The critically acclaimed She-Ra and The Princesses of Power came to an end earlier this summer, and the internet promptly imploded. The series gave fans what so many stories and franchises have been denying them for the last several years: hope, and a happily ever after with a promise of more adventures.
While fans wait for Noelle Stevenson’s next great adventure (which will be an adaptation for their comic, Lumberjanes), finding the next best show to obsess over is a hard but not impossible task.
10 Winx Club
Winx Club is a series with a complicated history. It was originally only boarded for three seasons but was such a success that the series kept getting renewed, and Netflix has a live-action adaptation in the works that’s received a lukewarm reception from fans since the announcement.
There are plenty of dubs to enjoy and one of the most popular is the 4Kids version (the Nickelolden dub is good, but trims down a lot of important story arcs), but the premise of the series doesn’t change in any of them: it follows young teen Bloom as she discovers that she’s a fairy and quickly enrolls at Alfea College for fairies. Shenanigans, as they so often do in magical girl stories, ensue.
9 The Legend of Korra
The Legend of Korra finished airing in 2014 on Nickelodeon but has recently catapulted back into popularity when Netflix added the full series to its library in August. The show has been praised for its socio-political commentary, queer and disabled representation, and that its protagonist is a dark-skinned young woman.
There are tons of similarities between Korra and She-Ra, which makes The Legend of Korra the best follow-up series to binge after finishing She-Ra. It tackles serious subject matter, has a complex and messy heroine, and knows when and how to pull on your heartstrings.
8 Tangled: The Series
Picking up where the original film left off, Tangled: The Series expands on the worldbuilding of the Kingdom of Corona and further develops the mythos of the characters. After Rapunzel and her best friend and bodyguard Cassandra discover a formation of strange, glowing rocks, Rapunzel’s hair grows back — and is seemingly indestructible.
For fans of the original film, it’s a perfect way to continue Rapunzel and Eugene’s story, as it manages to balance intriguing plots, humor, and organic development for both Rapunzel and Eugene, as well as their romance.
7 Star Wars: Rebels
The first entry in a galaxy far, far away after Disney bought Lucasfilm was Star Wars: Rebels, which gave audiences plenty of found-family goodness in the form of the Ghost Crew: a small rebel cell headlined by Order 66 survivor Kanan Jarrus and ace pilot Hera Syndulla.
Obviously, there are many similarities between Rebels and She-Ra: a small, ragtag group of rebels fight against a larger, violent Empire being the premise of both shows. But the parallels go further, with Ezra’s character arc following a similar (yet somewhat inverse) path as Adora’s.
6 Teen Titans
One of Cartoon Network’s earliest successes that became a cult classic was the original Teen Titans cartoon. It was a light-hearted series that used the ‘villain-of-the-week’ format that allowed all five Titans to shine at different times.
The focus on found family and the deep themes that can often be found in the series makes it a natural follow-up to any She-Ra binge. From the arc where Raven fights against her demon father, Terra’s rise and fall, and the standalone episode where Starfire gets a glimpse of a future without the Titans — there’s plenty of stories that will tug on your heartstrings.
5 Sailor Moon
Even if you’ve never watched Sailor Moon, chances are you know about it from culture osmosis. It is perhaps the most popular take on the Magical Girl genre, with many iconic tropes from the series finding its way into She-Ra.
It follows Usagi as she discovers she’s Sailor Moon, and she slowly finds other girls like her to help battle the forces of evil. It’s a delightfully colorful and fun series to watch and has enough episodes to hold out even the most dedicated binge-watchers for awhile.
4 Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
Another Netflix original series, Kipo is set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with mutated animals and insects that have come to rule the surface, while (most) humans have moved underground. Following an accident, Kipo barely escapes her underground city with her life and must quickly adapt to surviving above-ground until she can find her father.
The series has three seasons so far and has proven popular with fans and received praise for its queer and BIPOC representation. Fans of She-Ra may especially be interested, as Kipo is voiced by Karen Fukuhara, who also voiced Glimmer.
3 Code Lyoko
Computer genius Jeremie and his friends discover a supercomputer that holds a virtual world named Lyoko near their boarding school. The world is guarded by teenage girl Aelita, who uses her powers to keep the peace. The catch? The computer also has a sentient virus named Xana who can corrupt both Lyoko and the real world.
In order to protect their classmates (and the world), Jeremie learns to navigate the supercomputer to transfer friends Odd, Ulrich, and Yumi to Lyoko to battle Xana’s monsters and help Aelita clear different sectors to rid Xana’s influence from both worlds.
2 Marvel Rising
Part of a new multi-media franchise aimed at younger viewers, Marvel Rising is a series of online shorts and TV specials that focus on The Secret Warriors, a special taskforce devised by Captain Marvel that consists of young upstart superheroes, such as Ghost-Spider, Mrs. Marvel, and Ironheart. The team is led by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Inhuman Daisy Johnson, aka Quake.
Despite the odd formatting, Marvel Rising consistently proves to be an incredible series that includes relatable themes, such as being true to yourself and finding friends who you can rely on. Like She-Ra, the series has a focus on stepping out of the shadow of the legacies of those who came before, and an emphasis on diversity.
1 The Owl House
Disney’s The Owl House follows Luz Noceda as she accidentally journeys into a different realm from her own where witches and magic are real. She ends up in the care of rebel witch Eda and demon King. Luz is determined to become a witch as well and winds up joining an academy to train and learn — but danger lurks in the form of the shadowy Emperor Belos.
The Owl House has incredible world-building and tonally feels like the much weirder, darker sister to She-Ra. It lures you in with light-hearted but meaningful stories, and then pulls the rug out from beneath you and hits you with all the feels when you least expect it to. Another bonus for She-Ra fans would be that Molly Ostertag, Noelle Stevenson’s wife, works on the series and wrote some of its highest-rated episodes.