Lucifer stands out amongst most of its contemporary shows due to the right mix of mystery, drama, and supernatural elements — also, the series amassed a huge fan following that prevented it from getting canceled not once, but twice. Lucifer’s journey is a testament to the fact that listening to the fans can work, and the show’s long-awaited sixth (and final) season is now streaming on Netflix at long last, answering long-lingering questions and tying up the romance between the Devil and his detective with a touching finale.
It’s been quite the journey for fans, so if you’re having some end-of-the-road blues and missing the action-packed, emotion-fueled rides in Lucifer’s prized Corvette, we’ve put together a list of the seven best shows to binge-watch if you're craving a similar fix. Each of these shows ventures into the world of myths and legends, both biblical and non-biblical, with a chance to put your secret investigative skills to work. In Lucifer’s words, let’s get to it then, shall we, Detective?
Editor’s Note: This post was previously published and last updated in September 2021 to celebrate Lucifer’s series finale.
Preacher
If you are looking for something that’s full of bloody violence and good old-fashioned blasphemy, AMC's Preacher is your go-to. The series stars Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer, a small-town holy man who becomes possessed by the angel-demon offspring, Genesis. Together with his vampire buddy Cassidy (Joe Gilgun) and ex-criminal/girlfriend Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga), Jesse embarks on a journey to find God, who has more than a few atrocities to answer for. Their journey takes them through several hilarious, gory, and life-threatening adventures, including being chased by the Saint of Murderers himself. Created by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg the story is based on the Vertigo comic book series of the same name from writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon. The show concluded in August 2019 after Season 4, but even though Lucifer absolutely hates priests and preachers, Jesse Custer is one he would love to be friends with, and possibly the viewers would too.
American Gods
American Gods is a unique and sometimes grotesque take on the traditional gods of various cultures — hence, it was bound to raise some eyebrows. The story begins with a grief-filled ex-con named Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) getting released from prison to learn that his wife is dead. He’s tricked into running errands for Mr. Wednesday (Odin), played by Ian McShane, while on his way to the funeral, and soon Shadow follows Wednesday into a supernatural world filled with dark humor and gory fights, believing he’s fighting for his destiny. The audience is left wanting for more in the Season 3 finale cliffhanger, when Odin’s plan succeeds with Shadow nearly dead, and while the show was canceled afterwards, there is hope it will get a proper send-off in future. Lucifer would definitely sympathize with poor Shadow Moon, since both of them share a not-so-good history with their fathers.
Grimm
Grimm is an American fantasy crime drama that revolves around the concept of supernatural beings as mentioned in Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Homicide investigator Nick Burkhardt (David Guintoli) of the Portland Police Department learns he is a descendant of the Grimm bloodline, an ancient group of guardians tasked with keeping the balance between humanity and the Wesen (Wesen means "creature" in German) or mythological creatures of the world. Throughout the series, he battles against an assortment of dangerous and unusual creatures while solving crimes, with help from his Wesen friend, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), and his partner, Detective Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby). Also, Nick’s girlfriend Juliette Silverton (Bitsie Tulloch) has to face the brunt of her boyfriend’s other-worldly adventures, much like Chloe from Lucifer. If you’re interested in exploring German fantasy literature and meeting some new creatures, Grimm should definitely be on your list.
Supernatural
As the name suggests, Supernatural is all about everything that deals with other-worldly, mythical, and folklore stories. The series starts with two brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who follow in their father’s footsteps by investigating supernatural occurrences all over the US. Though most of the show is highly influenced by biblical characters, it also pays homage to various creatures and elements from religions and cultures all over the world. Rob Benedict, who played God on the show, had a cameo role as a French mercenary in Lucifer’s fifth season. If that didn’t make you “Chuck-le”, then probably this will. In Season 11 of Supernatural, Sam speaks to the caged Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino). He asks what the Devil would do if he breaks out, to which he replies, "I move to L.A., solve crimes." Sounds familiar? Lucifans might fall in love with the show, except be warned: the Devil in this show is purely evil.
Angel
Vampires have been romanticized in fantasy literature for quite some time now, resulting in modern-day shows and movies like The Twilight Saga, The Vampire Diaries, and of course, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel is a spinoff show from Buffy, was created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, that focuses on Angel (David Boreanaz), an Irish vampire who is over 240 years old. After his human soul was restored to him by a Romani curse as a punishment for the murder of one of his own, and drowning with guilt and remorse over his past crimes, he moves to Los Angeles after a failed romance with Buffy, seeking redemption while working as a private detective to "help the helpless." (Seriously, what is it with L.A. and its crime-solving supernatural entities?) For what it’s worth, Angel is a wild ride and definitely a must-watch for Lucifer fans.
Forever
Forever can be described as an intriguing mix of Grey’s Anatomy and Lucifer. The show’s plot orbits around Dr. Henry Morgan (Ioan Gruffudd), who is a full-time immortal medical examiner and part-time crime solver for the New York Police Department (NYPD). He struggles to find a way to end his immortality while solving criminal cases. His first death was 200 years ago while trying to free slaves as a doctor aboard a ship in the African slave trade. Each time he dies, Henry disappears almost immediately and returns to life naked in a nearby body of water. Apparently, he has also stopped aging. Henry’s long life gave him broad knowledge and remarkable observation skills which impress most people he encounters. Henry is like a combination of Ella and Cain from Lucifer, but with a more troubled past. Moreover, his arch-nemesis is named Adam. Is that your ex, Eve?
Constantine
Constantine is an extremely popular DC character who investigates supernatural phenomena in his comic book universe. So it should come as no surprise that Warner Bros. has tried to bring the con-artist-turned-detective to life, twice. The first attempt was a 2005 movie starring Keanu Reeves as the titular character, which has become a cult classic over time. The second one, a TV series starring Matt Ryan, ran for just one season, from 2014 to 2015. However, Ryan’s charm as the supernatural investigator impressed a lot of fans, and apparently the WB executives as well, so much so that they revived the character for DC's Legends of Tomorrow. The "Crisis on Infinite Earths” arc of the series became so wildly popular, even Lucifer himself guest-starred in one of the episodes.
Honorable Mention: Moonlight
Moonlight walks in line with the above-mentioned entries as a supernatural-criminal-investigation series. The series follows private investigator Mick St. John (Alex O’Loughlin), who was turned into a vampire by his bride Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon) on their wedding night 55 years ago. In the present day, he struggles with his attraction towards a mortal woman, Beth Turner (Sophia Myles), his friendship with Josef Kostan (Jason Dohring), and his dealings with other vampires in Los Angeles. (Yes, Los Angeles, again!) What makes this show worth mentioning is its closeness with Lucifer and introducing a different concept of vampirism. The elements of sexual tension between the protagonist and his love interest, along with solving crimes and supernatural drama, are also all there. The show was cancelled after a single season in 2008, but is definitely worth a watch.