12 Shows Like ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians’ That Are Worth Watching
Although the film series fizzled out after just a couple of films, Rick Riordan’s mediocre Camp Half-Blood has been reborn as a mega-popular series on the Disney+ streaming service . The series format seems to have unlocked the film adaptation’s potential, more fully exploring this atypical (at least on our side of Olympus) coming-of-age story.
In its first season, the series found a successful balance between fantasy action and teen drama, while also engagingly poking fun at the conventions of ancient myth. The second season just premiered, and a sequel is on the way, but you’ll likely have to wait a bit longer. In the meantime, here are 12 more series that offer a similar blend of coming-of-age suspense, action, myths, and legends.
Once Upon a Time (2011–2018)
In this long-running primetime drama, which does for fairy tales what Percy Jackson did for Greek mythology, Jennifer Morrison plays Emma Swan, a struggling bail bonds agent who travels to the Maine town of Storybrooke (subtly!) to reunite with the son she gave up for adoption. Along the way, she discovers she is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, given away to protect her from the machinations of Regina (Lana Parrilla), the evil queen who is also responsible for the curse that has stranded countless fairy tale characters in this small town, where they are forced to live dreary, ordinary lives with no memory of their past adventures (at least at first). Watch Once Upon a Time on Disney+ and Hulu .
His Dark Materials (2019–2022)
The tone is quite different, but there are numerous thematic and plot similarities in this dark fantasy adapted from Philip Pullman’s beloved young adult series. Set in an alternate world where human souls exist outside the body in the form of animal companions called dæmons, Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) is an orphaned girl living at Jordan College, Oxford, who becomes embroiled in a murder plot that brings her into the orbit of the powerful Magisterium, the world’s all-encompassing and repressive religious authority—caught between her mother (Ruth Wilson), a powerful figure within the Magisterium, and her extremist, heretical father (James McAvoy). From their steampunk world, Lyra and her dæmon Pan travel across a multiverse that includes our own Earth. Watch His Dark Materials on HBO Max .
Fate: The Winx Saga (2021–2022)
A revamp of Nickelodeon’s animated series “Winx Club,” it follows five fairies studying at a prestigious boarding school for magical characters. Unlike Percy Jackson, our lead fire fairy, Bloom, soon discovers that her origins are far more alien (literally) than she ever imagined. After a slow start, the series develops into a compelling coming-of-age story and a rare fantasy series truly geared toward a teen audience. The series was canceled after two seasons, but if you’re interested, there’s a continuation in graphic novels .Watch “Fate: The Winx Saga” on Netflix .
Blood of Zeus (2020–2025)
If you’re into the unrecognized love of the children of the gods, then Greek mythology is for you. This adult animated series, set in ancient Greek mythology, introduces Heron, an original character who nonetheless fits firmly into tradition. Here, he is a young miner, illegitimate and therefore despised by his fellow villagers. When demons attack, Heron discovers he is the secret son of Zeus and must help humanity defeat the carnivorous creatures born from the blood of fallen Titans. With a sophisticated plot and increasingly epic scope, the series blends Greek mythology with anime style to tell a gripping, original story.Watch Blood of Zeus on Netflix .
Relocation (2023 – )
This South Korean import has become Disney/Hulu’s most popular Korean drama and has enjoyed solid global success (even if the English-language title doesn’t suggest any serious thrills). The series opens with Kim Bong-seok (Lee Chung-ha), who is literally pinned down by his mother (meaning she gives him weights to fill her pockets) as he walks to school; we soon learn this is because he can’t control his ability to fly and is prone to flying off unexpectedly. Jock Jang Hee-soo (Go Young-jung) heals instantly from injuries, and class president Lee Gang-hoon (Kim Do-hoon) is fast and incredibly strong. As it turns out, the parents of all these children were raised and trained in a secret program from which they escaped, passing their abilities on to their children, who must suppress their powers to avoid the attention of spies tracking them. Watch “Moving” on Disney+ and Hulu .
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020)
There’s no Greek mythology here (well, at least there are a couple of Gorgons), but Sabrina is also the story of a young woman who attends a special school for people with unique abilities and has (dark) adventures. Sabrina isn’t the daughter of a god, but the literal child of Lucifer. Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) is an old-school witch whose family is reminiscent of the Addams Family: two witch aunts (played by Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis), her warlock cousin (Chance Perdomo), and her faithful cat familiar, Salem, all living their witchy lives hidden from the eyes of the local normals. Early on, Sabrina faces a choice: sign Satan’s book and become a full-fledged witch, or stay in high school with her human friends. But she refuses to choose. As a result, Sabrina is forced to save her family and the world from dark forces by committing cannibalism, human sacrifice, and bloody rituals.Watch Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix .
Owl House (2020–2023)
In this animated series, teenager Luz Noceda (Sarah-Nicole Robles) finds herself trapped in the Demon Realm and befriends non-conformist witch Eda Clawthorne (Wendie Malick), who takes it upon herself to teach the non-magical Luz everything she knows about magic. Luz is determined to become a full-fledged witch despite her complete lack of previous experience, which is refreshing given the volume of stories about children simply discovering they are superpowered nepo babies. A pioneering effort for LGBTQ+ representation on Disney Channel, this show is brimming with queer characters and remained both creatively unique and charming throughout its now-concluded run. Watch “House of Their Own” on Disney+ .
Legacies (2018–2022)
Legacies is a standalone spinoff of sorts within the vast Vampire Diaries universe, following Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell), an orphan descended from vampires, witches, and werewolves. The Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted is a perfect fit for her. Attended by all manner of supernatural beings, it serves as a secret haven and training ground for those with supernatural powers. It’s a place where they can learn to control and/or hide their abilities—something between Wednesday’s Nevermore Academy and Camp Half-Blood. The series is geared more toward a preteen audience than Percy , and naturally, there’s plenty of teenage angst and romance. Watch Legacies onNetflix .
Enchanted (2023–2024)
Fifteen-year-old American CeCe Parker Jones travels to Paris to attend a prestigious dance school, but soon discovers she’s a true witch, from a family steeped in magic. She struggles to balance dance, magic, and her desire to be a normal teenager, all while clashing with the Mystics, the natural enemies of witches like CeCe. It’s a captivating mix of teen drama, magical duels, and, crucially, ballet. (This is a standalone sequel to the time-travel series Find Me in Paris, also available on Hulu .) Watch Spellbound on Hulu .
American-Born Chinese (2023)
Based on the seminal 2006 semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, this adaptation introduces Jin Wang (Ben Wang), the nerdy and rather ordinary son of Taiwanese immigrants. He befriends the confident, typically loud and proud exchange student Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu), who is equal parts bewildering and inspiring. It soon emerges that Wei-Chen is no ordinary child, but the son of the legendary Chinese figure the Monkey King, and he is on Earth searching for an ordinary teenager he believes can help him stop a rebellion against Heaven. Ke Hui Quan co-stars as a former child star of a deeply stereotypical ’80s sitcom, and Michelle Yeoh appears as the goddess of compassion, Guanyin. It’s disappointing that it only lasted one season, but it nonetheless tells a fairly complete story. Stream American Born Chinese on Disney+ .
Lockwood & Company (2023)
In an alternate modern-day Britain, ghosts are a common sight, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a nuisance—their touch is deadly. Technological advancement has largely stalled, while ghost-hunting agencies have become commonplace, and as adults lose the ability to directly sense ghosts, children and teenagers find themselves on the front lines. Ruby Stokes ( Bridgertons ) plays Lucy Carlyle, an extremely sensitive listener who is rejected when she is wrongly accused of several deaths at her first job. With no other option, she joins the shady, unregulated Lockwood & Co., an operation run by two orphans operating outside the law. It’s a solid, creepy teen drama with a fair share of action and a beating heart amidst all the undead.Watch Lockwood & Co. onNetflix .
Troy: Fall of a City (2018)
It’s definitely not for young people, but if you’re an adult and want to learn a little more about Greek mythology, you could do worse than this BBC interpretation of The Iliad (and other stories about the Trojan War). Adapting the events around and within the context of Homer’s works, we begin with the trial of Paris (Louis Hunter), who is asked by Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite to reward the woman he likes best with an apple; the goddesses here are portrayed as humanoid characters, marking a change from older versions where giants looked on from Olympus, and later adaptations that eliminate the gods altogether. We then meet Helen (Bella Dayne), a Spartan citizen in a loveless marriage, before following the action to Troy. The show has a lush Bronze Age aesthetic and demonstrates impressive fidelity to its varied source material. Watch Troy: Fall of a City on Prime Video andNetflix .