20 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows With Lots of Plot Twists

Sci-fi is one of the most unique genres out there. When translated into televised format, it allows creators and showrunners to build elaborate worlds and future realities out of a two-sentence premise. And while scientific accuracy and convincing settings are obviously top priorities, it is also important for sci-fi TV shows to take unexpected narrative turns to truly fascinate viewers.

These shows pull the rug under you in jaw-dropping fashion, featuring plot twists that feel like an adrenaline rush, forcing you to trace the steps back and see if you missed clues that were hidden in plain sight all along. They make you so invested in the characters and their dilemmas that you’re genuinely shocked when you witness that cinematic moment.

In this list, we have rounded up 20 top science fiction TV shows that induce the kind of unexpected gasps and double takes only the most ingenious plot twists can spark. Each of these shows leverage some kind of subversive plot point or orchestrate a major revealing moment and leave you with a sense of awe and appreciation for the genre. So, let’s get started.

20 Sense8 (2015 – 2018)

In Sense8, a group of randomly chosen strangers from different parts of the world suddenly find themselves mentally and emotionally connected. The connection allows them to see, feel, and experience each other’s life as their own. As the sensation overwhelms them, the rangers grow more desperate to find the truth about their condition. But a mysterious organization seeks to eliminate them.

An Emotionally Charged TV Show

Over its two seasons, legendary filmmakers Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski try to create a show that explores what it means to be human. Considering recent sci-fi TV shows, Sense8 features some of the most emotionally powerful storylines – from Wolfgang’s criminal dealings to Sun Baek’s desire for freedom. Keeping viewers invested through episodic cliffhangers and the central mystery about all connected sensates is what makes the show stand out.

19 Sliders (1995 – 2000)

The main protagonist of Sliders is Quinn Mallory, who develops a method of controlled dimensional sliding under the guidance of his mentor, Professor Maximillian Arturo. Along with his other friends, he ends up making a timer-controlled device that allows people to “slide” between different dimensions of reality after a vortex-like wormhole opens up and they all get sucked in.

However, after their first attempt, they realize that their timer has forgotten home coordinates, and how the group must “slide” from one reality to another in search of home.

Delivers Non-Stop Adventure

For a premise so straightforward, it’s surprising that the Sliders went on for five seasons. The show explores thrill-riding alternate worlds, everything from women dominating authority to American colonists having lost the Revolutionary War. While their slides are never certain, one thing was – the crew always found themselves in deadly peril. Despite a few inconsistencies in the plot, Sliders kept viewers entertained with its limited plot twists and portrayal of sci-fi dystopias.

18 Counterpart (2017 – 2019)

Counterpart stars J. K. Simmons as Howard Silk, a good-mannered, quiet office worker, whose job at a Berlin-based United Nations agency as the Office of Interchange has rewarded him for thirty years. Except, he doesn’t really know what his agency does.

The series later reveals that it is simply a front that monitors parallel Earths – Alpha world and Prime world – that were created in 1987 during an experiment by East Germany. With a war waged between the two worlds, Howard tries to make himself as useful as possible.

Espionage Thriller Filled with Intrigue

This intelligent gem of science fiction is also a criminally underrated one. Created by Justin Marks, Counterpart delivered exquisitely layered storylines across mirrored words, with the collision of worlds, the differences in reflections or backgrounds, and the escalating tensions taking center stage. Simmons owns his dual roles as the clueless Alpha World Howards and the ruthless Prime World Howard. Critics praised its espionage actions, engrossing plot twists, and deepening lore.

Related: 20 Best Hard Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time

17 12 Monkeys (2015 – 2018)

Set in a bleak and dark future, 12 Monkeys tells the story of James Cole, a scavenger who has been recruited for a mission to time travel from the year 2043 to the year 2015 to stop a virus that will wipe out nearly all humanity in the future. But in order to do that, he must first locate the enigmatic organization Army of the 12 Monkeys, then battle them. Cole teams up with a virologist named Cassandra Railly and together, they unravel the army’s plan before it’s too late.

A Triumph in Constructive Storytelling

12 Monkeys is spread meticulously over four gripping seasons. It is adapted from the 1995 film of the same name, which was directed by Terry Gilliam, and it raises the bar for serialized storytelling with its jaw-dropping reveals and ever-deepening mysteries. While Cole’s splintered timelines and the impending epidemic kept viewers focused on the show, standout performances from Amanda Schull and Emily Hampshire left even the most seasoned sci-fi fans stunned.

16 Altered Carbon (2018 – 2020)

Based on Richard K. Morgan’s cyberpunk noir novel of the same name, Altered Carbon is a science fiction thriller like no other. It introduces fans to a future where technology has made it possible to transfer human consciousness from one body to another and death is basically non-existence.

Known as “sleeves,” these synthetic bodies allow people’s minds to live forever. Takeshi Kovacs, a former elite interstellar warrior, has been dead for centuries, until he’s given a chance to resurrect himself in exchange for solving a murder.

An Unusual Neo-Noir Sci-Fi

The fact that the man who employs Kovacs, wealthy businessman Laurens Bancroft, wants him to solve his own murder, itself is the biggest plot twist in Altered Carbon. The series embraces its R-rated source material and infuses it with slick style, stunning visuals, and haunting cinematography.

Joel Kinnaman and Anthony Mackie bring nuance to Kovacs’ character. But the true star of the series is the exploration of identity in a context where the body is simply a vessel and that consciousness is the soul.

15 The OA (2016 – 2019)

Brit Marling, the creator and executive producer of this genre-defying sci-fi series alongside Zal Batmanglij, stars in The OA as a young woman named Prairie Johnson. After being missing for seven years, she suddenly reappears and claims to have supernatural abilities. When the FBI comes asking, Prairie says nothing. But to five locals, she reveals the truth about her experiences of being held captive underwater for years and how she learned to transport herself across dimensions.

The OA Was Canceled Too Soon

The OA, according to critics, is “Netflix’s strongest and strangest original production since Stranger Things.” It dabbles in various genres like sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and mystery, and over two hauntingly beautiful seasons, it urges the audiences to piece together clues about Prairie’s disappearance. Canceled prematurely because Netflix thought it would be “unsustainable” in the long run, The OA left on an unfinished note and proved sci-fi can leave out details and still be intriguing.

14 Legion (2017 – 2019)

The protagonist of Legion, David Haller, has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and placed in a psychiatric facility. A chance encounter with fellow patient Syd Barrett reveals that his complex reality is actually an elaborate superpower and that he can alter reality with his mind. The more David tries to unravel the mystery of his origin, the more he ends up exploiting his own powers. It doesn’t help that forces out there seek to use them for destruction.

Psychedelic Look at the Superhero Genre

Legion dabbles in various genres, like science fiction, superhero drama, psychological thriller. It delivers a dizzying take on all three and pulls viewers into its main character’s fractured psyche. The bold storytelling techniques that dive straight into his memories and his struggle to unleash the full extent of his powers leaves us in constant disbelief.

Based on the Marvel Comics and set in an alternate timeline of the X-Men film series, Legion is a great pick for fans looking for a TV show with limitless plot twists.

13 Orphan Black (2013 – 2017)

Before she became universally known as She-Hulk, Tatiana Maslany mesmerized fans with her Emmy-winning performance(s) in Orphan Black. The story is centered around streetwise hustler Sarah, who witnesses a woman that looks exactly like her committing suicide by jumping off of a train. Sarah assumes the woman’s identity as a way to escape her own life but soon finds out that she is just one of many clones created through a scientific movement called Neolution.

Meticulously Crafted Clone Conspiracy

Orphan Black brought a chilling sci-fi premise to television and used Maslany’s impressive talent to portray a swarm of identical yet uniquely skilled clones. It consists of five nail-biting seasons where viewers follow Sarah’s pursuit of the nefarious organization behind the clone mess. She is betrayed, supported, and manipulated.

Certain unexpected character deaths have a gut-punching effect. But beyond the twists and turns too, Orphan Black is “a good, solid show that understands its strengths and keeps playing to them.”

Related: The 15 Best Female-Led TV Series of the 2010s

12 Dark Angel (2000 – 2002)

Dark Angel is created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee and it follows Max Guevara, a genetically enhanced superhuman prototype, who escaped a military facility as a child. Now a grown-up, she tries to lead a normal life in a dystopian near-future Seattle. With her is Logan, a cyber journalist trying to battle corruption. Max is also looking for her brothers and sisters, other superhumans, who got scattered when they escaped.

Why It’s the Perfect Time to Watch Dark Angel

Jessica Alba’s breakthrough classic was way ahead of its time. It went on for two seasons, throughout which Max fought for survival and identity while evading capture from the shadowy organization that raised her. Dark Angel is set in a gritty yet visionary world, where repressed memories and mysterious pasts play a pivotal role in driving each character’s story forward. Decades later, even if the series is more or less forgotten, it has influenced many sci-fi TV shows that came after.

11 Mr. Robot (2015 – 2019)

In Mr. Robot, Rami Malek plays the role of Elliot Anderson, a young programmer working as a cybersecurity engineer at a company called Allsafe. Despite being extremely talented in his field, Elliot suffers from anxiety, clinical depression, and drug abuse. One night, he is recruited by the mysterious leader of an underground hacker group known as “fsociety.” They’re planning the biggest financial hack in history and could really use a vigilante hacker like him.

Consistently Delivers Plot Twists

Mr. Robot makes viewers jump headlong into Elliot’s conflicted psyche. Co-produced and directed by Sam Esmail, this cyber-thriller is more than just a show about hacking and taking down corrupt corporations. It is an examination of the modern world. It leverages real hacks and online culture to craft a disturbingly plausible dystopia. The plot points swivel in different directions all the time, but the show’s technical accuracy and constant paranoia creates the perfect balance.

10 Lost (2004 – 2010)

A list of sci-fi TV shows with huge plot twists would be incomplete without mentioning Lost. The premise of Lost goes something like this: After a commercial jet airliner flying between Sydney and Los Angeles crashes onto a deserted tropical island, the survivors are left to fend for themselves. They soon realize that this is no ordinary island, and even though each of them have their own issues, they’re forced to unite and undergo a series of experiences to make it out alive.

Relies on Flashbacks and Imaginary Mysteries

Lost has got everything – an outstanding pilot, heartfelt character arcs, a fast-moving plot with the most mind-blowing twists, a spellbinding integral mystery, unexpected character deaths, and a heartbreaking finale. Complex as it is, the series also fabricates its own intricate mythology, which prompts fans to make their own theories. Yet, what makes it stands out is its commentary on science versus faith and how imaginary mysteries work in connection to real life.

9 The Expanse (2015 – 2022)

Developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, The Expanse is set hundreds of years in the future, when humanity has colonized the Solar System and divided itself into three ruling powers – the United Nations of Earth, the Martian Congressional Republic, and the Outer Planets Alliance.

Political tensions between these factions are near breaking point, and amidst it all, detective Josephus Miller is sent on a mission to look for a missing woman, who might have a huge role in disrupting the system’s peace.

Space Operas Just Got Grittier

Faithful to its source material, which is a series of novels written by James S. A. Corey, the series “blends sci-fi elements and detective noir into a visually compelling whole.” It takes a few episodes for you to follow Rocinante crew’s escalating adventures and the overarching extraterrestrial mystery. But when you do, you begin to appreciate the bold use of colors, politically thrilling narratives, complex storytelling, unexpected plot twists, and gorgeous cinematography.

8 Doctor Who (1963 – Present)

Listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science-fiction television series in the world, Doctor Who centers around The Doctor, a mysterious yet fun-loving alien time traveler who hops through space and time to help people in need. With his companions, he boards his sentient time machine, the TARDIS, and embarks on fantastic adventures across planets, galaxies and eras.

Regenerates Itself for Newer Audiences

Doctor Who has been around for more than five decades, and for a show to evolve and stay fresh at the same time for 26 seasons is no joke. The BBC series achieves it by taking legions of colorful companions, switching up the dynamics between them, and regenerating global mysteries. From the iconic Time War arc to unforgettable villains like Cybermen and Daleks, no two narratives are ever the same. That said, Doctor Who is a timeless trailblazer in the genre.

Related: The 10 Most Famous Immortal Characters in TV Shows, Ranked

7 The Man in the High Castle (2015 – 2019)

The Man in the High Castle is an alternate-history drama adapted from Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel of the same name for Amazon Prime Video by Frank Spotnitz. In the series, we’re transported back to 1962, where, in a parallel universe, the allied powers have lost World War II to the Axis powers. America is now divided, with the East under Japanese control and the West under German dominion. But rumors about a different world kick start a rebellion.

An Alternate Look at History

By plunging viewers into a chilling “what if” scenario, The Man in the High Castle flips reality on its head and stimulates debate. The rich period detail paired with an escalating conspiracy make the deepening Cold War tensions between occupiers seem more suspenseful by the episode. The narrative choices and intriguing new possibilities were initially rejected by fans, but soon they found meaning and praised the show for its well-crafted blend of social and political commentary.

6 Black Mirror (2011 – Present)

A thought-provoking anthology series, Black Mirror is known for tapping into our collective insecurities with the rapidly modernizing world and its dependency on technology. Each stand-alone episode of the series tells a unique and frightening – and sometimes satirical – tale about what would happen if we let artificial intelligence take control. It gently pulls the rug from under you and reminds you that nothing really is going fine.

Science Fiction at its Finest

Without ever letting on where it’s headed, this critically-acclaimed anthology consistently delivers the most unsettling and all-too-real tales of technology gone south. Over six seasons, Black Mirror has produced a number of memorable episodes like “San Junipero” and “Bandersnatch,” which seem intelligent in concept and similar in tone but then slam you with the most unexpected narrative turns. Black Mirror won three consecutive Emmys and is constantly praised for its writing and editing.

5 Westworld (2016 – 2022)

The titular Westworld is a technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park created to cater to the demands of the ultra rich. At the park, wealthy visitors can live out their fantasies, both normal and outrageous, through human-like “hosts” who are artificially intelligent robots looking exactly like humans. These “hosts” are programmed to behave a certain way day after day. But things take a wild turn when one of androids becomes sentient.

When Robots Gain Consciousness

Westworld consists of four revelatory seasons. An HBO original, it was made with ambitions of exploring themes of consciousness, free will, and humanity’s fate amid growing artificial intelligence. And while the malfunctioning of the robots was pretty much a given in the premise, watching Dolores and Maeve break programming to reclaim agency led to a series of richly layered plot twists. Overall, the show effectively combined thrills and philosophy, cementing itself as a standout.

4 Dark (2017 – 2020)

During its three-season run, Dark became Netflix’s most popular international property. The sci-fi masterpiece was set in a small town in Germany, and it kicked off with the disappearance of two young children. The event exposed the secrets of four estranged families living in town, who are all interconnected with each other and with the town’s troubled history.

Never-Seen-Before Time Travel

A German-language show, Darkcreates intrigue by splintering time into a million pieces. It creates an intricate world where characters are linked across eras and even a tiny bend in time can spawn complex webs of casualties. The biggest device for plot twists in Dark is the time travel, and it not only stirs minds for days on end but also brings emotional depth to the central story. The show still has global appeal for its psychological concepts and twisted stories.

3 Severance (2022-Present)

Severance, an underrated gem, takes place at Lumon Industries, a biotechnology company that has developed a procedure aiming to separate an individual’s work memories from those of their personal memories. Mark, a team leader and one of the severed workers, begins to find cracks in his subconscious when non-work memories surface during office hours. He grows curious and tries to uncover the conspiracy at Lumon.

Who Says Work/Life Balance Isn’t Achievable?

Currently, a large number of sci-fi shows are making their way to streaming television. Among them all, only a few manage to nail an intriguing tone full of plot twists. This Ben Stiller-directed science fiction thriller is a rare original in the age of franchises, and it hypnotizes audiences with its unsettling world-building and remarkable performances from Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, and more. Additionally, Severance has the most imaginative and layered plot twists to keep you unnerved.

Related: 15 TV Shows With A Major Plot Twist In The Very First Episode

2 Life on Mars (2006 – 2007)

In Life on Mars, detective Sam Tyler gets hit by a car in 2006 and he wakes up in 1973. Convinced that he has traveled back in time due to the accident, he finds himself working for the predecessor of the GMP, the Manchester and Salford Police, under DCI Gene Hunt as they solve complicated cases of murder and brutality while clashing because of cultural differences between the 1970s and the 2000s.

Forgotten Sci-Fi Thriller

This BBC cult classic immerses viewers in its central counterculture premise, creating a sharp contrast between Britain of the 1970s and modern mores. But that’s not the aspect of Life on Mars that’s twisted. The fact that the series, along with its characters, questions Hunt’s place in the universe over 16 episodes is mind-bending. Did San truly slip through time? Or did he suffer a breakdown? Has he died? Or has he simply fallen into a coma?

1 Stranger Things (2016 – Present)

Lauded as “an addictive homage to Spielberg films and vintage 1980s television,” Stranger Things had fans hooked to its unique premise from the first episode itself. Set in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana in 1983, the series begins with the sudden disappearance of a young boy named Will Byers. His mother, Joyce, local police led by chief Jim Hopper, and Will’s friends search for answers. Then, an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments and terrifying supernatural forces emerges.

Pays Homage to ’80s Horror Tropes

Stranger Things is the Duffer Brothers’ love letter to B-horror movies, and to say that it hits all the right nostalgic beats would be an understatement. The series crafts its own compelling mythology season after season as the gang battles inter-dimensional threats, creatures from The Upside Down, and other creepy mysteries.

Memorable reveals like Will’s possession or character deaths left fans gasping. Fantastic in execution, sometimes sentimental, and always scary, Stranger Things is totally binge-worthy.