The Best Action Television Series You Could Watch in 2019

Remember 2019? Back when “streaming wars” really started to heat up and your
biggest daily decision was which action series to binge next. From galaxy-spanning
space westerns to bone-crunching martial arts epics, 2019 quietly became one of the
most stacked years ever for action television.

Whether you were watching on cable, catching up on Netflix, or letting Amazon Prime
auto-play your weekend away, there was something for every flavor of adrenaline junkie.
Political thrillers, superhero deconstructions, zombie horror, and throwback karate
drama all showed up ready to compete for your attentionand your sleep schedule.

This guide rounds up the best action television series you could watch in 2019,
based on a mix of fan rankings, critic scores, and cultural impact across major
U.S. entertainment sites and aggregators. Sources like Ranker, Rotten Tomatoes,
TV and movie databases, and big entertainment outlets consistently highlighted these
titles as must-watch action series for that year.

Think of this as your curated 2019 action TV playlist: the shows that delivered the
biggest set pieces, the most memorable characters, and the most “wait, it’s 3 a.m. already?”
marathons.

What Makes a Great Action Series in 2019?

In 2019, good action TV wasn’t just about explosions and chase scenes. The shows that
rose to the top usually shared a few traits:

• Cinematic fight choreography or large-scale battles that felt movie-quality.
• Emotional stakes, not just body countsyour heart had to be invested, too.
• Strong world-building, whether that world was a galaxy far, far away or a grimy, corrupt city.
• Characters you argue about in group chatsoften morally gray, frequently reckless.
• Rewatch value for catching hidden details, foreshadowing, and easter eggs.

With that in mind, let’s break down the standout action television series you could watch
in 2019and why each one earned a spot on this list.

The Standout Action Television Series of 2019

1. The Mandalorian (Disney+)

When The Mandalorian launched with Disney+ in November 2019, it instantly
became the flagship show for the service and the first live-action series in the Star Wars
franchise. Set five years after Return of the Jedi, it follows a lone bounty hunter
traversing the outer reaches of the galaxy, only to have his life derailed when he chooses
to protect a mysterious, Force-sensitive childGrogu, better known to the internet as
“Baby Yoda.”

As an action series, The Mandalorian blends classic Western gunfights with samurai-style
duels and large-scale sci-fi skirmishes. Practical effects, detailed sets, and slick digital
environments make the battles feel tactile instead of cartoony. Each episode plays like a
mini-movie: one week you’re watching a heist, the next you’re in a siege or a rescue mission.

If you love action that’s adventurous rather than purely brutal, and you want your fight
sequences served with spaceships, jetpacks, and a side of cuteness, this was the essential
2019 watch.

2. The Boys (Prime Video)

Superheroes were everywhere by 2019, but The Boys asked a sharp question:
what if the capes were the problem? Premiering in 2019, the series turns superhero culture
on its head by following a group of regular (if very damaged) humans trying to expose
corrupt, corporate-branded “heroes” who treat the world like their personal playground.

The action is brutally physicalpeople are thrown through walls, wiped out by careless supers,
and trapped in set pieces that feel like disaster movies with a dark sense of humor. But the
show isn’t just shock value: it’s a commentary on celebrity, politics, and power, wrapped
in high-octane fight scenes and deadly showdowns.

For viewers in 2019 who were burnt out on squeaky-clean superhero stories, The Boys
delivered a cathartic, over-the-top alternative that was still tightly plotted and
surprisingly emotional.

3. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Prime Video)

Fans of grounded, geopolitical action gravitated toward Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,
a political action thriller series based on Clancy’s famous CIA analyst. With John Krasinski
stepping into the role, the show blends intelligence work with on-the-ground operations:
tense surveillance missions, foot chases through foreign cities, and strategic assaults
that feel ripped from modern headlines.

In 2019, the show was in the middle of its run and had firmly established itself as one of
Prime Video’s signature action series. The appeal is in its mix of “guy at a desk crunching
data” and “same guy suddenly dodging bullets in a foreign country.” If you wanted action
that felt realistic but still cinematic, Jack Ryan was a top pick.

It’s particularly satisfying for viewers who enjoy complex conspiracies, global stakes,
and heroes who have to think as hard as they fight.

4. Into the Badlands (AMC / Netflix)

Into the Badlands quietly became one of the most stylish action shows on TV
and wrapped its run in 2019 with its third and final season. Set in a post-apocalyptic,
feudal future, it follows Sunnya legendary warriorand a mysterious boy as they navigate
a world ruled by barons, assassins, and shifting alliances.

The main draw? The fight scenes. This series is a love letter to martial arts cinema.
Choreography is elaborate and balletic, with complex wire work, swords, staffs, and hand-to-hand
combat that feel more like Hong Kong action films than traditional American TV.

In 2019, finishing Into the Badlands meant you could finally binge the entire story
from start to end. For action fans who care deeply about choreography, this was arguably one
of the most underrated series you could watch that year.

5. Cobra Kai (YouTube Premium / Netflix)

Cobra Kai started in 2018, but by 2019 it had cemented itself as a surprise
hit. Set decades after the original Karate Kid films, the show revisits Johnny Lawrence
and Daniel LaRusso as middle-aged men with unfinished business and brand-new students to
drag into their rivalry. Season 2, which dropped in 2019, escalated the dojo warfare and
turned high-school drama into surprisingly intense martial arts showdowns.

The action itself leans into grounded karate fightshallway brawls, tournament-style battles,
and group clashes that feel chaotic but readable. What made it so watchable in 2019 was
the way each fight carried emotional weight: grudges, friendships, and misunderstandings
literally exploded into kicks and punches.

Add nostalgia, humor, and surprisingly layered character arcs, and you’ve got an action
series that appealed both to longtime fans and brand-new viewers.

6. Black Summer (Netflix)

Need your action with a side of pure panic? Black Summer, set in the universe
of Z Nation, arrived on Netflix in 2019 and delivered a stripped-down, nerve-shredding
take on the zombie apocalypse. The series follows ordinary people just trying to survive
the chaotic early days of the outbreak, including a mother desperately searching for her
daughter.

The show leans heavily on long, unbroken takes and frantic, ground-level perspectives.
Instead of superheroes or elite operatives, you watch terrified civilians make rash decisions,
run for their lives, and fight with whatever they can grab. The zombies are fast, relentless,
and terrifying, turning every open street into an action set piece.

In 2019, this series flew under the radar compared with larger franchises, but viewers who
found it often described it as one of the most intense zombie shows availableperfect if you
wanted action that never lets you relax.

7. Warrior (Cinemax)

Premiering in 2019, Warrior quickly earned a reputation among critics and
fans as a brutally effective martial arts drama that deserved more attention. Inspired by
a concept from Bruce Lee, it’s set in 19th-century San Francisco during the Tong Wars and
follows Ah Sahm, a Chinese immigrant and martial arts prodigy who becomes an enforcer for
one of the city’s most powerful tongs.

The action in Warrior is raw, intricate, and often shockingly visceral. Fights mix
traditional kung fu technique with the dirtier realities of alleyway brawls, knife fights,
and close-quarters combat in cramped rooms. The series pairs this physical intensity with
political tension, discrimination, and complex power struggles.

For viewers in 2019 who wanted historical flavor with modern pacing and top-tier martial arts,
Warrior was the kind of show you recommended to friends with “trust me, just watch the
first two episodes.”

8. Marvel’s The Punisher – Season 2 (Netflix)

While Marvel’s The Punisher began earlier, its second and final season
landed in January 2019, making that year the last chance to experience Frank Castle’s
Netflix-era rampage in real time. This season follows a drifting Frank who gets pulled
back into violence when he protects a young woman targeted by a dangerous conspiracy, forcing
him once again to confront his identity as the Punisher.

The show’s action is unapologetically brutal: bar fights that feel like blunt-force horror,
shootouts in confined spaces, and street-level confrontations that highlight how
frighteningly efficient Frank is when he decides to commit to a fight.

Even though the series ended in 2019, that made it the perfect year to binge the complete
story of this incarnation of the characterespecially for viewers who enjoy darker, more
grounded comic-book action.

Honorable Mentions: Other Action Series You Could Watch in 2019

Beyond the headliners above, 2019 offered plenty of additional action options. Fan-driven
rankings of action shows with new episodes that year highlighted series such as
The Walking Dead, Arrow, and other superhero or horror-action hybrids that
continued to deliver large-scale battles and stunt work to loyal audiences.

For action fans, 2019 was basically a buffet: whether you preferred swords, space blasters,
pistols, or just well-placed roundhouse kicks, there was something streaming or airing
that hit your sweet spot.

How to Choose the Right 2019 Action Series for Your Mood

If you’re revisiting 2019’s action lineup now, here’s a quick way to pick your next binge
based on your vibe:

• In the mood for epic, family-friendly adventure?
  Go with The Mandalorianit’s cinematic but not excessively gory, and its episodes
  feel like classic adventure tales with a modern polish.
• Craving dark satire and extreme violence?
  The Boys gives you messy superheroes, social commentary, and fight scenes that often
  end in pure chaos.
• Want grounded, realistic thrills?
  Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan focuses on spycraft, geopolitics, and tactical missions.
• Obsessed with martial arts choreography?
  Start with Into the Badlands and Warriortwo very different time periods,
  both packed with carefully staged fights.
• Love ‘80s nostalgia with modern storytelling?
  Cobra Kai is your go-to blend of teen drama, comedy, and dojo warfare.
• Looking for pure survival horror?
  Black Summer will keep your heart rate uncomfortably high from episode one.
• Want something gritty from the Marvel corner?
  The Punisher Season 2 is relentless, heavy, and emotionally intense.

You really can’t go wrong: each series brings a distinct flavor of action, so the best
choice is simply whatever matches your current moodand how much emotional damage
you’re prepared to take.

What It Felt Like to Watch These Action Series in 2019 (Experiences & Takeaways)

Part of what made these shows special wasn’t just the contentit was the way people
experienced them in 2019. Some dropped all at once, daring you to finish a season in
a single sitting. Others arrived weekly, turning every episode into an event and every
cliffhanger into a week-long group chat debate.

The Mandalorian, for example, became a ritual for many viewers. New episodes would
arrive, and social feeds instantly filled with reactions to the latest stunt, cameo,
or Baby Yoda moment. It felt communal: even if you watched alone on your couch, you were
part of a massive, ongoing conversation about Star Wars, storytelling, and which side
character deserved a spin-off.

Watching The Boys in 2019 was a different kind of experience. A lot of people hit
“play” expecting a dark superhero comedy and quickly realized they were watching something
much sharper and more uncomfortablein a good way. The action sequences were shocking
enough that you’d pause, rewind, and text a friend, “Did you see that?” It wasn’t
just background TV; it demanded your full attention.

Binging Into the Badlands and Warrior felt almost like taking a crash course
in modern martial arts television. Episodes often built toward massive, multi-opponent fights.
If you were the kind of viewer who notices footwork, blocking, and camera movement, these
shows rewarded you with sequences that could be studied and rewatched like action set-piece
masterclasses.

Black Summer offered nearly the opposite experience: it’s not about stylish flourishes,
but about raw, anxious momentum. In 2019, many viewers reported needing a breather between
episodes because the action felt so relentless. Instead of swapping theories about big
mythology twists, you’d mostly say, “I cannot believe everyone survived that scene… and I’m
not sure they actually did.”

Cobra Kai, meanwhile, turned action into an emotional pressure valve. Every rivalry,
crush, and misunderstanding at school seemed destined to end in a hallway brawl or a dojo
showdown. Watching it in 2019 meant constantly shifting between laughing at the absurdity
of grown men still beefing over a teenage karate match and genuinely caring about how the
kids in the story were getting pulled into that conflict.

Then there was The Punisher Season 2, which was never casual viewing. In 2019, it
felt like the last gasp of a particular era of Marvel televisiongrim, street-level, and
morally heavy. The action scenes were so intense that you almost had to mentally brace
yourself before an episode, knowing that Frank’s idea of “problem solving” usually meant
bullets, broken bones, and a very high body count.

Looking back, one of the best “experiences” you could have as an action fan in 2019 was
simply giving yourself permission to sample all of these tones in a single month: a couple
of thrilling spy episodes from Jack Ryan, a martial arts binge from Into the
Badlands, a heavy emotional hit from The Boys, and then a palate-cleansing,
laser-blaster adventure with The Mandalorian.

If you revisit these series now, you’re not just watching “old shows”you’re stepping back
into a moment when action television was experimenting boldly with format, tone, and
storytelling. The experience is still there waiting for you: the late-night binges,
the stunned silence after a finale, and the feeling that TV action had quietly caught
up to blockbuster cinema.

Conclusion: Why 2019 Still Matters for Action TV Fans

The best action television series you could watch in 2019 weren’t interchangeable. Each show
brought a specific energy: space western comfort, superhero chaos, spy-thriller tension,
martial-arts spectacle, or street-level brutality. Together, they helped prove that action
on the small screen could be as ambitious, emotional, and visually impressive as anything
playing in theaters.

Whether you’re discovering them for the first time or revisiting favorites, these 2019
series are still absolutely worth your time. The explosions may be digital, but the sleepless
nights and “just one more episode” promises you won’t keep? Those are very, very real.