12 Best TV Shows Like Banshee

Antony Starr has established himself as one of the most fearsome actors working, playing sinister characters with a devilishness that's hard to match. Long before he was a star, however, Starr starred in a little-seen action drama called "Banshee," a series that audiences are now discovering after digging into the actor's back catalog now that he's become famous.

A Cinemax original that debuted in 2013, "Banshee" is the story of an unnamed ex-con (Starr) who has just been released after a lengthy prison sentence. But he can't simply turn over a new leaf and take his second chance at freedom, because enemies from his past continue to follow him. To stay one step ahead, he steals the identity of a recently murdered small-town sheriff and sets up shop as a do-gooding law enforcer.

A fast-paced thrill ride, "Banshee" is buoyed by Starr's impressive performance as a haunted man who can't seem to stay clean. With a sickening sense of humor and some of the best action you'll see on the small screen, it's no wonder it's quickly becoming a cult classic. But if you've finished its four-season run, don't worry — we've got a list of 12 more shows like "Banshee" for you to watch next.

In both "Banshee" and "Justified" we meet a man who attempts to bring his own brand of justice to a backwater town, and it doesn't always agree with the law — even though he is the law. In the case of "Banshee," it's a hero who is pretending to be a sheriff, though, while in "Justified," our maverick man is Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens, a sworn officer of the law. And while he may not be a hardened ex-con, he's a man who doesn't play by the rules and isn't above going rogue.

The series, which ran for six seasons on FX in the 2010s, follows Givens' return to his hometown of Harlan County, Kentucky, after a suspicious on-the-job shooting. When he gets there, his old home is still rife with criminal activity, and he soon finds himself going up against all manner of criminals, from kidnappers and bail jumpers to bank robbers and hardened killers. He'll even go up against the Dixie Mafia, but his greatest nemesis is an old coal mining buddy named Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), a drug-running gangster who always seems to be one step ahead of him.

A series that pulls few punches, "Justified" is the best modern Western ever made, and with its sequel, "Justified: City Primeval," it perfectly matches the action of "Banshee" hit for hit with a hero that isn't always out for the greater good — sometimes he just wants to hurt the bad guys. 

"Banshee" centers on a tough-as-nails ex-con who comes back into the free world after a lengthy prison stint, only to find people still gunning for him. Well, if that's the angle that got you hooked, the best next series to watch would be "Tulsa King" starring Sylvester Stallone. The "Rocky" star plays Dwight Manfredi, a New York mafia man who's just been released from a decades-long stint behind bars after refusing to snitch on the family.

After getting out of the clink, however, Manfredi finds he doesn't get the happy greeting he expected. Instead of receiving a hero's welcome for keeping the mob's secrets, he's instead shipped off to the backwater burg of Tulsa, Oklahoma, with orders to oversee new mafia operations there. And he does just that, recruiting a ragtag group of miscreants to build a fledgling drug empire that quickly becomes the talk of the town. The only problem is that, feeling betrayed by his brothers back in New York, Manfredi decides to run things on his own, which angers both his Big Apple cohorts and rival mafia men who want the territory for themselves.

A brutal series that also has a humorous side, like "Banshee," there's plenty of dirty dealing, high-octane action, and big, bare-knuckled brawls to satisfy any fan's thirst. What else would you expect from the Italian Stallion?

There are few actors on television who can match the intensity of Antony Starr in "Banshee," and even fewer who can play a bruiser with as much conviction. If anyone can, however, it's Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher, the title character in Amazon's smash hit "Reacher," adapted from the thriller novels of Lee Child. You might be familiar with the Tom Cruise films about the character, but the TV version is even better, a no-holds-barred action thriller with riveting detective stories and plenty of fist-first action.

Ritchson wrecked his body to bring Reacher to life as an imposing figure who can strike fear into his enemies with a single glare, much like Antony Starr in "Banshee." Reacher, however, is a former military police officer who now operates as an off-the-books law enforcer. Something of a drifter, Reacher swaggers into town with a mission to help the underdog, taking up the cases that the police can't or won't take themselves. With the help of stalwart allies, including police captain Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) and private detective Frances Neagley (Maria Sten), he sets out to right wrongs and get justice for the little guy.

Receiving rave reviews from fans for its gritty stories, "Reacher" is the perfect companion to "Banshee." It strikes the right balance between action, mystery, and powerful stories with a message, to leave you with something to think about after each episode.

Part of the allure of "Banshee" is the sheer brutality of Antony Starr's unnamed protagonist. And you'll find no one more brutal than Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, AKA the Punisher. It's the same kind of viscerally violent series about a man on the run — but this time, he's out to clean up the streets, one body at a time.

For the unfamiliar, the Punisher is a war veteran who returns home only to have his entire family murdered. Feeling like the system failed him, Frank Castle takes matters into his own hands and becomes a one-man army out to exact punishment on the criminal underworld at any cost. When the series begins, Castle is already a notorious killer hunted by the Department of Homeland Security for his murderous crimes. But one of the investigators believes that Castle may have information about the death of her old partner from his previous life as a soldier.

Rather than a man escaping his dark past, Frank Castle is a man dead set on making a future as a dealer of death. And if it's the action from "Banshee" you're looking for, you won't get much better than "The Punisher." Now is also the perfect time to catch up on the series, as Bernthal returns in 2025 with a new "Punisher" movie on Disney+. 

"Banshee" is the story of a man just out of prison who takes on a false identity in order to escape his former life as a killer. If you're looking for a story in a similar vein, then "Sneaky Pete" might be the show for you. The series centers on Marius Josipovic (Giovanni Ribisi), who has recently been released from prison, but is unable to escape his old life. Instead, he attempts to start a new one under an assumed name, just like Antony Starr's unnamed protagonist. 

Marius is in debt to a man named Vince Lonigan (Bryan Cranston) — an ex-cop turned top-level criminal — and he devises a plan to evade the prying eyes of anyone who might come looking for him. During his time in the slammer, he learned just about everything there is to know about his former cellmate Pete Murphy (Ethan Embry), enough to make the daring decision to steal his identity and live as Pete on the outside. But he soon finds out that his new life might be just as complicated as the one he's trying to leave behind.

A collaborative effort from "House" creator David Shore and "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston, "Sneaky Pete" is essentially "Banshee" if it were a comedy, with the predicaments Marius faces from his ruse being played for laughs. 

One of the biggest reasons to watch "Banshee" is Antony Starr. He gives a head-turning performance, and if you want more of him, there's really only one place to start: The Amazon superhero series "The Boys." Even if you haven't seen it, you've probably heard about it, and the rumors are true: Starr gives arguably one of the best villainous performances in the history of the superhero genre, one so powerful that Starr has insisted he'll never play another superhero.

Set in a fantastical version of the real world where superheroes have been around for generations, "The Boys" revolves around a small group of ordinary people on a mission to expose the monolithic Vought Corporation. Vought is the company behind the creation of the world's superheroes, funding a government-sanctioned superteam called The Seven, led by the patriotic Homelander (Starr). But these heroes are far from noble do-gooders. Though their PR team has led the people to believe they are Boy Scouts, they are fiendish, corrupt, and — in Homelander's case — genocidal madmen with delusions of grandeur.

With a jaw-dropping performance from Starr — a villainous "hero" so vile it's hard to describe — "The Boys" features a world-class cast that includes Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, and Jensen Ackles. Wildly popular for its ridiculous levels of violence and gore, it's also one of the best superhero shows ever made, and already has multiple spin-offs.

"Preacher" will appeal to fans of "Banshee" for its grim tone and story of a haunted man on the run. His name is Jesse Custer, and he has a target on his back the size of Texas, pursued by everyone from a greedy cattle baron to a corrupt sheriff and a diabolical killer who serves God. "Preacher" isn't just a guns-blazing action-drama like "Banshee," it's also a supernatural series with a deeply religious story.

Adapted from the comic book by late artist Steve Dillon and writer Garth Ennis — the same man behind "The Boys" — "Preacher" begins with Jesse Custer at the bottom of a bottle and ready to give up on his faith. He's hardly the kind of man you'd expect to be a servant of the Lord, but his entire life and purpose change when he is infused with the power of a heavenly angel, granting him extraordinary power. Now, with the help of Irish vampire Cassidy and a gun-toting outlaw named Tulip O'Hare (Ruth Negga), he sets out on a justice-seeking journey to help those in need and discover the truth about what's really happened to him.

Wickedly funny, off-the-wall bizarre, and insatiably violent, "Preacher" has few comparables, but its tone and themes will resonate with fans of "Banshee."

If it's the "man on the run" story you're looking for after "Banshee," the series to watch next would be "Mr. Robot." Though its story is a wild departure from "Banshee," it provides the same tense thrills as a criminal vigilante attempts to outrun his pursuers, all while continuing his crime spree. But the hero in "Mr. Robot" isn't a cold-blooded killer: He's a digital revolutionary, a cyber hacker hoping to expose the crimes of those in power. 

Rami Malek stars in "Mr. Robot" as Elliot Alderson, a computer programmer who is contacted by a mysterious figure calling himself "Mr. Robot." The shadowy agent is a well-known and sinister hacktivist who recruits Alderson in his plot to expose E-Corp, a global mega corporation that runs the world's financial institutions. Now, it's up to Alderson to untangle a vast web of conspiracies while staying one step ahead of the law, who see Mr. Robot and his ilk as a deadly threat to the world order. 

A mind-boggling sci-fi thriller, "Mr. Robot" weaves together high-tech espionage stories with political intrigue and a fugitive chase into a captivating series that will have your head spinning. Dramatic reveals, unexpected twists, and intense action, the series' themes of redemption will surely remind fans of "Banshee" even if it's a very different kind of story.

Fans of "Banshee" will find a lot to love in the works of Taylor Sheridan, the man behind hits such as "Yellowstone." A master of the modern neo-Western, his stories often involve complicated heroes who border on villainry, much like "Banshee," with stories of justice and redemption on both sides of the law. But if you've just finished "Banshee," the best Taylor Sheridan series to watch afterward is "Mayor of Kingstown," about the prison industrial complex in a small town run by an unscrupulous family (and inspired by a real place).

The series takes place in the fictional city of Kingstown, Michigan, a small town that is far from the thriving community it once was. Keeping things afloat is the McClusky clan, a powerful family in the region whose business is the prison system. "Avengers" star Jeremy Renner headlines the series as Mike McClusky, himself an ex-con who serves as the town's chief of order, so to speak — the titular Mayor of Kingstown — even if he isn't an elected official. All business in the town runs through the McKluskys, who are often as dirty as the criminals they keep incarcerated.

A more political series than "Banshee," "Mayor of Kingstown" explores similar ideas of complicated heroes with a dark past. A more serious drama with a message about the harsh realities of keeping law and order, the series is punctuated by bitter violence and nail-biting suspense.

"Banshee" is the brainchild of Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler, and one of the best things about it is its fast-paced fight scenes that seem to have a life of their own. Want more of that slick fight choreography? Try "Warrior," a 2019 action series on Apple TV+ that comes from the mind of "Banshee" co-creator Jonathan Tropper and executive producer Justin Lin. A martial arts series, it is based on the works of the legendary Bruce Lee, one of the greatest action movie stars of all time.

"Warrior" flashes back to the late 19th century in San Francisco, when a wave of Chinese immigrants was flooding American shores in search of economic opportunity. But Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) isn't there to start a new life — he's come to San Francisco in search of his sister Xiaojing (Olivie Cheng), who he hasn't heard from in years. When he arrives, Sahm discovers that Xiaojing is now a ruthless warrior woman running an infamous brothel on the seedy side of the city's Chinatown district.

"Warrior" puts a new spin on a martial arts classic, but has everything a fan of "Banshee" could want in an action series — flying fists of fury in some of the best hand-to-hand combat sequences you'll ever see on a small screen, as Sahm battles the criminal underworld. Airing first on Cinemax, "Warrior" moved to HBO Max for its third and final season.

After "Banshee," there are plenty of shows to pop on next, but if it's the crime drama elements you want with a hero who plays both sides of the law, "Ray Donovan" should be your next watch. Airing on Showtime for seven seasons, "Donovan" stars big screen star Liev Schreiber as the title character, a big-time bruiser who's found a way to turn thuggery into a business. 

Donovan, who once ran his father's gym, now owns his own private security agency of sorts, operating as a notorious "fixer" in Hollywood. With clients all over the Los Angeles area, his job is to ensure that the scandalous behavior of some of the world's richest and most powerful figures stays out of the headlines. Whether an extramarital affair or underhanded criminal behavior, Donovan must do everything possible to ensure the safety of his client's reputation. And that often means skirting the law and intimidating through violence, something Donovan seems to relish more and more. At the same time, Donovan is also dealing with his troubled relationship with his father (Jon Voight), who has recently been released from a rather lengthy prison stint.

A balls-to-the-wall crime drama — more than a straight action show like "Banshee" — "Ray Donovan" delights in violence but explores the grim nature of Hollywood nightlife.

"Banshee" has a bit of a dark sense of humor at times, and with a hardened killer as its central figure, you might see a lot of tonal and thematic similarities with the HBO dramedy "Barry." Created by star Bill Hader and "Seinfeld" writer Alec Berg, the series is as dark as comedy gets on the small screen, with Hader starring as a reserved but cold-blooded hitman who has a personal crisis that makes him reevaluate his life.

Feeling increasingly isolated by his sinister line of work, Barry attempts to put himself outside his comfort zone by joining a group of aspiring thespians in a local acting class. There, he finds that many of the would-be Hollywood stars are suffering from the same feeling of loneliness and depression that he is, and he finds solace in his time with them. Suddenly, he realizes that his life could be so much more, and wants to put the life of a killer behind him to pursue acting. But as in "Banshee," Barry finds that trying to escape the life of a killer isn't so easy, and his past troubles continue to follow him, no matter how hard he tries to start a new chapter in life.

A charming, violent, hysterically funny, and at times truly poignant series, "Barry" won Hader a slew of Emmy award nominations (and a 2019 win) — not just for his performance as the title character either, but for writing and directing as well.