It was a damn good year for TV, especially genre TV. We feasted all year on quality Star Wars, freaky horror, endearing and exciting sci-fi, thrilling fantasy, gloriously weird storytelling, and top-tier anime and animation. We’ll have io9’s list of 2025’s top sci-fi, fantasy, and horror series coming very soon, but first: here are 42 standout moments that stuck with us long after the credits rolled.
Andor – Mon’s crashout dance
More than just a club classic, more than just a long night of many more to come for Mon Mothma, the climax of Andor season two’s first act broke Mon down perfectly, so she could steel herself for the battles to come later in the season. An ecstatic, almost delirium sequence, watching Mon give herself to the thrumming beats of “Niamos!” knowing one of her oldest friends was being sent to his death on her behalf was a defining moment not just for the character, but for Andor.
Helly R. and Mark S. in the Severance season two finale. © Apple TV
Severance – the cliffhanger
It finally happens. After years of waiting, Mark finally reunites with his wife, Gemma. They’re about to escape when he realizes, wait. No. That’s not who he, his innie, wants. He wants Helly. And so Mark chooses to flip the show on its head and stay in the depths of Lumon, running away to an uncertain fate.
Pluribus – Sprouts
The first season of Pluribus is filled with jaw-dropping, incredible moments. One that stands out, just from its mind-numbing logistics, is when Carol wants to go shopping, only to find her local grocery store, Sprouts, has been emptied. She asked that it be refilled, so the Others do just that. Watching it happen, you can’t help but think about how much work that is for the characters on the show, for no reason, and also how much work it must have been for the people working on the show, for the best reason. We’ll never forget it.
Foundation – Brother Dusk goes bananas
Foundation season three made some capital-C Choices in its climax, including the big reveal of who was actually the villainous Mule the entire time. But Brother Dusk’s meltdown as he faced his “retirement” was truly unforgettable: first he blew up some planets because their leaders made him grumpy, then he annihilated all the royal clones—wiping out his own legacy—as well as Demerzel, the only being capable of fixing the damage he’d done. Talk about going out in a blaze of glory.
Murderbot – Murderbot goes it alone
We didn’t really expect Murderbot to accept the warm, musky embrace the PresAux hippies offered it at the end of season one. But it was still surprising to see the self-aware robot sneak out in the middle of the night in the season one finale, choosing new adventures and limitless possibilities over the familial comfort Mensah and company wanted to give it.
The Last of Us – Joel’s death
Fans of The Last of Us video games had been waiting to see how the show would handle its biggest spoiler of all, the brutal death of Joel at the hands of Abby. And it was handled perfectly, with the same shock and awe as the game. Bonus: the episode included the biggest, most memorable zombie invasion yet.
Futurama – “The White Hole”
The season 10 finale sent the Planet Express crew on a long-haul mission to witness the birth of a new galaxy—which they miss entirely because their single-use clones, generated mid-voyage to tend to various disasters along the way, rebel at the last minute and seize the moment for themselves. It’s funny, ironic, self-defeating, and yet somehow it all works out in the end, in true Futurama fashion.
© Disney
Solar Opposites – “The Wall” conclusion
The tiny people trapped inside Yumyulack’s bedroom wall decided to stay small when they realized Cherie’s baby Pezlie, who was born tiny, can never be made regular-sized. The show then flashes forward 90 years to the post-apocalypse, and a very old Pezlie explains her mother’s actions accidentally caused the end of the world. How, exactly? We never learn. And really, the alien mission was always doomsday, so things worked out after all.
Severance – “Woe’s Hollow”
One of the best things about Severance is that it’s usually so contained… until “Woe’s Hollow.” Watching the innies experience this weird, outside life on Lumon-owned land was just an entire episode of awkward tension, culminating with the season’s first big surprise—Helly isn’t who she says she is.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – At Attin’s gold
What was the deal with At Attin? Why was it so secret? What was it hiding? These questions floated all around the fun Star Wars adventure show Skeleton Crew and then, finally, it was revealed. At Attin is basically a safe for the galaxy, filled with more gold than anyone can imagine. And seeing it all, in all its glory, was the type of payoff Star Wars fans dream of.
Pluribus – the invasion begins
Vince Gilligan is best known for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, but he started in TV with The X-Files. Never is that more clear than with Pluribus’ pilot, where we gradually witness humanity becoming infected and joining a single hive mind. It’s disorienting, captivating, and utterly terrifying as we and Carol are kept in the dark about what the hell is going on until the hive mind just has to call her and explain, which makes it even more terrifying.
© Netflix
Black Mirror – “Bête Noire” reveal
The ultimate way to gaslight an enemy, unlocked: invent a device that lets you alter reality at will, making everyone think the other person is batshit crazy. A “nut allergy”? Those don’t exist! In true Black Mirror fashion, the stakes get even higher, wilder, and darker from there in this episode, with the protagonist thinking she’s losing her marbles until she realizes revenge-driven weird science has ascended to new levels of mindfuckery.
Severance – “Chikhai Bardo”
The seventh episode of season two was a stunner, flashing back to Mark and Gemma’s first meeting, their romance, and their increasingly troubled marriage—all before Gemma’s faked death, her emergence as Lumon’s “Ms. Casey,” and the reveal of exactly where she’s been since Ms. Casey was taken out of circulation. “Chikhai Bardo” was a masterpiece of writing, directing, and acting that brought a whole new dimension to Severance’s dystopian drama.
Pluribus – the Others are eating what?
Carol uncovers the Soylent Green aspect of the hive mind’s takeover of Earth, complete with a jaunty little explainer video hosted by John Cena himself. In a show full of “wait, what?” moments, the food supply reveal was indeed a huge jaw-dropper. We’re pretty sure Vince Gilligan isn’t going to stop there, though.
© Liane Hentscher/HBO
The Last of Us – space flight
The other huge season two moment fans of The Last of Us were waiting for, as seen in the game, was the serene, beautiful flashback of Ellie’s birthday when Joel brought her to the museum. There, he transports her imagination to space with audio from a real launch, and for a few moments, everything wrong with the world melts away.
Ironheart – Riri breaks bad
The reveal that Mephisto was behind the evil in Ironheart wasn’t that big a surprise. We’d heard rumors he was in it for years. What was a surprise was the final episode of the season, when our hero, Riri Williams, sided with Mephisto in order to bring her best friend back to life. Whether or not we’ll ever see how that plays out, we don’t know. But it was a shocking moment.
The Handmaid’s Tale – June’s airplane sabotage
The penultimate episode of season six, “Execution,” lived up to that name as June and the resistance put a big part of their plan in motion: plant a bomb aboard a plane carrying the top Commanders, enabling them to wipe out the top leaders in a single blow. But June didn’t count on her ally, Lawrence, deciding to carry the explosives-packed suitcase aboard—choosing to save the mission while dooming himself—or that Nick, who she still loved despite their very complicated and fraught relationship, would show up as a last-minute addition to the passenger list. Boom, good-bye.
© Brooke Palmer/HBO
It: Welcome to Derry – Nobody is safe!
The first 15 minutes of episode one were wild. The last five were even wilder. So you’re saying this gang of kids who we’ve spent an hour getting to know, who seem to be the main characters of this new series—most of them are dead now? If you worried It: Welcome to Derry would soften its horror for TV, the pilot offered every reassurance that nobody is safe when Pennywise is on the prowl.
Dan Da Dan – Okarun vs. Evil Eye
A boy possessed by a child demon and a boy channeling the power of an evil spirit? Who wins? The audience, as Okarun taps into his Turbo powers to keep his friends safe and give Evil Eye the fight he’s spent episodes craving. Science Saru’s always gone all out with Dan Da Dan, and here, it manages to go beyond to new heights.
Stranger Things – Eight returns
In its first chunk of finale-season episodes, Stranger Things reached way back into season two to resurface Eleven’s “lost sister,” also known as Kali, also known as Number Eight. The reveal came at the very end of volume one, when Hopper and Eleven discovered the horrible truth about the secret human weapon Dr. Kay was keeping locked up within the military base in the Upside Down. But the Eleven-Eight reunion means the fight against One—who now goes by Vecna, of course—suddenly has a whole lot more power.
Rick and Morty – “Boss Hogg Rick”
After the destruction of the Citadel of Ricks and the demise of Rick Prime, Rick and Morty fans might have thought there’d be no more wacky variants clattering around the multiverse. Season eight said, “Hey, there’s a loophole!” and showed us Rick and Morty clones who were still trying to make a go of it (while battling each other), with “Boss Hogg Rick” leading the taller side of things. Voice actor Ian Cardoni alchemized Rick Sanchez with a Dukes of Hazzard drawl and made a magic, if short-lived, character in the process. “Get yo mouth round it!”
© FX
Alien: Earth – episode five
We love that Alien: Earth took the Alien franchise in such an unexpected, weird direction. But because of that, the one time it didn’t,its fifth episode, may have been its best yet. The episode is basically just an Alien movie, as the crew of the Maginot is slowly picked apart, one by one. And it was beautiful.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX – wine and insurrection date night
Oh, Challia Bull and Char Aznable, we love what’s wrong with you. The first meeting between the pair in GQuuuuuuX‘s alternate retelling of the One Year War is laden with tension (sexual or otherwise), as the bond builds between fellow Newtypes, fellow soldiers, and suddenly, at the masterful manipulation of Char, fellow insurrectionists in arms, as he weaves Challia into his plans for vengeance on the Zabi family. It’s brilliantly characterful, and sets the stage perfectly for one of the most fascinating pairings of the whole show—and of Gundam as a franchise.
Cobra Kai – “You’re the Best”
The first season of Cobra Kai had basically every reference a fan of The Karate Kid could want. Save for one. That one, the film’s most iconic song, was saved for six seasons, until the very final act of the very final episode. And when it hit, goosebumps could be felt around the world as we watched Daniel LaRusso train Johnny Lawrence for the biggest fight of his life set to the song we’d all been waiting to hear.
Dan Da Dan – Okarun and Momo holding hands
Dan Da Dan‘s second season was a lot of things on the shonen battle front. It was also ultra romantic. The slow burn of hand holding has never felt this euphoric. Momokarun forever.
Silo – the final flashback
The beauty of Silo is that, for the most part, it takes place in a silo. Yes, the first season ended with our main character, Juliette, escaping—but even then, she was in a post-apocalyptic world. And so at the end of season two, when we disarmingly flash back generations to a modern Washington, DC bar, to see one of the first seedlings of this huge idea, it was completely mind-blowing.
© Netflix
Wednesday – “The Dead Dance”
There had to be another viral dance moment on Wednesday after social media edits made Jenna Ortega and Lady Gaga synoymous with that “Bloody Mary” remix of the spooky choreography in season one. This time Tim Burton and Netflix gave Mother Monster herself a guest-starring role, as well as enlisted her to pen a song for season two’s soundtrack. Here Enid (Emma Myers) and newcomer Agnes (Evie Templeton) do the honors sans Wednesday, alas. It’s still great!
Daredevil: Born Again – the bank heist
It took a few episodes, but Daredevil: Born Again put action at the forefront with its fifth episode, “With Interest.” When crooks try to rob the bank where Matt Murdock happens to be looking for a loan, he takes it upon himself to take them out one by one, first with his lawyerly charm, then by eventually beating them to a pulp. Good times.
My Hero Academia – Wonder Duo at work
Save to win. Win to save. For eight seasons, My Hero Academia has shown Deku and Bakugo’s individual growth in and out of each other’s orbit, and it all pays off with a team-up move for the ages. Seeing them lock in just seconds after Bakugo’s been brought back from the dead makes for a fist-pumping set piece and some of the best work Bones has done for the series.
© Paramount
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Spock inspires Kirk
“The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” is one of the strongest hours of Strange New Worlds‘ wildly uneven third season, largely off the back of two standout performances in its exploration of the road towards the original Star Trek: Ethan Peck and Paul Wesley’s electric chemistry as Spock and Jim Kirk. In the first really meaningful time the two characters have spent together—at a moment of crisis for the young human, finding himself leading his near-scuppered ship without the help of his captain or crew—Peck and Wesley immediately bring out the layers of emotionality that have made their characters one of the most enduring partnerships on TV for almost 60 years. As they begin to forge those connections in each other, and Spock helps Kirk through a dark moment of self-doubt, we’re given a touching insight into the earliest days of their bond, and it feels magical to watch.
Eyes of Wakanda – Iron Fist
While it’s a coin toss on whether Marvel will do anything with Iron Fist in live-action, the martial arts hero found herself in Eyes of Wakanda, of all places. Jorani was made just for the show and only appears in one episode, but the Fist of 1400 AD makes quite an impression—so much it’d be nice to see more of her and her Fist successors in animation where they can truly shine.
Invincible – conquest trauma dumping
The run back between Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Steven Yeun from one Robert Kirkman show to another was bound to be a big deal. But seeing the snaggletoothed Viltrumite take a break from running the dozens to trauma-dump Mark Grayson because he wouldn’t live to tell the tale was cold. Thankfully, Atom Eve showed up with more than a pink bubble to even the odds.
© Crunchyroll
New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt – Vibe the cat
New Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt was big on referential Easter eggs, but it cut deep with its episode about a ghost cat named after a vibrator. A new sentence, yes. But also the most emotionally devastating episode of an otherwise crass comedy. Good shit, Studio Trigger.
Lazarus – “Unforgettable Fire”
Arguably the best episode of the bunch: Lazarus was a vibe, sometimes to its detriment. But one of the show’s best episodes were the ones where it centered on its cast dealing with their past baggage Cowboy Bebop style (sorry Shinichiro Watanabe!).
Gen V – Every Hamish Linklater scene
Gen V‘s sophomore year was one where you didn’t have to squint to see The Boys play hypocrite with its own stab at Avengers-lite cameos toward the latter’s finale. Still, one unambiguous bright spot of the season wasn’t Starlight, but Hamish Linklater elevating every scene he was in. It’s a shame that Ariana Grande’s Wicked/SpongeBob beau took over as the big bad—generational aura loss, as the kids say.
Andor – “Who are you?”
The question that’s been haunting Syril Karn from not just the beginning of Andor, but probably since the day he was born, comes back to haunt him on Ghorman once he’s finally face-to-face with Cassian again—only to take a blaster bolt to the head before he can compose himself to answer. It’s a perfectly gutwrenching end to a fascinatingly compromised villain, and brings everything back round to the ways Syril’s yearning for approval and identity made him a perfect tool for the Imperial engine… one that was all too willing to discard him as one body among many on the Ghorman plaza.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX – Char steals the Gundam
GQuuuuuuX‘s reverence for the original Mobile Suit Gundam reaches its peak in the moment that reshapes the entire project, and Gundam’s classic “Universal Century” timeline with it, when Char manages to successfully steal the Federation’s secret new mecha project from right under their noses. A brilliantly faithful recreation of the moments Amuro first finds the Gundam in the 1979 classic, right down the music and dialogue, but rendered alien and brimming with potential by having those actions and words come out of the mouth of the Red Comet himself, it still can send a chill down your spine, even though we now know how the rest of the series plays out.
Dan Da Dan – Jiji’s exorcism rock concert
Plenty of wild stuff happened in Dan Da Dan‘s rocket of a sophomore season, but there’s still something absolutely magical that in story of alien invaders, giant kaiju, and ghostly spirits hidden in the darkest places of the earth, one of the wildest things we could see was a glam rock exorcism for the ages. HAYASii’s wild performance to try and free Jiji of the Evil Eye didn’t just blow Momo, Okarun, and Aira’s socks off, it blew us away too—and that’s even before you get into the real-life weirdness that came after its debut, given the sequence’s homage to classic J-rock almost homaged too close to the copyright sun.
© Lucasfilm
Star Wars: Visions – “BLACK”
It’s cheating to nominate 13 minutes of animation as a “moment”, but it’s really what “BLACK,” David Production’s stunning entry in the third volume of Star Wars: Visions, is: a psychedelic, challenging moment in the mind’s eye of a dying Stormtrooper, confronting his place in the world and the scars of his soul ravaged by the furor of the Galactic Civil War. A rare piece of Star Wars that not just invites you to find interpretation, but thrusts that need into your face at every moment, from its haunting visuals to its rip-roaring jazz soundtrack, “BLACK” represents the apex of what Star Wars: Visions can do, and what Star Wars at its most inventive can be.
It: Welcome to Derry – Hallorann finds It
There are so many moments in Welcome to Derry that solidify it as one of the best shows of the year. Introducing Dick Hallorann as a military secret weapon to sus out Derry’s malevolent entity was something that Stephen King may have set the groundwork for very lightly, but the HBO series made it real. It was so wild to see Pennywise realize he had an invader in the form of Hallorann.
Wednesday – Thing’s origins revealed
So Thing belonged to the demented evil child prodigy who drained Gomez Addams’ powers in high school, nearly killing him. Thankfully it all backfired thanks to Morticia’s work, but it also brought the Addams their first quirky family member: Thing, who had no memory after coming to life.
Andor – Kleya’s hospital infiltration
It’s hard to do badassery and tragedy at the same time, but that’s exactly what Andor‘s standout moment for Kleya did in its climactic arc. Woven through the flashback story of how Luthen and Kleya found each other in the first place, her infiltration of the hospital the dying father figure was taken to was as tense as it was deeply emotional, Kleya’s stern solitude as she took down Imperial after Imperial, shot by shot. Only then could her composure break, completing her mission with a tear as she shut down Luthen’s life support, bidding farewell to her complicated mentor and ensuring his secrets of Rebellion died with him—sending off one of Star Wars‘ most incredible characters in style.
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