Warriors ready to fight, medieval theme and a larger than life kingdom, well these are the elements which somewhat explains Vikings and other shows like Vikings. If you love such types of fantasy shows based on the middle age period then you would love to check out my list given below.
10 Best Shows like Vikings
I especially curated this list for the people who love to watch Vikings, GoT and such period drama shows which are totally based on suspense, war and thrilling elements. To keep the excitement high, I would not reveal much about the plots of these shows but would surely recommend you to watch them all.
1. Game of Thrones (2011 – Present)
I don’t think I need to brag too much while talking about this masterpiece of creativity. Based on the book series named A Song of Ice and Fire by J. R. R. Tolkien, Game of Thrones is set in the historical world full of drama, conspiracies, politics, bloodshed and of course lots of sexual content too.
No doubt, why did I mention it on the top of the list of shows like Vikings, owing much to its popularity and breathtaking twists and turns too.
The show is all set to release its 8th and final season somewhere in 2018 or 2019 and the fans are going Gaga over the wait. The main story of Game of Thrones revolves between several dynasties who are constantly trying to gain power to the ultimate throne in order to rule the middle earth.
It is one of the most popular shows which airs on HBO and ruling the hearts of millions right now. Right now the show is a compilation of 67 episodes and this Warner Bros production venture is one amazing piece of TV series which has every element to keep the audience hooked to it.
2. Outlander (2014 – Present)
Outlander is a historical British American TV drama similar to other shows like Game of Thrones and it is also running till now and is based on the Outlands Series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Till now they have premiered 3 seasons of the show comprising of 42 episodes in total.
Outlander is due for its final fourth season in the near future. While talking about the plot then it is based on a time travel story.
It focuses on the story of a married nurse in the time of World War II, 1945. The nurse named Claire Randall one day suddenly finds herself to be transported back to the year 1743 in Scotland. The show features a romantic angle when she meets a highland warrior Jamie Fraser.
Apart from it, the show leans towards adventure and drama when Claire gets involved in the act of Jacobite Rising. Outlander is the unique show amongst the list of shows like Vikings especially because it features the angle of science fiction and time travel in it.
3. The Last Kingdom (2015 – Present)
The Last Kingdom is a British historical drama TV series who has taken the fictional liberty to showcase an amazingly thrilling story. The show is based on the novel series The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell. Up till now, 2 seasons of the show has been aired comprising of 16 episodes and the third one will air on Netflix.
It is a wonderful pick for the category of shows like Vikings and set in the era of 9th century AD. It is the time when England was divided into 7 different kingdoms .
The Last Kingdom showcase the plot where all the kingdoms have been taken under the rule of Viking Danes but one kingdom Wessex remains intact. Hence the name of the show focuses on the struggles of this last Kingdom to remain strong against the enemies and intruders.
Amongst this hustle, the story takes focus on the Uhtred of Bebbanburg who is affected by this war like situation and relocates somewhere else. The story has every element which makes it worth a watch.
4. Knightfall (2017 – Present)
If you are regular to TV shows’ news then you must have heard the brawl Knightfall was involved in because of its inaccurate representation of historical facts. However, the show is still running successfully and also one of the most popular shows like Vikings based on the theme of historical fiction drama.
The show airs on History channel and visually a treat as it is filmed at the beautiful locations of Czech Republic and Croatia.
For being amongst the shows similar to Vikings, it was normal to have the elements of wars and fights in it and Knightfall features it perfectly too. The show focuses on the Knights Templar’s leader Sir Landry du Lauzon who needs to take on the swords again as the Holy Grails has resurfaced now.
The show starts with the fall of Knights Templar and now the story proceeds with their rise again in order to ward off the evils and establish the peace and stability once again.
5. Spartacus (2010 – 2013)
If you are a big fan of all the bloodshed and thrilling fights in Vikings then it is the time to move towards a show which is entirely based on this genre only. Amongst all the shows like Vikings, Spartacus is the most thrilling and adventurous one.
Of course, based on the historical background the show focuses on a Thracian Gladiator popularly known as Spartacus. The show features the time of somewhere in 73 to 71 BCE.
Spartacus has only three seasons but they are not set in continuation. Because of the ailing health of lead actor, the second season serves as the prequel to Spartacus comprising of only 6 episodes. The last season War of the Damned is the final one shot with new lead and concludes the story of Spartacus.
Spartacus is basically about the rising of slaves against the cruel Roman Empire and hence there are a lot of war scenes in the show. Visually, the show is a treat and quite larger than life and also keeps the audience hooked to it.
6. Barbarians Rising (2016 – Present)
Barbarians Rising is a type of docudrama which has recently started and only aired 1 season comprised of 4 episodes only. As it is clear from the title itself, the show is based on the some historical events related to the Barbarians Tribe and features quite an intense story.
The show is set from the perspective of Barbarians leaders. Barbarians are the people who fought with the Rome and named this by the Romans only.
Barbarians Rising is an example of such shows like Vikings, where apart from the historical facts, fictional liberty is also taken and modern aspects are also mixed. The show portrays a story where Roman rules are timely challenged by these Barbarians people and hence they became popular for their rebel nature.
The show starts in the form of a historic 700 years long battle which began with the rise of Barbarians and also highlights the story of rise of Spartacus in it too. Hence the show perfectly suits the category of shows like Spartacus too.
7. Marco Polo (2014 – 2016)
Despite getting so many negative reviews, I decided to list down Marco Polo for this category of shows like Vikings because I personally feel that it is the most underrated show. It is an American drama web TV series based on the genre of adventure and historical angle too.
Marco Polo has only 2 seasons comprising of 20 episodes and 1 special episode too and the show kick-started as a web series on Netflix.
The show focuses on the story of Marco Polo in the early years while he was in the court of Kublai Khan who was the founder of Yuan Dynasty and Khagan of Mongol Empire. The show is set somewhere in 13th-14th century and stars Lorenzo Richelmy and Benedict Wong in the lead roles.
However, despite having every essence of being a popular show, Marco Polo could not gained people’s attention and they had to shut it down midway. Still, I think the show is worthy a watch until you are waiting for the next season of Vikings and Game of Thrones.
8. The Pillars of the Earth (2010)
The Pillars of the Earth might be the shortest mini-series in this list of shows like Vikings but on the basis of theme and genre, it is quite significant though. It is an eight-part show which is based on the novel of same name by Ken Follett and premiered on Starz Channel.
The Pillars of the Earth is amongst the best mini-series of all time and also nominated in multiple categories for its concept too.
Much the way other TV shows like Viking’s proceeds, the plot of this show is too set in historical period of 12th Century also known as The Anarchy period. It shows the story of construction of a Cathedral which takes place in the fictional town of Kingsbridge.
The show starts with a period where next heir to the throne of England dies and leaves everyone in a situation of Anarchy. The show proceeds with the struggle for the throne and also highlights some other side stories too. The show’s popularity also led to the making of a video game based on it too.
9. Rome (2005 – 2007)
The next addition in the list of shows like Viking is Rome. It is a British American Italian TV series based on the theme of historical drama. Actually, it is basically a mini-series having only two seasons comprised of only 22 episodes filled with political aspects and fight for justice.
The show is set on the period of 1st century BC and highlights the time of Ancient Rome where it transforms into Empire from Republic and also the struggles of people indulged into it.
Rome features a very big cast and some of the characters of this show is based on real-life people too. However, they have used fictional stories too. The main highlight of this TV series remains upon two soldiers namely Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo.
Throughout the show, these two protagonists try to discover that how their lives are interconnected which leads some really significant events to occur too. The show aired on HBO and later on BBC and gained immense success and also received critical appreciation and awards too.
10. Black Sails (2014 – 2017)
And we have come to the end of the list and am concluding this category of shows like Vikings with a wonderful TV series, Black Sails. Just like Vikings, it is also a period drama but to be true, I found it way more exciting and thrilling as per the theme of this show.
Black Sails is basically a mini-series like Vikings having four seasons and 38 episodes and based on the age of pirates and sailing larger than life ships around.
Black Sails is based on the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and also serves as its prequel. The main focus of the story is Captain Flint and the plot is set in the year 1715 where you can see Captain Flint struggling for the survival of New Providence Island and in this order becomes the enemy of the rest of the world.
As the theme of the show is about Golden Age of Piracy, you are going to see larger than life visuals and sailors. There are a lot of side stories and plots too which are being led with Flint in focus.
Conclusion
I think the platform of TV shows are more engaging and appealing to audience rather than movies as they have a really huge content to offer to the audience. This makes these shows like the Vikings must watch. Talking about the concept and the way plot graduates, it is something you can find yourself completely into.
For example, considering GoT, you cannot find a show more suspensive and dramatic than it. Just like that shows like Vikings are also all about suspense, drama and a sexual content too. To make sure that you do not miss even a second of these shows, you can watch them online too.
