5 Best Shows to Watch While You Wait for Game of Thrones Spinoff

Even with a failed final season, Game of Thrones is a cultural phenomenon whose legacy keeps living on thanks to HBO’s grand plans to expand George Martin ’s universe on TV.

After things got wrapped up back in 2019, the original show was followed by a prequel series House of the Dragon and is now getting another spinoff titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The former isn’t coming back to the screens anytime soon (at least until 2026), while the latter is set to land on Max sometime this year, marking the beginning of a new and fresh storyline.

While patiently waiting for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ arrival, some Game of Thrones fans might want to take a look at other similar series to fill the void, but hurry up — the upcoming show might be closer to its release than you think.

The Last Kingdom

Though it can’t offer its viewers a bunch of different stories and characters as versatile as ones in Game of Thrones, The Last Kingdom still does something pretty similar to the HBO hit.

Just like Game of Thrones follows Daenerys Targaryen on her path towards claiming the Iron Thrones, The Last Kingdom remains faithful to the story of its lead character, Uhtred of Bebbanburg who, raised by Danish warlord Earl Ragnar after his father’s death, embarks on a mission to seek justice after his newly found home is set on fire, killing his surrogate family.

The show might become a delightful watch for those who enjoyed Game of Thrones’ epic fights and entangled intrigues sabotaging the characters’ struggle for power.

Rome

The show that was actually canceled for Game of Thrones’ sake, Rome, is another great story from HBO that proved its ability for narrating epic tales in the most compelling way possible.

Following Julius Caesar’s takeover of the Roman Empire’s capital, the show features many historical figures, including Cleopatra and Mark Antony, whose mysterious real-life stories are getting another perspective that might attract new viewers’ attention even years after the series was unfairly scrapped.

Black Sails

Conceived as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island, Black Sails follows Captain Flint, a legendary pirate whose fame goes through sea waters and beyond.

Just like Game of Thrones, this period drama is an action-packed and character-driven storyline where everyone puts all they have at stake for the ultimate prize.

After running alongside Game of Thrones from 2013 to 2017, Black Sails concluded after 4 seasons, though it remains one of the best modern series that, like HBO’s epic drama, is all about its characters and what keeps them moving.

Foundation

Loosely based on Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi novels, Apple TV+ ’s show draws parallels with George Martin’s world by building a new world in another galaxy where a genetic dynasty has a power that only a few might want to dispute.

Despite some major plot changes, Foundation is still a pretty faithful adaptation of Asimov’s books and gets even better with each new season. The show’s third instalment is set to arrive on small screens sometime in 2025 too, so you might want to get a look at it first thing once a list of Game of Thrones-ish series is complete.

Dune: Prophecy

Frank Gerbert’s series of books keeps finding its best cinematic representation in Denis Villeneuve’s movies, but the prequel show launched back in 2024 is another great addition to the universe.

The show follows the events happening around 10.000 years before the time where Dune picks the story up, focusing primarily on the Sisterhood’s leaders Valya and Tula Harkonnen as they try to navigate through the hardships that their institution is dealing with ahead of a potential threat that humanity might face.

Dune: Prophecy can’t be compared to Game of Thrones when it comes to the latter’s epic storyline, but it’s still a solid watch for those who enjoyed seeing the HBO drama’s tricky political conspiracies unfold.