Percy Jackson Meets Stranger Things In Netflix's 3-Part Fantasy Series

Published Sep 14, 2026, 2:15 PM EDT

Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy. 

Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).

Of course, Stranger Things has come to a close while Percy Jackson remains in its infancy (and is currently between seasons). If you're looking for something similar to watch next, we would suggest Netflix's Locke & Key. This fantasy series premiered its first season in February of 2020 and is based on the comic books by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. Locke & Key wrapped up after three seasons in 2022, leaving itself with 28 episodes, each about 30 minutes to one hour.

Locke & Key follows three siblings whose father was recently murdered. After the tragedy, the trio moves with their mother to their father's family home in the small town of Matheson, Massachusetts. Before long, the children find several mysterious keys and, as they use them to open magical doors throughout the house, discover that an evil, demonic presence is hunting them as well.

The magical legacy inherited by the Locke children is what effectively pairs Locke & Key with projects like Percy Jackson. The central characters of this fantasy series are thrust into a spectacular yet dangerous world of magic and must figure out their destinies the hard way, with minimal guidance. Locke & Key takes a much darker approach than Disney's Percy Jackson, however, which is where Stranger Things comes in. This is another supernatural horror series that centers on themes of grief and pairs them with hidden realms and haunting villains from beyond.

Locke & Key Is A Rare Fantasy Series With An Intentional Ending

It's tough enough to find a good fantasy series. It's even more difficult to find one that comes to a natural, planned conclusion. It's all too often, especially on Netflix, that a promising show is canceled for one unfortunate reason or another. On the other hand, good supernatural TV shows often run on for far too long with no real plan, causing viewers to slowly lose interest and never tune back in to discover the answers to those earlier mysteries. This isn't the case with Locke & Key.

Locke & Key's creators started the series with the intention of a three-part arc, so when the time came for Netflix to approve season 3, there was no question that this would be the end. There was no cancellation; neither was this show dragged on needlessly for season after redundant season. The story is well-established, well-structured, and, most importantly, well-concluded. Whether you love this series or not, you won't be left hanging.

Between this and Locke & Key's 28-episode count, the Netflix series makes for an excellent binge. It's not necessarily a lighthearted watch, but it doesn't demand much of its viewers either. There's supernatural horror and breathtaking fantasy, plus spectacular performances from stars like Darby Stanchfield, Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones, Jackson Robert Scott, Laysla De Oliveira, Petrice Jones, and Griffin Gluck. Overall, you just can't go wrong.

Release Date 2020 - 2022-00-00

Network Netflix

Directors Dawn Wilkinson, Jeremy Webb, Mairzee Almas, Mark Tonderai, Michael Morris, Tim Southam, Vincenzo Natali

Writers Carlton Cuse, Meredith Averill, Liz Phang, Vanessa Rojas, Andres Fischer-Centeno, Michael D. Fuller, Brett Treacy, Gabriel Rodriguez, Dan Woodward

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  Darby Stanchfield

  Nina Locke

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  Connor Jessup

  Tyler Locke