The Best Episodes of The X-Files

For proof of The X-Files' staying power, you could, like Mulder (David Duchovny), look to the unquantifiable, charting its influence on countless TV shows since its debut. Or, like Scully (Gillian Anderson), you could look to the numbers. Chris Carter's classic sci-fi drama, which premiered on Sept. 10, 1993, aired nine original seasons, two revival seasons, and two theatrical movies across 25 years. In that time, the show churned out 218 episodes that revealed its endless potential. 

The X-Files divided its time between a complex big-picture mythology — moody, evocative episodes focused on government conspiracies and alien abductions — and the bite-sized monster-of-the-week cases that eventually became its creative playground, expanding the show's tone in new directions. Scully and Mulder could go anywhere, and it made them, and the show, iconic.

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There are more great episodes of The X-Files than can be summed up in a short list, but that's no reason not to celebrate the best of the best. Head to the gallery below for our ranking of The X-Files' top 30 episodes.

The 30 Best X-Files Episodes, Ranked

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