Summary
- The best movies and shows about Vikings offer audiences a thrilling and diverse range of content, from big-screen blockbusters to small intimate films and popular TV shows.
- These stories explore the tales of brave warriors, strong communities, and brutal survival, capturing the excitement of the Viking world and its cultural transformations.
- From documentaries that uncover the history of Viking society to fictional shows and movies that incorporate elements of Viking culture, the popularity of Vikings is evident in the wide range of content available for fans of this genre.
Though not the most prolific of genres, the best movies and shows about Vikings feature some notable entries. Dating back thousands of years, these tales of brave and vicious warriors, strong communities, and brutal tales of survival highlight an exciting world for audiences to enter. The big screen has delivered some huge blockbusters on the subject, as well as small intimate movies, while Viking shows have grown in popularity over the years, perhaps due to the emergence of fantasy medieval shows like Game of Thrones, which can feature similar elements.
Fans of Viking lore have had a diverse range of content to choose from recently. The sequel series to Vikings, Vikings: Valhalla just aired its second season in January, and The Last Kingdom had its final season on Netflix in 2022. The wave of popularity of Vikings has most recently swung its ax with Robert Eggers' The Northman. The Viking genre has also had influence in unexpected places, from the superhero realm to animated family movies. With such diversity within such a small genre, the best movies and shows about Vikings prove why these stories are so popular with audiences.
20 The Last Journey Of The Vikings (2020)
- Available on AppleTV
Combining expert commentary with dramatic reenactments, The Last Journey Of The Vikings focuses on just why the Vikings chose to sail away from Denmark. That’s because while most stories of Vikings focus on the culture at its peak, this four-part series focuses on the end of the Viking age as Christianity rose and Europe completely transformed. It’s a different take from the eras that most Viking docuseries spotlight, allowing those who might be fans of the fictional tales of Vikings to understand why Viking society slowly dissipated.
19 Ragnarok (2020-2023)
- Available on Netflix
This Netflix series combines Norse myth with modern ideas about climate change in an interesting way. A teenager discovers he’s the reincarnation of Thor and hits back against the family causing the pollution in his town. The family is actually supernatural beings posing as a family to edge the world closer to the apocalypse. It’s not strictly a Viking series, but it does include aspects of Viking culture in its fantasy story. The Viking show received mixed reviews, so the combination of teen drama, Norse myth, and climate change warning isn’t going to be for everyone, but it is a unique melding of those topics.
18 National Geographic’s Viking Warrior Women (2019)
- Available on Disney+
Not all the best movies and shows about Vikings are fictional. Some of them are documentaries about the actual history of the Vikings, like this special from National Geographic. The special follows scientist Ella Al-Shamahi as she investigates the idea that not all Viking warriors were men. She traces historical evidence to prove that some of the elite warriors in Viking society were women. Most movies and shows that tell the stories of Viking culture focus on the men of society because that is where the focus of the historical record lies, so the special is a nice change of pace.
17 Erik The Viking (1989)
- Available on Tubi
Fans of the Monty Python projects will find this Viking movie a must-watch. Monty Python’s Terry Jones takes on Viking culture and Norse mythology. The movie follows a Viking who doesn’t want to pillage anymore but is willing to travel to Asgard to help the Norse gods save their home. A series of misadventures on the Viking quest is what makes up the bulk of the movie. Less of a drama about conquest or action, Erik The Viking is a fun addition to Viking movies.
16 Secrets Of The Viking Stone (2020-)
- Available on Fubo
Originally made for the Science Channel and called The American Runestone, this series is an interesting addition to Viking docuseries. Hosted by actor Peter Stormare and history enthusiast Elroy Balgaard, Secrets Of The Viking Stone focuses on an artifact in Minnesota that some believe proves that the Vikings reached the area before Christopher Columbus and his team. Stormore and Balgaard speak with historians, anthropologists, archeologists, and more in the quest to understand the Kensington Runestone in this Viking docuseries.
15 Vinland Saga (2019-)
- Available on Netflix
Based on the manga of the same name by Makoto Yukimura, Vinland Saga is set in 1013 and follows a young man named Thorfinn who wants to avenge his father’s death. Though he works for a killer, he hasn’t been allowed to do that. While it might seem like a fairly standard story of vengeance, the story is set against the backdrop of the decline of Viking culture. The Viking anime is a sweeping saga that combines real historical moments from Viking history with Thorfinn’s processing of grief.
14 The 13th Warrior (1999)
- Available on Hoopla
The 13th Warrior is a different kind of Viking movie because it actually examines cultures clashing, and then blending, in a very different story than most of the Viking shows and movies that fans are more familiar with. In the movie, a Muslim ambassador in exile ends up part of a Viking caravan during their travels. While their lifestyles are very different, they bond over defending the world from an ancient evil. Antonio Banderas leads the cast as the ambassador, and the script is from the Michael Crichton novel Eaters of the Dead. Crichton also wrote the original stories for Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, and created the television series ER, so it’s clear that The 13th Warrior has one dramatic story.
13 Tales Of The Vikings (1959-1960)
- Unavailable to stream
While a lot of TV fans might think Viking shows are only part of modern television, that isn’t the case. Tales Of The Vikings aired in the late 1950s and was actually produced by Kirk Douglas. The series used props and set pieces from the 1958 movie The Vikings, the movie responsible for creating Hollywood’s interest in Viking culture. It followed Firebeard (Stefan Schnabel) and his sons on their adventures. Though the series isn’t available to stream, collectors might be able to find DVDs of the episodes for sale.
12 National Geographic’s Vikings: The Rise And Fall (2022)
- Unavailable to stream
Many of National Geographic’s specials are available to stream on Disney+, but this one isn’t just yet. Vikings: The Rise And Fall examines the myths of Vikings and how they’ve grown and compares those stories to archeological evidence to see what’s true and what’s not. The series also actually has a Norse narrator, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, trying to step into the culture instead of relying on scholars from outside the community to tell the story.
11 The Vikings (1958)
- Available on Fubo
The 1958 movie that got Hollywood interested in Viking shows and movies is, appropriately, called The Vikings. Kirk Douglas stars as a Viking prince. After he kidnaps a princess (Janet Leigh), the princess becomes the focus of multiple men who want her for themselves, leading to conflict on multiple fronts. The movie might not be the absolute best acted of all the stories about Vikings, but it was so influential that Douglas made the first television series from his production company one about Vikings, using materials in storage from the production of this movie. It sparked the creative interest in Vikings that persists today.
10 How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
- Available on Roku
While more of a fantasy movie than a historical Viking story, How to Train Your Dragon adds a family-friendly element to the genre. Young Viking, Hiccup, dreams of becoming a dragon hunter, but when he captures a rare dragon, he instead befriends him, naming him Toothless. The pair teach their respective clans how to co-exist and thus begins the high-flying adventures together in their land of Berk. How To Train Your Dragon started a franchise that spans three feature films, three TV series, five short films, and an upcoming How To Train Your Dragon live-action remake. The series has been heavily awarded and huge at the box office as a DreamWorks hit.
9 Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Available on Disney+
In the third Marvel movie for Thor, Taika Waititi brings a fresh take on the character played by Chris Hemsworth. After his banished sister Hela returns to take Asgard, Thor is captured on an abandoned trash planet, Thor is in a race against time to stop Hela and save Asgard and his people. While the Norse god of thunder Thor is not technically a Viking, he is a god to the Viking people. As such, the character's stories share similarities with the lore of the Scandinavian figures. Many MCU fans call it the funniest Marvel movie to date. With returning favorites like Hulk and new characters Valkyrie and Korg, Thor: Ragnarok is a comedic, action-packed, and profound take on the character.
8 The Last King (2016)
- Stream on Kanopy
Though not a movie that many might be aware of, The Last King is a thrilling and impressive period-action movie with some great Viking fun. When a Viking king is murdered after the birth of his son, two of his bravest and most loyal warriors attempt to transport the infant heir to the throne across the dangerous land. The Norwegian movie doesn't boast any big names with Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones' Tormund Giantsbane) as likely the only recognizable face. However, seeing these two Vikings protecting a baby while fighting off enemies and having epic ski chase sequences makes it a small, underseen thrill ride.
7 Norsemen (2016 - 2020)
- Stream on Netflix
The Netflix comedy series, Norsemen, takes a look at an often overlooked aspect of Viking life, the everyday struggles of the "regular people." Set in 790s Norway, the show follows what looks like ruthless characters but turns out to be bumbling joe schmoes on misadventures. The Viking show portrays these characters as having modern problems, like resistance to cultural change. The series has a parody vibe of shows like Vikings or Game of Thrones. The spoof comedy was a critical hit but ended after three seasons.
6 The Last Kingdom (2015 - 2022)
- Stream on Netflix
Based on the novels The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell, The Last Kingdom follows a young Uhtred, who is taken as a slave after his father is killed. He is raised by his Viking captors and eventually becomes family to them. Throughout The Last Kingdom, Uhtred is conflicted between loyalty to his homeland and his newfound family. While the show was a hit for Netflix, it didn't hit the mainstream popularity some of its counterparts did. However, it is regarded as one of the best epic action shows on TV. Fans of the action-packed, beautifully shot Viking tale sing its praises as an underrated medieval history gem.
5 Valhalla Rising (2009)
- Stream on AMC+
Before stepping into the neo-noir crime world in Drive, director Nicolas Winding Refn delivered the brutal and compelling Viking story, Valhalla Rising. Mads Mikkelsen plays a silent warrior known as One Eye. After escaping his captors, along with a slave boy, One Eye embarks on a quest filled with danger. Much like Refn's Drive, the violence in Valhalla Rising is shocking and graphic, showing the merciless lifestyle of these Viking warriors. Without speaking, Mikkelsen still brings his usual intense on-screen persona, making for a Viking superhero of sorts and a thrilling protagonist to follow on this bloody journey.
4 Vikings: Valhalla (2022 - )
- Stream on Netflix
The spin-off series to The History Channel's hit show, Vikings, dropped in February 2022 on Netflix and is set 100 years after the events of the original series. Voyaging beyond Scandinavia, a whole new cast of characters are in bloody conflict with the English while also struggling with their own power dynamics. The Viking show quickly became the most-watched show on Netflix, (via Deadline) and was quickly picked up for more with season 2 airing in January 2023 and season 3 coming sometime next year. Most will say it's definitely worth the watch, and Vikings: Valhalla is sitting comfortably in the upper echelon of Viking lore.
3 Beowulf (2007)
- Stream on Kanopy
Following Robert Zemeckis's collaboration with Tom Hanks on the motion-capture animated movie The Polar Express, the director decided to use the same animation approach for his take on the Viking legend Beowulf. The story follows the legendary titular warrior who is summoned to a kingdom to vanquish the monster Grendel who has been terrorizing them. As with The Polar Express, the animation style is distracting at times, with an uncanny valley aspect to the characters' faces. However, it is still a vicious and brutal action movie with some amazing intense sequences made possible by the animation. It also features a stellar cast that includes Ray Winstone, Brendan Gleeson, Angelina Jolie, and Anthony Hopkins.
2 The Northman (2022)
- Stream on Peacock
Robert Eggers' brutal revenge flick, The Northman, follows Amleth, a shredded Alexander Skarsgård on a mission to avenge his father. After his father is murdered by his uncle and his mother kidnapped, young Prince Amleth escapes by boat and is taken in by Vikings. It's a trippy and intimate character-driven story and the Shakespearean-like dialogue in The Northman makes for a gripping story. True to Eggers' style, the movie doesn't shy away from gore, and the violence is visceral. Fans and critics especially enjoyed its cinematography and performances, especially from Skarsgård, Anya-Taylor Joy, and Nicole Kidman.
1 Vikings (2013 - 2020)
- Stream on Peacock & Hulu
Vikings follows Ragnar, a Viking farmer whose ambitions take him and his family on bloody raids throughout France and England. Ragnar's slow rise to power in the ferocious epic drew fans in, and in later seasons his sons. Loosely based on true Viking stories, Ragnar Lothbrok is a legend who was rumored to have descended from the Norse god, Odin. Due to its compelling characters, scenery, and intriguing world, the show gripped fans with its introduction to Viking lore. The show was a hit with the ratings for The History Channel and gained more exposure when it moved over to Netflix. Critics also praised the performance of the cast and the engaging story and it's a must-watch for fans of Viking and Norse god lore.