For the best part of the 2010s, cinephiles everywhere were hooked on HBO’s Game of Thrones. It’s the first real adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novel franchise, and it delighted viewers with its insight into the corrupting nature of power and politics. Despite the show’s less-than-ideal finale in 2019, it’s hard not to miss the messy, brutal, and brilliantly human elements that made it so addictive.
The shows on this list get that family dinners are where wars start, that the best kings are often the most miserable, and that sometimes, winning feels a whole lot like losing. However, you also need to know that these shows are not just like-for-like pale copies of GoT; they’re beasts in their own right. They simply share the same DNA. So without much ado, here are the top 10 TV shows like Game of Thrones. Strap in.
1. House of the Dragon (2022 – Present)
This is obviously the logical place for any Game of Thrones fan to start because it’s basically the same world… 200 years earlier. It tells the story of the Targaryen family at the height of their power. You know, when they had enough dragons to build a small air force and enough family drama to fuel them all. The whole ruckus kicks off when old King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) names his daughter, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), as his heir. That decision doesn’t sit well with many and kicks off a continent-shattering civil war that leaves everyone bloodied.
Like GoT, this show thrives through slow build-up. You don’t see the big fights where dragons are spitting fire from the start. No, it starts from the small family dinners where everyone is smiling while mentally sharpening their swords for conflict. Polite conversations are a secret threat, and when characters like Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) choose to “compromise,” it’s not so much compromise as it is resentment saved,bgvfmdsa up for later. All in all, the show forces you to watch as good people make terrible choices “for the good of the realm,” proving that the road to hell is paved with good intentions… and dragon fire. It’s got that same addictive “wait, who do I even root for?” that made GoT iconic.
2. Vikings (2013 – 2021)
Before he was a mighty king and scourge to the English people, Ragnar Lothbrok was a lowly farmer. Vikings gives you the most cinematic view of how that happened. Travis Fimmel plays Ragnar with immense skill and quiet authority. The show’s got everything: brutal raids, epic journeys, and myths coming to life. At its heart, though, it’s about the cost of ambition and how the climb to the top can change you.
Remember how Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) went from “the breaker of chains” to “the mad queen” in GoT? The same thing happens to Ragnar in Vikings. He starts as the brave outsider you root for. But as his power grows, he becomes increasingly isolated, paranoid, and addicted. The show makes you feel the weight of the crown on Ragnar’s head, and while you’re at it, you’ll also witness how the very traits that make someone a hero can also turn them into a villain marked for destruction.
3. Succession (2018 – 2023)
Just swap the Iron Throne for a media empire and dragons for private jets, and you’ve got Succession. The show follows the Roy family and the vicious civil war that erupts between Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Connor (Alan Ruck) when their dad, Logan (Brian Cox), begins to step back from running their media empire. It’s all backstabbing campaigns to secure a position as the chosen successor, disastrous press conferences, and therapy sessions that should be classified as war crimes.
This is arguably the only show on this list that truly depicts GoT’s “You win, or you die” principle. Only in this case, you win, or you get totally humiliated… on the global stage. The dialogue makes every interaction feel like a high-stakes power play. For instance, Kendall’s botched takeover attempt during his sister, Shiv’s, wedding in the season 1 finale, “Nobody Is Ever Missing,” is just… dirty. Who does that? We’ll tell you who… Lannisters.
4. The Tudors (2007 – 2010)
Welcome to the original Game of Thrones: the court of Henry VIII, played with manic, magnetic energy by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The king wants a male heir by all means and would do just about anything to have one. That includes breaking away from the Catholic Church because they denied his request to divorce his first wife and beheading anyone (friends and lovers included) who stands in his way.
The vibe is pure, uncut GoT. King Henry VIII is basically King Aerys’ ancestor. And just like the mad king burned his enemies and perceived traitors with wildfire, a wrong whisper in Hampton Court is sure to earn you a trip to the tower. Then there’s the whole Ann Boleyn situation. Her rise and fall are treated as a cold, calculated political necessity. All in all, the series shows how absolute power corrupts absolutely.
5. Spartacus (2010 – 2013)
Starz’s Spartacus tweaks the history books a bit, so you might want to set that aside for the time being. Famous for its over-the-top violence, stylized action sequences, and deep dive into the brutal world of the arena, it follows the Thracian warrior Spartacus (played by the late Andy Whitfield in season 1, and subsequently by Liam McIntyre), who is forced to become a gladiator after he was betrayed and enslaved by Rome. Starting out as a journey of survival and revenge, it quickly snowballs into a full-scale slave rebellion that threatens the sovereignty of Rome itself.
Like the best GoT arcs, Spartacus forces you to ask the question: what would you become to break your chains? Watching the characters, especially Spartacus, shows that the answers are not that simple. The violence he witnesses as a gladiator, particularly in the rule-void depths of the “Pits”, hardens him and transforms his personal need for revenge into a righteous fury to lead a rebellion. Make no mistake about it, nothing about his path is clean or “glorious,” and the show doesn’t pretend there is.
6. Black Sails (2014 – 2017)
Next up is another Starz offering. Imagine if GoT were a pirate show, and then stop imagining because this is it. It was written to be a prequel to Robert Stevenson‘s novel, Treasure Island, following the legendary Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) as he fights to protect Nassau from civilization and the invading British Empire. It’s a gritty political story about what it takes to build a kingdom from nothing and the ideals that are often sacrificed in the process.
Its protagonist, Flint, is probably more of an anti-hero by definition. He’s a terrifying force of nature whose cruelty always has a strategic point. The show delves into his past to explain why he is the way he is, reframing his madness as cold calculation. Just like Tywin (Charles Dance) or Daenerys, he repeatedly maintains that his cause is just, and that it’s worth more than any single person’s life. Watching his moral compass shatter is simply… fascinating.
7. The Witcher (2019 – Present)
The Witcher follows Geralt of Rivia (played by Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth), a monster hunter who honestly just wants to do the obvious… hunt monsters, get paid, remain neutral, and be left alone. Needless to say, he doesn’t have miuch luck with that. Based on the book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, this fantasy saga throws him into the middle of a continent at war. What’s more, his destiny is tied to a powerful sorceress, Yenefer (Anya Chalotra), and a young princess with a dangerous secret. It’s a world of magic, monsters, and kingdoms clashing.
“Destiny” here is a trap that steals your choices and paints a target on your back, much like being a Stark in King’s Landing. Also, the show understands the GoT ethos that power often comes with a very high price. A perfect example is Yennefer’s story: in her quest for power, she sacrifices her ability to have children, a sacrifice that inevitably haunts her waking moments from that day onward.
8. Rome (2005 – 2007)
Before GoT, there was Rome. This HBO epic historical drama follows two Roman soldiers, the stern, honorable Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and the impulsive, loyal Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), as they get caught up in the massive events of history. Specifically, the rise of Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds), his assassination, and the brutal civil wars that followed.
The genius of this show is in the small stuff: the fall of a Republic started with a personal insult, a family feud, a betrayal between friends. Watching the shocking and brutal assassination of Caesar reminds you of Ned Stark’s (Sean Bean) execution at the beginning of GoT.
9. The Last Kingdom (2018 – 2022)
The story follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon), born a Saxon but raised by Vikings. His whole life is a tug-of-war between his birth family and his adopted one, all set against the backdrop of King Alfred the Great’s (David Dawson) desperate fight to create what will become England. It’s a grounded, gritty tale of war, identity, and oath-keeping.
You’ll love it for the GoT-style consequence. Uhtred’s choices, including which side he picks and which oath he breaks. Loyalty is never simple or noble; it’s fragile and constantly tested. On more than one occasion throughout the series, he’s forced to choose survival over honor and ambition to protect his people, a decision that defines him and his relationships for years to come. The patience lies in its storytelling, where actions have long echoes, is just… unmatched.
10. The Wheel of Time (2021 – Present)
This Prime Video fantasy epic is based on the eponymous book series by Robert Jordan. It follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the powerful all-female Aes Sedai, as she searches for the Dragon Reborn, a person prophesied to either save or destroy the world. It’s a huge, magical world with different cultures, political factions, and a terrifying evil.
Much like in GoT, being “the chosen one” doesn’t give you an easy pass. If anything, that burden steals your normal life and makes everyone fear you, just ask Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski). The Aes Sedai themselves are a complex political body with their own separate agendas. The fantasy is just the setting for very human stories about sacrifice and fate.
