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Top rated action shows after 2020
Executive summary
Audience-voted and critic-curated lists show a strong stream of new, highly rated action shows since 2020 — examples frequently cited in aggregator lists include Reacher, The Punisher (ranked high on fan lists), and new 2024–25 entries like Daredevil: Born Again and The Brothers Sun (fan/critic sites and lists) [1] [2] [3]. Major aggregators (Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Ranker, BuzzFeed, ScreenRant) and specialty roundups are the main available reporting sources for “top rated” action TV since 2020; these sources mix fan voting, Tomatometer/critic scores, and editorial curation, which can produce different rankings and emphases [4] [5] [6] [1].
1. What “top rated” means — different yardsticks, different leaders
“Top rated” is not a single metric across the sources you provided: Ranker emphasizes user votes and currently lists The Punisher, Reacher and Banshee high among action series (fan votes) [1]; Rotten Tomatoes organizes by Tomatometer and popularity but requires consulting its pages for specific rankings [4] [7]. IMDb offers searchable filters (genre, user ratings) to compile “Top 50 Action TV Shows” lists but those are user-driven and change with votes [5]. BuzzFeed and ScreenRant publish editorial lists that blend critical judgment and cultural relevance to name “best” or “top” shows for a given year [6] [3].
2. Notable post-2020 action shows repeatedly mentioned
Multiple roundups and lists highlight series released or returning since 2020. Examples called out in the available material include Reacher (popular on fan lists), Daredevil: Born Again (2024-era revival noted by The Vore and other roundups), and newer entries like The Brothers Sun and entries referenced in 2024–25 roundups such as Butterfly and The Terminal List spinoff Dark Wolf — these get repeated mentions across fan and editorial lists [1] [2] [3]. IMDb and Ranker pages likewise include recent and returning franchise entries on their action lists [5] [8].
3. Year-by-year snapshots and how 2024–25 shifted the landscape
Reporting in 2024–25 indicates a resurgence of big-budget action on streaming and network TV, with franchise returns and comic-book adaptations earning attention (Daredevil, Reacher, The Punisher, The Boys are examples cited across lists) [1] [2] [8]. ScreenRant’s 2025 piece frames the year as heavy with superhero, military thriller and sci-fi action, calling out shows like The Terminal List: Dark Wolf and Butterfly among standout new series [3]. BuzzFeed’s 2025 roundup updates its “best ever” list while flagging which newer shows rank well by Tomatometer [6].
4. Fan rankings vs. critic curation — different tastes, different outcomes
Ranker’s crowd-sourced results reflect sustained fan enthusiasm: its “125+ Best Action TV Shows” list is based on thousands of votes and has placed The Punisher and Reacher near the top [1]. By contrast, Rotten Tomatoes and BuzzFeed use critic tallies and editorial judgment, which can privilege shows with higher Tomatometer ratings even if they have smaller fan-vote totals [4] [6]. The practical takeaway: a “top rated” list from fans will often differ from a critics’ list — both are valid but measure different things [1] [4] [6].
5. Platforms matter — streaming fuels variety and volume
The Vore and other compendia list recent action shows across Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu and other platforms and point to a broader spread of subgenres (martial-arts crime, paramedic/first-responder action, comic-book revivals) in 2023–25 catalogs; platform exclusives and streaming release strategies influence which series gain attention and votes [2] [3]. IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes browsing tools are useful to filter by newness, rating, and platform to compile an up-to-date “top” list tailored to your preferred metric [5] [4].
6. How to build your own “top rated” list using these sources
If you want a defensible list of top action shows since 2020, combine metrics: use Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer for critical consensus, IMDb user score and vote counts for audience reception, and Ranker for broad fan popularity — then reconcile differences editorially (e.g., weight Tomatometer heavier for “critically best,” Ranker/IMDb for “fan-favorite/popular”) [4] [5] [1]. BuzzFeed and ScreenRant pieces provide useful curated starting points for titles to consider if you prefer an editor’s picks [6] [3].
Limitations and next steps: available sources here are mostly aggregator lists, fan-vote pages, and editorial roundups; there are no single definitive industry charts in the provided material (e.g., Nielsen/Parrot analytics) to settle objective “top rated” by viewership or revenue (not found in current reporting). If you want, I can: (a) compile a short ranked list using Rotten Tomatoes + IMDb + Ranker for shows since 2020 mentioned across these pages; or (b) produce two lists — “Critics’ favorites” (Tomatometer-based) and “Fan favorites” (Ranker/IMDb-based) — and cite each item to these sources [1] [4] [5]. Which would you prefer?