Video game adaptations have seen a boom in recent years, and perhaps surprisingly, the best of them have been on the small screen. Leading the way has been “Halo,” a big-budget version of the military sci-fi epic that has riveted gamers for decades. The series, which began airing on Paramount+ in 2022, stars Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief, a genetically engineered super soldier who leads a skilled team fighting for Earth against an alliance of alien races in the 26th century.
With its distinctive armored heroes and some of the best sci-fi action you’ll ever see on television, “Halo” dazzled audiences for two seasons before Paramount abruptly pulled the plug. The combination of mixed fan reactions and its mammoth budget resulted in its cancellation, taking place not long after Paramount’s merger with Skydance, the multinational media company owned by David Ellison, son of American oligarch Larry Ellison. The good news, however, is that “Halo” was scooped up by rival streamer Netflix in October 2025, becoming one of many canceled shows to be saved by Netflix.
With “Halo” now due for a third season, fans might be looking for something similar to keep them busy during the wait. While the streamer doesn’t offer quite as many epic sci-fi TV shows as Paramount+, there are a handful of top-notch series featuring no shortage of larger-than-life, armored heroes that will scratch that military sci-fi itch.
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Pacific Rim: The Black
Taylor and Hayley pilot the Jaeger in Pacific Rim: The Black – Netflix
If we were recommending movies to watch for “Halo” fans, Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim” would be near the top of that list. So when it comes to Netflix shows, the obvious answer is the animated “Pacific Rim: The Black,” a small-screen spin-off of del Toro’s big-screen saga. It may not be quite as good as the original film, but it outstrips the sequel, “Pacific Rim: Uprising,” while delivering a blend of “Halo”-esque military action and political strife on a grand scale.
Like the movies, “Pacific Rim: The Black” is set in a world where Kaiju have invaded Earth from a portal beneath the ocean, and mankind fights back using mammoth robotic mech suits called Jaegers. The series centers its action in Australia, where the continent has been all but annihilated by Kaiju, leaving only a small number of human survivors. We meet siblings Taylor (Calum Worthy) and Hayley Travis (Gideon Adlon), who were separated from their parents when the Kaiju first attacked. When they come across a dormant Jaeger, the pair discover a means to wage a new war on the Kaiju, while hoping to find out what happened to their parents.
Emphasizing high stakes, gritty action, and loads of drama, “Pacific Rim: The Black” has more in common with “Halo” tonally than narratively. But with powerful mech suits, big sci-fi action, and plenty of suspenseful thrills, it should nevertheless serve as a nice appetizer to tide you over until Netflix’s new season of “Halo.”
Ultraman
Ultraman in outer space in Ultraman – Netflix
Blending superhero adventure with alien action, Netflix’s 2019 adaptation of the iconic manga “Ultraman,” itself based on the tokusatsu series that began in 1966, is perfect for “Halo” fans seeking more armored heroes battling villains in a quest to vanquish evil. Though the “Ultraman” franchise spans decades and encompasses numerous television adaptations, movies, and comics, just to name a few, the Netflix animated series is a total reboot designed to appeal to newcomers and longtime fans alike.
The show tells the story of super-powered teen Shinjiro (Josh Hutcherson) who defends the Earth from threats both alien and terrestrial, having taken up his father’s mantle as Earth’s greatest defender, Ultraman. But the world of good and evil isn’t as simple as it used to be, with diabolical threats sometimes hiding in the form of Earth governments and clandestine military divisions possessing dark agendas. And as a young man still learning to navigate the adult world, Shinjiro’s quest comes with unique troubles all their own.
Running for three seasons, “Ultraman” is a first-rate anime and classic tokusatsu hero adventure, delivering everything a “Halo” fan could ask for in terms of space combat, action, and excitement.
Lost in Space
Will and B-9 stand in the ship in Lost in Space – Netflix
Netflix doesn’t have many live-action science fiction shows like “Halo,” which is probably why the streamer scooped up the video game adaptation. But one of the few live-action sci-fi adventures that fits that bill is “Lost in Space,” a 2018 series that reinvents an iconic sci-fi favorite for a new generation. The original “Lost in Space” was a 1960s family-friendly series that found popularity around the same time as classics like “Star Trek” and “Doctor Who.” But while those franchises have been TV mainstays, it took “Lost in Space” nearly 50 years to get a reboot, overcoming a ’90s box office flop and a television revival that was canceled before hitting the screen.Like the original show, Netflix’s “Lost in Space” follows the Robinsons as they set out on a mission to colonize another planet far from Earth. But things go wrong when their ship encounters mysterious problems that send them to an uncharted region of space. Now, the family must try to survive while searching for a way home, aided by B-9 (Brian Steele), an alien artificial intelligence who becomes attached to the young Will Robinson (Maxwell Jenkins). But they’re also faced with problems from within, as they soon suspect that one among them could be sabotaging the mission.
Thematically, “Lost in Space” and “Halo” have little in common, but if it’s slick, big-budget sci-fi action you want, this is the best show on Netflix to watch.
Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance
Three Gundam pilots stand in front of a building in Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance – Netflix
If you’re looking for a show that set the stage for an entire genre — including the likes of “Halo” — then “Gundam” should be first up on your queue. Thankfully, one of the most recent iterations, “Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance,” can be found on Netflix. It’s one of the latest in a long line of anime that dates back to 1979, set in a world where soldiers command massive mobile suits even more powerful than those seen in “Halo.”
“Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance” chronicles one of the bloodiest battles in the fictional universe’s history, the One Year War, a protracted conflict between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. The series centers on Captain Iria Solari (Celia Massingham), a mobile suit who leads a unit of soldiers against the Earth Federation as they seek to put the nail in the coffin of the Principality of Zeon. But the emergence of a new model of mobile suit controlled by the Earth Federation turns the tide in their favor, and Solari suddenly finds herself commanding an army with its back against the wall.
Though it might be a little more challenging to drop in on the “Gundam” universe midstream, it’s well-worth the effort, as it’s arguably the franchise that started the entire sci-fi military action genre on the screen. And if you love it, there’s decades of animated adventures worth revisiting.
Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune
Akira pilots a ship in Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune – Netflix
When it comes to Netflix anime that will appeal to “Halo” fans, there are clearly plenty to choose from. But the closest match narrative wise is “Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune,” a series following a group of space marines in a protracted war among the stars. While only boasting a single season, it’s one of the best in its genre, with the kind of military action and outer-space battle sequences any fan of “Halo” will appreciate.
Like “Halo,” “Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune” examines the complicated issues of military service in a sprawling empire. Here, we find Earth at a time when space exploration has led to the discovery of alien worlds, and humanity has joined an interstellar alliance known as the Trade Federation. Due to dwindling economic prospects, military service is the first place young people go to find a future, only for them to encounter a devastatingly high casualty rate as conflict consumes galactic affairs.
Focusing on a team of new recruits led by a boy named Akira (Stephen Fu), the series follows a unit of young soldiers on their first missions as they discover the harsh realities of interstellar war. With high-gloss 3D animation and an uncompromising look at the life of space marines, “Yakitori” is among the best sci-fi anime shows on Netflix.
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