Best Zombie Series – The terrifying figure of the zombie has become one of the most beloved themes in the horror genre. These undead are based on Haitian folklore and rise from the grave to hunt prey or spread the diseases they carry.
If in the past the cause of the rise of zombies was due to magic, such as voodoo, then in the modern era the presence of zombies is caused by scientific things, such as viruses, radiation, or mental illness. Zombies have been attempted in films since the silent era, but only George A. Romero made them popular.
It is he who is considered the “Father of the Zombie Film,” in which most of his works tell stories about zombies and serve as inspiration for other filmmakers who came after him. Since The Walking Dead’s phenomenal presence on the screen, the zombie theme has only recently begun to emerge.
After that, many serials started to tell the story of this creature, which was dominated by a zombie apocalypse background. Want to know what series it is? Please refer to the following article as a reference for those of you who are ready to face a world filled with zombies!
1. The Last of Us (Best Zombie Series)
In 2003, there was a global pandemic caused by a fungal infection that turned infected people into zombies. This pandemic originated in Jakarta, which was about to be bombed two days earlier, and apparently spread throughout the world.
20 years later, Joel escorts Ellie out of the quarantine zone and across the United States to a secret laboratory where research is made on antiviruses.
This popular video game adaptation drama series is well-liked by many people.Airing on HBO, the series was watched by 4.7 million viewers on its first day. A series of stories full of mystery and the tension of trying to survive in a world filled with zombies is the main attraction of this series.
We should be proud because in one of the episodes, a senior actress from Indonesia, Christine Hakim, played the role of a mycologist who suggested Jakarta should be burned to the ground in order to prevent the spread of the plague.
The first season of “The Last of Us” will air on HBO on January 15, 2023, with nine episodes. Season 2 has been officially planned even before the first season of this best live-action video game adaptation has finished airing.
2. Ash vs. Evil Dead
30 years after his fight against the Evil Dead, Ash Williams is enjoying a simple life. However, the evil force returned and revived many people who had died as zombies.
Ash realized that he was mankind’s only hope to defeat this Necronomicon demon. He again put the chainsaw in his hand to start the battle.
This horror comedy series remains faithful to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy, both in terms of its visuals, action scenes, and sense of humor.
Season 2 appeared more sadistic, with lots of blood spilled, and a larger-scale story involving the military was presented in season 3. The giant Necronomicon became the strongest enemy that Ash had to fight at the end of the story.
A positive response was given to the presence of this series. Every season, it always manages to become a Saturn Award nominee in the category of “best horror television series.”
Bruce Campbell himself won the “Best Actor on Television” award at this event for his slick performance in the first season. Still performing constantly, he was twice again nominated for the Saturn Awards jury in the same category.
This series aired on the Starz channel in 2015–2018 for 30 episodes with an almost perfect rating. Also airing on Netflix, this series is definitely worth watching.
3. The Walking Dead
Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes awakens from a coma to find no one in town. Attacked by a group of zombies, he flees out of town and joins forces with the survivors of the plague, where anyone infected with the virus turns into a zombie.
They survive zombie attacks with makeshift weapons, for which the virus has no antidote.
This horror drama series is arguably the pioneer of TV shows featuring stories about zombies. First broadcast in 2010, this series received the title of “one of the best series” and lasted for 11 seasons, ending in 2022.
The story strength of this series comes not only from the survivors’ efforts to avoid and attack zombies but also from clashes with other groups of survivors they encounter in each season.
The existence of personal interests and differences in rules within each group, as well as the mental damage of the survivors, become the ingredients of the complexity of their lives.
The first season was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the Best Television Series—Drama category. He has also been nominated many times in the Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup category at the Emmy Awards, which proves the quality of this series.
Being the opening act of an expanding zombie franchise with several spin-off series, we can now watch all 177 episodes on Disney+ Hotstar.
4. Fear of the Walking Dead
Two families embark on a perilous adventure after a zombie apocalypse strikes. They meet with other groups of survivors, and although they are both trying to stay alive, each group has different intentions, rules, and interests.
Being above differences, they continue to hone the new skills needed while overcoming each other’s psychological problems.
This horror drama series is a spin-off of The Walking Dead. The first three seasons take place before The Walking Dead, and the next four seasons go hand in hand with the story of the main series.
Several characters from The Walking Dead also appear in this series, which illustrates the connection between the two series.
Always being nominated for “Best Horror Television Series” at the Saturn Awards is enough to prove the quality of this series. Airing on the AMC channel since 2015, season 7, which will air in 2023, will be the end of this series.
For viewers in Indonesia, this series can now be watched on Prime Video. For fans of The Walking Dead, you definitely have to watch this series too.
5. iZombie
At a party, medic Olivia Moore becomes a zombie due to a sudden attack by a group that mixes the drug “Utopium” with health drinks.
Having a desire to eat human body parts, he actually helps the police catch the perpetrators of murder by eating the brains of their victims.
The premise of this crime drama series is quite unique, with a zombie helping law enforcement efforts. Every time she eats a murder victim’s brain, Olivia gets an image of who the culprit is and how the murder happened.
The story expands from season to season. These zombies are divided into groups, each with its own military equivalent weaponry.In the last two seasons, it was told that the city of Seattle was filled with illegal immigrants who were about to become zombies.
Airing on The CW channel for 5 seasons with 71 episodes in the 2015-2019 period, this Vertigo comic adaptation series is also broadcast on Netflix. The iZombie series is liked by teenagers who like its style of presentation and has always been nominated at the Teen Choice Awards.
6. In the flesh
Kieren Walker returns to his hometown after undergoing partial disease syndrome treatment for zombies who can still be saved.
Initially, he was overcome with insecurity, especially from people who could not accept people like him. However, Kieren overcomes this by joining a militia group that hunts these brain-eating zombies.
Stronger on the drama side than the action side, this British-produced series presents psychological depth and society’s response to the condition of an ex-zombie.
In addition, several action scenes typical of zombie films are still present and make this series feel complete and entertaining. Unfortunately, because the production budget for season 2 was too large, this series was not continued into the next season.
7. Black Summer
Several weeks after the zombie apocalypse broke out, the survivors met each other and banded together to survive in this new world. One of them, Rose, has a personal plan, which is to find her missing daughter.
They have to wade through the cold, snowy North American region and be alert at all times when they encounter an increasing number of undead.
This horror-action series is a spin-off of Z Nation, a zombie-themed series that airs on the Syfy channel. Appearing better than its parent series, the series starring Jaime King has many tense action scenes. Unfortunately, the excavation of the characters is too shallow, and the storyline tends to be cliche.
Unlike the Z Nation series, Black Summer is a two-season, 16-episode Netflix series.
8. Helix
The world is facing the threat of a dangerous virus that can turn sufferers into zombies.
At least this is believed by scientists who come to Antarctica to carry out investigations related to the discovery of a strange disease in a research facility. and they would likely be in life-threatening danger if they didn’t get out of there quickly.
This sci-fi horror series tries to explain the origin story of a virus that creates a zombie outbreak. Away from the big city, the story feels deeper and more gripping, with good character development.
Broadcast on the Syfy channel, season 2 of this series could not match the quality of the first season, causing production for the next season to be cancelled.
9. The Returned
This supernatural drama series is a remake of the French-produced series Les Revenants. The American version is considered to be inferior in quality to the original version. Even so, The Return has a good scare factor and quite good character depth.
Unfortunately, the continuation of this series was canceled because it was deemed unable to meet expectations. Premiered on channel A&E in 2015, this 10-episode series also airs on Netflix. Want to try watching it?
10. Glitch
A policeman in a small town is shocked by the return to life of several people who have died. This group he called The Risen, and he kept its existence a secret with the help of a doctor.
These zombies have lost their memories and are trying to find out why they came back to life. It is certain that they are related to each other, but before they can get the answer, there is a big threat waiting for them.
James, the policeman, is also in a dilemma because one of the zombies is his late wife. Meanwhile, he is now married to another woman and will soon have a child.
This Australian-produced horror drama series offers an interesting premise that emphasizes the human side of stories about zombies.
The first season was immediately awarded “Best Television Drama” at the AACTA Awards, and season 2 was nominated in the same category the following year.
With a thick impression of mystery, this series keeps our curiosity growing as the story deepens. Airing on Australia’s ABC TV station, three seasons of the series are distributed internationally by Netflix. It would be a shame if this series just passed.
Those are the 10 best series with the theme of zombies. Indeed, most of these series have a similar premise, namely the effort to survive in the midst of a world filled with zombies.
But each also has its own uniqueness that makes the series worth watching. And keep in mind that this horror sub-genre has many loyal fans.
Some of the series above are already available on various popular streaming platforms in full. Die-hard fan or not, I think you should try watching at least one of these series. You will undoubtedly become addicted! Happy watching, OK?
