Toss Another Show To Your Witcher
If you’ve finished watching this and are looking for alternate shows, fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle of having to try and find something similar with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing.
To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have.
Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming The Witcher.
Spartacus
Similarities – Violence
Spartacus is a bloody, brutal series revolving around Roman gladiators. Specifically, the series zones in on Spartacus who happens to be a warrior orchestrating a rebellion against the Romans.
Early on you’d be forgiven for writing this one off, especially with the gratuitous nudity and blood-soaked violence. However, this series soon evolves into a more compelling story over time, boasting 3 seasons of exciting, action-packed drama.
The story centers on the life of Spartacus, a gladiator who eventually leads a rebellion against the Romans. His entire journey is depicted beautifully here, in this gloriously vicious and bloody series.
Oh, and on a side note, the season finale is suitably epic too, rewarding your time with a satisfying conclusion.
Game Of Thrones
Similarities – Fantasy & Factions
Game Of Thrones will forever go down as the show that completely squandered its ending, falling flat on its face before the finish line. Despite its lacklustre final two seasons, the adaptations of books 2 and 3 in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy epic are must-watch seasons of TV.
For those unaware, Game Of Thrones takes place deep in the fictional realm of Westeros. Nine different noble families fight for control of the Iron Throne. While they do, a new threat in the East begins to stir in the form of the Targaryen princess, Daenerys.
While all this is going on, ancient enemies known as the White Walkers start to march south to The Wall, threatening certain doom unless the families can somehow learn to co-exist.
Featuring epic battles, incredible moments and one incredibly bad ending, Game Of Thrones is a must-watch for period drama and fantasy fans. If you can go in and expect a fan-fic ending, you should find enough to like with this one.
You can read our thoughts on Game Of Thrones in our full season reviews here!
His Dark Materials
Similarities – Prophecy & Magic
His Dark Materials is a wonderful fantasy series. Excellent acting and a faithful story adaptation of Philip Pullman’s novels combine beautifully with the world building on offer, making for a wholly absorbing and satisfying watch. The show never outstays its welcome either across its three seasons.
The story follows the journey of Lyra Belacqua, a young girl who inhabits a world where human and daemon share an intricate link together. As kids start going missed, snatched up from the streets by the Gobblers, Lyra finds herself coming in possession of the mysterious alethiometer.
When her best friend Roger goes missing, what begins as a simple search and rescue mission quickly becomes so much more as this expansive, dangerous and wondrous show becomes one of the small screen’s best fantasy offerings.
You can read our thoughts on His Dark Materials in our full season review here!
Vikings
Similarities – Violence & Expansive Story
Following the journey of Ragnar Lothbrok, Vikings is a fascinating and often violent look into the lives of the first Norsemen in history.
Full of dramatic tension and leaning (mostly) toward historical accuracy, Vikings does a great job blending fact and fiction. In doing so, it produces a methodically paced, interesting journey through the lives of the infamous warriors of the North.
While the later seasons do take some liberties with that realism and the plot does run out of steam before its final season limps over the finish line, there’s enough here to enjoy nonetheless.
You can read our thoughts on Vikings in our full season reviews here!
The Last Kingdom
Similarities – Violence & Politics
Set during the time of the Viking Invasions of Britain, The Last Kingdom is a well written, brutally realistic series relying on the charisma of its many characters to drive the story of Uhtred Ragnarson forward.
The time period is perfectly captured in both atmosphere and set design too. If that wasn’t enough, the story draws from the rich history of Britain across 4 epic seasons of entertainment.
With a fifth season already green-lit, this is one of the better choices to check out when you’re done with The Witcher.
You can read our thoughts on The Last Kingdom in our full season review here!
Black Sails
Similarities – Story & Characters
If you swap out the fantasy setting of The Witcher for pirates and high sea shenanigans, it wouldn’t be far removed from what Black Sails achieves. Split across four seasons, this sea-faring venture captures the essence of piracy beautifully and does so with some impressive visuals and an expansive story.
Instead of the over-the-top swashbuckling Jack Sparrows of the world, Black Sails examines the true nature of piracy through an eclectic group of characters. The action is gritty and violent too and it’s definitely worth persevering through the slower first season. From there on out, this show really comes into its own.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
Similarities – Blended Magic & Science
Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance is a one-season wonder and a real fantasy gem. Although you don’t need to have watched the original film to understand what’s going on here, it’s definitely rewarding to do so.
The story begins with castle guard Rian stumbling upon a dark secret held by the Skeksis and finds himself on the run. Meanwhile, intelligent Princess Brea is given a prophetic message, leading her to uncover secrets in her home, Ha’Rar. The third character, Deet, teams up with the hilarious Podling Hup on their own misadventure.
With all three Gelfing embarking on their quests, the Skeksis launch a crusade to harness the crystal’s power, eventually seeing them turn their bird-like eyes toward the Gelfling to sustain their life-force.
Spread across 10 episodes and utilizing an abundance of practical effects, puppets and wondrous storytelling, Age Of Resistance is the perfect accompanying piece to the original film. Dark Crystal is a must-watch.
You can read our thoughts on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance in our full season reviews here!
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Similarities – Story & Characters
Avatar is a fantastic animation that’s a must-watch for kids and adults alike.
The series itself revolves around a world divided into four elemental nations: The Northern and Southern Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. The Avatar uphold the balance between nations and up until the start of the first episode, everything seems to be peachy. That is, until the balance of power shifts.
When the Fire Nation is invaded and the avatar disappears, we cut forward 100 years to find Katara and Sokka discovering the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. What ensues from here is an unforgettable romp that brings out the very best in animated storytelling.
Castlevania
Similarities – Great Characters & Videogame Adaptation
Based on the popular video game of the same name, Castlevania is one of those rare exceptions to the rule that all video game adaptations are inherently bad.
In fact, Castlevania is not only a well written tale about vampires VS humans, it’s an incredibly endearing anime that just gets better and better as the seasons tick by. Season 3 in particular is excellent.
The basic premise revolves around an enraged Dracula unleashing hordes of demonic, blood thirsty creatures onto the town of Wallachia. When he does, it’s up to anti-hero Belmont to stop them.
This forms the crux of the first season (which spans for a disappointing 4 episodes) before branching out and becoming much more intriguing as the seasons tick by.
If you’re in the mood for something involving deep characters and intriguing world building, this one is definitely worth checking out.
You can read our thoughts on Castlevania in our full season reviews here!
Claymore
Similarities – Hunting Monsters
While not as popular as Demon Slayer, Claymore is another anime that depicts a world full of demons. This time though, they’re referred to as “youma” as we follow a young, silver-eyed woman known as Clare. She works on behalf of an organization that trains up female halfbreeds into warriors to go after these demons and kill them. See the similarities with The Witcher?
At the center of this is Clare and the anime follows her as she’s whisked away on numerous different missions across the series. This one is much more geared toward characterization though and partly the reason it works as well as it does is thanks to the writing for its cast, which constantly impresses across the run-time.
Xena Warrior Princess
Similarities – Hunting Supernatural Forces
Xena: Warrior Princess is a proper 90’s throwback. Alongside Hercules, Xena was one of the mainstay action heroes of the era. With a great blend of drama, comedy and action, Xena is well worth a watch.
The story itself centers on Xena, a mighty Warrior Princess with a dark past. She sets out to redeem herself, joined by a small town bard called Gabrielle. Together, they journey the ancient world, fighting against ruthless Warlords and Gods for the greater good.
This is a campy show that never takes itself too seriously. While it seems a little dated by today’s standards, the comradeship between its two leads is partly why this show works as well as it does. It’s certainly worth checking out if you enjoyed watching The Witcher.
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished watching The Witcher on Netflix.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!