During Game of Thrones’ almost decade-long tenure on the small screen, it was nearly impossible to escape. For at least 24 hours after each episode aired, it often felt like GoT was the only thing anyone was talking, tweeting, or even thinking about, and—in a rare case for long-running TV shows—that hype only increased as time went on.
Key to Game of Thrones’ success was its perfect blend of fantastical worlds, family drama, courtly intrigue, steamy romance, and intense action that allowed it to appeal to just about anyone with access to HBO. And while there may not be any other show that exactly captures that award-winning alchemy, there are plenty of series out there that contain at least a few of those components, and which should be able to tide you over until it’s time to return to Westeros for your next rewatch. Here, we’ve rounded up 21 shows like Game of Thrones, from the obvious (House of the Dragon, of course) to the less clear-cut (Succession, anyone?).
‘House of the Dragon’
This one’s a no-brainer: If you already love GoT, next on your list should be this prequel series, which goes back about 200 years before the events of the original show. Only one season is out so far, so you have plenty of time to catch up before House of the Dragon season 2 premieres this summer—and in the meantime, you can brush up on all your Targaryen knowledge, including the complicated family tree.
‘The White Queen’ and ‘The White Princess’
Fun fact: Game of Thrones is loosely based on the historical War of the Roses, which saw the Yorks and Lancasters (who sound a lot like the Starks and Lannisters) spend decades fighting over the English throne in the 15th century. The White Queen, and its follow-up series The White Princess, both dramatize the real-life War of the Roses, making them an excellent follow-up to any and all GoT watch-throughs. (A third series in the saga, The Spanish Princess, takes place after the war was over, but it’s still worth a watch if you’ve already made it this far.)
‘The Rings of Power’
Just as Game of Thrones is based on a lengthy series of beloved fantasy books by an iconic author, so too is The Rings of Power, which takes its inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. Interestingly, the show isn’t directly based on the events of any of Tolkien’s books, but rather offers a prequel set thousands of years prior using information largely gleaned from LOTR’s appendices.
‘The Witcher’
Another book-to-screen fantasy adaptation, The Witcher is based on a series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski. Like GoT, this Netflix series features intensive world-building, main characters on a dangerous mission, and a healthy dose of magic—and it, too, has developed quite the devoted following. So far, three seasons are available to stream, and a fourth is on the way, with Liam Hemsworth set to take over the titular role from Henry Cavill.
‘Downton Abbey’
Downton Abbey may not seem like an obvious follow-up to Game of Thrones, but hear me out: It’s a sprawling drama with a broad cast of interconnected characters, the lines of succession and inheritance play a major role throughout the show’s many plotlines, and, like GoT, it sparked a cultural phenomenon in its own right. Convinced yet?
‘Outlander’
For another sweeping drama with plenty of episodes to fill your free time, look no further than Outlander. It boasts more than 80 episodes across seven seasons and follows the romance between Highland warrior Jamie (played by Sam Heughan) and Caitriona Balfe’s Claire, a World War II nurse who time-travels back to the 1700s to meet Jamie—plus, it features enough sex scenes to even make GoT blush.
‘Britannia’
So much of Game of Thrones revolved around a bloodthirsty quest for power, and that’s also the case for Britannia, which dramatizes the Romans’ attempts to conquer Britain starting in 43 AD. It features plenty of scheming on the Romans’ side, and quite a few fantasy elements, as they’re up against Celtic druids with mystical powers who have a habit of taking spiritual trips into other realms.
‘Camelot’
Another power-hungry show, 2011's Camelot tells the story of the sorcerer Merlin, who helps put a young Arthur on the British throne in an attempt to create peace in the country—despite challenges for the throne from Arthur’s cutthroat half-sister Morgan. Unfortunately, this show lasted only one season, but it’s still worth a watch, thanks to its strong writing, great costumes, and star-studded cast, led by Joseph Fiennes as Merlin.
‘Reign’
This CW series might be set about a century after the War of the Roses that inspired Game of Thrones, but it depicts yet another real-life game of thrones. Reign follows Mary, Queen of Scots, first in her rise to power as monarch of France and Scotland, and then in her (ultimately deadly) attempts to grab the English throne from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
‘Pillars of the Earth’
There’s truly no shortage of wars of succession in British history: Pillars of the Earth takes place during the Anarchy, a period of political unrest and uncertainty that arose in the mid-12th century after the death of the only direct heir to the English throne. So, it’s got the political intrigue and medieval setting of Game of Thrones, plus an equally starry cast that includes Ian McShane, Matthew Macfadyen, Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell, Sam Claflin, and Donald Sutherland, to name just a few.
‘The Borgias’
The scheming, scandal-prone Borgias could certainly give the Lannisters a run for their money. This Showtime series follows the real-life Spanish Borgia family and their attempts to bribe, blackmail, and murder their way into the power and wealth of the papacy during the Renaissance.
‘Succession’
With its vast roster of Roy family members, in-laws, and hangers-on all vying to take control of patriarch Logan Roy’s seat at the helm of a major media conglomerate, Succession is basically a modern-day Game of Thrones—albeit without the fantasy elements and with characters who prefer to wage war of the psychological variety, rather than in all-out physical battles.
‘The Tudors’
Six fans, assemble! This Showtime series dramatizes the life of King Henry VIII, and while it does of course include the stories of his (many) wives and mistresses—with plenty of steamy scenes to rival those in Game of Thrones—it also delves into the very GoT-esque political intrigue that surrounded his reign and the battles he oversaw.
‘The Wheel of Time’
The Wheel of Time marks another of Amazon’s attempts to recreate the irresistible charm of Game of Thrones, and it might be among the best. Like GoT, it’s based on an extensive series of high fantasy novels, and dragons and prophecies both play very important roles in the plot. Even better: The 14 Wheel of Time novels were written by Robert Jordan, a friend of Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, who has credited Jordan with revolutionizing the fantasy genre and thus paving the way for Martin’s own series.
‘Harlots’
Harlots may depict a much lower-stakes power grab than those at play in Game of Thrones, but it’s no less intriguing. This Hulu series—a fictionalized portrayal of actual women from British history—tells the story of Margaret Wells, the owner of a brothel in London in the 18th century, who’s willing to do whatever it takes to elevate her daughters’ positions on the social ladder.
‘Mary & George’
This series is only just starting, but it’s already receiving rave reviews, with an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it promises to provide the courtly intrigue you’ve been missing since GoT ended. It stars Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine in the titular roles of Mary Villiers and her son George, who schemed to grab more power in the 17th century British court—including by setting up George to begin an (ill-fated) affair with King James VI and I.
‘The Shannara Chronicles’
This MTV series has built up something of a cult following since it ended after just two seasons in 2017. As a fantasy show based on a series of novels, it bears more than a few parallels to Game of Thrones. The plot revolves around a group of humans, elves, and half-human half-elves who are trying to protect an ancient tree that’s keeping demons from returning to their Four Lands—much like how the Night’s Watch is tasked with guarding the Wall to keep White Walkers from re-entering the Seven Kingdoms. (And yes, that is a young Austin Butler.)
‘The Last Kingdom’
If you’re looking for a series as epic in scope as Game of Thrones, The Last Kingdom might be your best bet. Its five seasons and sequel film—based on a long-running series of books, of course—span nearly a century, during which protagonist Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who’s born to a Saxon noble and raised by a Danish warlord, is drawn into grueling wars and rampant political scheming throughout the 9th and 10th centuries in a quest to create a united Kingdom of England.
‘Black Sails’
Think of this one as “Game of Thrones, if they were all pirates.” Black Sails essentially serves as a prequel to the classic novel Treasure Island. Its five seasons take place in the early 1700s and feature an extensive cast of disorderly pirates who have declared “war against the world,” according to the intro to the first episode. To that end, they do plenty of pillaging and plundering, and ultimately find themselves at war with the British Empire over control of New Providence, the largest island of the Bahamas.
‘Merlin’
The second Camelot-inspired show on this list is a bit cheesier than the other, but lasted much longer. Its award-winning five seasons star Colin Morgan as the titular sorcerer, who takes young Prince Arthur under his wing to protect him and mold him into a worthy king. Its genre could best be described as “medieval fantasy,” albeit in a much more family-friendly way than GoT’s take on the genre. And the overlaps don't stop there: Merlin and GoT have several cast members in common, with Charles Dance (a.k.a. Tywin Lannister) and John Bradley (Samwell Tarly) among the many actors who appeared in both shows.
‘Emerald City’
Another short-lived show, Emerald City was NBC’s dark and gritty take on The Wizard of Oz. It only lasted one season, but that was long enough for it to lay the groundwork as a tale of cutthroat battles for the throne of a vast, multi-realm kingdom filled with magical beings and bloodthirsty warriors. If only Game of Thrones included a yellow brick road, an amnesiac scarecrow, and Toto, too!
