These 15 Intense Drama Series Are a Must-Watch for Shogun & GoT Fans

If you loved Game of Thrones or FX's newest hit Shogun for its twisting plots and deep characters, then there's a whole world of drama series out there waiting to grab your attention; these shows are packed with the kind of intense storylines and complex personalities that make you cancel plans just to see what happens next.

1. Vikings ( 2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Ragnar Lothbrok, a legendary Norse hero, rises from farmer to Scandinavian King, alongside his crew and family, as he raids and explores new territories, facing fierce battles, political intrigue, and personal dilemmas, ultimately forging a legacy that spans generations.

2. Black Sails (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%

Set before the events of "Treasure Island," Captain Flint, the most feared pirate of his time, and his crew fight for the survival of New Providence Island, engaging in complex alliances, betrayals, and battles with colonial powers and rival pirates to secure their fortune and freedom.

3. The Last Kingdom (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Uhtred of Bebbanburg, born a Saxon but raised by Vikings, finds himself torn between two worlds as he seeks to reclaim his ancestral land, navigating alliances, betrayal, and battles across England during the formation of a united kingdom.

4. Rome (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

In the last days of the Roman Republic, ambitious men like Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great engage in a struggle for power, witnessed and influenced by two soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, whose lives intersect with key historical events.

5. Britannia (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

In 43 AD, the Roman conquest of Britain is opposed by the Celtic tribes and the Druids, leading to a mix of mystical and brutal battles, with characters like the reluctant hero Aulus Plautius and the fierce Celtic princess Kerra playing pivotal roles.

6. Snowpiercer ( 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%

After the world becomes a frozen wasteland, the remnants of humanity inhabit a perpetually moving train that circles the globe, where class warfare, social injustice, and the politics of survival play out.

7. Boardwalk Empire ( 2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Enoch "Nucky" Thompson controls Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, engaging in bootlegging, political manipulation, and alliances with mobsters, facing challenges to his power from friends and foes alike.

8. Dark (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

In the German town of Winden, the disappearance of two children unveils connections among four estranged families, uncovering a time travel conspiracy that spans several generations, revealing shocking secrets and a battle to control time itself.

9. Band of Brothers (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

This series dramatizes the history of "Easy" Company, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from jump training in the US through its participation in major actions in Europe, up until Japan's capitulation and the war's end.

10. Chernobyl (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

The catastrophic 1986 nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl power plant is depicted through the eyes of the men and women who sacrificed themselves to save Europe from unimaginable disaster, highlighting the flaws in the Soviet system.

11. Warrior (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

In the brutal Tong wars of San Francisco's Chinatown in the late 1800s, Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy newly arrived from China, becomes a hatchet man for the most powerful tong in Chinatown, navigating through the organized crime world to find his place.

12. Gannibal (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 100%

After a family's disappearance in a remote village, a Tokyo detective is sent to unravel the mystery, confronting the village's dark traditions and a menacing presence that challenges his own moral compass and survival instincts.

13. Alice in Borderland (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

A group of friends finds themselves in a deserted Tokyo, where they must compete in dangerous games to survive, with each game revealing more about the dystopian world and their own desires to return to reality.

14. The Worst of Evil (2023)

Details on this series are not as well-known or may not match a widely recognized title, implying a need for clarification or a possible alternative title or mix-up with another show's name.

15. Gangs of London (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

When the head of London's most powerful crime family is assassinated, the delicate balance of power disrupts, leading to violent battles for control, with the deceased's son emerging to uncover his father's killer and the depths of corruption in the city.