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- Why Fans Love Shows Like Percy Jackson and the Olympians
- 12 Shows Like Percy Jackson and the Olympians to Watch Next
- How to Choose the Best Percy Jackson-Style Show for Your Mood
- What These Shows Understand About Young Heroes
- Viewing Experience: Why This Watchlist Feels So Satisfying After Percy Jackson
- Conclusion
- SEO Tags
If Percy Jackson and the Olympians left you craving more quests, monsters, magical secrets, chosen kids, snarky sidekicks, and adults who clearly should have read the prophecy handbook, you are not alone. The Disney+ series works because it mixes modern teen humor with ancient myth, big emotional stakes, and the irresistible idea that the weird kid might actually be the most important person in the room.
Finding shows like Percy Jackson and the Olympians is not just about picking any fantasy series with a sword, a spooky creature, or a teenager running from something with too many teeth. The best matches share Percy’s DNA: young heroes, hidden worlds, friendship under pressure, family mysteries, supernatural rules, and the feeling that homework is suddenly less important because an immortal being is trying to end the world before dinner.
Below are 12 fantasy adventure shows to watch next if you love Camp Half-Blood, Greek mythology, magical training, found family, monster-of-the-week danger, and coming-of-age stories with just the right amount of chaos.
Why Fans Love Shows Like Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Percy Jackson and the Olympians has a special flavor. It is not grim fantasy where everyone whispers in candlelight for eight episodes. It is bright, funny, emotional, and dangerous enough to keep the popcorn bowl within emergency reach. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are young, but the story respects their courage, confusion, loyalty, and fear. That balance is what makes similar fantasy TV shows so satisfying.
Great Percy-style shows usually include a few ingredients: a hero discovering a secret identity, a world hidden beneath everyday life, loyal friends who become family, villains with dramatic flair, and a quest that forces the characters to grow up faster than they expected. Bonus points if there is a magical object, an ancient prophecy, a suspicious mansion, or a mentor who gives advice in the least convenient way possible.
12 Shows Like Percy Jackson and the Olympians to Watch Next
1. The Spiderwick Chronicles
If you enjoy Percy’s “normal kid discovers monsters are real” energy, The Spiderwick Chronicles should be near the top of your list. Based on the beloved book series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, the show follows the Grace family after they move into the eerie Spiderwick estate and uncover a hidden world of fairies, creatures, secrets, and danger.
The connection to Percy Jackson is obvious: young characters stumble into a supernatural reality that adults either do not understand or refuse to believe. Jared Grace, like Percy, feels misunderstood before discovering that his strange experiences might be signs of something much bigger. The show leans darker than Percy in places, but it still has that adventurous middle-grade fantasy spirit.
Best for: Fans who want magical creatures, family secrets, creepy houses, and young heroes trying to prove they are not imagining everything.
2. His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a richer, more philosophical fantasy adventure, but it belongs on this list because it shares Percy’s fascination with destiny, authority, and young people challenging powerful systems. Based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy, the series follows Lyra Belacqua as she moves through parallel worlds, dangerous institutions, and mysteries involving Dust, daemons, and cosmic rebellion.
Where Percy has Greek gods causing divine family drama, Lyra has scholars, armored bears, witches, and forces that want to control knowledge itself. The tone is more mature and layered, but the emotional engine is familiar: a brave young hero follows clues, questions everything, and learns that the grown-up world has been keeping enormous secrets.
Best for: Viewers who want epic world-building, brave young protagonists, moral complexity, and fantasy that gives your brain a snack along with the spectacle.
3. Locke & Key
Locke & Key begins with grief and mystery as the Locke siblings move into their ancestral home, Keyhouse, after their father’s death. Soon, they discover magical keys with strange powers, each one unlocking something more dangerous than the last. Naturally, because this is fantasy, nobody finds a key that simply does laundry. Tragic.
Like Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the series works best when it focuses on siblings and young people learning the rules of a magical world piece by piece. Each key feels like a new mythological artifact, and every discovery comes with consequences. The show is darker and more horror-tinged than Percy, but it scratches the same itch for secret lore, supernatural puzzles, and family-centered fantasy.
Best for: Fans of magical objects, haunted houses, sibling bonds, and fantasy mysteries with a spooky edge.
4. Lockwood & Co.
Lockwood & Co. is a stylish supernatural adventure about a world haunted by deadly ghosts. Adults cannot properly sense the ghosts, so teenagers become the front-line investigators. That premise alone deserves a gold medal in “children solving problems adults made worse.”
The show follows Lucy Carlyle, Anthony Lockwood, and George Karim as they run a small ghost-hunting agency and uncover a larger conspiracy. Like Percy, the heroes are young, underestimated, and forced to face dangers that would make most adults reconsider their career choices. The trio dynamic is also a major selling point. Lucy, Lockwood, and George have the same “we might survive this if we stop arguing for 30 seconds” chemistry that makes Percy, Annabeth, and Grover so fun.
Best for: Viewers who love teen teamwork, ghostly mysteries, witty banter, and supernatural danger with momentum.
5. Shadow and Bone
Shadow and Bone is a bigger, darker fantasy series based on Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels. It follows Alina Starkov, an orphan mapmaker who discovers she has a rare power that could change the fate of a war-torn world. Add political intrigue, magical armies, thieves, monsters, romance, and dramatic cloaks, and you have a fantasy feast.
The Percy connection comes through the chosen-hero structure. Alina, like Percy, learns that her identity carries enormous consequences. She must train, adapt, and decide whom to trust in a world full of people who want to use her power. The show is more mature than Percy Jackson, but it is a strong next step for viewers ready for richer mythology and more complicated alliances.
Best for: Fans who want epic fantasy, magical powers, found family, heists, romance, and darker world-building.
6. The Letter for the King
The Letter for the King is a classic quest fantasy about Tiuri, a young aspiring knight who must deliver a secret letter across dangerous lands. It has kingdoms, prophecies, moral tests, and the kind of journey where every forest looks like it is hiding either wisdom or a very rude ambush.
Like Percy, Tiuri is not the strongest or most obvious hero at first. His courage grows through action, friendship, and difficult choices. The show is less mythological and more medieval, but it captures the same coming-of-age quest feeling: a young person receives a mission bigger than himself and must become worthy of it along the way.
Best for: Viewers who enjoy heroic journeys, young knights, prophecies, and fantasy adventures with a storybook feel.
7. Avatar: The Last Airbender
Whether you choose the original animated classic or Netflix’s live-action adaptation, Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the strongest recommendations for Percy fans. The story follows Aang, a young Avatar who must master the four elements and help save a world at war.
The similarities are powerful: a young hero with a massive destiny, elemental powers, loyal friends, a journey across different lands, and plenty of humor between emotional gut punches. Aang and Percy both carry responsibilities they never asked for. Both stories also understand that courage does not mean being fearless; it means continuing the quest when the map is terrible and the enemy has better branding.
Best for: Fans of elemental magic, team quests, emotional growth, action, humor, and one of the best found-family dynamics in fantasy television.
8. The Dragon Prince
The Dragon Prince is an animated fantasy adventure about two human princes and an elven assassin who team up after making a discovery that could help end a long war between humans, elves, and dragons. The series has humor, heart, magical lore, political conflict, and an increasingly deep mythology.
For Percy fans, the appeal is the group quest. Callum, Ezran, and Rayla are not just traveling from place to place; they are learning how to trust one another while carrying a mission that could reshape their world. Like Percy’s adventures, the show balances danger with jokes, grief with hope, and big fantasy stakes with small character moments.
Best for: Viewers who want dragons, elves, moral dilemmas, magic systems, and a lovable team on an epic mission.
9. The Owl House
The Owl House follows Luz Noceda, a human girl who accidentally enters a magical realm called the Boiling Isles and becomes determined to train as a witch, despite having no natural magical abilities. That setup has major Percy energy: a kid who feels out of place finds a world where being different might be a strength.
The show is funny, weird, heartfelt, and surprisingly emotional. Luz’s relationship with Eda, King, and her friends gives the series a warm found-family center. It also has magical schools, strange creatures, rebellious mentors, and villains who take themselves far too seriously, which is always helpful when heroes need someone to roast.
Best for: Fans who want magic, humor, queer-friendly storytelling, outsider heroes, and a fantasy world bursting with personality.
10. The Worst Witch
The Worst Witch is a cozy magical-school series based on Jill Murphy’s books. It follows Mildred Hubble, an ordinary girl who ends up at Cackle’s Academy and discovers that becoming a witch is harder than it looks. Brooms crash, spells misfire, and confidence grows one disaster at a time.
While it is gentler than Percy Jackson, it has a similar appeal for younger viewers: a main character who does not fit in, a magical institution with rules to learn, friendships that matter, and the message that being imperfect does not mean being unimportant. Mildred is not a demigod, but she knows the sacred hero’s struggle of trying not to embarrass herself in front of everyone. Relatable.
Best for: Families and younger fantasy fans who enjoy magical schools, friendship, light adventure, and lovable underdog heroes.
11. Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time mixes fairy-tale legends with modern life in Storybrooke, Maine, where classic characters are trapped under a curse. The show begins when Henry Mills finds Emma Swan and pulls her into a mystery involving Snow White, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, and a town full of people with hidden identities.
If Percy reimagines Greek mythology in modern America, Once Upon a Time does something similar with fairy tales. It asks what happens when ancient stories collide with the real world. The tone is soapier and more adult than Percy, but the pleasure is similar: familiar legends get remixed into a modern adventure with family secrets, destiny, magic, and dramatic reveals around every corner.
Best for: Fans who enjoy fairy-tale retellings, modern fantasy, family curses, big emotions, and characters with complicated pasts.
12. Merlin
Merlin, also known as The Adventures of Merlin, is a fantasy adventure series that reimagines the legendary wizard as a young man arriving in Camelot, where magic is forbidden. Merlin must hide his powers while protecting Prince Arthur and slowly moving toward his destiny.
This is an excellent choice for Percy fans because it combines mythology, humor, friendship, secret powers, and a young hero who is constantly one bad decision away from disaster. The bond between Merlin and Arthur gives the series its heart, while the monster encounters, magical threats, and Arthurian lore keep the adventure moving.
Best for: Viewers who want Arthurian legend, secret magic, loyal friendship, weekly adventures, and old-school fantasy charm.
How to Choose the Best Percy Jackson-Style Show for Your Mood
If you want a close match to Percy’s “young heroes versus hidden magical world” formula, start with The Spiderwick Chronicles, Lockwood & Co., or The Owl House. These shows understand the thrill of being young, underestimated, and suddenly responsible for extremely inconvenient supernatural problems.
If you want something more epic, choose His Dark Materials, Shadow and Bone, Avatar: The Last Airbender, or The Dragon Prince. These series expand the stakes into wars, kingdoms, prophecies, and world-changing power. They are perfect when you want your fantasy adventure to come with maps, lore, and at least one character dramatically looking toward the horizon.
If you prefer cozy magic or lighter family viewing, try The Worst Witch or The Bureau of Magical Things-style fantasy if it is available in your region. For viewers who love modern retellings of classic stories, Once Upon a Time and Merlin deliver familiar legends with fresh twists.
What These Shows Understand About Young Heroes
The secret to shows like Percy Jackson and the Olympians is not just monsters, magic, or prophecies. It is the emotional truth underneath the fantasy. Percy’s story works because his battles are not only against gods and beasts; they are also against loneliness, self-doubt, abandonment, and the fear that he does not belong anywhere.
The best shows on this list understand that fantasy is often a funhouse mirror for growing up. A magical key can represent grief. A dragon egg can represent hope. A ghost hunt can represent courage. A secret power can represent identity. A quest can represent the terrifying moment when a young person realizes they have choices adults cannot make for them.
That is why these stories keep working across generations. They give viewers adventure, but they also offer comfort. They say: yes, the world is strange; yes, the adults are confused; yes, danger is real; but friendship, humor, and bravery still count. Sometimes they count more than any sword, spell, or suspiciously glowing artifact.
Viewing Experience: Why This Watchlist Feels So Satisfying After Percy Jackson
Watching a show after Percy Jackson and the Olympians can feel a little like leaving Camp Half-Blood at the end of summer. You enjoyed the adventure, you survived the monsters, and now regular life looks suspiciously boring. Suddenly, taking out the trash seems less heroic than defeating a Minotaur. This is where a strong fantasy watchlist saves the day.
The best experience is to treat these shows like different cabins at a very large, very chaotic fantasy camp. If you want the cabin full of spooky mysteries and creaky floorboards, go to Locke & Key or The Spiderwick Chronicles. These are the shows for nights when rain taps the window and you want to believe the attic is hiding a secret instead of old holiday decorations.
If you want the “training montage and destiny” cabin, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Dragon Prince, and Merlin are excellent choices. They deliver that wonderful feeling of watching characters grow stronger not because they are instantly perfect, but because they fail, learn, apologize, try again, and occasionally make a spectacular mess. Honestly, character development is much more fun when someone nearly gets blasted across a room by magic.
If you want the “big mythology and serious feelings” cabin, His Dark Materials and Shadow and Bone offer deeper lore and heavier emotional stakes. These shows are ideal when you want fantasy that feels grand, layered, and a little dangerous. They are not always as breezy as Percy, but they reward viewers who enjoy complex worlds and characters with difficult choices.
For younger viewers, family nights, or anyone who wants comfort fantasy, The Owl House and The Worst Witch bring warmth, humor, and magical misfit energy. They are especially good when you want a show that says being strange is not a flaw; it might be your origin story. Percy fans know that lesson well. After all, the kid who gets kicked out of school might also be the kid who saves Olympus.
The most enjoyable way to move through this list is not to chase an exact copy of Percy Jackson. No show can fully duplicate the mix of Greek gods, modern jokes, demigod training, and blue-food-level charm. Instead, follow the feeling you loved most. Was it the quest? Choose The Dragon Prince. Was it the hidden world? Try The Spiderwick Chronicles. Was it the trio friendship? Watch Lockwood & Co.. Was it the mythology in modern clothes? Start Once Upon a Time or Merlin.
That is the real magic of a good fantasy recommendation list. It does not replace the story you miss; it opens another doorway. And if fantasy television has taught us anything, it is this: always open the strange doorway. Just maybe bring a loyal friend, a flashlight, and a snack. Quests are hungry work.
Conclusion
If you are searching for shows like Percy Jackson and the Olympians, you have plenty of magical paths to explore. Some lead to haunted houses, others to dragon kingdoms, witch academies, parallel worlds, fairy-tale towns, or battlefields where young heroes discover powers they never asked for. What connects them all is the same spark that makes Percy’s story so beloved: courage, friendship, humor, and the belief that young people can face impossible odds without losing themselves.
Start with the show that matches your mood. Want another hidden-world adventure? Try The Spiderwick Chronicles. Want a bigger epic? Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Dragon Prince. Want magical mystery? Choose Locke & Key or Lockwood & Co.. Want deeper fantasy lore? Dive into His Dark Materials or Shadow and Bone. The monsters may change, but the thrill remains the same.
And remember: if a mysterious mentor, glowing artifact, talking creature, or suspiciously dramatic prophecy appears in your life, do not ignore it. At the very least, check for a streaming adaptation.
