The Protector (2018) Review: Istanbul's Superhero Myth

Is The Protector worth watching?

Mostly yes. The Protector is an entertaining, good-looking Turkish fantasy adventure that makes the most of its Istanbul setting and its star, even if its mythology never quite hangs together. The draw is the pleasure of seeing a superhero origin story built from Byzantine and Ottoman legend instead of American comics. The reservation is structural: the lore grows more complicated than the writing can support, and the pacing lurches between rushed and repetitive across four seasons.

What is The Protector about?

Hakan (Çağatay Ulusoy) runs a small antiques business in Istanbul and has no ambitions beyond getting by. Then he learns that he belongs to an ancient order sworn to defend the city, and that he is its last surviving member. His enemy is a secret group of immortals who have been shaping Istanbul’s fate for centuries, and Hakan has to learn what he is, who he can trust, and how to fight, all at once. Ayça Ayşin Turan, Hazar Ergüçlü and Okan Yalabık lead the supporting cast.

The Protector was created by Binnur Karaevli and is a Turkish-language series from Turkey, and it holds a place in streaming history as Netflix’s first Turkish original. This review covers the complete show: four seasons and 32 episodes released between 2018 and 2020. The series has ended, so the story reaches a conclusion.

A hero built from the city’s history

The show’s best idea is its setting. Istanbul is not just a backdrop here but the source of the mythology, and the writers weave references to Constantinople, the Byzantine past and Ottoman legend into a modern chase story. Old markets, rooftops, waterfronts and ancient walls give the action a sense of place that generic superhero stories lack, and the production shoots the city handsomely, with a polish that helped the series travel well beyond Turkey.

The premise also has a likeable modesty. Hakan starts as an ordinary young man who would rather not be chosen, and the early episodes get mileage from his reluctance and bewilderment. When the show focuses on that everyday texture, a small business, friendships and a neighbourhood, it has a warmth that balances the portentous talk of destiny.

Çağatay Ulusoy carries the load

Ulusoy was already a major star in Turkish television, and he gives the series its centre of gravity. He is convincing both as the easy-going shopkeeper and as the grimmer figure Hakan becomes, and he handles the fight scenes with enough physical conviction to sell them. The romance and rivalry around him are played with sincerity, and Okan Yalabık adds a smooth, theatrical presence to a supporting cast that otherwise does what the plot asks of it.

The action itself is serviceable rather than spectacular. Fights are brisk and clearly staged, but the effects work and choreography rarely match the ambition of the premise, and the show relies more on atmosphere and star power than on set pieces.

Where the mythology wears thin

The problems grow with each season. Rules about powers, prophecies and allegiances shift to fit the needs of the moment, new factions and revelations pile up, and supporting characters often exist mainly to explain the plot. Later seasons feel more compressed, so developments that deserve room are rushed through. Viewers who get invested in the lore may find the logic frustrating; those watching for the hero, the city and the momentum will mind less.

Who should watch The Protector?

It suits viewers who like fantasy action with a light touch, fans of Ulusoy, and anyone curious about Turkish television beyond long-running melodramas. Four seasons and 32 episodes is a real but manageable commitment, and each episode moves quickly. Expect regular fight scenes, some bloody violence and occasional mature content, though nothing unusually graphic for the genre.

Good companions from the same shelf:

• The Gift, another Turkish Netflix fantasy that ties an Istanbul story to ancient mysteries, with a slower, more mystical mood.
• Diriliş: Ertuğrul, for Turkish historical action on a far larger scale.
• Alchemy of Souls, a Korean fantasy with a similar mix of destiny, training and romance.

The verdict

The Protector is an uneven but enjoyable adventure, one that gives the superhero formula a distinctly Istanbul flavour and rides on Çağatay Ulusoy’s charisma. Its mythology wobbles and its later seasons feel rushed, but genre fans will find enough energy and local colour to make the four seasons worthwhile.

Rating: 3.5/5