20 Best Action TV Shows on Max 2026
Discover Max’s most exciting action-packed series, from Game of Thrones and The Last of Us to Banshee, Barry, and more must-watch picks.
If you want a lineup of high-energy series with big fights, sharp stakes, and standout performances, Max has plenty worth diving into. This guide rounds up the best action TV shows on Max, from the dragon-filled scale of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones to the gritty survival drama of The Last of Us and the war epic Band of Brothers. You’ll also find genre-blending favorites like Banshee, Barry, and The Pacific, plus newer must-sees such as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. With adventure, drama, fantasy, and even a touch of romance in the mix, there’s something here for every mood. We’ve sorted through a broader list so you can jump straight to the shows that deliver the biggest payoff.
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01
Lanterns
action & adventure · crime · drama · mystery & thriller · science-fiction
Two intergalactic cops, new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, are drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
Directed by James Hawes, Geeta Vasant Patel, Alik Sakharov, Stephen WilliamsCast Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna JagannathanMaxMore details on IMDb → -
02
House of the Dragon
Won 2 Emmys Outstanding Drama Series (2023) · 15 nominations
action · adventure · drama · fantasy · romance
The Targaryen dynasty is at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins when King Viserys breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.
Directed by Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel, Miguel Sapochnik, Greg Yaitanes, Loni PeristereCast Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Sonoya Mizuno, Kurt EgyiawanMaxMore details on IMDb → -
03
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Won 1 Emmy Outstanding Drama Series (2026) · 9 nominations
action · adventure · drama · fantasy
A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros: a young, naive but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits await these improbable and incomparable friends.
Directed by Owen Harris, Sarah Adina Smith, Andrea HarkinCast Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Daniel Ings, Shaun Thomas, Danny WebbMaxMore details on IMDb → -
04
The Last of Us
Won 9 Emmys Outstanding Drama Series (2023) · 40 nominations
action · adventure · drama · horror · sci-fi · thriller
Twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.
Directed by Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, Peter Hoar, Ali Abbasi, Jeremy WebbCast Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, Young MazinoMaxMore details on IMDb → -
05
Game of Thrones
Won 59 Emmys Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2011) · 161 nominations
action · adventure · drama · fantasy
Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and icy horrors beyond.
Directed by David Nutter, Alan Taylor, Alex Graves, Miguel Sapochnik, Mark MylodCast Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Sophie TurnerMaxMore details on IMDb →
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06
Banshee
Won 1 Emmy
action · crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Banshee is an American drama television series set in a small town in Pennsylvania Amish country and features an enigmatic ex-con posing as a murdered sheriff who imposes his own brand of justice while also cooking up plans that serve his own interests.
Directed by Ole Christian Madsen, Greg Yaitanes, Loni Peristere, S.J. Clarkson, Miguel SapochnikCast Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Matt ServittoMaxMore details on IMDb → -
07
Band of Brothers
Won 6 Emmys 19 nominations
action · drama · history · war
Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as their journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men from paratrooper training in Georgia through the end of the war. As an elite rifle company parachuting into Normandy early on D-Day morning, participants in the Battle of the Bulge, and witness to the horrors of war, the men of Easy knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear - and became the stuff of legend. Based on Stephen E. Ambrose's acclaimed book of the same name.
Directed by David Frankel, Mikael Salomon, Tom Hanks, David Leland, Richard LoncraineCast Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor, Donnie WahlbergMaxMore details on IMDb → -
08
Adventure Time
Won 8 Emmys 16 nominations
animation · action · adventure · comedy · family · fantasy · sci-fi
Unlikely heroes Finn and Jake are buddies who traverse the mystical Land of Ooo. The best of friends, our heroes always find themselves in the middle of escapades. Finn and Jake depend on each other through thick and thin.
Directed by Bong Hee Han, Larry Leichliter, Elizabeth Ito, Andres Salaff, Adam MutoCast John DiMaggio, Jeremy Shada, Tom Kenny, Hynden Walch, Niki YangHuluMaxMore details on IMDb → -
09
Batman: The Animated Series
Won 1 Emmy
animation · action · adventure · crime · family · mystery · sci-fi
Vowing to avenge the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne devotes his life to wiping out crime in Gotham City as the masked vigilante "Batman".
Directed by Kevin Altieri, Boyd Kirkland, Frank Paur, Dan Riba, Dick SebastCast Kevin Conroy, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings, Loren Lester, Robert CostanzoAmazon Prime VideoMaxMore details on IMDb → -
10
Barry
Won 10 Emmys 2x Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series · 54 nominations
action · comedy · crime · drama
A listless hitman is enthralled by theatre acting and becomes eager to leave his old life behind in pursuit of a new career.
Directed by Bill Hader, Alec Berg, Hiro Murai, Maggie Carey, Liza JohnsonCast Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Henry WinklerMaxMore details on IMDb → -
11
Peacemaker
2 Emmy nominations
action · adventure · comedy · crime · drama · fantasy · sci-fi
The continuing story of Peacemaker, a vainglorious superhero/supervillain who believes in peace at any cost — no matter how many people he has to kill. After a miraculous recovery from his duel with Bloodsport, Peacemaker soon discovers that his freedom comes at a price.
Directed by James Gunn, Alethea Jones, Greg Mottola, Brad Anderson, Jody HillCast John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, Steve AgeeMaxMore details on IMDb → -
12
Dune: Prophecy
4 Emmy nominations
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi
Ten thousand years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen establish the fabled sect and female order that would become known as the Bene Gesserit to control the future of humankind.
Directed by Richard J. Lewis, Anna Foerster, John Cameron, Roxann Dawson, Daniel AttiasCast Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Chloe Lea, Travis Fimmel, Jade AnoukaMaxMore details on IMDb → -
13
The Pacific
Won 8 Emmys 24 nominations
action · adventure · drama · history · war
Track the intertwined real-life stories of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie, John Basilone, and Eugene Sledge – across the vast canvas of the Pacific Theater during World War II. A companion piece to the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers.
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa, Timothy Van Patten, David Nutter, Carl Franklin, Tony ToCast James Badge Dale, Joseph Mazzello, Jon Seda, Ashton Holmes, Josh HelmanMaxMore details on IMDb → -
14
Rome
Won 7 Emmys 15 nominations
action · drama · romance · war
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
Directed by Michael Apted, Mikael Salomon, Allen Coulter, Alan Poul, Steve ShillCast Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon, James PurefoyMaxMore details on IMDb → -
15
Doom Patrol
1 Emmy nomination
action · adventure · comedy · crime · drama · fantasy · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
The Doom Patrol’s members each suffered horrible accidents that gave them superhuman abilities — but also left them scarred and disfigured. Traumatized and downtrodden, the team found purpose through The Chief, who brought them together to investigate the weirdest phenomena in existence — and to protect Earth from what they find.
Directed by Chris Manley, Omar Madha, Kristin Windell, Dermott Downs, Harry JierjianCast Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Matt Bomer, Riley Shanahan, Brendan FraserMaxMore details on IMDb → -
16
Trigger Point
action · crime · drama · mystery · thriller
For London's bomb disposal experts, no day is ever the same as they risk their lives protecting the city from harm.
Directed by Jennie Darnell, Audrey Cooke, Gilles Bannier, Jon East, Jamie DonoughueCast Vicky McClure, Eric Shango, Natalie Simpson, Maanuv Thiara, Nabil ElouahabiPeacock PremiumMaxMore details on IMDb → -
17
My Adventures with Superman
animation · action · adventure · comedy · family · fantasy · romance · sci-fi
Twenty-somethings Clark Kent, the bright and driven Lois Lane, and their best friend Jimmy Olsen begin to discover who they are and everything they can accomplish together as an investigative reporting team at the Daily Planet.
Directed by Jen Bennett, Diana Huh, Christina Manrique, Grace Liu, Chris PalmerCast Jack Quaid, Alice Lee, Ishmel Sahid, Max Mittelman, Kiana MadeiraMaxMore details on IMDb → -
18
Our Flag Means Death
action · adventure · biography · comedy · history · romance
After trading in the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede Bonnet becomes captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard. Stede and crew attempt to get their ship together and survive life on the high seas.
Directed by Fernando Frias, Andrew DeYoung, Nacho Vigalondo, Bertie Ellwood, Amber TemplemoreCast Rhys Darby, Joel Fry, Samson Kayo, Matthew Maher, Nathan FoadMaxMore details on IMDb → -
19
Primal
Won 7 Emmys 8 nominations
animation · action · adventure · drama · fantasy · horror
A caveman forms a bond with a dinosaur as they struggle to survive in a hostile world.
Directed by Genndy TartakovskyCast Aaron LaPlante, Laëtitia Eïdo, Fred Tatasciore, Imari Williams, Jon OlsonMaxMore details on IMDb → -
20
The Dark Wizard
documentary · action · biography
An unflinching portrait of Dean Potter, the world's most influential and controversial climber, base jumper and highline walker, who achieves jaw-dropping feats while battling his inner demons.
Directed by Peter Mortimer, Nick RosenCast Dean Potter, Dean Fidelman, Timmy O'Neill, Jim Hurst, Eric PerlmanMaxMore details on IMDb →
Wrapping Up
Whether you want swords, soldiers, zombies, or morally messy antiheroes, this list gives you a strong place to start. The mix of classic hits and newer releases makes it easy to find something that fits your taste, no matter which kind of thrill you prefer. Bookmark this page and come back when you’re ready for your next binge, because it’s updated regularly as new titles arrive and the roster changes. If you’re choosing what to watch tonight, these picks should make the decision much easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is this list updated?
We refresh this list regularly as titles are added or removed from streaming catalogs, so rankings and availability stay current.
Do I need a Max subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on Max. Availability can change, so we recommend checking the streaming link on each title before you start watching.
How are these action shows ranked?
We rank by a combination of audience rating and current popularity, so you're seeing the action titles people are actually watching right now, not just an old fixed list.