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Legion

Legion

Open your third eye.

2017–2019Ended3 seasons27 episodes~60 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

David Haller, AKA Legion, is a troubled young man who may be more than human. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Legion?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Legion streaming on Hulu and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Legion?

Legion earns 9 badges, led by One of a kind and Visual feast.

Show 1 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Legion worth watching?

Legion's Midcredits score is the 87th percentile of all shows, from 107K ratings across 2 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

87th percentile

Better received than 87% of shows

84th percentile among Action86th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)84th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

79 /100

84th percentile of all shows

84th percentile among Action83rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

86% liked it

85th percentile of all shows

80th percentile among Action84th percentile among 2010s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

97th percentile

105K ratings across platforms

90th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 16% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A visually ambitious, psychically disorienting trip that abandons conventional superhero storytelling for surreal artistry.

Fans praised

  • Visually stunning with innovative cinematography and production design
  • Daringly original, psychedelic style that pushes TV boundaries
  • Intelligent, sophisticated writing that rewards attentive viewing

Detractors panned

  • Pretentious style over substance, especially in season 2
  • Convoluted, slow-paced plot with aimless filler episodes
  • Characters become unlikable and poorly developed

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive92

Uniquely psychedelic, nothing else like it on TV

CinematographyDivisive92

Stunning visual artistry, painterly framing and color

AtmosphereDivisive87

Unsettling, immersive world where reality constantly shifts

Acting85

Dan Stevens magnetic as fractured David; Aubrey Plaza a standout villain

Effects and spectacleDivisive80

Trippy VFX and creature design; some CGI feels cheap

CharactersDivisive65

Fascinating lead but side characters underdeveloped; erratic motivations by season 2

Plot and storyDivisive55

Intelligent season 1 arc devolves into self-indulgent tangents

PacingDivisive40

Season 2 glacial filler; season 1 better but still uneven

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 11 points higher than over-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 12 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2019 · 8 episodes · 7.1 average across 8 rated episodes

  • S3E1

    Chapter 20

    Jun 24, 201951 minTMDB rating 7.1
  • S3E2

    Chapter 21

    Jul 1, 201944 minTMDB rating 6.8
  • S3E3

    Chapter 22

    Jul 8, 201946 minTMDB rating 7.1
  • S3E4

    Chapter 23

    Jul 15, 201951 minTMDB rating 7.4Season best
  • S3E5

    Chapter 24

    Jul 22, 201943 minTMDB rating 7.0
  • S3E6

    Chapter 25

    Jul 29, 201951 minTMDB rating 7.0
  • S3E7

    Chapter 26

    Aug 5, 201948 minTMDB rating 7.3
  • S3E8

    Chapter 27

    Aug 12, 201952 minTMDB rating 7.0Finale

Watch experience

What is Legion like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — a slow-burn watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Dreamlike · under 1% of shows: Logic gives way to atmosphere and association.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Nonlinear · 5% of shows: Events shown out of chronological order.Frame story · 3% of shows: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.SerializedOne continuous story
ToneThe show plays its trippy, surreal material completely straight, with no irony or winking at the audience, creating a sincere and often terrifying atmosphere.
The rideThe series maintains a high, often unsettling tension, with surreal and melancholic moments, building to a climactic and emotionally heavy finale.
StructureThe narrative is deliberately fractured and non-linear, reflecting David's unstable perception of reality. It frequently uses flashbacks, flash-forwards, and alternate perspectives, sometimes framed as stories within stories.
Episode formatThe series tells a single, continuous story across its three seasons, with each episode functioning as a chapter in a larger, complex narrative.
Season formatEach season directly continues the overarching story and character arcs from the previous one, forming one complete narrative.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves you pondering its intricate themes of identity and reality, while its psychedelic horror and ambiguous ending leave a lingering sense of unease.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1% (this title)
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Inner demon: The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.

18% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe series follows David Haller's struggle against the powerful parasitic entity Amahl Farouk living inside his mind, which also drove him insane. This internal monster is the central antagonist for the typical episode and the series arc.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% (this title) · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

IdentityMental illness · under 1% of showsMemory · 3% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe show deeply interrogates who David Haller really is, blurring the lines between his powers, his trauma, and his mental health.
StanceThe series questions the nature of reality and identity itself, with consequences that ripple across minds and dimensions.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanAlternate dimensionFantasy
Orchestral modernExperimentalForeground music · original score · Jeff Russo
SettingA reality-bending psychiatric facility and the inner mind of a powerful mutant.
MusicA vibrant, unpredictable score that blends orchestral, electronic, and psychedelic elements to mirror the show's mind-bending visuals.

Content guide

Is Legion okay for kids?

TV-MA

Legion is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (69/100), sexual content at moderate (50/100), language at moderate (40/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (60/100) and frightening material at intense (78/100). Overall it is heavier than 50% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 29 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France18
  • Ireland15
  • New Zealand16
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • IDD
  • LU16
  • MexicoB-15
  • MYP13
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway18
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland16
  • PortugalNR
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporePG
  • Spain16
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 72% of all showsHeavier than 50% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 56%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 43%
Profanity
Moderate
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 9%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 63%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 79%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Legion have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Legion?

Cast

Dan Stevens
as David Haller
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Rachel Keller
as Syd Barrett
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Aubrey Plaza
as Lenny Busker
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bill Irwin
as Cary Loudermilk
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jeremie Harris
as Ptonomy Wallace
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Amber Midthunder
as Kerry Loudermilk
Hamish Linklater
as Clark
Jean Smart
as Dr. Melanie Bird
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Navid Negahban
as Amahl Farouk
Jemaine Clement
as Oliver Bird

More like this

What are shows like Legion?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Legion include Jupiter's Legacy (2021), Helstrom (2020) and Black Lightning (2018).

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What other shows share a tag with Legion?

199 other shows share the rarest tag below, up against: demon. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.