Warrior Nun

When an orphaned teenager wakes up on a mortuary slab, she discovers she has been chosen to wield a divine artifact called the Halo, granting her superhuman abilities. Created by Simon Barry for Netflix, Warrior Nun blends action, drama, and supernatural fantasy across two seasons, airing from July 2020 to November 2022. The series stars Alba Baptista as Ava, a reluctant hero thrust into a secret order of demon-hunting nuns. The cast includes Thekla Reuten as scientist Jillian Salvius, Lorena Andrea as Sister Lilith, Kristina Tonteri-Young as Sister Beatrice, Tristán Ulloa as Father Vincent, and Sylvia De Fanti as Mother Superion. Despite a passionate fanbase and a 7.9/10 rating on IMDb, Netflix canceled the show after 18 episodes, citing low viewership. The series is rated TV-MA for its violent battles and mature themes, balancing gritty action with questions of faith and identity.[edit]

Ava Silva spent her teenage years paralyzed in a Portuguese orphanage, her only escape being the books she devoured. When she dies during a routine procedure, her body is taken to a morgue in southern Spain. There, a secret order of warrior nuns implants an ancient celestial artifact called the Halo into her back, resurrecting her with superhuman strength, speed, and healing. The Halo has been passed down through centuries within the Order of the Cruciform Sword (OCS), a covert branch of the Catholic Church tasked with fighting demons. Ava wants none of it. She steals the Halo and runs, determined to enjoy her newfound freedom after years of confinement.

But the Halo cannot be discarded. It bonds to her, drawing the attention of both the OCS and a demonic entity named Adriel, who has a centuries-old vendetta against the Order. The OCS, headquartered in a remote Spanish convent, is led by the stern Mother Superion and guided by Father Vincent, a priest with ties to the Vatican. Its top warriors include Sister Beatrice, a stoic prodigy with a hidden past, and Sister Lilith, who was originally chosen to bear the Halo and resents Ava for taking her place. Across two seasons, Ava must learn to control the Halo's power while navigating the Order's rigid hierarchy, internal betrayals, and the growing threat of Adriel, who plans to open a portal to a divine realm and harvest souls.

The series expands its mythology in Season 2, introducing the Arc, a gateway to another dimension, and Jillian Salvius, a scientist whose research into divine energy intersects with the OCS's mission. Ava's journey becomes one of self-discovery: she grapples with her Catholic upbringing, her sexuality, and what it means to be a weapon for a cause she never chose. The show's action sequences, nuns wielding swords and guns against demonic forces, are grounded by character-driven drama. By the end of Season 2, the OCS is fractured, Adriel has amassed a following, and Ava must decide whether to sacrifice everything to stop him.[edit]