26 shows similar to Game of Thrones to watch next

19. Spartacus

Since we’re already in Rome, we may as well hit on another show worth the time for any Game of Thrones fan: Spartacus. A reimagining of the legend of Spartacus, a warrior taken as a slave gladiator who in turn starts an uprising against the Republic, this one is full of battle and mayhem.  It more recalls Zack Snyder-level gore and action than the gritty realism of Rome, but it’s also got plenty of emotional gut-punch moments spread throughout.

Spartacus ran for four seasons on Starz, and for a time was the network’s longest running series. It’s loaded with action and politics, with a large and impressive cast split between the roles of slave gladiators, nobility, and Roman soldiers.

Andy Whitfield played the titular character in the first season, however after losing a battle with cancer Whitfield was eventually replaced by Liam McIntyre for the rest of the show’s run. Manu Bennet starred as his sometimes rival, sometimes ally Crixus, with Dustin Clare joining the show as Gannicus in the second season (which is a prequel season that was produced while Whitfield was ill). On the nobility end, we had Lucy Lawless as Lucretia and John Hannah as Lentulus Batiatas, the masters of the slave compound.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Despite the simplicity of Spartacus’ initial premise — a gladiator who just wants to escape slavery and avenge his wife — the show grew ever more complex and twisty the farther it went on.

Of course, it is a show filled with brutal battles and duels, as well as an utterly gratuitous amount of sexual content. Spartacus is one of those shows where it becomes pretty obvious that there must have been some kind of nudity quota that had to be hit per episode.

Regardless of that, it had plenty of exceptional moments, and the series ended on an extremely strong note.

All four seasons of Spartacus are available to stream through Starz.