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It all began with a goatee-wearing Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in the Star Trek Mirror Universe. The concept of the Mirror Universe within Star Trek premiered in 1967, and it didn’t just introduce parallel worlds to sci-fi television—it essentially invented the visual language of the evil counterpart. The iconic Mirror Universe will forever be known as the multiverse genre’s godfather, but that concept has only shown up as a recurring guest star across different eras and shows—rarely as the main character.
The same is true for Doctor Who, a show that has happily hopped into parallel worlds for decades now but treats them more like vacation destinations than home addresses. While the show is a landmark, in this list, we’re celebrating those that didn’t just visit the multiverse but found a home and made it their storytelling engine. These are the greatest sci-fi shows with parallel universes, ranked from lighthearted escape to emotional ruin.
9
‘Sliders’ (1995–2000)
Sliders is an accessible, entry-level parallel universe show, and it earns its place as the tenacious trailblazer that walked so others could run. It was never the most sophisticated version of the concept; the later seasons, in particular, leaned heavily on camp, while behind-the-scenes chaos and mid-show changes saw key cast members leaving. It was canceled after five seasons, but for what it’s worth, we can’t mention the history of multiverse television without mentioning this scrappy little show. Ambitiously written, Sliders was one of the shows that made folks in the ’90s fall in love with sci-fi.
Sliders follows brilliant graduate student Quinn Mallory (Jerry O’Connell), who invents a device to travel between parallel Earths. While at first, he and his ragtag group of friends hop over to parallel worlds seamlessly, the tech malfunctions and forgets their real dimension. Every episode brings a new “what if” into the mix, from Soviet-controlled America and a dinosaur-populated Earth to a world where time runs backwards, transforming philosophical thought experiments into Saturday afternoon adventure.
8
‘Dark Matter’ (2024–Present)
Dark Matter is less about jumping between wildly different Earths and more about the creeping terror of infinite roads not taken. The protagonist goes through an infinite number of “what ifs,” which sometimes turns into a terrifying metaphor for the paralysis of regret. The series, starring Joel Edgerton in a dual role and Jennifer Connelly as the woman at the center of the drama, is a tightly written paranoid thriller that, while seemingly predictable, never reveals its next move.
Dark Matter is based on Blake Crouch‘s novel of the same name (Crouch also wrote the show’s script). It follows physics professor Jason Dessen (Edgerton), a well-off family man who is kidnapped, drugged, and awakens in an alternate Chicago where he is celebrated as a scientific genius—but his wife is not his wife. The kicker? He was kidnapped by another version of himself, a Jason who had made a different romantic choice fifteen years before and created a machine that opens doors to distinct, fully realized parallel universes. If you like this premise, Dark Matter promises a hard sci-fi story that will make you consider your own “what ifs.” Season 2 is coming soon, and it will go beyond the novel’s conclusion, making this a box that is just being opened.
7
‘The Man in the High Castle’ (2015–2019)
The Man in the High Castle is not a show about scientists hopping through a multiverse; rather, it is a slow-burn espionage thriller in which knowledge of another reality is the most dangerous weapon possible. The series deserves its place because it successfully combines high-concept sci-fi with a grounded, character-driven story about fascism and resistance. Its parallel universe element is powerful, albeit sparingly used, and the show is first and foremost a dystopian masterpiece, then a multiverse story. However, the multiverse aspect is central to its resistance, making it difficult to separate from the genre.
The Man in the High Castle, based on Philip K. Dick‘s novel of the same name, is a dystopian nightmare that introduces one of the most chilling “what ifs” in modern history: what if the Axis powers won World War II? The series is set in a meticulously imagined 1960s America ruled by Japanese and Nazi forces, and it features various characters from both the resistance and the establishment. When a parallel universe is discovered in mysterious film reels, including one in which the Allies triumph, the films become a form of contraband and spiritual totems that prove a better world exists somewhere—igniting the desire to fight. The Man in the High Castle is not your typical parallel universe show, but it’s one of the best.
6
‘Rick and Morty’ (2013–Present)
It’s almost cheating to include Rick and Morty because the show is more akin to Doctor Who—until a very specific point when its protagonists settle in a parallel universe. Rick Sanchez (Justin Roiland and Ian Cardoni), the protagonist, owns a portal gun, allowing him to travel to a new universe every week. However, his actions force him and his family to permanently abandon their original dimension and move to a replacement one. This doesn’t just happen once, either, but twice, and Rick’s family now has to inhabit multiple, alternate universes.
Rick and Morty follows Rick, the most intelligent man in the universe, and his meek grandson Morty (Roiland and Harry Belden), who travel between realities and engage in various adventures and mishaps; most of the show focuses on their individual journeys, but some parts have an impact on the bigger picture. Their multiverse hopping is a fact that the show uses to create everything from wildly inventive sci-fi concepts to the darkest possible nihilistic comedy. The multiverse is both a playground and an existential loophole; Rick and Morty isn’t about settling into one parallel world but about the nihilistic freedom of knowing that no single reality matters.
5
‘Loki’ (2021–2023)
Loki is a prime example of Marvel’s multiverse, and its genius lies in its design. Set in a retro-futurist world, the show’s visual language makes the infinite feel claustrophobic while never revealing its true location in time and space; Tom Hiddleston delivers a career-best performance as the character he is best known for. Loki is a standalone story about parallel universes that happens to be part of a larger franchise, and while its inherent affiliation with a corporate machine makes any anti-corporate messages seem like an oxymoron, it still succeeds as a visual and narrative triumph.
Loki follows Loki, the God of Mischief himself, getting arrested for crimes against the multiverse. During the events of Avengers: Endgame, he is plucked from his timeline and transported to the bureaucratic nightmare of the Time Variance Authority, an organization that trims any timeline that does not adhere to the predetermined “Sacred Timeline.” What follows is a breathtaking two-season journey that transforms Loki from a narcissistic trickster to a man literally holding the fabric of reality together; it demonstrates how a Marvel villain can become an (anti)hero and how any character can be redeemable if they make the right moral decision.
4
‘His Dark Materials’ (2019–2022)
His Dark Materials features parallel worlds that don’t just feel like copies of Earth but have distinct and meticulous world-building; from the haunting, specter-infested city of Cittàgazze to the Land of the Dead, each realm has its own mythology and physical laws. The show uses the multiverse to employ themes of consciousness, authority, and free will, producing an adaptation that upholds its source material’s unwavering critique of organized religion and blind dogma. It’s a full-fledged, satisfying journey that leans slightly more toward fantasy than pure sci-fi but is a stunning achievement regardless.
His Dark Materials is a BBC and HBO adaptation of Philip Pullman’s beloved trilogy, following young Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen), a child of a world that looks similar to ours but is run by a totalitarian regime, and every human has an animal daemon—a physical manifestation of their soul. Lyra is prophesied to be a human who will change the world, and those around her are either working with or against her to achieve their ultimate goal. It’s entertaining, lore-heavy, and stars a fantastic cast; shame it’s heavily underseen.
3
‘Fringe’ (2008–2013)
J. J. Abrams‘ Fringe didn’t just play with the idea of a parallel universe; it centered its entire emotional core on it. The premise appears deceptively simple: members of an FBI “Fringe Division” investigate bizarre, scientifically flawed cases, but the show gradually unravels a devastating saga about two universes—ours and the Other Side—locked in a slow-motion collision, a war that began when someone from our world tampered with the events of the Other Side, causing havoc and precipitating an unavoidable collision of worlds. It’s emotionally devastating television and a watershed moment in science fiction.
Fringe‘s third season especially has entire episodes devoted to the Other Side’s point of view. Anna Torv portrays FBI agent Olivia Dunham and her alternate “Fauxlivia” with completely different body language and emotional registers, while John Noble‘s two Walter Bishops are a masterclass in duality. The alternate universe is more than just a reflection; it’s a fully realized world with its own history, including an oxidized bronze Statue of Liberty rather than green. Fringe makes you fall in love with both universes before asking you to watch them destroy each other, doubling the stakes and creating incredible, memorable television.
2
‘Dark’ (2017–2020)
The German Netflix masterpiece Dark is a work of narrative genius. From screenwriting to meticulous casting, every aspect of this show culminates in an emotionally cathartic and philosophically breathtaking finale. The show uses its parallel world as a piece of a puzzle to explore themes of fate, free will, and the lengths people will go to avoid pain. It’s a three-season work of art that demands and rewards complete attention (and repeat viewings). Dark is, by any standard, one of the greatest science-fiction achievements in television history.
Dark is, on the surface, a time-travel story about four interconnected families in the small German town of Winden. At its heart is Jonas (Louis Hofmann), a teenage boy who discovers a cave in the woods near Winden, revealing several tragic timelines that were unintentionally broken by a grieving scientist. There’s also Jonas’ romantic interest, Martha (Lisa Vicari), who becomes integral to a parallel universe, a priest affiliated with a time-traveling cult, and a child who appears to be the cause of the tear in the multiverse. Dark is a meticulously crafted web that ultimately feels like its creators’ magnum opus, as well as a series that they themselves are still struggling to understand.
1
‘Counterpart’ (2017–2019)
Counterpart is an underappreciated series, which is a bummer because it’s one of the best sci-fi shows ever made. It depicts parallel universes that have been transformed into starkly different environments over decades of tampering, but the show’s true genius lies in watching J. K. Simmons play two different versions of the same man: one broken and the other a hardened, ruthless spy. The show gradually reveals to us that they are both, in their own ways, the same wounded soul. Counterpart is a spy thriller, a philosophical reflection on human nature, and a tragedy about the life choices we don’t get to experience. The show was cancelled after only two perfect seasons, which could be the cruelest thing to happen in any universe.
Counterpart stars Simmons in two roles: Howard Silk, a meek, low-level bureaucrat at a mysterious Berlin-based UN agency, and Howard Silk Prime, his counterpart from a parallel Earth created when a Cold War experiment went wrong. For thirty years, the two worlds communicated through a checkpoint in a basement, resulting in espionage between the two dimensions, raising mistrust and wreaking havoc; Howard meets Howard Prime, and the two begin looking for the true purpose of the checkpoint. Counterpart is perfect for so many reasons, from its beautiful precision and impressive performances to its unexpected but heartfelt humanity.
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https://collider.com/best-sci-fi-shows-parallel-universes-ranked/
Anja Djuricic
Almontather Rassoul
