Created by Jeb Stuart, “Vikings: Valhalla” is a historical action-adventure drama series. This is a sequel to the popular History Channel series “Vikings”, which is set around a hundred years later. The story follows some of the greatest Nordic heroes of all time, such as Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), on their incredible adventures in and around the North Sea and beyond into the twilight days of the Viking Age. If you watched “Vikings: Valhalla” and liked it, here is a list of recommendations. You can watch most of these shows similar to “Vikings: Valhalla” on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
7. Black Sails (2014-2017)
Set in the early 18th century, during the golden age of piracy, “Black Sails” aims to offer a prequel story to the novel “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson. It tells how Captain Flint and other pirate captains (both fictional and real) take on the government of all “civilized” nations in their attempt to protect the island of New Providence. One of the most important aspects of Viking life is sea travel, and “Vikings: Valhalla” does it justice in its description. If that’s the part of the Netflix show you’re most interested in, it can’t get any better than “Black Sails.”
6. Britannia (2018-)
“Britannia” depicts a period of British history rarely explored in films and TV shows. Like “Vikings: Valhalla,” the Sky Atlantic and Amazon Prime Video (later Epix) series combines history, fantasy, and myth. Set on the eponymous island in the first century AD, the show revolves around the Roman Empire’s attempt to colonize the territory. Both shows focus on the war of religions – in Britannia’s case, it’s between the Celtic and Roman religions – and begin with an invasion.
5. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Based on George RR Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novel series, “Game of Thrones” is a complex story about ambition, revenge, love and war. The main setting is the fictional continent of Westeros, inhabited by people from a culture similar to medieval Europe. “Game of Thrones” is arguably the most popular series of all time. One of the nine constituent regions that make up Westeros is the Iron Islands, which the Greyjoy family rules. The people who live there can be compared to the Vikings depicted in “Vikings: Valhalla”. Their life and culture revolves around the sea. They are marauders and pirates with a distinct definition of honor.
4. The Vinland Saga (2019–)
‘Vinland Saga’ is an anime series developed by Wit Studio. It is based on one of the most iconic manga series, written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura. Vinland is the Viking name for the North American coast, where Freydis and Leif are destined to end up. The anime follows a fictionalized account of the life of Thorfinn Karlsefni, an Icelandic explorer, who presumably reached Vinland in the year 1010, navigating the same route that Leif Eriksson took. In “Vikings: Valhalla”, the Viking invasion begins as a means of retaliation for the slaughter of the Norse people in England by Aethelred II. Thorfinn’s journey in ‘Vinland Saga’ also begins in pursuit of revenge, after a man named Askeladd kills his father.
3. Normans (2016-2020)
“Norsemen” or “Vikingane” is a Norwegian action-comedy series that offers a hilarious take on Viking life. It’s set in the 790s, long before the 11th century setting of “Vikings: Valhalla”, and focuses on a comical exploration of everyday village life in Norway at the time. A Roman slave named Rufus tries to introduce aspects of modern life into Viking society, which doesn’t always produce the desired result. “Norsemen” is one of those rare shows that’s both silly and smart. As content about Viking culture is widely available these days, the humor of “Norsemen” does not alienate its massive international audience.
2. The Last Kingdom (2015-2022)
“The Last Kingdom” is the television adaptation of Bernard Cornwell’s “The Saxon Stories” series of novels. The show begins in the aftermath of the attack of the Great Heathen Army and how it changed the demographics and politics in England. The invasion of the Great Heathen Army is mentioned in passing by characters in “Vikings: Valhalla”. Both shows devote a significant amount of their attention to the rapidly changing relationship between the Norse people and the Saxons. The evolution of the conflict between paganism and Christianity also plays a major role in both accounts.
1. Vikings (2013-2020)
As mentioned above, “Vikings” is a prequel series to “Vikings: Valhalla”. Although the two shows don’t share as many tangible ties, the new series has plenty of Easter eggs on the original show to keep its fans interested. “Vikings” follows the journeys of Ragnar Lothbrok and his children during the height of the Viking Age. It explores how these characters lived before becoming legendary figures.
Read more: Vikings: Valhalla Ending, Explainer: Is Liv dead or alive?
