might be the closest relative to "Percy Jackson." Its focus on young adventurers also makes it a particularly family-friendly entry in the franchise.

"Skeleton Crew" follows four wayward children from the planet At Attin who, after getting lost in space, end up befriending an enigmatic pirate named Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), a powerful Force user whose promise to get the children home comes with some ulterior motives. With a cast of primarily young actors playing generally fun-to-watch characters, "Skeleton Crew" focuses more on the coming-of-age of young people in an unfamiliar world, with enough lightsaber action to thrill longtime fans of the franchise, too. In that regard, it does everything a "Star Wars" show really needs to do in order to be entertaining. 

Given how much "Star Wars" storytelling can be bogged down by in-universe lore and worldbuilding, "Skeleton Crew" is a refreshingly breezy watch. Of course, one could imagine the eight-episode miniseries continuing on, but its one-and-done nature makes for the easiest binge-watch of all the "Star Wars" shows on Disney+. 

For some fans of "One Piece," recommending Netflix's live-action remake might be sacrilege. However, even if you're not an avid fan of the manga or anime, "One Piece" makes for an incredibly fun watch while also forging its own path apart from the original series. Like its anime counterpart, the show follows the Straw Hat Pirates, a crew of adventurers searching for a legendary treasure in a world filled with powerful enemies, corrupt authorities, and rival pirates.

Surprisingly, the strongest part of the live-action "One Piece" is its cast, many of whom translate the animated characters to the screen perfectly while also adding new layers to the well-known heroes. Iñaki Godoy does a bang-up job bringing the series' protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, to life, while Emily Rudd's portrayal of navigator Nami provides a grounded counterpoint to the rest of the crew's outrageous personalities.  

Like "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" fans no doubt feel about the Disney+ series' page-to-screen adaptations, the live-action "One Piece" no doubt fumbles some of the manga franchise's more ambitious aspects. However, it preserves the heart of the series through its emphasis on found family, the desire to change the world, and the thrill of exploring the unknown. Sure, you might prefer the anime overall, but what better gateway drug into the series could there be than a streamlined live-action interpretation made by people with clear love for the source material?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Disney+ shows vary considerably in quality, but some of its strongest entries focus on lesser-known characters from Marvel Comics. For example, "Ms. Marvel" follows the origin story of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Pakistani-American girl from New Jersey who only debuted in the comics in the mid-2010s. The Disney+ series takes some creative liberties with the exact specifics of her powers, tying them more closely to Pakistani culture and real historical events. 

Though fans of the wider MCU may be more familiar with Kamala's role in "The Marvels," "Ms. Marvel" is a surprisingly grounded story exploring what happens when a fangirl of the Avengers becomes a hero in her own right. Like "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," it's primarily a coming-of-age story blended with greater world-building revolving around Marvel heroes and Islamic folklore, with the series' primary antagonists being the Clandestines, a group of cosmically lost djinn seeking Kamala's powers to return to their own dimension. 

What's most impressive about "Ms. Marvel" is how the series juggles different tones, from affectionate MCU references to grounded historical drama. However, it always feels consistent due to the likable nature of Kamala's character. Though Kamala's wider role in the MCU may not be entirely clear at this point, Vellani's raw charisma in this role makes the Disney+ series worth watching.

Much like Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" novels, Cassandra Clare's "The Mortal Instruments" draws from different mythological and religious traditions to build its world, from biblical folklore to fairy tales. The Freeform series "Shadowhunters" adapts the sprawling young adult fantasy novels for a mainstream TV audience, in the process becoming one of the most underrated fantasy shows of the 2010s. Granted, "Shadowhunters" got off to a rough start with its first season, but as it continued across the next two, the fans who stuck around were rewarded with the show's highest highs.

"Shadowhunters" follows Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara), a teenage girl who discovers on her 18th birthday that she comes from a long line of Shadowhunters, human-angel hybrids who hunt demons. Obviously, the dichotomy between Clary's ordinary life and the reveal that this world is inhabited by magic, monsters, and superhumans will remind many viewers of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," but the complicated, interpersonal human drama of "Shadowhunters" sets it apart from the Disney+ series.

Frequently trending darker in tone than "Percy Jackson," "Shadowhunters" might feel a little bit rushed towards the end, but only does so in service of a story that's action-packed, thrilling, and at times, genuinely terrifying. If you want more young adult novels-turned-TV shows after bingeing all of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," then "Shadowhunters" might be the logical next step for you. 

"His Dark Materials" isn't aimed at quite as young an audience as "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," but it might be what you graduated to after reading Rick Riordan's novels as a young fantasy lover. The BBC/HBO series of the same name does justice to Philip Pullman's novel trilogy, which centers on a young orphan girl named Lyra (played in the series by Dafne Keen) whose search for her best friend Roger (Lewin Lloyd) puts her in the middle of a war between a religious aristocracy and a divine entity known as The Authority. 

There are obvious connections between the plots of "His Dark Materials" and "Percy Jackson": the threat of cosmic warfare, the "chosen one" prophecy regarding a seemingly ordinary protagonist, and the existence of monsters and magical creatures (known in this series as "daemons"). However, the two shows also share a few similar cast members. Keen is set to play Artemis in Season 3 of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," while Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays Hermes in "Percy Jackson," portrays the aeronaut Lee Scoresby in "His Dark Materials."

Though its fantasy world is denser and darker than the Greek-inspired one of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," having a young protagonist exploring an unfamiliar world keeps it accessible to younger audiences who are maybe too impressionable to watch shows like "Game of Thrones." At the very least, it's a more mature and grounded world that older viewers of "Percy Jackson" may even prefer. 

Although most fantasy fans probably know "The Witcher" and its world best from the video game adaptations, the Netflix series is a great entry point for those who have yet to read the seminal fantasy books it's based on. Debuting in 2019, "The Witcher" tells the story of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill in Seasons 1-3 and Liam Hemsworth in Season 4), a monster hunter who becomes the protector of Princess Ciri (Freya Allan), who is being hunted for her possession of Elder Blood that has the potential to make her a magical threat.

Compared to "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," "The Witcher" takes place in a more traditional medieval-inspired fantasy world filled with knights, sorcerers, and elves. However, Ciri's story as a young girl grappling with her power and place in the world feels congruent with Percy Jackson's own character arc as a troubled teenager who discovers his own godly origins. The relationship between Ciri and Geralt is where the show particularly shines, especially in scenes featuring Cavill alongside the electrifying Allan. 

In a post-"Game of Thrones" climate, "The Witcher" definitely doesn't disappoint in translating its complex medieval fantasy world for television audiences. With a fifth and final season still to come, it remains to be seen whether "The Witcher" will stick the landing after a turbulent production. Either way, older "Percy Jackson" fans looking for a darker, more mature fantasy series might find plenty to enjoy. 

In the world of "Stranger Things," Greek mythology gives way to references to classic science fiction and horror movies, from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" to "Carrie." As one of Netflix's biggest TV series ever, "Stranger Things" dominated the zeitgeist for the decade it spent on TV, with each season gradually increasing in scale, ambition, and most of all, spectacle. The first season takes place in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, where the disappearance of a young boy leads his friends and family to uncover a conspiracy involving a secretive laboratory and experiments with another dimension.

Across the best episodes of "Stranger Things," its ensemble cast shines with incredible chemistry and strong characterizations, even for supporting players. There's the enigmatic telekinetic teen Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), troubled police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour), school jock-turned-hero Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), and the wonderfully complex tomboy Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), among others. Though there have been numerous spin-offs in comic books, video games, and a stage play, the original "Stranger Things" might be the closest comparison to "Percy Jackson & the Olympians."

From its coming-of-age themes in the first season to the all-out war of the fifth, it won't be surprising if, by the time "Percy Jackson" finishes up, more comparisons are being drawn to the trajectory of "Stranger Things." If you're having any fun watching the hit Disney+ series about teens fighting monsters, then you owe it to yourself to watch the best of the best in that category.