From the moment House of the Dragon premiered, it’s been pretty difficult to talk about medieval fantasy on TV without comparing it to Game of Thrones, of course. The show has dragons, wars, families fighting for power, and a considerable number of characters trying to figure out who deserves the Iron Throne. However, for a large part of the audience, following the Dance of the Dragons hasn’t been as easy as following the first seasons of its predecessor. Even though its final season is still a sensitive subject for basically everyone, GOT did a much better job with its pacing and with showing what a large cast of characters can bring to a story. Overall, as HOTD moved forward, its flaws only stood out more.
But why not take a look at some other shows that manage to do certain things better as well? We’ve picked a few. Sure, that doesn’t mean they’re simply better than HOTD in every single way, since it really depends on what exactly you’re looking for. Still, what they all have in common is that they offer something that might make you get more invested in their stories.
Possibly the most unexpected choice, Britannia is kind of an alternative to HOTD if you get tired of all the stuff surrounding succession, alliances, and who actually has the right to the throne. The show isn’t well-known to most people, but its story takes place in 43 AD, when the Romans invade Britain and find a territory divided between different Celtic tribes, druids, and leaders who aren’t exactly interested in making the invaders’ lives any easier. In the middle of all this are Cait, Kerra, and the Roman general Aulus, caught up in a story with war, religion, prophecies, and some supernatural elements.
For anyone who isn’t used to it, it can feel a little strange and psychedelic, more unpredictable and much less interested in looking like a traditional medieval fantasy. It’s almost similar to The OA in that sense, and American Gods when it comes to mixing mythology, religion, the supernatural, and something that is completely unconventional. It’s true that not everything works perfectly (its tone can get a little over-the-top), but it wins you over because it has so much personality. Britannia could very easily have followed the same formula as HOTD, but choosing to do things differently and have almost its own kind of chaos makes everything better.
Now, if you like the idea of HOTD but wish the show were much more straightforward and focused, without so many side plots, The Winter King might be worth checking out (although it may not be for everyone). Based on The Warlord Chronicles trilogy, the show tries to reimagine the story of King Arthur in a divided Britain that is constantly threatened by the Saxons. Here, Arthur is still far from being the legendary great king; he’s a warrior trying to protect his people and find his place in a land where kings fight for power and different beliefs clash with Christianity. Merlin also appears here, but the series chooses to portray him in a much more human and ambiguous way than the traditional image of the wizard.
So, overall, The Winter King is kind of a more grounded version of the type of story HOTD is trying to tell. You don’t have to keep track of some huge family tree or a fight over the throne; there’s just one central protagonist whose goal is very clear, and the story manages to stay focused on him. It obviously doesn’t have the same budget or scale as GOT productions, but its more streamlined approach helps make the political and personal conflicts much easier to follow. Unfortunately, it only got one season, but it’s still a good option if you’re looking for something different set in the medieval period without a completely open-ended finale.
Okay, Vikings isn’t exactly a medieval fantasy, but if you’re a HOTD fan mainly because of the wars, betrayals, kings, and dysfunctional families, and characters willing to kill each other for power, the genre difference probably won’t bother you too much. The highly praised show starts with Ragnar Lothbrok, a farmer and warrior who believes the Vikings should explore lands to the west and ends up challenging the authority of his own leader to make it happen. From there, his rise turns the show into an increasingly bigger story about conquest, religion, family, and power. And well, you don’t need a long explanation of who’s on whose side to get invested in what’s happening, because the relationships between the characters do most of that work.
Here, Ragnar wants to conquer more, Lagertha wants to survive and maintain her independence, Rollo lives in his brother’s shadow, and their children have conflicts that have been developing for years. HOTD has interesting and complex figures, but its story always requires you to keep track of a huge number of names, houses, and alliances; Vikings manages to make a war feel personal. In fact, the GOT spin-off initially stood out for the same reason, but as the seasons went on, it gradually lost its focus on the characters, and that weakened the show.
You’ve probably heard The Last Kingdom recommended to fans of George R. R. Martin at some point. The show tells the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon who is captured and raised by the Danes as a child and spends much of his life trying to figure out where he truly belongs. At the same time, he gets caught up in Alfred the Great’s efforts to unite the Saxon kingdoms against the Viking invaders — and, naturally, Uhtred is always trying to reclaim the lands he believes are rightfully his. The biggest difference from HOTD is that this show understands that medieval politics are much more engaging when you have someone at the center of them who has something personal to lose.
The Last Kingdom carries a lot of weight because of its alliances and betrayals, especially since from the very beginning we see what each relationship means to the protagonist. HOTD might be able to deliver bigger battles (and, of course, it has dragons), but this series often manages to make a war more meaningful as you know the people fighting in it better. Plus, it doesn’t get stuck promising some huge conflict in the future, since the power shifts actually drive the plot forward. It’s a very high-quality show with multiple seasons (and even a movie to wrap things up), giving you a totally complete experience.
