13 Shows Like House of the Dragon You Must See

Created by Ryan Condal and George R. R. Martin, HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon;’ is an action fantasy series. It is based on certain sections of Martin’s 2018 book ‘Fire & Blood.’ Set about 200 years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ of which it is a prequel and spin-off, the series revolves around the brutal civil war between two factions of the ruling Targaryen dynasty. In the history of Westeros, this war of succession is known as the dance of the dragons and marks the beginning of the end of the Targaryen rule on the continent. If you have watched ‘House of the Dragon’ and loved it, here is a list of recommendations that might suit your taste. You can watch most of these shows similar to ‘House of the Dragon’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

13. The Outpost (2018-2021)

‘The Outpost’ tells the story of Talon, a young female of the human sub-species known as the Blackblood. When Talon was a child, the people of her village were massacred, and she was the only survivor. Vowing revenge, she embarks on a perilous journey that ultimately brings her to an abandoned outpost. With the help of the allies she finds there, Talon tracks down the people responsible for the deaths of her family and people. As in ‘House of the Dragon,’ revenge and its inevitable consequences are recurring themes in ‘The Outpost.’

12. Legend of the Seeker (2008–2010)

Based on the fantasy novel series ‘The Sword of Truth’ by Terry Goodkind, ‘Legend of the Seeker’ tells the story of Richard Cypher, a seemingly ordinary young man who learns he is destined to be the Seeker of Truth. Richard teams up with Confessor Kahlan Amnell and the First Wizard Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander and embarks on a life-changing but dangerous quest to change the world and defeat the evil Darken Rahl. While the narrative of ‘Legend of the Seeker’ leans more toward traditional fantasy, it has enough dark and unsettling elements to keep a ‘House of the Dragon’ fan entertained.

11. The Letter for the King (2020)

An adaptation of the classic 1962 Dutch novel ‘De brief voor de Koning’ by Tonke Dragt, ‘The Letter for the King‘ tells the story of a young aspiring knight, Tiuri (Amir Wilson). As he is about to finish his trials, Tiuri encounters a dying Black Knight, who gives him a secret letter and makes him promise that he will get the letter to the ruler of a kingdom located across the Great Mountains before the next fool moon. Often dubbed “a ‘Game of Thrones’ for children, ‘The Letter for the King’ is a fun and pleasant watch.

10. The Shannara Chronicles (2016–2017)

Based on Terry Brook’s ‘The Sword of Shannara’ trilogy book series, ‘The Shannara Chronicles‘ tells the story of Wil, Amberle, and Eretria — three young people who find themselves tasked with saving their world. The story takes place in the fictional Four Lands. The ancient and magical tree, the Ellcrys, serves as a locked doorway between Four Lands and the Forbidding, the latter being the place where the demons of the world have been banished. As the Ellcrys begins to die, the heroes must find a way to save it. Helping them in this task is last druid Allanon. Like ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ ‘The Sword of Shannara’ trilogy is an important entry in fantasy literature, and ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ is a pretty decent adaptation of it.

9. The Legend of Vox Machina (2022–)

Developed from campaign one of the Dungeons & Dragons web series ‘Critical Role,’ ‘The Legend of Vox Machina‘ is an adult animated series. It is set in the fictional world of Exandria and revolves around a group of adventurers: the eponymous Vox Machina. Most of the story arcs in the series are based on various plot threads from ‘Critical Role,’ though there is some original content. Like ‘House of the Dragon,’ ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ has a bountiful of violence, sex, magic, and dragons. Moreover, the entire narrative is built upon dark humor, something that doesn’t often reappear in this list.

8. Britannia (2017-)

‘Britannia‘ is a historical fiction series set in the first century AD. As the Romans try to expand their control on the eponymous island, they face heavy resistance from the local kingdoms, tribes, and Druids. While creating his stories, Martin draws from history, particularly English history. For instance, ‘Game of Thrones’ is loosely based on the 15th-century conflict known as the Wars of the Roses, whereas ‘House of the Dragon’ is partially inspired by the 12th-century civil war called the Anarchy. Although ‘Britannia’ is set considerably earlier, it depicts historical elements that Martin has incorporated into his story and turned them up to 11.

7. Kingdom (2019-)

‘Kingdom‘ is a gem of a South Korean series that masterfully blends political intrigue with fantasy and horror, just like shows belonging to the sprawling ‘Game of Thrones’ Universe. The story takes place in an alternate version of the Joseon period. Three years have passed since the Imjin War. Lee Chang, Crown Prince and heir presumptive to the throne, discovers that his father’s recent bout of illness is not what it seems. When his life is threatened by his political rivals, Lee Chang ventures out of the capital to find out the truth and discovers that the dead now walk the Earth.

6. The Wheel of Time (2021-)

‘The Wheel of Time‘ has been developed from the namesake book series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. Like Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ The Wheel of Time is considered a milestone in fantasy literature. The plot revolves around a group of young men and women living in the secluded village of Two Rivers. Following the arrival of the Aes Sedai Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), their lives drastically change. As they try to run away from the evil that has destroyed their village, they learn that one of them is the Dragon Reborn, a powerful channeler of the One Power who caused irreparable damage to the world in their previous life.

5. Shadow and Bone (2021-)

The Web adaption of two series of books in the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo, ‘Shadow and Bone‘ tells the story of Alina Starkov, an orphan girl who serves as a cartographer in the First Army of the Ravka Nation, a country based on tsarist Russia. Alina discovers that she is a Grisha, the practitioner of what is known as small science, though people tend to misconstrue it as magic. Moreover, Alina learns she is a Sun Summoner, presumably the only Grisha who can manipulate and summon light. Like House of the Dragon,’ ‘Shadow and Bone is dark fantasy at its core and heavily draws from history and real-world politics.

4. The Sandman (2022-)

When the creator of the source material is part of the developmental process, magic happens. It is true with ‘House of the Dragon,’ and it is true with ‘The Sandman.’ Written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, and others, the original comic book series came out between January 1989 and March 1996 and ran for 75 issues. In the Netflix show, Dream or Morpheus is the personification of dreams and nightmares and one of the Seven Endless, along with his siblings — Destiny, Death, Delirium, Desire, Despair, and Destruction. After spending 106 years imprisoned, Morpheus is free once more and sets out to fix the things that have gone wrong in his absence.

3. The Witcher (2021-)

Developed from a series of stories by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, ‘The Witcher‘ revolves around three main characters — Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), the titular Witcher; sorceress Yennefer; and Crown Princess Ciri of Cintra. Although their beginnings are different, their destinies bring all of them together. The story is set in a world where twisted (in some cases, original) versions of fairytales and folklore are real. The Witchers are hunters of things that go bump into the dark. From political intrigue to magic to dragons — ‘The Witcher’ has it all for a ‘House of the Dragon’ fan.

2. His Dark Materials (2019-2022)

Based on the namesake trilogy series by Philip Pullman, ‘His Dark Materials‘ is a fantasy drama series that takes place in a multi-world reality, with the narrative going back and forth between the worlds. In one of this worlds, people’s souls take the shape of various animals, known as daemons. Lyra Belacqua, one of the main characters of the series, finds herself being drawn into a war of cosmic proportion. Like ‘House of the Dragon,’ ‘His Dark Materials’ holds up a mirror to the modern world through the metaphors of fantasy, with the latter being more focused on organized religion.

1. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, ‘Game of Thrones‘ fundamentally changed the perception of fantasy in the mind of the audience, exposing many of us to a subgenre that we didn’t even know existed. The television adaptation of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ Martin’s ongoing magnum opus, ‘Game of Thrones’ takes place about 200 years after its prequel, after House Targaryen has fallen. However, the great game of power still goes on as various other noble houses vie for control over Westeros. Meanwhile, in the east, one of the last surviving members of the erstwhile dynasty brings the dragons back, and cold winds begin to howl in the north.