Top 10 Historical Fantasy Costume Dramas Ever

An outstanding series blending medieval European warfare and politics with thrilling action scenes and a well-crafted storyline featuring a sizable cast of characters, The Last Kingdom is a must-watch for fans of adventure historical epics. Set around the year 872 AD, when England was divided into 7 Saxon kingdoms.

The main character is Uhtred of Bebbanberg, who was deprived of his inheritance rights, lived among the Vikings, and later fought for King Alfred the Great - the man who would unify the 7 kingdoms later on. The pace of The Last Kingdom is fast, with events unfolding continuously but logically, without any sense of drag. The development of the characters' personalities is well-executed, diverse enough to cover all personality traits, with no inconsistencies, and the emotions when opposing characters constantly clash through numerous tragic events in their lives.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 2015 - 2022

Genres: Action, Drama, History

Creators: Chrissy Skinns

Stars: Alexandre Dreymon, Eliza Butterworth, Ian Hart, David Dawson

IMDb Rating: 8.5

Since its premiere in 2011, the television series Game of Thrones has achieved enormous success, captivating millions of fans and launching numerous rising stars - despite being just a TV show. The series draws inspiration from historical legends like the War of the Roses in England but incorporates fantasy elements such as dragons, demons, and spirits to depict the power struggle among noble houses and factions in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, with House Stark and House Lannister at the forefront.

Highly praised for its period setting and stunning visuals, Game of Thrones also earns adoration for its compelling storyline set in an expansive world, extensive character arcs, realistic depictions of violence, and intimate scenes of love and betrayal. It has been hailed as one of the greatest television series of all time by reputable organizations such as Empire magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and Rolling Stone.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 2011 - 2019

Genres: Adventure, Action, Drama

Creators: David Benioff, D. B. Weiss

Stars: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Maisie Williams

IMDb Rating: 9.2

The History Channel is renowned for its high-quality content. Their series Vikings is no exception. Vikings is a historical drama based on the legend of the Viking king Ragnar Lothbrok, believed to be a descendant of the god Odin in Norse mythology. It is a series about the fiercest warrior clan in human history, which once created a sensation in the global film market, captivating audiences worldwide. Filmed in Ireland, the show portrays the journey of the warrior Ragnar Lodbrok, who once terrorized France and England during the Viking heyday.

The series Vikings vividly depicts the untamed lands of Northern Europe, when there were no nations, and the Vikings with their ships and axes roamed to conquer tribes, establishing their own empire. With this series, we are taken back to the humble beginnings of Ragnar, when he was just a raider until he became the leader of a seaborne invasion force.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 2013 - 2020

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama

Creators: Michael Hirst

Stars: Gustaf Skarsgard, Katheryn Winnick, Alexander Ludwig

IMDb Rating: 8.5

Marco Polo is a film based on the life of the first Western explorer to reach Mongolia and China, Marco Polo. In the 13th century, while the Mongol Empire was controlling a vast territory across the East and aiming for global conquest, the Italian explorer Marco Polo set out to explore the East via the Silk Road.

Marco Polo's journey lasted for 20 years, during which he became the first Westerner to meet and converse with the Great Khan of the Mongols, Kublai Khan. Deceptions, intrigues, and bloodshed awaited the legendary explorer Marco Polo in his early days as he crossed the seas and encountered the ruler of the 13th century – Kublai Khan. From the alleys of Venice to the perilous Silk Road, from the opulence of the Imperial City to the fierce battlefields in China, 'Marco Polo' is an epic adventure where conflicting cultures and brutal battles collide.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 2014 - 2016

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama

Director: John Fusco

Stars: Lorenzo Richelmy, Benedict Wong, Joan Chen, Remy Hii

IMDb Rating: 8.0

The Hollow Crown is a historical TV series with a screenplay based on the historical plays of the great literary figure William Shakespeare produced by the BBC, consisting of 2 parts. The first part was aired in 2012 as part of the 'BBC Shakespeare Unlocked' project, and in 2016, the second part 'The Wars of The Rose – The War of the Roses' was part of the activities commemorating 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare. The storyline begins with the overthrow of King Richard II by his cousin, establishing the House of Lancaster with King Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI, until the descendant of King Richard II, Richard III of the House of York, claims the throne, sparking the War of the Roses between the two noble families of England lasting for 30 years.

Alongside prominent names like Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, The Hollow Crown boasts an impressive cast with many faces from Game of Thrones. The series The Hollow Crown, based on Shakespeare's plays, has a very flavorful style but also closely follows history, providing audiences with a comprehensive view of this remarkable period in English history.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 2012 - 2016

Genres: Drama, History, War

Directors: Rupert Goold, Richard Eyre, Dominic Cooke, Thea Sharrock

Stars: Anton Lesser, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Irons

IMDb Rating: 8.2

Spartacus is an epic historical drama film from the United States directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1960. The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast. The film draws inspiration from the real-life story of the slave leader Spartacus during ancient times and the events of the Third Servile War. Rome, the unrivaled symbol of power of the ancient Roman Empire. For 500 years of history, with the exceptional strength of the best-trained army of that time, Rome was obeyed wherever it looked. However, from 71-73 BC, the name that made the entire Roman Empire tremble in fear was Spartacus - the leader of the slave uprising.

And Spartacus, the slave warrior who dared to challenge the supposedly invincible Rome after more than 500 years of existence, the leader of the most brutal battles in ancient history, once made Rome falter. Holding an army of over 120,000 slaves (including men, women, old, and young), the mighty warrior Spartacus openly challenged the Republican system of the Roman Empire with an army of over 200,000 people. It can be said that the film Spartacus presents a grand visual spectacle, but the content of the film has not fully captured the excellence of this epic literary work.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 2010 - 2013

Genres: Biography, Adventure, Action

Director: Steven S. Deknight

Stars: Manu Bennett, Daniel Feuerriegel, Peter Mensah, John Hannah

IMDb Rating: 8.5

Da Vinci's Demons is an American-British television series about the young age of a genius painter, inventor, and eccentric intellectual who had ahead-of-his-time 'inventions' at the age of 25, at a time in history when 'thought and belief were controlled' - Leonardo Da Vinci, aired on Fox and Starz. The series is set in the Renaissance in Italy, when artists, inventors fought against the strict constraints of the Roman Catholic Church. The main character of the series is the legendary painter Leonardo Da Vinci - the author of the Mona Lisa. In the series, Da Vinci is a genius painter, a personality, fond of creativity, exploration, and his paintings are called demonic by the Catholic Church.

Da Vinci also becomes entangled in the plots of the leaders of the Roman states of Rome, Milan, Florence, Napoli, along with the battles between the Turks and Italians, and most importantly, the mysteries of his mother. Da Vinci's Demons is truly a great cinematic experience about a great man who fought to bring freedom of knowledge, understanding to everyone in a world full of darkness where faith is blind and knowledge is scarce at that time.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 2013 - 2015

Genres: Adventure, biography, drama

Director: David S. Goyer

Stars: Tom Riley, Laura Haddock, Elliot Cowan, Blake Ritson

IMDb Rating: 7.9

Adapted from the literary work of the same name by author Ngô Thừa Ân, Journey to the West has captured the hearts of many generations and is a childhood memory for many. Every image, every melody, every story of the movie evokes memories, unforgettable moments of childhood. Starting filming in 1982, with a huge budget at that time (6 million Chinese Yuan), completed in 1986, Journey to the West caused a sensation when it was broadcast not only in Asia but also in many other countries around the world.

Sun Wukong, originally born from a stone, became proficient in magic through immortal cultivation, wreaked havoc in heaven, and even the heavenly generals and marshals could not stop him, so Buddha himself had to intervene. Sun Wukong was suppressed under the mountain for 500 years, to reform his character, Buddha allowed the Tang Priest to save Sun Wukong, and Sun Wukong had to keep his promise, accompanying the Tang Priest and his disciples, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, to overcome 81 trials and go to India to obtain scriptures. There have been many film crews, many production companies sparing no expense in investing in magnificent special effects technology to remake the Journey to the West movie, but no version has left audiences with as many emotions as the 1986 Journey to the West.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 1986 - 2000

Genres: Adventure, action

Director: Dương Khiết

Stars: Lục Tiểu Linh Đồng, Mã Đức Hoa, Diêm Hoài Lễ, Từ Thiếu Hoa

IMDb Rating: 8.7

Transporting us back in time to the pre-Christian era, The Rise of Rome is an epic historical drama depicting the blood-drenched transformation of Rome from a republic to an empire, amidst the power struggles between the aristocracy and ambitious individuals. The television series Rome consists of 22 episodes, aired from August 2005 to March 2007 on HBO. According to Nielsen ratings, after the first week of its debut season, the show garnered 8.9 million viewers. This figure prompted the filmmakers to proceed with a second season. By 2007, the premiere episode of the second season had attracted 1.5 million viewers in the United States.

The budget of $9 million per episode was largely allocated to elaborate costumes and details. The success of the series, both in content and form, earned it numerous awards. Particularly, the first season of The Rise of Rome garnered 4 out of 8 Emmy nominations in 2006.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 2005 - 2007

Genres: Romance, action, drama

Directors: Bruno Heller, William MacDonald, John Milius

Stars: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, James Purefoy, Ciaran Hinds

IMDb Rating: 8.7

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 1994 is one of the classic television dramas in Chinese cinematic history. The film is well-invested, with a grand scale featuring a cast of over 1000 actors and tens of thousands of extras. The total budget amounted to 170 million NDT (over 586 billion VND) for 84 episodes, produced over 4 years.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the 'Four Great Classical Novels' and 'Four Great Masterpieces' of Chinese literature. The series is set in the late Eastern Han dynasty, characterized by a weak and corrupt government, widespread rebellion, and internal strife. It depicts the chaos of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which led to various heroes and warriors rallying forces to combat it. Later, Cao Cao rescued the emperor, pacified the north, and established the state of Cao Wei. Liu Bei, a member of the Han royal family, fled south and, with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang, founded the state of Shu Han. Meanwhile, the Sun family, governing the eastern lands, also declared independence and established the state of Eastern Wu. The conflicts among these three states created the famous Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history.

DETAILS:

Release Year: 1994 - 1995

Genres: Drama, war, historical

Directors: Wang Fuli

Stars: Tôn Ngạn Quân, Bảo Quốc An, Ngô Hiểu Đông, Đường Quốc Cường

IMDb Rating: 8.6