One of the most highly anticipated adaptations lately is Fourth Wing, the first book in Rebecca Yarros’ The Empyrean series. For a long time, fans have been waiting for updates on the upcoming Prime Video adaptation, and the recent announcement of its first cast members was enough to send the internet into a frenzy. Between Violet Sorrengail’s challenges at Basgiath, her bond with dragons, and her relationship with wingleader Xaden Riorson, there are plenty of reasons to want to see this story come to life on screen. But the wait is still a long one, so how are fans supposed to keep from losing their minds in the meantime?
In this list, you’ll find some excellent shows to keep you busy while you wait and help you get ready for the adaptation at your own pace. They all have something in common with Fourth Wing, whether it’s dragons, political intrigue, abilities, or dangerous training programs. And trust us, these are exactly the kinds of shows fans of Yarros’ book series might want to check out while waiting for the series to finally hit the screen.
One of the best things about Fourth Wing (if not the best) is the dragons, and expectations are high when it comes to how they’ll be brought to life in the upcoming adaptation. And if you want to get an idea of what the entertainment industry can do with these creatures, House of the Dragon is worth checking out. Set roughly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series follows House Targaryen as a fight for the Iron Throne turns family members against each other and puts the entire kingdom at risk. And if you’ve never watched GOT but want to give this show a try, don’t worry, as you don’t need to watch one to understand the other. So, you might be wondering what exactly it can show us about what to expect from Fourth Wing.
Well, in HOTD, dragons aren’t creatures the characters are trying to bond with during training. Instead, they’re a major part of the power that keeps the Targaryens on top, making every conflict that much more dangerous. That’s worth paying attention to because while Fourth Wing initially explores what it means to bond with a dragon and learn to fight alongside it, that dynamic is likely to become more complex as the story progresses (based on what happens in the books and what future seasons could explore). The GOT spin-off shows what happens when dragons become weapons in political disputes and power struggles. It might not have the academy setting or the central romance, and its overall aesthetic is quite different, but it’s a great pick if you’re interested in seeing more of the dragons, as well as the rivalries that can emerge between them.
Shadow and Bone has a mix of elements that make it comparable to Fourth Wing, including romance, supernatural powers, and characters who have to survive in a pretty hostile world. Also based on a book series, the show follows Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), a young cartographer who discovers she has a rare power that could change the fate of Ravka, a country divided by a stretch of darkness filled with deadly creatures. When she begins training with the Grisha, people who possess magical abilities, Alina realizes that mastering her powers is only part of the problem, as she also has to deal with influential figures who seem to have their own plans for her future.
If you’re a Fourth Wing fan, you’ve probably already noticed some of the similarities, since Violet is also a protagonist who has to deal with abilities that make her important to people who don’t always deserve her trust. Plus, Shadow and Bone also features unstable alliances, military conflicts, and pretty complicated relationships, without sacrificing its fantasy elements to make room for personal drama. In other words, it’s a good option for anyone who’s more interested in the political side of Fourth Wing and the challenges of having to adapt quickly to this kind of world. However, the series was unfortunately canceled after two seasons. But is it still worth watching? If you want to get a good feel for the vibe of the upcoming adaptation, absolutely.
This one is for anyone who’s really looking for the same academy vibe as Basgiath, even if the setting here is a school of magic where students aren’t risking their lives during training. Fate: The Winx Saga has more in common with Fourth Wing than you might think at first, following Bloom (Abigail Cowen), a fire fairy raised in the human world who discovers her powers and goes to study at Alfea, a boarding school. As she tries to understand her past, she also has to deal with some complicated friendships, rivalries, romances, and supernatural threats that make school life a lot less peaceful than it should be. In fact, it’s easy to see some of Violet’s energy in Bloom.
In Fate: The Winx Saga, the protagonist enters this new environment without really understanding what she’s capable of, and she has to train to get her powers under control. The main difference is that this show is more focused on the supernatural teen drama than military fantasy, and its characters don’t face the same kind of brutal selection as the dragon riders. Still, if you’re a Fourth Wing fan who enjoys the training sessions, fights, abilities (signets), romances unfolding alongside all the action, friendships and rivalries between students, and the lessons they have to learn along the way, it’s a great fit. There are only two seasons, but they’re enough to help you get ready for the upcoming adaptation.
Of all the series on this list, Motherland: Fort Salem is the one that really captures what the characters in Fourth Wing go through at the academy. Though it doesn’t get talked about as much, the series takes place in an alternate reality where witches ended centuries of persecution by agreeing to serve in the U.S. military. The story follows Raelle Collar (Taylor Hickson), Abigail Bellweather (Ashley Nicole Williams), and Tally Craven (Jessica Sutton) as they undergo military training, learning to use magic in combat, follow a strict chain of command, and prepare for missions that put their abilities to the test. Before long, training stops being just another step in their education and becomes part of a war.
In both Motherland: Fort Salem and Fourth Wing, the protagonists aren’t attending a conventional magic school but are being prepared to face real enemies in an environment that demands much more than talent. The relationships between the characters are also important, since trust, loyalty, and rivalry can directly affect their chances of survival. The biggest difference is that Motherland swaps dragons for witches who use their own magic as a weapon, but the combination of military training, supernatural powers, and seriously dangerous missions makes it the closest match to the experience Fourth Wing fans are hoping to see on screen. One of the best parts of the book series is watching the cadets being pushed to their limits, and this show offers plenty of that.
