If You Loved Game of Thrones, You’ll Be Obsessed With These 8 Series

There’s hardly a television show that can beat the run Game of Thrones had. For nearly a decade, it owned Sunday nights. It gave us dragons soaring over frozen landscapes, the constant fear that your favourite character might not survive the episode, and some of the most unforgettable TV moments ever, like “Dracarys,” the Red Wedding, the Night King showdown, and that theme song that still gives you goosebumps.

Aside from the spectacle, Game of Thrones was deeply loved because it used political intrigue, messy family dynamics, unexpected betrayals, magic, and rich world-building in a truly fascinating way.  It was the type of show that made the whole world pause. So of course, once it ended, we all started hunting for anything that could recreate even a fraction of that feeling.

If you’re still searching for a show that gives you the same adrenaline, the same fantasy immersion, or just the same “what on earth did I just watch?” energy, here are eight TV shows that come very close, each in their own unique way.

If you want something that’s literally cut from the same fiery cloth, this is your starting point. House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before Daenerys Targaryen’s birth and dives straight into the family that made silver hair and dragons iconic.

At its core, House of the Dragon is a full-blown family meltdown stretched across a kingdom. The Targaryens are at the height of their power with dragons, wealth everywhere, and control, but the one thing they can’t agree on is who should inherit the Iron Throne.

The story revolves around Princess Rhaenyra, who is named heir, and how that decision sends shockwaves through the royal court. Suddenly, every lord and lady has an opinion, every alliance feels shaky, and people who were once friends start acting funny. You see marriages arranged as political chess moves, children being born into rivalry, and private conversations turning into kingdom-shaking consequences. 

This series follows three main characters whose lives are connected by fate, even though it doesn’t look like it at first. You have Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter who travels from town to town solving supernatural problems. He’s not your typical hero; he’s grumpy, sarcastic, misunderstood, and constantly dragged into politics he wants nothing to do with.

Then there’s Yennefer, a powerful sorceress with a dramatic transformation story. She rises from being mistreated and underestimated to becoming one of the strongest magic-wielders in the land, but not without paying a high emotional cost.

And finally, Ciri, a princess with a mysterious power that makes her the target of kingdoms, soldiers, witches, basically anyone who wants control. The story weaves their timelines together until their lives collide. Along the way, you get monster contracts gone wrong, magical experiments, political coups, ancient prophecies, and a massive looming threat that ties everything together.

Vikings follows Ragnar Lothbrok, a farmer with big dreams, and by big, I mean he wants to explore lands people think don’t even exist yet. He starts as a nobody within his village but slowly rises through courage, curiosity, and sheer stubbornness.

He challenges the old leadership, forms new alliances, and leads raids across oceans to lands richer than anything he’s ever seen. As Ragnar grows in power, so do the problems. Competitors want his throne, rulers want him dead, and even his closest relationships get tested.

The show also dives into his family, his strong and brilliant wife Lagertha, his ambitious brother Rollo, and later his sons, who grow into their own legends. It’s a story about discovery, identity, war, loyalty, and how ambition can both build a kingdom and tear one apart.

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This series begins with a prophecy: a figure known as the Dragon Reborn is destined to either save the world or destroy it. The problem is that no one knows who he or she is. Moiraine, a powerful member of the Aes Sedai (an order of magic wielders), arrives in a humble village and identifies a group of young people who might fit the prophecy. She takes them on the run, not because they’re ready, but because dark forces are already coming for them.

From there, the story branches out. Each character discovers their own abilities, weaknesses, and hidden truths about themselves. You see ancient cities, terrifying monsters, political schemes within the Aes Sedai, rival nations preparing for war, and a rising evil known as the Dark One. The heart of the story is how ordinary people deal with destiny when they didn’t ask for it and definitely don’t feel prepared.

This series follows Lyra, a fearless girl living in a world where human souls exist outside the body as animal companions called daemons. The story kicks off with children mysteriously disappearing across the land. Rumours spread that a powerful religious-political group called the Magisterium is involved, but no one dares speak openly.

Lyra gets swept into a dangerous journey when she receives a rare truth-telling instrument called the alethiometer. As she searches for her missing friend, she uncovers secrets about parallel worlds, forbidden experiments, and a war over the very nature of human consciousness. She meets witches, scholars, rebels, talking armoured bears, and people with their own hidden agendas. Every revelation leads to a bigger, more complex truth, and nothing is as simple as it seems.

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This show goes deep into Middle-earth history, long before Frodo, Sauron’s ring, or the fellowship. The world is in a supposedly peaceful era, but evil is slowly creeping back in. You follow different groups from elves, dwarves, humans, and mystical beings, each dealing with their own political issues, ancient grudges, and uncertainties.

Galadriel, one of the main characters, believes a dark enemy is rising again and refuses to let the world fall asleep at the wheel. Other leaders want peace so badly that they ignore the signs, which obviously doesn’t go well once the truth starts unfolding.

As the show progresses, you see the forging of the rings, the fall and rise of kingdoms, and the early signs of the evil that later shapes the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Spartacus is based on the real-life gladiator Spartacus, who was enslaved by the Roman Empire and forced into gladiator combat. It begins with him being torn away from his home and thrown into a gladiator school where he must learn how to fight or die. He becomes a rising star in the arena, winning crowds and gaining influence, but beneath the entertainment is a system built on brutality, politics, and corruption.

As Spartacus earns fame, he also begins to see the cracks in the Roman world, like the lies, the power plays, the betrayals, and the cruelty of those in charge. This eventually inspires him to lead a rebellion that shakes the empire.

This series uses magic, politics, and adventure in a world divided by a dangerous shadow barrier called the Fold. Alina, a mapmaker in the army, discovers she possesses a rare power that could destroy the Fold and save her country. Overnight, she becomes famous and is taken to train with the magical elite known as the Grisha.

Her rise to power pulls her into a world full of manipulation, fear, and political agendas. Some want to protect her, some want to control her, and some want her gone altogether. Alongside her story, there’s a parallel plot involving a group of charming thieves planning a near-impossible heist. Their mission eventually collides with Alina’s fate in unexpected ways.

Game of Thrones is like that one ex people still talk about because no one else has been able to fill their shoes the same way. While no show might ever fully match the chaos, dragons, betrayals, and emotional damage GoT gave us, these series come impressively close.

If you want political scheming, sweeping fantasy worlds, ancient prophecies, morally questionable characters, or just beautifully shot battles, grab a bottle of wine, sit back, and watch one of the shows on this list.  You might find a new obsession… or at the very least, something to fill the void until the next Targaryen family drama drops.