15 Best TV Shows Like Shogun

For a brief, shining moment in the late 2000s and early 2010s, we were living in a golden age for prestige television. But in recent years, the bloom has definitely gone a bit off the rose, as streamers competing with each other become more risk-averse and heavily dependent on cheap, reliable standards. There are still great shows out there, of course, but there are fewer of the magnitude that cause a massive segment of viewers across all demographics to sit up and take notice. One of these recent series was “Shogun,” a massive hit for Hulu that won over audiences and cleaned up at the Emmy Awards, taking home an astonishing 18 trophies for its first season. In a world where shows are being cancelled left and right, “Shogun” has already been renewed for both a second and third season.

Taking place in 1600, it revolves around English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), who finds himself shipwrecked in Japan and thrust in the middle of a local political dispute. As he assimilates to Japanese culture, he becomes more entrenched in the conflict brewing between the daimyo Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his rivals. The first season of “Shogun” is only 10 episodes long, so you’d be forgiven for wanting more right now. But while you’re waiting for the second season — allegedly due to hit screens no earlier than 2026 — here are a few other shows that will scratch a similar itch.

“The Last Kingdom” deals with a profound clash of cultures, not unlike what we see when John Blackthorne turns up on the shores of Japan in “Shogun.” Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) is a man torn between two worlds. He’s a native Saxon, but as a child, his family was killed and he was adopted by the Danish invaders who routinely raided the English shores. Born as a Saxon, raised as a Viking, he has a foot in both cultures but doesn’t quite belong to either. And when his home and adopted family are destroyed, he has to take a stand once and for all, figuring out who he is along the way. 

A lavish and frequently brutal historical drama, “The Last Kingdom” captures the complexities of an underexplored period of English history. It ran for five seasons on Netflix — an impressive feat for the increasingly cancel-happy streamer — and even earned a sequel film that premiered on Netflix in 2023.

Although the first season of “Westworld” takes place exclusively in the Old West, we learn in the second season that this is not the only immersive theme park that uses lifelike robot to allow patrons to live out their wildest — and often most perverse — fantasies. There’s also Shogunland, an artificial landscape that bears more than a passing similarity to what we see in “Shogun,” both in terms of the samurai archetypes wandering about as well as the narratives that are baked into the theme park’s storytelling. 

If the basic parallels weren’t enough, it even shares a star. In “Westworld,” Hiroyuki Sanada plays Musashi, a wandering ronin who feels suspiciously like Westworld’s main outlaw, Hector Escaton. As fans may be aware, Sanada also starred in “Shogun” as the shrewd warlord Yoshii Toranaga — a role that earned him an Emmy for best lead actor in a drama series. So if you find yourself wanting to see more of Sanada at his best, “Westworld” is a great pick.

Back in the mid-2000s, “Rome” laid the groundwork for the sexy historical action drama, sensationalizing the past with plenty of gratuitous violence and nude scenes as far as the eye can see (though it almost didn’t get made at all). To be honest, without it serving as a proof of concept, it’s hard to imagine so many other shows following in its footsteps. “Shogun” isn’t gratuitous — it’s certainly violent, but there’s a tastefulness to it that makes it feel prestige, somehow. It does, however, follow in “Rome’s” mold in terms of operating under the assumption that audiences will immediately buy into a historical narrative filled with political intrigue, backstabbings, and power plays. (Which they absolutely did.) 

“Rome” takes place, as you can fairly guess, during the Roman empire, beginning in the last days of Julius Caesar’s (Ciaran Hinds) reign and jumping forward into the rule of Augustus (Simon Wood) — although it’s not exactly a straight line from Caesar to Augustus, given the near-constant shenanigans from Mark Antony (James Purefoy), Roman senators, and random schemers across the empire. And although it has its fair share of melodrama, it often stumbles its way into surprisingly compelling storylines.

On the surface, “Shogun” and “Vikings” might not have much in common, since they take place on opposite sides of the world, and about 600 years separate their two timelines. But upon closer inspection, we can see where their narratives bump up against one another. They both involve groups of people for whom near-constant war is a fact of life, as the Vikings spend most of their time fighting each other and, when they’re bored with that, embarking on long expeditions to raid other civilizations. 

And there are certainly parallels between John Blackthorne, who is put on a speed run of cultural assimilation in Japan, and Athelstan (George Blagden), an Anglo-Saxon monk who is taken as a slave by the Vikings after his monastery is destroyed by them. While in Denmark, he becomes so connected to Viking culture that when he eventually returns to England, it’s difficult for him to separate the two parts of himself. Is this a fate that’s in store of Blackthorne, if and when he ever returns home? We’ll have to wait and see.

Plus, if you end up liking “Vikings,” there are a bunch of other shows you might be interested in too.

A lot of period dramas have a tendency to get by with lavish costumes and settings, without ever really immersing us in the time period — try as they might, the writers struggle to drop the modern flair from their dialogue. This isn’t the case with “Shōgun,” however, which creates 17th-century Japan out of thin air, nor is it the case with “Deadwood,” which gives us such finely-crafted backwoods Western conversations that they seem almost like Shakespeare. Set in 19th-century Deadwood, South Dakota, back before it was part of a state — or indeed, even incorporated into the Dakota Territory — it depicts a makeshift mining community defined by lawlessness and sheer chaos. 

When former marshall Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) moves to town with the goal of opening up a general store with his business partner Sol Star (John Hawkes), he immediately butts heads with Al Swearengen, local saloon-owner and stoker of said chaos. Although “Deadwood” was cancelled after just three seasons, it’s now widely considered one of the best TV shows of the 21st century — rarefied air that “Shogun” will undoubtedly join. Plus, there’s also a “Deadwood” movie that sends the series off fondly.

Unlike “Shogun,” “Kingdom” doesn’t take place in the distant past — or at least, not the distant past as we would recognize it. Although it takes place in roughly the same period as “Shogun” just across the Sea of Japan in Korea, it depicts a very different version of the 17th-century world. That’s because in this timeline, Korea is besieged by an army of zombies, leaving the crown prince (Ju Ji-hoon) to battle against this mysterious plague and its horrifying victims. And as if that wasn’t quite enough to be dealing with, the prince also has to fend off challengers to the throne, who would seek to take advantage of the period of instability and seize power.

“Kingdom” ran for two seasons and a finale special on Netflix from 2019 to 2021, somehow managing to find the perfect moment for its zombie plague drama — the second season was released, incredibly, on March 13, 2020, just two days after the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

There’s nothing like a scrappy period drama about all the sordid little things people will do to accumulate power — there are plenty of wannabe power players and shifting alliances in “Shogun,” and we also see this dynamic play out in “Boardwalk Empire.” Set during the Prohibition Era following World War I in Atlantic City, New Jersey, “Boardwalk Empire” stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, a local treasurer who methodically claws his way up the ladder of organized crime. 

Over the course of the series, we’re treated to a front row demonstration of how politics and corruption are inextricably linked — rules can be bent for those with money, status, and connections, but there’s a sense that some form of divine justice is never too far away. “Boardwalk Empire” ran on HBO for five seasons, earning 12 Emmy nominations along the way, including wins for Martin Scorsese and Tim Van Patten (outstanding directing in a drama series), as well as Bobby Cannavale for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.

Looking for more prestige dramas about East Asian cultures? “Pachinko” may be just the thing. This Netflix original is a multigenerational saga, spanning the years in its exploration of one specific Korean family. It begins in 1915, back when Korea was occupied by Japanese forces — a foreign rule that lasted for 35 years and only ended when Japan surrendered in World War II — and runs all the way up into the 1980s, showing the descendants of the original characters existing in a markedly different world. 

Not only does it have a compelling narrative with its unique brand of long-form storytelling, but it also has a wildly impressive cast packed full of Korean stars, from Youn Yuh-jung (who American audiences would likely recognize for her Oscar-winning performance in “Minari,” inspired by a true story) to Lee Min-ho (best known for the hit K-drama “Boys Over Flowers”). Its second season aired on Apple TV+ in 2024, and fans are hoping that a third season renewal will be swiftly forthcoming.

“Samurai Jack” trades in the lush and spellbinding cinematography of “Shogun” for an expressionistic animation style, but it’s a reflection of the quality of “Samurai Jack” that it’s no less captivating to watch. Created by Genndy Tartakovsy — who has made a tremendous mark on animation with “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Star Wars: Clone Wars,” and “Primal” — “Samurai Jack” tells the story of a Japanese samurai (Phil LaMarr) who, upon the brink of defeating his greatest enemy, is transported into a dystopian future. Now, the samurai must find a way back to his home timeline, so that he can prevent the tyrannical demon Aku from taking over the world. 

“Samurai Jack” ran for four seasons back in the early 2000s on Cartoon Network, and for a long time, it seemed like it was done and dusted. But never underestimate the samurai. In 2017, the show was revived seemingly out of nowhere for a fifth season, one that was made less with kids in mind and more for the now-adult fans of the original series. It’s also one of the best cartoons of the 2000s.

We have European period dramas, and we have Asian period dramas, but there are remarkably few that capture the moments where mighty civilizations from both continents brush up against each other. That’s what we get in “Marco Polo,” when the famous Venetian merchant (and creator of the popular swimming game) travels to China and winds up, incredibly, as a courtier to Kublai Khan (Benedict Wong), ruler of the Mongol Empire and grandson of Genghis. (Maybe you’ve heard of him? After all, the guy’s got about 16 million descendants roaming the Earth today.)

Polo begins his time in China as something of a fish out of a water (and, well, technically a prisoner). But it isn’t long before he’s embracing the culture of his new ersatz home, learning kung fu, hooking up with the local princesses, and most importantly, winning the wary trust of Kublai Khan. The parallels between him and Blackthorne are unmistakeable — he’s even tasked with helping Khan develop new weaponry (in this case, trebuchets) to gain an upperhand in his most recent war.

“Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan” may not have the finely-crafted narrative that made “Shogun” so popular — in fact, strictly speaking, it’s not a narrative program at all — but if you’re looking for something that will give you insight into this period of Japanese history, it’s a great option. This documentary series from Netflix takes place during the late Sengoku period, which the events of “Shogun” are also nestled within. 

It details the power struggles between the various daimyos as the jockey for control of the country, culminating in the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan until the late 1800s. (Sorry, spoiler alert.) The success of “Age of Samurai” is largely down to its ability to blend historical information (via the narration provided by Hiro Kanagawa, who also appeared in three episodes of “Shogun” as Igarashi Yoshitomo) with exciting action sequences that bring the history to life.

Widely considered one of the best South Korean period dramas on television, “Six Flying Dragons” revolves around the birth of the Joseon dynasty, which ruled over Korea for an impressive 500 years. Just as “Shogun” uses fictionalized (and renamed) versions of real historical figures to create a narrative about 17th-century Japan, “Six Flying Dragons” blends fictional and authentic historical characters to explore Korean history. 

Unfortunately, your biggest challenge with “Six Flying Dragons” will probably be finding somewhere that’s actually streaming it — the popular Korean show isn’t available on any of the major streaming services in the United States, and although its episodes pop up from time to time on Youtube, they also disappear without warning. But with 50 episodes that each clock in at about an hour, once you find “Six Flying Dragons,” you’ll really get a chance to immerse yourself in the characters and setting — none of this six to eight episodes per season nonsense here.

Violence, revenge, family drama — what more could a fan of “Shogun” ask for? “Blue Eye Samurai,” an anime series that premiered on Netflix in 2023, follows the adventures of Mizu (Maya Erskine), a young woman in disguise as a male samurai who is on what can only be described as a murderous journey of holy vengeance. She is the daughter of a Japanese woman and a white man who raped her, making her mixed-race in a country where, at the time, that was a very dangerous thing to be. Throughout her entire life, she’s treated as less than, a half-breed who doesn’t belong anywhere. 

But rather than be cowed by this treatment, she channels her rage, resentment, and shame into one simple goal: Slicing and dicing her way through the four white men in Japan, and anyone else who happens to get in her way. The fight scenes in this show are so brutal that the showrunners ended up giving the animators content warnings to make sure they were okay with what they were being asked to draw. “Blue Eye Samurai” offers a unique view of samurai culture — and for that matter, historical Japanese culture in general — from a marginalized perspective. Not for nothing, but it has a really fun cast: In addition to Erskine, it also boasts George Takei, Randall Park, Stephanie Hsu, Kenneth Branagh, Ming-Na Wen, and Harry Shum, Jr.

Watching the political machinations of kings and queens is always fun, but there’s something especially fascinating about the players who operate with savvy behind the throne. There are elements of this in “Shogun,” with its ensemble cast of political rogues perpetually scheming against one another, and the same can be said about “Wolf Hall,” adapted from Hilary Mantel’s landmark historical novel. 

Set during the reign of King Henry VIII, it revolves around the trials and tribulations of London lawyer Thomas Cromwell, who is tasked with helping the hot-tempered king (Damian Lewis) find a way out of his troublesome marriage to Catherine of Aragon, paving the way for Anne Boleyn to take her place. To do so, as we now know, would create a rift in the Christian church, since the Catholic pope was vehemently against the idea. But Henry VIII tends to get what he wants, no matter who gets in the way. With deeply compelling dialogue and powerful performances that were nominated for a slew of Emmys and BAFTAs, “Wolf Hall” commands the attention of history buffs everywhere.

John Blackthorne may be a legitimate sailor, but as we eventually learn in “Shogun,” his reasons for being in Japan are not entirely on the level. So really, is he that different from a pirate?

We love a good pirate drama. There are a handful of these churned out every few years, and one of the best in recent memory is “Black Sails,” which is a prequel of sorts to the Robert Louis Stevenson adventure classic “Treasure Island.” In it, Captain Flint (Toby Stephens, son of the late great Dame Maggie Smith) gallivants throughout the Caribbean, presumably enjoying what is now referred to as the Golden Age of Piracy. Along the way, we meet plenty of other pirates who make appearances in “Treasure Island,” including Luke Arnold as a young Long John Silver and Tom Hopper as Billy Bones. Although “Black Sails” is less of a prestige drama than it is a guilty pleasure, what can we say — it’s still a heck of a lot of fun.