7 Shows Like Game of Thrones for Fantasy and Intrigue

7 Shows Like Game of Thrones for Fantasy and Intrigue

7 Shows Like Game of Thrones to Watch Next

Key takeaways

  • House of the Dragon is the closest match for more Westeros, Targaryen history and succession politics.
  • Choose The Witcher for dark fantasy, monsters and magic, or The Rings of Power for expansive mythic worldbuilding.
  • Rome, The Last Kingdom and Vikings offer historical power struggles, battles and shifting loyalties.
  • Black Sails is a pick for ambition and fragile alliances in a different setting.

If you’re looking for shows like Game of Thrones, the best choice depends on what you miss most: Westeros, ruthless court politics, dark fantasy or a sprawling world at war. For more Targaryen history, start with House of the Dragon. For a different fantasy world, try The Witcher or The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. If the political power struggles matter more than magic and dragons, historical dramas such as Rome and The Last Kingdom may be a better fit.

These picks aren’t interchangeable. Some share Game of Thrones’s fantasy setting, while others offer its shifting alliances and battles in a historical or science-fiction world.

1. House of the Dragon: for more Westeros and succession politics

The most direct follow-up is House of the Dragon: it’s set in the same world as Game of Thrones, roughly 200 years earlier, and centers on a crisis over who will inherit the Iron Throne. HBO describes the series as a prequel based on George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, with its story rooted in the Targaryen dynasty.[HBO’s guide to House of the Dragon] gives more background on the setting and succession conflict.

That makes it the natural pick if you want Westerosi rivalries, noble families and the political consequences of a disputed claim. The difference is focus: Game of Thrones follows a wide range of characters across several regions, while House of the Dragon concentrates more closely on the Targaryens and the forces around them.

Best for: viewers who want familiar lore, dragon-centered dynastic drama and a succession struggle.

2. The Witcher: for dark fantasy, monsters and magic

The Witcher trades the Iron Throne for dangerous roads, magical forces and a monster hunter named Geralt. Netflix’s official description foregrounds Geralt’s work in a turbulent world where people can be as dangerous as the creatures he encounters.[Netflix’s The Witcher listing]

It shares Game of Thrones’s adult fantasy setting and morally complicated characters, but it isn’t primarily a story about noble houses jockeying for a single crown. Its appeal lies more in monster hunting, magic and the choices people make in an unsettled world.

Best for: viewers who want grim fantasy and supernatural threats more than court maneuvering.

3. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: for epic worldbuilding

If you’re drawn to Game of Thrones for its scale—the different peoples, places and conflicts unfolding across a large imagined world—try The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Prime Video describes it as an action-adventure series set in Middle-earth.[Prime Video’s The Rings of Power listing]

It offers a mythic fantasy setting rather than the comparatively grounded political atmosphere many viewers associate with Game of Thrones. The two shows share sweeping worldbuilding, but not the same balance of tone or storytelling. If your favorite parts of Westeros were its succession disputes and shifting alliances, this may be a less direct match than House of the Dragon.

Best for: viewers looking for an expansive fantasy setting and a larger-than-life conflict.

4. Rome: for political maneuvering without fantasy

Rome is a strong option if what you really want is ambition, alliances and the struggle to control a political system. Set in the ancient Roman world, the drama follows power struggles amid major changes to the Republic. There are no dragons or supernatural threats; the tension comes from human loyalties and political calculation.

That makes it a useful change of pace from fantasy while still offering a world where status and allegiance can shift quickly. Its historical setting also gives the conflict a different texture from the invented kingdoms of Westeros.

Best for: viewers who value political intrigue and ambitious characters over magic or mythical creatures.

5. The Last Kingdom: for battles, shifting loyalties and rival kingdoms

The Last Kingdom follows Uhtred, a Saxon-born warrior raised by Vikings, in a story shaped by the competing forces around him. Its historical setting replaces fantasy kingdoms with rival peoples and rulers, but the mix of battles, personal allegiance and political uncertainty can appeal to viewers who enjoyed the power struggles in Game of Thrones.

The resemblance is in the conflict, not the world: expect historical drama rather than dragons, prophecies or magic.

Best for: viewers who want a grounded historical setting, military conflict and divided loyalties.

6. Vikings: for harsh power struggles and a changing world

For a story centered on Norse society, leadership and expansion, Vikings offers another historical alternative. It follows figures navigating ambition, family relationships and conflict, with its dramatic stakes rooted in human power struggles rather than supernatural fantasy.

It may suit Game of Thrones fans who liked the harsher, more violent parts of the series but don’t need an elaborate magical mythology. As with The Last Kingdom, the setting is historical, not Westerosi.

Best for: viewers drawn to fierce rivalries, warfare and leadership conflicts.

7. Black Sails: for alliances and ambition in a different world

Black Sails shifts the action to a pirate setting, where survival and influence depend on alliances that can be fragile and self-serving. It doesn’t match Game of Thrones in genre or scale, but it offers a similar kind of character drama: people pursuing power while weighing loyalty against personal advantage.

Choose it for scheming and shifting partnerships, not for fantasy creatures or royal succession. Its more contained setting gives the political maneuvering a different feel from the many-region sweep of Westeros.

Best for: viewers who want ambitious characters and unstable alliances without high fantasy.

Which show should you watch first?

Start with the element of Game of Thrones you most want to revisit:

If you liked… Try…
Westeros, Targaryens and succession politics House of the Dragon
Dark fantasy, magic and monsters The Witcher
A vast mythic world The Rings of Power
Court politics and power struggles Rome
Battles and divided loyalties The Last Kingdom
Harsh rivalries and leadership conflicts Vikings
Ambition and fragile alliances Black Sails

Are there any shows set in the same universe as Game of Thrones?

Among these recommendations, House of the Dragon is the one set in the same fictional world. The other series offer different settings and kinds of drama. If you want more Westeros specifically, choose House of the Dragon; if you want a fresh setting that preserves one part of the Game of Thrones appeal, use the table to match a show to your favorite element.

The closest pick depends on what you’re after: House of the Dragon for the world, Rome for political intrigue, and The Witcher for dark fantasy. Start with the one that matches your favorite part of Game of Thrones, rather than expecting any single series to recreate all of it.