The X-Files is back in the spotlight, with ComicBook recently selecting five standout seasons from the original series and ranking Season 4 first. The show originally aired for nine seasons, followed by two revival seasons; currently, a new version led by Ryan Coogler is in production, and the director's cut of creator Chris Carter's 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe has recently landed on Hulu.
This list considers each season's overall critical and audience reception, its importance to the series' overarching narrative, and distinctive episodes or creative elements. The final ranking is Season 4, Season 2, Season 5, Season 1, and Season 7.
Top-ranked Season 4 repeatedly brings Mulder and Scully close to finding concrete evidence of alien life and related conspiracies, while further developing key characters like Walter Skinner and the Cigarette Smoking Man. The season also features notable episodes such as the unsettling standalone "Home."
The most acclaimed aspect of Season 4 is Scully's battle with cancer. This storyline connects to the series' long-running mysteries and pushes Mulder and Scully's relationship into more personal territory. Gillian Anderson won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance this season, leading the list to label this arc as the show's emotional peak.
Ranking second, Season 2 continues to expand the long-running conspiracy arc while retaining various standalone cases. Recurring characters like Alex Krycek and X debut this season, and Scully's alleged abduction by aliens further changes her relationship with Mulder. The season received seven Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Drama.
Season 5 ranks third. Mulder grows increasingly skeptical after learning secrets about his family history and the government's alien conspiracy, while Scully's attitude toward the paranormal shifts. The season finale ties closely to subsequent plots, with some storylines only fully resolved by watching the 1998 film The X-Files: Fight the Future and the start of Season 6.
Season 1 comes in fourth, establishing the partnership between Mulder and Scully and balancing character dynamics with early mysteries. Season 7 ranks fifth, providing a阶段性 conclusion to key arcs like Mulder's search for his kidnapped sister, while experimenting with more comedic and self-referential episodes; with Mulder's reduced role in Seasons 8 and 9, Season 7 is seen as the end of an era.