All 6 Seasons Of The Expanse, Ranked

Image via MovieStillsDB Updated Sep 22, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT Lewis is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant and has written for the site since 2022. This has allowed Lewis to explore a vast array of films, TV shows, books, comic books, and games from across the mainstream world of pop culture, reflecting his lifelong love of all media and typifying his experience in the world of fiction storytelling. To top this off, Lewis graduated from Northumbria University with First Class Honours in Film & TV Studies, truly exemplifying his experience in the medium. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The Expanse delivered six seasons of epic science fiction television, but how those seasons stack up against one another is a difficult question. Based on the series of novels by James S. A. Corey that quickly became one of the best-selling sci-fi book series of recent years, The Expanse takes place in a far future in which humanity has spread throughout the solar system. While The Expanse eventually follows a large cast of characters, the show initially centers on detective Joe Miller (Thomas Jane), as well as James Holden (Steven Strait) and his Rocinante crew. The Expanse initially combined a noir detective story with gritty sci-fi, but soon became an epic space opera and one of the best sci-fi series of the last 15 years. The series revolves around a conspiracy involving a dangerous alien bio-weapon known as the protomolecule, and events that threaten the fragile peace of the solar system. Tensions rise among the solar system's three major factions – Earth (and Luna), Mars, and the Asteroid Belt – and Holden and his crew find themselves at the center of it all. Ultimately, by the time of The Expanse's ending, the show had delivered six great seasons. Although The Expanse ended in an unexpected place, given that there were three more books in the series left to adapt, it was still a mostly satisfying ending. In fact, it cannot even be argued that any of The Expanse's six seasons were subpar. Yes, some of them had their weaker episodes, but the entirety of the science fiction show remained compelling, well-crafted TV. That said, in the interest of rankings, here are The Expanse's six seasons stacked against one another, from the "least-good" to the true masterpieces. 6 The Expanse Season 4 As already alluded to, every season of The Expanse delivers incredibly well-written sci-fi television, but one season had to be last on this list, and that is 2019's season 4. Season 4's biggest "issue" is not actually its own fault, it just had the unenviable task of following the breathtaking season 3, hinting at how high the latter might rank. After season 3's climactic ending saw Ring Gates open to vast corners of distant solar systems, much of season 4's storyline is spent on a new planet named Ilus, which is home to strange alien structures. The crew of the Rocinante butts heads with a group of Belter settlers on the planet, while Holden investigates the alien technology and its potential connection to the protomolecule. Meanwhile, Martian Marine Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams) investigates the illegal sale of Martian weapons to the Belt, while UN Secretary General Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) faces complications during her reelection campaign. The season also explores growing dissent among the Belters and the Outer Planets Alliance, as Marco Inaros (Keon Alexander) emerges as a dangerous extremist leader. After being canceled by Syfy after its third season, The Expanse was picked up by Amazon Prime Video, which produced seasons 4, 5, and 6. On the whole, The Expanse season 4 has its moments of excellence, especially in the final two episodes. Miller's return is great, as is the intimacy of the issues both sides of The Expanse's cast face. However, the only reason season 4 ranks as the "worst" of The Expanse is its more disparate stories feeling smaller in scope and thus, slightly less consequential, than those of previous seasons, especially the massive highs of seasons 2 and 3. As a result, The Expanse season 4 has a solid beginning and a great ending, but lags somewhat in the middle, rendering it the "least good" of the show's entries. 5 The Expanse Season 6 The Expanse had a lot of story to wrap up in its final season, and with only six episodes, everything feels like it's over far too quickly. While there are three more books in the series after Babylon's Ashes, the thirty-year time jump between The Expanse books 6 and 7 makes it a good stopping place for the television series, at least for now. The season finds Holden, Amos (Wes Chatham), and Naomi (Dominique Tipper) reunited aboard the Rocinante, as they work with Earth and Mars to stand against Marco Inaros and his Free Navy. From morally ambiguous characters and political machinations to epic space battles and high-stakes conflicts, The Expanse season 6 includes pretty much everything that makes the series great, to an even more heightened degree. The main characters' arcs come to satisfying conclusions, and the season nicely ties up the Marco Inaros storyline, but it leaves several lingering questions. Whether or not The Expanse ever returns to adapt the final three books, season 6 ultimately comes to a surprisingly hopeful conclusion that feels right for the series, with that sense of finality lending it a bit more emotional resonance over season 4. What keeps The Expanse season 6 from ranking any higher, though, is the aforementioned pace with which it rushes to its ending. With only six episodes telling the conclusion of a conflict that was established throughout the entirety of season 5, as opposed to the 10 or 13 of its predecessors, The Expanse's conclusion does have somewhat of a dizzying pace. This speed can make it feel muddled or messy at times, and lacking some of the nuance of prior seasons that dug deeper into more complex sociopolitical issues. Nonetheless, ending a good series has proven hard, but The Expanse managed it. 4 The Expanse Season 5 The Expanse season 5 separates the crew of the Rocinante as the ship undergoes major repairs. Naomi sets out to find her son Filip (Jasai Chase-Owens), hoping to persuade him to leave his father, Marco Inaros, and their dangerous cause behind. Amos travels to Baltimore after learning of an old friend's death, while Alex (Cas Anvar) goes to Mars and reconnects with Bobbie. Meanwhile, Belter Camina Drummer (Cara Gee) reluctantly joins Marco's Free Navy, although she disagrees with his methods. After a devastating attack on Earth, Marco declares his Free Navy as the ruling body in the solar system and takes control of the Ring gates. Avasarala helps avert further attacks, while Amos and Clarissa Mao (Nadine Nicole) work to get off Earth, and Holden sets out to rescue Naomi from Inaros. Resulting from the different plotlines, The Expanse season 5 jumps around quite often, with some working better than others. Naomi's story, in particular, drags a bit in the middle, with season 5 almost placing too much focus on her character with not enough material there to justify it. Marco is charismatic and suitably evil, but his more personal danger feels somewhat underwhelming compared to the otherworldly, cosmic grandeur of the protomolecule. That said, season 5, episode 4 still delivers a truly shocking plan from Marco that is stunning in its execution and among the series most emotionally devastating displays of power. This, as well as the strong conclusion ot the season after some of its slower episodes in the mid-point, solidified The Expanse season 5 as a more entertaining version of season 6. The two are very interlinked in stories, themes, and characters, but season 5 simply has more time to flesh out its narratives. While it can be argued it has too much time, given the dragging plotlines of a few characters, its high points are better than those of seasons 6 and 4. 3 The Expanse Season 1 Image via MovieStillsDB In many ways, the first season of The Expanse feels like a different show from its later seasons, but it does a solid job of introducing the characters and setting up the world. The story centers on Miller's investigation into Julie Mao's disappearance, which feels like a noir-style mystery that just happens to be set in space. The Expanse wastes no time dropping viewers into its complex world, and the story takes some time to get going. With complicated politics, lots of worldbuilding, and accents that can be difficult to understand, the first season of The Expanse can be confusing, stopping it from ranking any higher. Still, the season does a good job of introducing the solar system's major players, including UN Deputy Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala. Avasarala remains a main character throughout all six seasons of the show, as she fights to protect Earth and prevent conflicts from escalating into all-out war. Holden and his crew make for compelling leads, and it's fun seeing how they come together and end up involved in intergalactic politics. With hidden conspiracies and shocking revelations, The Expanse season 1 is a solid start to the show, although much of the story acts as set-up for future storylines. 2 The Expanse Season 2 The Expanse season 2 picks up where the first season left off, concluding the story from the first Expanse book, Leviathan Wakes. Holden and his crew, with some help from Miller, continue to uncover secrets about the protomolecule and the attack on Eros station. The season also expands the scope of the show, adding new characters like Bobbie Draper, a Martian Marine Corps gunnery sergeant, and Camina Drummer, a Belter commanding officer. Both Bobbie and Drummer are incredibly compelling characters who become increasingly important as the show progresses. The latter half of the season introduces Prax Meng (Terry Chen), who temporarily joins the crew of the Rocinante as he sets out in search of his daughter. This storyline reveals more about the protomolecule and the scientists who used it to create protomolecule-human hybrids. The Expanse season 2 beautifully builds on season 1, bringing Miller's story to a satisfying conclusion and exploring the solar system's different factions in more depth. With strong character development, stunning visuals, and relevant social commentary, The Expanse season 2 delivers some of the series' strongest episodes and only improves on everything it set up the first time around. 1 The Expanse Season 3 Image via MovieStillsDB By The Expanse's third season, the show was truly firing on all cylinders. Undoubtedly the best of the bunch, season 3 found the perfect blend of intriguing character development, wider sci-fi space opera concepts, and the exploration of deeper political themes. With Earth and Mars on the brink of war, Holden and his crew lie low while they continue to search for Prax's daughter and answers regarding the protomolecule. The protomolecule eventually forms a massive Ring in space, prompting Earth, Mars, and the Belt to send ships to investigate, brewing a stretch of episodes before and after that rank among the show's best. IMDB's Highest Rated Episodes of The Expanse (2015-2022) Episode Number Title IMDb Score S2.E5 Home 9.4 S5.E4 Gaugamela 9.3 S3.E6 Immolation 9.3 S3.E5 Triple Point 9.3 S3.E13 Abaddon's Gate 9.3 This leads to one of the show's most compelling storylines, as the Rocinante helps the other ships navigate the mysterious ring, thanks to a protomolecule-induced hallucination of Miller that keeps appearing to Holden. This huge event shapes the future of the entire show, and it moves at a breakneck pace that is much more assured than that of season 6. With 13 episodes, The Expanse season 3 gets more time to flesh out all sides of different conflicts, be they political, ideological, or literal. Ultimately, this gives The Expanse that intangible, perfect sense of intense compulsion, as audiences aren't sure which side they are on most of the time. Despite that, all of these storylines wrap up beautifully, with the Ring activating over one thousand other ring gates leading to habitable planetary systems. The run-up to this galaxy-altering event is incredibly tense with all main characters at its center. Overall, this makes The Expanse season 3 a jaw-dropping ending that sets up new and exciting adventures for future seasons. Release Date 2015 - 2022-00-00 Network SyFy, Prime Video Showrunner Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby Cast Dominique Tipper Naomi Nagata Writers Georgia Lee, Robin Veith, Hallie Lambert, Matthew Rasmussen, Ty Franck, Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Daniel Abraham, Dan Nowak Franchise(s) The Expanse