20 Best Shows Like Vikings & Vikings: Valhalla You Need To Watch
Both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla are great historical drama shows that have become quite popular among the different TV and streaming enthusiasts today. Considering that we are not getting season 7 of Vikings and that season 2 of Vikings: Valhalla isn’t going to be coming anytime soon, we have a good list of shows that you might want to watch in the meantime.
20. Rome (2005 – 2007)
Rome is historical drama series that is able to portray the different events of Ancient Rome in a manner that hits the chaotic political maneuverings of the leaders of that time. It was able to ground itself well with realism and historical accuracy without sacrificing the action that people tend to love about historical drama series. That said, it is similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla precisely because it mixes action with political decisions that helped shape history.
Of course, Rome follows the ancient period of Rome when the time was turbulent and full of political infighting between the leaders of the country. Similar to the Vikings shows, Rome is able to portray a good number of known historical figures like Julius Caesar himself as different personalities, and leaders clash with one another and form factions with their allies.
19. Medici (2016 – 2019)
Medici may not be similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla in terms of its time period, but there are plenty of other similarities between them when you factor in the political maneuvers that the characters do to rise to power. And the fact that Medici follows a story that explores different generations also allows it to be quite similar to the Vikings series.
The story of this series revolves around the Medici family’s rise to power. That means that we are not only talking about one person here but an entire family that spans multiple generations. As such, it’s going to be a fun watch for anyone because you can binge it through an entire day due to its amazing story and great acting.
18. The Borgias (2011 – 2013)
While it might be true that The Borgias doesn’t have the same kind of action that Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla have, what you are going to love about this historical drama series is that it is able to capture historical moves on the part of a prominent family. That means that there will be a lot of drama and strategic movements on the part of the main characters, much like how Ragnar of Vikings and Godwin of Vikings: Valhalla were able to maneuver their way to have well-known families.
The story follows the different things that Rodrigo Borgia had to do to maintain his standing in the Vatican. He bribes and deceives people not only for himself but for his entire family as well. As such, we get to see how even the holiest people are willing to go through any lengths for power, as Borgia eventually reached his goal of becoming the pope.
17. Roman Empire (2016 – 2019)
Roman Empire is another series that chronicles the story of Ancient Rome and the emperors and dictators that helped in paving the way for it to become what it was during its peak. And while it does have some actions scenes, what makes Roman Empire similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla is the fact that it talks about different leadership styles that may or may not have been good for Rome.
A good part of Roman Empire tells the story of how different individual goals and betrayals have led to the fall of the Roman Empire. You don’t even have to know a lot about Ancient Rome to appreciate this series because it gives you everything you need to know about what happened that time, even though it isn’t exactly that accurate.
16. Merlin (2009 – 2013)
The first thing you need to know is that this series is full of magic and fantasy. While elements of Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla do include fantasy (because of the Seer), those shows are more grounded on realism. However, Merlin is still quite similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla because of the fact that it includes a lot of action and different types of narratives that mirror the ones that happen in the Vikings shows.
Merlin tells the tale of the famous Arthurian wizard before he came to serve the legendary king. As such, you get to learn a lot about the story of Merlin and how he eventually became one of the most well-known names in medieval fantasy stories.
15. Marco Polo (2014 – 2016)
Marco Polo is a Netflix original series like Vikings: Valhalla, and this is a story that was able to tell the tale of the Mongolian conqueror, Kublai Khan, as the Venetia explorer Marco Polo gets entangled in the affairs of the Mongol Empire. This is where it becomes similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla because it also tells the story of one of his history’s greatest conquerors.
What you are going to love about Marco Polo is that it is a masterpiece in terms of its visuals, cinematography, and story. You will love the titular character and how he is able to tell a good story of how he was able to find himself entangled with Kublai Khan. Of course, it’s not shy in terms of its action scenes as well.
14. Rise Of Empires: Ottoman (2020)
It’s always a good thing to watch a historical show that is grounded on realism and true events that really happened in history, much like the events of both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla. In that regard, Rise of Empires: Ottoman hits the right spot because of how grounded it is on real events that helped shape the course of history.
Rise of Empires: Ottoman follows the story of Ottoman sultan Mehmed II, who is on a campaign to take over the Byzantine Empire. Of course, the only way for him to do so is to march on the Byzantine capital of Constantinople itself, as his campaign against one of the biggest empires in history has a profound effect on the future.
13. Barbarians (2020)
Truth be told, Barbarians isn’t really the best series when it comes to its overall appeal and quality because, in many ways, it’s like a Vikings copy that isn’t just as good as the original. However, this German series is actually pretty entertaining to watch because of how it was able to showcase the battle of the German warriors (called barbarians) as they battle the Roman Empire during the earlier part of the first millennium.
As such, this is where it becomes similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla, as we both see fierce warriors battling against an empire that has the advantage in terms of technological advancements and civilized military combat. Still, that didn’t stop the barbarians from striking fear into the hearts of the Romans.
12. Raised By Wolves (2020 – Present)
The first thing you will notice about Raised by Wolves is that this happens during a futuristic post-apocalyptic timeline that is several centuries ahead of our current timeline. However, while it isn’t a historical drama, it has a lot of similarities with Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla in terms of the action and the religious themes covered in the series. It also helps that Ragnar’s actor is one of the main characters of this story.
Raised by Wolves follows the struggles of humanity as people from Earth take refuge in an alien planet. The first faction is a pair of androids that were tasked to raise human children and to repopulate the said alien planet. Meanwhile, the second faction is a group of devout believers who believe in a certain prophecy that may involve one of the children in the first faction.
11. Real Vikings (2016)
When Vikings became such a huge hit for the History Channel, it was important for the network to launch a series that tells the tale of true Vikings in a documentary fashion. After all, Vikings isn’t really historically accurate in the sense that not all of the characters and events mirror what happened in actual history.
As such, Real Vikings sorts of corrects the historical inaccuracies of Vikings by telling a story that allows us to get to know more about the real Vikings that lived during the time of Ragnar and his sons. It’s not the longest docuseries, but it’s a must-watch if you want to compare the events of Vikings with true historical accounts of the Vikings during the first millennium.
10. Knightfall (2017 – 2019)
Knightfall might be about Christian knights during the start of the 14th century, but it still has some similarities when compared to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla because of the fact that we are talking about a series that’s full of action on top of the political drama that involves different groups that are vying for power.
The series revolves around one of the leaders of the Knights Templar, a powerful group of knights that protect the legendary Holy Grail. However, when the leader of the knights gets entangled in a love affair with the Queen of France, the King goes on a mission to retaliate against the group of knights and their leader. Meanwhile, the Church and the Pope are looking to try to keep the secrets of the Holy Grail hidden because of the possible scandal it might cause to the Christian world.
9. Britannia (2018 – Present)
The thing about Britannia is that this is a series that is close to what Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla are all about, as it explores a historical story that’s mixed with a bit of fiction and mythology to tell a great drama about a certain period in history.
Britannia highlights a period in British history that not a lot of movies and shows tend to explore, as we get to see the island of Britain during its period of colonization during the first century. As such, it shows us a good mix of political battles, religious wars, and conflicts between different groups of people in an amazing series that takes place centuries before both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.
8. Black Sails (2014 – 2017)
If you think about it, the Vikings and the pirates aren’t too different from one another in the sense that they tend to take what they want. However, history shows that Vikings tend to operate from land to sea while the pirates are more likely to operate on the sea. Due to the fact that Black Sails explores the story of pirates, that is what makes it very similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.
Black Sails is a series that tells the story of different factions that are fighting for the same thing, and that is a treasure. This story is actually the prequel to the popular Treasure Island tale because it includes popular names such as Captain Flint and Long John Silver. So, even though Black Sails may be more of fiction than historical, there are plenty of themes that are very similar to both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.
7. Norsemen (2016 – 2020)
Norsemen is actually Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla that is turned around to give us a great story that focuses more on comedy than on action and political drama. The fact that it explores the history of the Norse people is what actually makes it very similar to both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla, despite the fact that it really isn’t as serious.
The story of Norsemen explores siblings that are in the middle of a bitter struggle for power. As such, it still explores a serious story but one that is mixed with a good dose of comedy. So, if you are looking to get a good laugh, then there is no problem with watching the Monty Python series version of both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.
6. Vinland Saga (2019 – Present)
The first and only anime on this list differs a lot from other anime series because of the fact that this story revolves around the Vikings. In fact, Vinland Saga is set at around the same time as King Sweyn’s and King Canute’s conquest of England, and that means that it fits right in with the timeline of Vikings: Valhalla.
While the story revolves around the revenge quest of the young Thorfinn, this anime also explores what the Vikings did to conquer a good part of England and how Canute rose to power. It still is fictional in a lot of ways because it isn’t the most historically accurate series. But the fact that it has a lot of things that it gets right is what makes it an enjoyable historical anime to watch.
5. Game Of Thrones (2011 – 2019)
Game of Thrones is arguably the biggest series of all time because of its overall effects on culture and on television. While this series is more fiction than it is real because it takes place in a fictional land and includes elements of magic and fantasy, the fact that it has a good mix of political maneuvers and action is what makes it very similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.
The story of this series dwells around the fictional continent of Westeros, which is in the middle of civil war following the death of the king, as different people and factions fight for the right to be called the true king. However, what they don’t know is that a queen in the eastern lands is preparing her return to the continent with the help of a huge army and a trio of dragons. And the biggest secret of them all is that a group of undead soldiers from the frigid north are marching their way to the continent to kill everyone in sight.
4. Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena (2011)
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is the spin-off of the main Spartacus series. It is also a prequel to Spartacus, as it tells the tale of a legendary gladiator that came before Spartacus and was able to win his freedom through his exploits as a gladiator.
What makes Spartacus: Gods of the Arena so similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla is that it is pure gore and rage when it comes to its fight scenes. There are plenty of different amazing battles in this series. However, what you should also know is that there is also a good mix of political drama included in this amazing story.
3. Spartacus (2010 – 2013)
Spartacus is a series that is a lot like Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla because it tells the story of a group of gladiators willing to fight for their freedom, much like how the Vikings are fighting for land and power in both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.
This series explores the story of a historical figure named Spartacus, who led a revolt against the Roman Empire long ago by leading a group of gladiators to freedom so that they could destroy their oppressors together. Of course, while the battles are the main subjects of this series, you will also love how Spartacus was able to mix political maneuvering in different manners.
2. The Witcher (2019 – Present)
Much like Game of Thrones, The Witcher is a series that explores fantasy and magic in a world that resembles Europe. At first, it might not seem like it has a lot of things in common with Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla. But you will realize that there are plenty of elements such as the combat, action scenes, and the wars between different kingdoms that make The Witcher so similar to the Vikings series.
The Witcher follows the story of Geralt, a Witcher or a monster hunter that travels the land to hunt down monsters. However, when a twist of fate gets him entangled with a young princess that he has to defend and treat as his own daughter, he finds himself getting mixed up with ancient prophecies and entities that will affect the entire world.
1. The Last Kingdom (2015 – Present)
The Last Kingdom is a series that is the closest to both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla because of how it takes place in the same setting and due to how it involves characters that you may also see in the original Vikings series. Watching The Last Kingdom will allow you to immediately see the similarities between it and Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.
Based on Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories, The Last Kingdom actually happens during the original Vikings because it is also set during the ninth century. You will get to see real historical events that also happened in Vikings as the hero of this series was adopted by Vikings and is helping the Viking invaders invade his homeland of England. That means that there are plenty of actions scenes and political maneuvers in this series, similar to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla.