9 Fantasy Shows That Attempted To Emulate Game of Thrones’ Success

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Following the success of Game of Thrones, many similar fantasy and historical dramas have emerged, particularly in recent years. For nearly ten years, Game of Thrones was a massive hit, becoming one of the most popular shows on television and a major entertainment franchise.

While the controversial finale may have lessened it, the huge impact of Game of Thrones between 2011 and 2017 was undeniable. The fact that multiple Game of Thrones spin-offs are still being planned shows how much the show influenced modern fantasy television.

The impact of Game of Thrones has grown significantly since 2011, prompting numerous streaming services, cable channels, and production companies to try and replicate its success. Whether these fantasy shows are good or not, they all aimed to be the next Game of Thrones. Some have potential, but many have clearly fallen short.

9. The Bastard Executioner

FX’s The Bastard Executioner, released in 2015, was a clear attempt to capitalize on the success of Game of Thrones, which was hugely popular at the time. However, the show is widely considered a failure, largely because it closely imitated Game of Thrones with its similar themes, violence, and historical backdrop.

The TV show The Bastard Executioner centers around a Welsh knight who abandons his noble life after a strange vision leads him to become an executioner. The series is filled with political struggles, intense violence, and secret romances – elements that became widely popular with fantasy TV viewers thanks to the success of Game of Thrones.

Despite initial hype, The Bastard Executioner received negative reviews because it felt too similar to other shows and focused more on shocking violence than on a good story or interesting characters. It was quickly canceled after just one season, becoming an early example of a show that tried—and failed—to ride the wave of Game of Thrones‘ success.

8. Marco Polo

As a big fan of epic historical dramas, I remember when Netflix first launched Marco Polo. It felt like their swing at creating something with the same scope and complexity as Game of Thrones – lots of political maneuvering, compelling characters, and exciting adventures, all set in the world of the Mongolian Empire. Critics weren’t blown away, honestly, but the show really connected with a dedicated group of viewers. It’s developed a surprisingly strong, almost cult-like following over the years, and I totally get why – it’s a really immersive and engaging series.

Despite its potential, Netflix wasn’t willing to spend as much money as it would have taken to create a show on the scale of Game of Thrones. When Marco Polo was cancelled, it had lost over $200 million, demonstrating that it didn’t attract nearly as many viewers. Ultimately, the two shows weren’t comparable in terms of popularity or financial success.

7. The Last Kingdom

Shows like The Bastard Executioner and Marco Polo didn’t gain enough popularity with critics or viewers to fully develop their storylines. The Last Kingdom, however, was different. While grounded in historical accuracy more than fantasy, it managed to capture the intricate political drama of Game of Thrones, balancing it with compelling action, violence, and subtle religious themes.

While The Last Kingdom hasn’t quite reached the massive popularity of Game of Thrones, it’s definitely one of the more successful shows trying to capture that same audience. It’s a popular series, but hasn’t had the same widespread cultural effect as Game of Thrones.

The show maintained a good level of quality throughout its run, but The Last Kingdom never reached the same legendary status as Game of Thrones. Because of this, Netflix didn’t quite find another show to fill the void left by Game of Thrones, though it came remarkably close.

6. The Wheel of Time

Credit: MovieStillsDB

Amazon’s The Wheel of Time aimed to be the next Game of Thrones. Both shows were adapted from hugely popular fantasy book series, and Amazon hoped this would allow them to compete with HBO. Unfortunately, like other attempts to replicate Game of Thrones‘ success, The Wheel of Time didn’t quite achieve the same level of popularity.

Season 3 of The Wheel of Time was its best yet, but unfortunately, the show was canceled by Prime Video before it could reach the same heights as Game of Thrones. Like many other shows, it couldn’t achieve the widespread, lasting popularity that Game of Thrones enjoyed for ten years.

Despite having many of the same elements that made Game of Thrones a hit – including magic, political maneuvering, and fantastical creatures – The Wheel of Time didn’t achieve the same level of success for Prime Video. As a result, the show was canceled after three seasons because the cost of production outweighed the number of viewers it attracted.

5. The Witcher

Netflix’s The Witcher aimed to replicate the success of Game of Thrones. While inspired by the original books, the show heavily emphasized the intricate political landscape and diverse world-building that made Game of Thrones popular. However, even at its best, The Witcher hasn’t been as captivating as Game of Thrones was, even during its less impressive seasons.

Surprisingly, the reason The Witcher hasn’t become the next Game of Thrones is because Netflix tried too hard to make it one.

Had The Witcher stayed closer to the original books and novels, and spent more time developing the relationships between its core characters – Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri – instead of focusing on complicated political storylines, it could have become as popular and successful as Game of Thrones. By showing the fantasy world through their perspectives, the show could have been much stronger.

Netflix’s attempt to make The Witcher feel like Game of Thrones didn’t quite work. While the show lasted for five seasons, it struggled to gain the same level of critical acclaim or audience popularity, and ultimately didn’t become the next big fantasy hit like HBO’s series.

4. The Expanse

While primarily a science fiction series, The Expanse includes fantastical elements like alien life and the remnants of a powerful, ancient civilization. At its heart, the show is about its characters – their connections, political loyalties, and the conflicts that erupt between the powerful families of Earth and Mars, and the people who live in the Belt.

As a huge sci-fi fan, I always felt The Expanse reminded me more of Game of Thrones than a lot of other space operas. Both shows really prioritized realistic, character-driven stories, even with all the fantastical elements. That said, even though The Expanse is a fantastic show in its own right, it just never quite reached the same level of cultural impact as Game of Thrones did, which is a shame.

Originally, The Expanse ended after three seasons, but Prime Video revived it for three more. Unfortunately, ratings weren’t high enough to continue beyond season six, leading to a somewhat sudden finale. While many fans consider The Expanse to be top-tier science fiction, it never quite reached the massive popularity of Game of Thrones.

3. Black Sails

Though based on events leading up to Treasure Island and exaggerating the prevalence of piracy in the 1700s, Black Sails feels like a fantasy adventure. It’s similar to Game of Thrones in its intricate characters, shifting loyalties, gritty combat, and impressive visuals, but set in the world of pirates.

Despite being a high-quality, epic show and a hidden gem, Black Sails never reached the massive popularity of Game of Thrones. While it gained a dedicated fanbase, it didn’t attract a wide enough audience to become a global phenomenon, which is why it often gets overlooked.

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

When it comes to overall production value – including size, scope, and cost – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power surpasses Game of Thrones. It’s significantly more expensive to produce than Game of Thrones ever was. However, The Rings of Power’s massive budget was only made possible by the groundwork laid by Game of Thrones’ success.

The huge success of Game of Thrones showed Prime Video that The Lord of the Rings – a series frequently compared to it – had the potential to be just as popular. While The Rings of Power isn’t quite as consistently good as Game of Thrones yet, it has the potential to become the next big fantasy show, largely because of its impressive production values.

1. House of the Dragon

When it came to finding the next big fantasy hit after Game of Thrones, the most straightforward approach was a prequel: House of the Dragon. This series, based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, tells the story of the Targaryen family and their brutal civil war, the Dance of Dragons, which happened centuries before the events of Game of Thrones.

Similar to what made the early seasons of Game of Thrones so captivating, House of the Dragon centers on political struggles, passionate but forbidden romances, impressive dragons, epic battles, and unexpected turns of events. While season two of House of the Dragon didn’t receive quite the same praise as its first season, the show still has the potential to reach the same level of success as Game of Thrones.

The upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms demonstrates that new Game of Thrones stories can be quite different. This show takes a different approach by highlighting the lives of ordinary people. However, House of the Dragon, similar to the original Game of Thrones, centers on the kings and queens of Westeros and their complicated political maneuvering.

With a similar grand scale, ambition, and cost as House of the Dragon, this show is truly poised to become the next Game of Thrones, surpassing all other shows that have tried to achieve the same success over the past fifteen years.

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2025-10-31 23:43