20 Best Movies & TV Shows Like Halo to Watch in 2023
Since its arrival, the Halo series has been an instant hit with the fans. However, once you’ve watched all the episodes, you must be wondering whether there are shows with a similar premise. From series based on video games to absolute sci-fi gems, here are 20 best movies and TV to check out that are similar to Halo.
20. Doom: Annihilation (2019)
Doomguy from the long-standing video game series, Doom, is a lot like Master Chief in terms of what he does, except that he fights demons. On top of that, he wears a suit of armor that is similar to what Master Chief wears. That’s where you see the similarities between the Doom franchise and the Halo franchise.
While Doom: Annihilation isn’t as true to its source material as the Halo TV series is and is quite a disappointment in terms of its overall quality, it can still be an enjoyable movie to watch. The story follows a group of space marines who end up discovering that a Martian moon is overrun by demons that seek to invade Earth and create hell on the planet.
19. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy, along with its sequels, is part of the greater MCU franchise but can be enjoyed all on its own. While this isn’t the same as the more serious Halo TV series because of the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy takes on a more comedic approach, the many different sci-fi elements are there, such as space exploration and alien interaction.
The premise of Guardians of the Galaxy follows a ragtag group of people who happened to team up together because they needed to work with one another for their own ends. However, they ended up saving an entire galaxy from the threat of a maniacal space warlord and were essentially dubbed the Guardians of the Galaxy for their efforts in restoring peace and order.
18. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
While there are plenty of different Star Wars movies that we can easily include on this list, we felt that Rogue One is the most similar to the Halo series because of the fact that it follows a very serious approach and due to how it follows seemingly ordinary people instead of unbeatable Jedi. And because of how meaningful the crew of Rogue One’s mission is in the grander Star Wars scheme, it stands as one of the best Star Wars movies of all time.
Rogue One follows the story of a crew of Rebels who are out to seek the blueprints to the massive superweapon that the Empire has built so that they can help the Rebellion fight back against what is seemingly an unbeatable enemy. They did manage to find the blueprints at the cost of their own lives, as Rogue One’s events directly set up the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
17. Dune (2021)
Dune is based on one of the greatest sci-fi books of all time and is a much more respectable live-action version of the books when compared to the disappointing 1984 version. That said, what makes it similar to the Halo series is that space exploration and planet colonization are already common things at this point in the history of humankind.
The story of Dune follows the story of Paul Atreides, who is a brilliant young man who was born into a powerful family and is gifted with supernatural abilities thanks to this mother’s history. He and his family were put in charge of a sandy planet with precious minerals. However, a conflict arose regarding the control over the planet as Paul needed to find a way to redeem his family’s death.
16. Raised By Wolves (2020 – Present)
Raised by Wolves is a popular sci-fi series on HBO and is a series that allows us to see a good combination of sci-fi and religion. The series is similar to Halo not only due to its sci-fi nature but also because of the fact that it allows us to see different philosophies coming from different human factions.
The story of Raised by Wolves follows a group of children who were raised by androids in an attempt for humankind to flourish on a colonized planet after a war on Earth basically devastated the entire population. However, the problem is that the same religious organization that had a hand in the war somehow finds itself on the same planet due to some prophecy, and that’s where the conflict arises.
15. Star Trek: Lower Decks
If you want a more lighthearted approach in the sci-fi genre, then Star Trek: Lower Decks should provide you with some of the best laughs. It isn’t exactly the same as Halo because it lacks the serious approach that the series has. However, this animated series has some similarities in terms of its space exploration but takes a more comedic approach.
What you will notice about Star Trek: Lower Decks is that its approach to comedy is more in line with what adults would love. It’s kind of like Family Guy in that regard but is less offensive. Nevertheless, the series follows the story of your regular ship crew who work in the lower decks of a Starfleet ship, and that means that you can get to see the lives of the people who don’t work on the ship’s bridge.
14. The Book Of Boba Fett (2021-22)
There are a lot of similarities between Master Chief and Boba Fett, who is regarded as one of the original armored gunmen in sci-fi history. Like Chief, Fett wears a suit of armor that allows him to become an effective warrior. And it’s his badass armor that actually allowed him to become one of the most popular characters in Star Wars history.
The Book of Boba Fett tells the story of the aforementioned character after his apparent death during the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. In this series, he saw a drastic change in his outlook on life when he realized the importance of a tribe or a family. This sets him out on a mission to take over Jabba’s gotra and to establish himself as one of the new lords of the planet of Tatooine.
13. The Mandalorian (2019 – Present)
The Mandalorian is the very first Disney+ original Star Wars series and follows the story of a Mandalorian bounty hunter during the years after the events of Star Wars Episode VI. Of course, the fact that we are talking about an armored warrior in space is what makes The Mandalorian similar to the Halo series.
This series follows the story of Din Djarin, a Mandalorian who works as a bounty hunter but turns his back on his job when he comes into contact with a child during one of his bounties. When he realizes that dark forces are after this child, he sets off on a mission to protect it, as the child happens to be a Force-sensitive creature.
12. Oblivion (2013)
Oblivion is a movie that has a lot of twists and turns and gives the sci-fi genre a unique look. Of course, the fact that this movie deals with aliens and people fighting those alien invaders is what makes it very similar to Halo.
The story of Oblivion revolves around a security repairman working on Earth, which has become a barren wasteland after a war against alien invaders devastated the entire planet. His original belief was that humans were already living in a colony outside the planet and that he would soon join them as long as he worked hard enough. However, when he ends up rescuing a stranger from a spacecraft, he begins to realize that everything he knew was a lie and that there was no colony of humans in space.
11. Colony (2016)
Speaking of colonies, Colony is a series that is set in a not-so-distant future where alien invaders have basically taken control over the planet. However, instead of devastating the planet, the aliens allowed humans to live normal lives under their governance. And the aliens also enlisted the help of humans, who acted as the spokespersons of the aliens and were basically the only ones benefitting from the rule of these invaders.
However, a group of people were actually against the rule of the aliens and were looking to resist the invaders. That is where the similarities between it and Halo come in as the Halo series begins with a colonized planet that is looking to resist the rule of the UNSC because the people of that planet wanted independence for themselves.
10. The 5th Wave (2016)
The 5th Wave is a movie that explores an alien attack on Earth, and such an attack has decimated most of the entire planet. It is the fact that this movie talks about alien attacks and a conflict between humans and aliens that make it very similar to Halo, which also explores a war between humans and aliens.
This movie talks about how the series of alien attacks have basically destroyed a good part of the planet due to the earthquakes, tsunamis, and diseases that they left in their wake. In that regard, the main character is a teenager that was separated from her family due to the effects of the alien attacks. And she is willing to do whatever it takes for her to reunite with her family, and this leads her to a fight for survival in the fifth wave coming from the alien invaders.
9. Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Star Trek: Picard is a lot like Halo because this forms part of the greater Star Trek universe, which is a sci-fi franchise that has similarities with the Halo franchise as well. And fans of the classic Star Trek series would love this series.
Basically, Star Trek: Picard is nostalgia at its finest because it brings back Patrick Stewart in his role as Jean-Luc Picard, who has retired from his role as a Starfleet admiral but has been greatly affected by certain events, such as the destruction of Romulus and the death of Lieutenant Commander Data. The old former admiral now steps into the next stage in his life in this amazing Star Trek series.
8. Battleship (2012)
Of course, what makes Battleship so similar to Halo is that we are talking about another war between humans and aliens in this movie. And this film is popular because of how it was able to maximize its budget for its amazing special effects and CGI.
The story of Battleship revolves around an alien attack on Hawaii after mankind beamed a signal into space. These aliens were basically able to destroy some of the most sophisticated ships that the US Navy had to offer. As such, they were forced to use the USS Missouri, a battleship-turned-museum that is already 70 years old and has analog weapon systems that proved to be the downfall of the alien invaders.
7. Pacific Rim (2013)
While there are no kaijus in Halo, there are alien invaders, and that’s what we get in Pacific Rim. Even though this movie focuses a lot on kaiju battles, what you should know is that the kaijus were actually sent by alien invaders to weaken Earth’s defenses before invading the planet. As such, this struggle between Earth and the kaiju is similar to the premise of Halo. Of course, it is worth mentioning that some of the Jaegers that Earth uses to battle the kaijus resemble Master Chief’s armor.
Basically, Pacific Rim tells the story of how humankind built giant robots called Jaegers to combat the kaijus that were sent to Earth. As these kaijus continued to evolve, Earth struggled to defend its last base against the devastating giant monsters.
6. Ender’s Game (2013)
Ender’s Game is a movie that’s based on a classic book that has become quite popular among different sci-fi enthusiasts. And the best part about this movie is that it is more in line with the strategic side of space battles, especially when you factor in the surprising ending that this movie has in store for you.
The basic premise of the movie revolves around how Earth was training the planet’s smartest children in preparation for a coming war against an alien race. This training involves them coming up with different strategies that allow Earth’s defenses to find a way to neutralize the alien invaders. However, what the children didn’t know was that everything wasn’t a simulation as they were actually participating in a real battle the entire time without them knowing it.
5. Halo: Nightfall (2014)
Of course, only another Halo movie will be similar to the newest Halo series, as Halo: Nightfall is a movie that takes place before Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians. And fans of the Halo video games might want to watch this movie because it is canon, and it tells the story of one of the most prominent characters in Halo 5: Guardians.
Halo: Nightfall talks about the story of Jameson Locke, who you might know as the man that the UNSC sent to go after Master Chief in the events of Halo 5: Guardians. This movie follows the events of Locke’s investigation of a terrorist attack, as he and his team end up getting caught in another terrorist attack.
4. Battle Los Angeles (2011)
Battle Los Angeles is, of course, another mankind vs. alien story that allows us to see a battle that takes place on Earth instead of in space. And while a lot of the battles between the UNSC and the Covenant in Halo take place on different planets all over the galaxy, this movie is still quite similar to the Halo series.
The story of Battle Los Angeles revolves around alien invaders who have finally started a full-scale invasion on Earth after visiting the planet several times in the past. Los Angeles becomes the final battleground for Earth’s last stand against these alien invaders, as we follow the story of a US marine struggling to lead his men against the alien invaders while they are rescuing civilians trapped in the city of LA.
3. Edge Of Tomorrow (2014)
Edge of Tomorrow is probably the most Halo-like movie that isn’t Halo because of how it blends a lot of the different sci-fi themes that you see in Halo, such as exoskeleton armor and a desperate fight against alien invaders. Of course, it is also quite unique because it also uses time travel or time looping as one of the major themes of the movie.
The movie revolves around a military officer who has never seen a battle in his entire life because he mostly works as a spokesperson. However, he gets demoted and sees battle for the very first time, and ends up dying rather quickly. But he also gains the ability to loop through time when he died, and he used this ability to his advantage to train as a fighter and to find a way to stop the alien invaders, who they discover to use the same ability to their advantage.
2. Halo: The Fall Of Reach (2015)
Of course, we have another Halo series on this list, as Halo: The Fall of Reach is a miniseries that takes place in the same universe as the Halo games. As such, it plays a huge role in the shaping of the events of the entire Halo video game franchise, considering that this miniseries takes place before the very first Halo game.
Halo: The Fall of Reach suggests that this miniseries explores the events that happen before the fall of the planet Reach, which is one of the main colonies of the UNSC. The Fall of Reach is one of the major events in the history of Halo and the shaping and creation of Master Chief. As such, any fan of Halo should watch this miniseries.
1. Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012)
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a Halo movie that takes place in the same universe as the Halo games and is supposed to happen sometime during the events of the Halo 4 game. This is why you might want to watch this movie if you are planning to play Halo 4 or if you have already finished that game.
The story of this movie takes place on Circinius-IV, which is a colonized planet. Meanwhile, the story follows the protagonist’s memory of the events that happened on the said planet at a time when he was still a cadet in training and when a Covenant attack caused panic and confusion on the planet.
