12 Best Shows Like The Walking Dead: Dead City to Watch Next (2026)
Want more post-apocalyptic drama after Dead City? Explore 12 zombie and survival series with tense stakes, strong characters, and bleak worlds.
If you’re searching for shows like The Walking Dead: Dead City, the best picks usually mix survival pressure, uneasy alliances, and a world that feels one bad decision away from collapse. This list leans into that same mix with titles such as The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Black Summer, and The Last of Us. You’ll also find stories that push the apocalypse in different directions, from the sealed-off tension of Happiness to the ensemble survival of Station Eleven and the zombie chaos of All of Us Are Dead. Whether you want grief, danger, or a struggle to stay human, there’s a strong match here.
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01
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
drama · horror · thriller
Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead... And ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they've ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive – or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?
Why watch: If you liked the character-driven side of The Walking Dead universe, this is an easy next stop. It centers on Rick and Michonne in a new struggle shaped by both the dead and the living.
Directed by Bertie Ellwood, Michael E. Satrazemis, Michael Slovis, Amber TemplemoreCast Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Pollyanna McIntosh, Terry O'Quinn, Lesley-Ann BrandtAMC+More details on IMDb → -
02
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
1 Emmy nomination
drama · horror
Daryl washes ashore in France and struggles to piece together how he got there and why. The series tracks his journey across a broken but resilient France as he hopes to find a way back home. As he makes the journey, though, the connections he forms along the way complicate his ultimate plan.
Why watch: If you want another story from the same franchise, this one may be the closest fit. It follows Daryl in a broken France, with drama and horror shaping his search for a way home.
Directed by Daniel Percival, Michael Slovis, Tim Southam, Paco Cabezas, Greg NicoteroCast Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Romain Levi, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Clémence PoésyNetflixAmazon Prime VideoAMC+More details on IMDb → -
03
Black Summer
action · drama · horror · thriller
In the dark, early days of a zombie apocalypse, complete strangers band together to find the strength they need to survive and get back to loved ones.
Why watch: If you enjoy fast-moving survival stories with a darker edge, this could work well for you. Its premise follows strangers trying to make it through the early days of a zombie outbreak.
Directed by John Hyams, Abram CoxCast Jaime King, Justin Chu Cary, Christine Lee, Zoe Marlett, Kelsey FlowerNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
04
Marvel Zombies
animation · action · adventure · drama · fantasy · horror · sci-fi
After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.
Why watch: If you like zombie stories with action, adventure, and a bigger genre blend, this title stands out. It adds animation and fantasy to a world where the Avengers face a zombie plague.
Directed by Bryan AndrewsCast Iman Vellani, Todd Williams, David Boat, Robin Atkin Downes, Terri DouglasDisney PlusMore details on IMDb → -
05
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.
Why watch: If you want a highly rated survival story with strong drama and horror elements, this is worth a look. It follows a harsh journey across the United States after civilization has fallen.
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 → -
06
Newtopia
action · comedy · drama · fantasy · horror · romance · thriller
Jae-yoon, a late military enlistee, and his girlfriend, Young-joo, break up over the phone over growing misunderstandings. But a zombie outbreak rocks the world. A national emergency is declared, a plane crashes in the city center, and Jae-yoon and his unit get trapped on top of a Seoul skyscraper. Young-joo risks the zombie-filled streets to find him. Can their love survive the apocalypse?
Why watch: If you prefer zombie chaos mixed with romance and some comedy, this one may appeal to you. It pairs a citywide outbreak with a relationship story under extreme pressure.
Directed by Yoon SunghyunCast Park Jeong-min, Kim Jisoo, Lee Hak-joo, Kim Jeong-jin, Kim Jun-hanAmazon Prime VideoMore details on IMDb → -
07
The Walking Dead
Won 2 Emmys 16 nominations
drama · horror · thriller
Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating zombies. He sets out to find his family and encounters many other survivors along the way.
Why watch: If you want the franchise that helped define this kind of post-apocalyptic horror-drama, start here. It’s a good match for viewers who like long-running survival tension and survivor dynamics.
Directed by Greg Nicotero, Michael E. Satrazemis, David Boyd, Ernest Dickerson, Guy FerlandCast Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Christian Serratos, Josh McDermittNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
08
The Stand
adventure · drama · fantasy · horror · sci-fi · thriller
In a world mostly wiped out by the plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil, the fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man.
Why watch: If you’re interested in a plague story with a broader fantasy-sci-fi angle, this may suit you. Its focus on a handful of survivors and a larger struggle between good and evil gives it a different flavor.
Directed by Josh Boone, Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy, Chris Fisher, Vincenzo NataliCast James Marsden, Odessa Young, Alexander Skarsgård, Whoopi Goldberg, Gordon CormierParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
09
Z Nation
action · comedy · drama · horror · romance · sci-fi
Three years after the zombie virus has gutted the country, a team of everyday heroes must transport the only known survivor of the plague from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab waits for his blood.
Why watch: If you like zombie road-trip setups with action and a lighter genre mix, this could be a fit. The premise centers on a team escorting the only known survivor across the country.
Directed by Abram Cox, Dan Merchant, John Hyams, Alexander Yellen, Jodi BinstockCast Russell Hodgkinson, Nat Zang, Keith Allan, Kellita Smith, Anastasia BaranovaTubiPeacock PremiumAMC+More details on IMDb → -
10
Happiness
action · drama · fantasy · horror · thriller
A new type of deadly virus spread throughout the city, and the apartment where has different social classes of people is sealed off. With the fear of the virus, and the conflicts of the different classes, the residents have to spend and survive in the new habitation.
Why watch: If you enjoy contained survival stories with pressure building inside one location, this is a strong choice. Its sealed apartment setting and class conflict add extra tension to the virus outbreak.
Directed by Ahn Gil-hoCast Han Hyo-joo, Park Hyung-sik, Jo Woo-jin, Park Joo-hee, Lee Joon-hyukNetflixMore details on IMDb → -
11
Station Eleven
7 Emmy nominations Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (2022)
adventure · drama · fantasy · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
The survivors of a devastating flu attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew – while holding on to the best of what’s been lost.
Why watch: If you want a more reflective post-disaster series, this one is a good match. It follows survivors trying to rebuild while holding on to what came before.
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa, Helen Shaver, Hiro Murai, Lucy TcherniakCast Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler, David Wilmot, Nabhaan RizwanMaxMore details on IMDb → -
12
All of Us Are Dead
action · drama · fantasy · horror · sci-fi · thriller
A high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out — or turn into one of the rabid infected.
Why watch: If you like school-set outbreak stories with action and horror, this should be on your list. It follows trapped students fighting their way out of a zombie virus crisis.
Directed by J.Q. Lee, Kim Nam-SooCast Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Park Solomon, Kim Bo-YoonNetflixMore details on IMDb →
Wrapping Up
What ties these picks together is the same core appeal: people trying to survive when the world has already fallen apart, and every choice matters. Some lean harder into horror, while others focus more on character, conflict, or rebuilding after disaster. If you want more post-apocalyptic stories with suspense and emotional stakes, bookmark this page and come back later. We update it regularly so you can keep finding new options that fit the mood you’re after.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these shows similar to The Walking Dead: Dead City?
These picks were matched by tone, themes, and story style using a similarity model trained on plot synopses, genres, and cast — not just shared genre tags — so the connection runs deeper than a simple category match.