Every Season Of Heroes, Ranked Worst To Best

Summary "Heroes" started strong with captivating characters and a unique premise, but lost momentum in subsequent seasons due to fluctuating quality.

Season 3's "Villains" was too dense, lacking enough character development, despite adding important elements to the series' larger narrative.

"Heroes Reborn" spin-off was entertaining with cameos from the original series, but fell short in quality compared to the original series.

Heroes proved to be a divisive show after the first season became a viral hit, and subsequent seasons seemed to waver in quality. Heroes was first released on NBC in 2006, where the first season had significant critical acclaim. The series, based on an original superhero story by creator Tim Kring, presents a world where a major anomaly causes a small percentage of people to leap forward in evolution, developing special powers that separate them from ordinary humans in unique and spectacular ways.

The series got off to a great start with a captivating villain, Sylar, played by Zachary Quinto, and a compelling premise about an apocalypse. Heroes brought together a diverse cast of characters around the world and sent them on a journey that was bound to coincide, but with some less popular villains and slower storylines in subsequent seasons, the ratings fluctuated a lot. The series managed to push out four seasons, with season three split into two parts, before eventually being canceled. Then in 2015, a spin-off titled Heroes: Reborn released one season expanding on the original story.

6 Season 3 - Volume Three "Villains"

The reason that Heroes season 3, Volume Three "Villains" comes in at last place is simply because it is too fast and lacks adequate time to develop the stories. Between a future version of Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) trying to assassinate his own brother, Nathan (Adrian Pasdar), and reveals about the Petrelli family, it is already too dense. Sylar is revealed as possibly being Peter and Nathan's brother, and he is forced to reevaluate what his goals are. Simultaneously, many other powered people break free from the Company's prisons, and Arthur Petrelli attempts to give the world powers.

However, that is only scratching the surface, as there is plenty more happening with the other characters as well. Hiro finds out that his family possesses the formula that could give the world powers. Tracy Strauss enters the show and decides to try and track down information about her now-deceased sister, Niki Sanders. Mohinder injects himself with powers, leading to dire consequences, and a future version of Claire is also present. The 13-episode run is far too dense and does not give enough time for any of the major developments that play out.

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Despite all of this, it is not a terrible season, and upon multiple rewatches, the story does add a lot to the larger narrative across the series. Arthur Petrelli makes for an intimidating villain, and the trickery that he and Angela employ to try and subdue and control characters like Sylar is impressive. The concept of extending powers out to the wider world also provides some powerful questions about what the heroes are working for, and whether giving other people powers would be a safe and positive thing to do.

5 Heroes Reborn

Heroes Reborn is a spin-off series that takes place roughly five years after the original series ended. In the wake of Claire Bennet revealing her powers to the world, there was a massive shift with other powered people revealing themselves, and non-powered people growing scared about the potential power that could be wielded over them. The series follows Claire's twin children, who are teenagers despite being born only a few years earlier, because Hiro brought them back in time to be raised at an earlier date. The story is entertaining, and with multiple cameos from the original Heroes, it is an effective spin-off.

However, the series is a notable drop in quality from the original, with a focus on younger heroes who struggle to come to terms with their abilities. Some other notable absences from the series are disappointing, especially as it simply mentions major events that supposedly played out between the earlier series and the present. The stakes are high, and the main cast is interesting, but compared to the original series, it fails to stack up very well.

4 Season 2 - Volume Two "Generations"

Heroes season 2 could have just as easily been called Origins, considering the focus on where the Company originated, and details about the Shanti Virus. Coming off the back of an incredibly strong premiere season, season 2 was always going to have a challenge of living up to what came before. The series takes place four months after the finale of season 1 for the most part, with the time-traveling Hiro trapped in 1671 Japan, where he meets his hero, Kensei. Peter is in Ireland, and has amnesia before he is hunted down by a new character, Elle Bishop.

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This season reveals the identities of the founders of the Company, with the Petrelli's parents, and Adam Monroe, the Englishman who poses as Kensei in ancient Japan, both being members. The story suffers from having a slower-pace, and complex narratives that do not work quite as smoothly as in other seasons. However, the finale is a major highlight, bringing the heroes together for an explosive finale. Nathan is shot as he is about to reveal his identity to the world, Adam is trapped underground by Hiro, and Sylar is back at full power ahead of a dangerous virus being released.

3 Season 4 - Volume Five "Redemption"

Season 4 marks the end of the original run of Heroes, and it is a pretty significant departure from earlier seasons, but not necessarily for the worse. Subtitled Volume Five "Redemption," the focus shifts to a carnival, led by Samuel Sullivan. Samuel has the power of terrakinesis, or the ability to manipulate the earth. However, he also has the unique gift that he can amplify his powers when he is near other powered people. With this in mind, Samuel seeks to expand his carnival family with as many powered people as possible to set about his malignant plans.

The main cast also returns, but there have been considerable changes, including both Hiro and Mohinder becoming unwell, and Peter returning to life as a paramedic, but now he has regained his powers. Nathan also exhibits unusual behavior, before being revealed to be Sylar with his memories altered. Samuel makes for an excellent villain, and the twists are surprising and intense when they appear. However, season 4 fails to rank higher because of how drastically it changes the story and the reliance on new unfamiliar characters, which leaves favorite heroes in the background.

2 Season 3 - Volume Four "Fugitives"

Volume Four "Fugitives" is a major turning point in the series, and it drastically improves from the previous two volumes. Nathan turns against his brother and all of his own kind when he approaches the President to rally support for creating a special task force to hunt and capture powered people. Most of the 12 episodes revolve around this concept of the heroes on the run, with some minor narratives about the mysterious "Rebel" who guides Matt Parkman, Hiro, and Ando, while Sylar is also searching for his biological parents.

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The season moves at a solid and consistent pace through the 12 episodes that make up this volume, and the events that play out have a major influence on the larger narrative. It's one of the very best entries in the series, with the characters getting into a groove and unexpected twists and turns throughout. This season also sees Sylar gathering more powers, while Peter and Hiro struggle to regain their own abilities, adding to the pressure and intensity of the season and making this a standout entry.

1 Season 1 - Volume One "Genesis"

Heroes season 1 is where the story begins, and fittingly, this volume is subtitled, "Genesis." Season 1 does a spectacular job of setting the stage for the events to play out throughout later seasons. Heroes season 1 introduces a large and varied cast, each with their own powers, lives, community, and storyline, to the evil forces that threaten to destroy the heroes and the world. This season introduces threats like the mysterious Company, that Chloe's father, Noah Bennet, works for, and people like Mohinder Suresh who is deep in his father's research about these evolved humans.

In addition, the series does a great job of expanding its central characters, Peter Petrelli, and Sylar, who appear to be the two individuals who will determine the future of the planet. The pacing is perfect, the characters are compelling and their stories are well-defined. While later seasons may have struggled, the first season was a magical event that kept the audience's attention throughout. The finale was also perfect, as the heroes finally came together in New York, and faced off against Sylar. Peter explodes, just as was predicted in Isaac's paintings, and Hiro winds up stuck back in 1671 Japan.

Ultimately, the first season stands out as the strongest entry in the show because of the coherency of the story, well-developed characters, and a compelling sequence of events that pushes viewers to binge the whole season. Hopefully, with a new Heroes series being planned, the original magic can be recaptured, and mistakes from spin-offs like Heroes Reborn will be used to improve the new series. However, it will have a huge challenge in matching up to season 1, especially if it fails to properly bridge the gap between the shows and bring back some fan favorites.