This year has seen a slew of standout sci-fi shows released, with 2021's best science fiction TV comprised of both new and returning options to delight genre aficionados. 2021 has been a jam-packed year for sci-fi television, even by modern standards, with a large number of projects that were delayed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic finally seeing release in a congested schedule. Long-awaited series such as the animated Star Wars spinoff The Bad Batch and the MCU offshoot The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shook off their respective COVID-19 setbacks and debuted to critical acclaim, with many other 2021 sci-fi TV titles similarly proving well worth the wait for audiences.
In addition to these well-established IPs receiving new canon series, 2021 oversaw a host of sci-fi adaptations to come to the fore. Netflix's The Silent Sea is a prime example here, with Choi Hang-Yong's sci-fi mystery drama a direct continuation of his short film of the same name. 2021 was also a big year for novel-to-screen translations, with Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven both receiving their adaptations via Apple TV+ and HBO Max original shows, respectively.
While it cannot be said there was any shortage of content for sci-fi fans in 2021, there remain several science fiction television titles that are simply a cut above the rest. While the top sci-fi television of 2021 is primarily dominated by serious, expansive narratives, shows such as Syfy's extraterrestrial comedy Resident Alien also prove there is still an appetite for the zanier side of science fiction. Here's an exploration of the best five sci-fi TV shows of 2021, with each series ranked.
#5 - Invasion
Apple TV+'s flagship sci-fi drama certainly continues to divide opinion, with some critics remaining unconvinced by Invasion's slow-burning, methodical take on an alien takeover of Earth. Apple TV+'s Invasion centers on several disparate groups of civilians across the planet, who are forced to contend with the social and psychological fallout of the extraterrestrial threat bearing down on them. While this premise is by no means an original one, the true beauty of Invasion lies in the series' narrative approach, with Simon Kinberg's show choosing to dispense with alien theatrics in favor of imbuing Invasion with a pervading sense of dread. Invasion, put simply, feels as close as possible to how an alien attack on Earth would present itself to the masses, with the Apple TV+ original capturing the likely confusion and lack of clarity that the vast majority of Earth would experience in a similar situation. The Easter egg-laden Invasion may well be something of an acquired taste, but it remains a dazzling homage to sci-fi genre classics and a bold slice of original streaming content from 2021.
#4 - Resident Alien
It is perhaps unsurprising that Syfy's Resident Alien has become an instant cult classic given its core premise, which sees an alien sent to wipe out humanity wrestle with his mission as he becomes more attached to the people around him. Alan Tudyk is an inspired choice as the titular, conflicted alien of the series, with his singular comedic skills very much at home alongside a glut of genuinely hilarious alien gags. Yet, perhaps the best feather in Resident Alien's considerable cap is that it dares to be lighthearted in contrast with the vast majority of 2021's gritty, dystopian sci-fi offerings, with Resident Alien proving a breath of fresh air for the genre as a result. Resident Alien's story undoubtedly rests upon the highest of stakes (Earth's survival), yet it is the human notes hit as the eponymous resident alien tries to assimilate within society that makes the Syfy series an unmissable piece of television.
#3 - Arcane
Netflix's Arcane is quickly proving a groundbreaking series, not least because it serves to dispel the perception that animated videogame adaptations often struggle to hold their own in a modern television arena. Set in the League of Legends fictional universe, Arcane follows sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), who find themselves on opposing sides of a war over twisted ideologies and recherché technologies as the utopian city of Piltover and the squalid undercity of Zaunalthough clash. The beauty of Arcane, despite its videogame origins, is that the Netflix series requires no prior knowledge of League of Legends' champion lore to be appreciated, with its engrossing character stories dwarfing any Easter eggs from the original games. On top of this, Arcane's animation is nothing short of stunning, with critics comparing the series favorably to other award-winning animation titles such as Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and Invincible. A blend of fantasy, steampunk, and sci-fi elements conspire to make Arcane a unique spectacle that rivals not only the highest echelons of other videogame adaptations but also some of the very best that science fiction TV has to offer full-stop.
#2 - Foundation
While 2021 saw Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptation singled out for wholesale praise regarding the breathtaking translation of its source material, Apple TV+'s Foundation has arguably presented an even more polished novel adaptation on a grander scope. Based on the seminal Isaac Asimov book of the same name, Foundation chronicles the thousand-year saga of its titular group, a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to rise against it. Foundation tackles many complex and disparate themes masterfully, weaving allegorical examples of witch-hunting and contemporary fears of cloning into its initial ten episodes. As with many examples on this list, Foundation is also visually breathtaking, with Asimov's world masterfully brought to life by creators David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman as the series harks back to the golden age of sci-fi in which every frame is a galactic spectacle akin to the original Star Wars trilogy.
#1 - Loki
The best sci-fi TV series of 2021 is one few saw coming, with the MCU spin-off Loki imbued with time-travel, alternate realities, and a dystopian, Clockwork Orange-style institution that make the Disney+ series feel like a love letter to the sci-fi genre itself. Audiences hoping for a by-the-numbers MCU-style series were quickly dissolved of this notion, with Loki's plot moving from the Tesseract's familiar potency into a time-traveling crime-thriller centered around Tom Hiddleston's inexorably charming portrait of a Norse demi-god. Loki is such a divergence from its Marvel source material that it feels bold by its very existence, while the introduction of actors not previously linked with Marvel, such as Owen Wilson's Agent Mobius, further plays into the sense that Loki is very much the antihero of its own Marvel universe. In this way, the best science fiction TV entry of 2021 is a series worthy of being a standalone entity despite the familiar presence of the MCU looming over it, confirming that Loki is an unmissable and unique proposition within the sci-fi genre to date.