Sons Of Anarchy's Perfect Replacement Is A 6-Season Crime Drama With 88% On Rotten Tomatoes

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For seven seasons, Sons of Anarchy explored a close-knit gang of criminals that operated as a criminal motorcycle club, and the underrated Sons of Anarchy's cast and characters were some of the best aspects of the show, with every character feeling tremendously fleshed out and having satisfying arcs over the course of the show's seven-season run. At the center of the entire show is Charlie Hunnam's character Jax Teller, whose late father was the founder of the motorcycle club, as he begins questioning his role in everything.

When it first premiered in 2008, Sons of Anarchy was unlike anything else on television at the time, and it became a success right away, eventually becoming one of FX's best shows of all time. Though season 7 ranks arguably the lowest of all Sons of Anarchy seasons, it was still an amazing series from start to finish, with few other shows since left to scratch the itch it left behind. Thankfully, Animal Kingdom is nearly a perfect replacement for Sons of Anarchy.

Animal Kingdom Is About Crime And Family (Just Like Sons Of Anarchy)

Both Shows Have Similar Themes Of Family Present Throughout

Initially premiering in 2016, Animal Kingdom was a wildly underrated show for its six-season run, which ended in 2022. Based on the 2010 Australian film of the same name, Animal Kingdom follows Finn Cole's Joshua "J" Cody, a teenager who is forced to live with his estranged relatives following the death of his mother. He finds himself caught up in the Codys' criminal enterprise as the series explores how the family operates and the lengths they are willing to go to make their money and keep their power.

Ron Pearlman as Clay Morrow and Charlie Hunnam as Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy

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At the heart of Animal Kingdom is family, and the ties that bind each of them together. While not every character in Sons of Anarchy was related by blood, they also operated in a similar fashion, with "family" often being put over nearly everything else. Both shows explore a close-knit group of people who partake in often violent crime as a way of making it out alive each and every day, often finding themselves caught up in dangerous situations that arise from that sort of lifestyle.

Animal Kingdom Is An Intense And Violent Show From Start To Finish

Animal Kingdom Pushed The Boundaries With Its Violence

Finn Cole as J pointing a gun in Animal Kingdom

Though it aired on TNT during its run, Animal Kingdom was actually incredibly intense and violent throughout. That often comes with the territory regarding crime dramas, but the grittiness with which the show explores its violence, and the reckless abandon with which the characters carry it out, make Animal Kingdom a cut above most shows that are similar. It's one of the best aspects of the show, and to see certain characters commit certain acts as the series progresses can be shocking.

The series may have evolved over the course of its six seasons, but it never loses that gritty, violent core that it had from the very beginning.

Its refusal to hold back in depicting the violent side of criminal enterprises is what makes Animal Kingdom special, in the same way that Sons of Anarchy does the same thing. The series may have evolved over the course of its six seasons, but it never loses that gritty, violent core that it had from the very beginning. It sticks to its guns, and that is commendable. Animal Kingdom's characters are all about obtaining power, which is often the cause of the violence in the show.

Few Shows Are As Similar To Sons Of Anarchy As Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom Is About As Close To Sons Of Anarchy As It Gets

Shawn Hatosy as Pope in Animal Kingdom lying on his side next to a pool

There are few shows that look and feel like Sons of Anarchy, but Animal Kingdom comes just about as close as nearly all of them. With the emphasis on a close-knit crew of criminals, as well as familial ties, both shows execute their premises incredibly well, and are two outstanding pieces of television in their own right. Neither show shies away from the violence the characters' lifestyles lead them into, and the gritty way each of the criminal organizations operate is what helps to set them apart.

Sons of Anarchy had another show set in the same universe called Mayans M.C., which takes place two-and-a-half years later and ran for five seasons from 2018 to 2023.

While Animal Kingdom may not be as well-known as Sons of Anarchy, it is still an outstanding TV show that deserves to be seen by more viewers. Sons of Anarchy is often celebrated for being top-tier television, and rightfully so, but a lot of what makes that series so special is also present in Animal Kingdom. It's absolutely worth watching to see how the Cody criminal family attempts to gain power and money by any means necessary.