The zombie genre has evolved significantly over the years, whether on the big screen or the small screen. Some of the best horror stories have used the concept of the living dead effectively, either to deliver fun slasher moments or to make us ponder the deeper meaning of what lies beyond life.
Zombie shows have rarely made a major push into the mainstream since the phenomenon that was AMC’s The Walking Dead (2010-2022). Creating countless hours of zombie entertainment isn’t easy without repeating the same concepts to death, but here are ten 21st-century shows that stand their own ground alongside The Walking Dead.
10. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2023)
A still from Zom 100 | Crunchyroll
Kicking off the list at No. 10 is the anime Zom 100, which flips the script by treating a zombie outbreak as a reason to live for a checked-out protagonist. Following the story of a 24-year-old who creates a bucket list of things to do while the world is in despair leads to both hilarious and heartwarming moments.
This premise, along with the absurd characters he meets along the way, makes it a great watch for fans of the zombie genre. While The Walking Dead is full of drama and intensely dark moments, this show chooses to be light and fun.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu in the U.S.
9. Santa Clarita Diet (2017 – 2019)
A still from Santa Clarita Diet | Netflix
The Netflix original series starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant breathed new life into the genre when it was released. As a comedy-horror series, it follows the absurd premise of a real estate agent who develops a taste for human flesh, forcing her family to help her hide the bodies in suburban California.
The chemistry between the leads feels natural, and the show uses the undead as a metaphor for the chronic issues that can plague marriage and morality. Santa Clarita Diet doesn’t stop there, though, and sets itself apart from The Walking Dead through its setting. With school meetings and neighborhood rivalries in the mix, the series creates hilarious opportunities for Barrymore’s character to turn everyday situations into a splattered mess.
Santa Clarita Diet is streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
8. Z Nation (2014 – 2018)
A still from Z Nation | Peacock
Z Nation is set three years after a zombie outbreak, following a ragtag group tasked with escorting the only known survivor of a zombie bite. Embracing a grindhouse sensibility, the show blends road-trip shenanigans with a monster-of-the-week format, digging into as many inventive plotlines as the genre can offer.
With atomic zombies running wild and cults forming rival factions, the show’s five seasons aren’t afraid to push beyond a grounded survival story in favor of a dense, offbeat mythology. The series has earned a cult following for its pulpy sense of adventure, and fans have praised the many stories within its world. It stands on its own as a great zombie show, even without the budget of The Walking Dead.
Z Nation is streaming on Peacock and AMC+ in the U.S.
7. Black Summer (2019 – 2021)
A still from Black Summer | Netflix
As a prequel to Z Nation, this series moves away from that show’s lighthearted tone to tell a more classic zombie outbreak story centered on real-time survival. Rather than spelling everything out, the show lets its visuals and atmosphere do the work, which helps it feel fresher than a typical zombie story.
Whether weaving through suburbs or stadiums, the camerawork makes every sequence feel as tense as the survivors’ state of mind. You grow attached to the characters and root for them throughout their journey in a ravaged world. Where the show truly shines is in its perspective on the moral decay of civilization, offering a different angle from The Walking Dead.
Black Summer is streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
6. Dead Set (2008)
A still from Dead Set | Prime Video
Charlie Brooker, the man who gave the world Black Mirror, delivered a zombie show that is vicious and scathing in every way. Here, the apocalypse unfolds while the housemates remain unaware of the chaos around them.
With its gritty, claustrophobic camerawork, you genuinely feel trapped with the characters. Brooker does not hold back on his usual satire, taking aim at celebrity culture and voyeurism amid all the splatter and horror. By far, Dead Set is one of the most inventive zombie stories, setting itself apart from The Walking Dead.
Dead Set is available to rent on Prime Video.
5. iZombie (2015 – 2019)
A still from iZombie | The CW
Based on the DC/Vertigo comics, iZombie became especially popular with millennial audiences for the way it blended relatable storytelling with a zombie premise. The series follows a medical resident who turns undead and takes a job at a morgue to gain access to brains.
Each time she eats a brain, she absorbs that person’s memories and personality traits, effectively giving her psychic-like abilities. Using these powers, she helps detectives solve cases. The series found great success as The Walking Dead was gradually losing momentum, delivering engaging stories in each episode.
iZombie is available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.
4. All of Us Are Dead (2022 – Present)
A still from All of Us Are Dead | Netflix
The Korean series throws viewers into a high school that becomes ground zero for a zombie outbreak, trapping students and teachers in a deadly fight for survival. Leaning into the claustrophobic tension of its setting, the show also works as an allegory for bullying and teenage turmoil.
All of Us Are Dead stands out for its kinetic pacing and well-written storylines, which resonate with both younger and older audiences. With long-running arcs set in motion, viewers are left eager to find out whether their favorite characters will survive, breathing new life into a formula that had grown familiar through shows like The Walking Dead.
All of Us Are Dead is streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
3. In the Flesh (2013 – 2014)
A still from In the Flesh | Prime Video
BBC Three’s In the Flesh had a brief run, but that did not stop it from completely flipping the zombie genre on its head to tell a gut-wrenching story. Set after the apocalypse, the series follows a world in which a medical system rehabilitates zombies diagnosed with “Partially Deceased Syndrome.”
As unusual as the premise may sound, the show uses it to deliver an emotional gut punch through its character study of outcasts and community. It goes even further by blending the zombie genre with a queer coming-of-age story, resulting in storytelling that many viewers found more affecting than The Walking Dead.
In the Flesh is streaming on Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, Shudder, and AMC+ in the U.S.
2. The Last of Us (2023 – Present)
The Last of Us is perhaps the most famous recent zombie series to achieve worldwide success on the level of The Walking Dead. Driven by powerful performances from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, the show does an excellent job of adapting the game.
Balancing the large-scale devastation of the apocalypse with quiet, intimate character moments is no easy task, but the series manages it beautifully, showing both the collapse of society and the human connections that matter most in life-or-death situations.
The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max in the U.S.
1. Kingdom (2019 – 2020)
A still from Kingdom | Netflix
The Kingdom series takes the genre to political heights, fusing horror with medieval Korea. A testament to the power of creativity, this Netflix series will blow your mind with its many storylines spread across this two-season package. It is arguably the best zombie show ever created, with a satisfying conclusion that outperforms The Walking Dead.
Following a crown prince investigating rumors about his father’s mysterious illness, the story unfolds as he uncovers a plague that resurrects the dead and spreads like wildfire. The premise alone makes this an instant watch, placing a post-apocalyptic scenario within a political setting from the past. The show is filled with gorgeous visuals and jaw-dropping, tense sequences.
Kingdom is streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
Here is a summary of the shows discussed.
ShowRunPremiseIMDb Rating (as of May 31, 2026)Rotten Tomatoes Score (as of May 31, 2026)Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead2023An overworked 24-year-old embraces the zombie apocalypse as a chance to finally live and complete his wild bucket list.5.5/1075% / 41%Santa Clarita Diet2017–2019A suburban realtor-turned-zombie and her husband juggle marriage, murder, and real estate in Santa Clarita.7.8/1089% / 94%Z Nation2014–2018Years after a zombie virus outbreak, a ragtag team escorts the only known immune survivor across the U.S. to a lab. 6.7/10NA / 67%Black Summer2019–2021In the early days of the outbreak, scattered survivors navigate brutal, near-real-time chaos in search of their loved ones.6.6/1085% / 62%Dead Set2008During a zombie apocalypse in Britain, the housemates of the Big Brother reality TV show remain completely unaware of the chaos unfolding outside.7.5/10 92% / 78%iZombie2015–2019A newly turned zombie medical resident uses visions from the brains she eats to help solve murders.7.8/1092% / 69%All of Us Are Dead2022–PresentStudents trapped at the outbreak’s ground zero in a high school fight to escape or avoid infection.7.6/1089% / 82%In the Flesh2013–2014Treated zombies with “Partially Deceased Syndrome” struggle to reintegrate into a hostile community.7.9/1097% / 96%The Last of Us2023–PresentA smuggler escorts a teenager who is immune to a fungal pandemic across a devastated United States.8.5/1094% / 62%Kingdom2019–2020In medieval Korea, a crown prince uncovers a political conspiracy tied to a plague that resurrects the dead.8.3/1098% / 91%
Which zombie series do you plan to watch? Let us know in the comments.
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