Since A Song of Ice & Fire series, HBO's Game of Thrones not only paved the way for fantasy shows that have followed it, but it also drastically altered the television and streaming service industry. Besides matching its quality, the goal of a true replacement is to fill a similar cultural space.
We all have our thoughts about the Game of Thrones ending, just like we all have our thoughts about subsequent fantasy TV adaptations. I enjoy The Rings of Power, and I wasn't opposed to House of the Dragon season 2. Those might be divisive opinions, but in the sense of determining which series has fulfilled the void left by Game of Thrones, they aren't the main concern. The broader narrative matters, too, as the narrative is often the difference between a viewer's choice to stream it or skip it. The bigger cultural picture is the primary factor in this assessment.
The Witcher Had The Greatest Peak Of Pop Culture Success
The Witcher Season 1 Was Before The Fantasy TV Peccimism
The Witcher season 1's release in 2019 had the unique privilege of being the first major fantasy show to follow Game of Thrones. With just over half a year between Game of Thrones season 8 and The Witcher season 1, the combination of a fresh start with the excitement surrounding Henry Cavill as Geralt gave this series a moment to shine. Not to mention, the enormous subscriber base of Netflix and the popularity of The Witcher video games gave the series a base advantage over other fantasy adaptations.
However, here we are now, in 2025. The Witcher season 3 holds a 19% score on Rotten Tomatoes from fans of the series. The Witcher season 4 is on its way, with Liam Hemsworth set to replace Henry Cavill in the leading role, and hopes are lower than ever. Out of the four fantasy shows, The Witcher arguably had the highest peak in of popular success, but it never achieved acclaim anywhere close to Game of Thrones, and the writing took a continuous decline after a hot start.
The Witcher Season 4's New Villain Is The Perfect Cahir Replacement After His Redemption, And Can Make A White Flame Story Better
A new character in The Witcher season 4 can be the perfect replacement for a villain in the process of redemption, and they are closely related.
House Of The Dragon's First Season Rekindled The GOT Franchise
House Of The Dragon Plateaued With Season 1 (For Now)
House of the Dragon had enormous pressure leading into its opening season after everything that went wrong with Game of Thrones, as viewers had every right to be apprehensive about a new tale. The Dance of the Dragons might be a compelling tale, but the events of Game of Thrones are George R.R. Martin's opus. House of the Dragon season 1 may have roped audiences back into his world, but the biggest problem the show faced is that it could never be as extensive and immersive as its predecessor.
It seems like many of the book changes House of the Dragon has made, like the involvement of Aegon's Dream, have been in an effort to compensate for that factor. Many of the changes haven't panned out, and the desire to make the series grand and epic has detracted from what made Game of Thrones such a hit to begin with: compelling characters. I believe many of the critiques of season 2 are oversimplified and misplaced, but the series has undoubtedly struggled to match the prestige of the original.
The Rings Of Power Season 2 Won Over Tolkien Fans
The Rings Of Power Made Waves With Its Sophomore Return
Amazon Prime Video's The Rings of Power had the most pressure heading into its debut for a few significant reasons: the literary esteem of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels, the beloved nature of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, and the fact that this is the most expensive show ever developed. Amazon has carved out its space in the streaming world due to its essentially unparalleled financial resources, and that advantage comes with a responsibility to deliver. The Rings of Power's season 1, unfortunately, did not live up to those expectations.
Despite a rough start, Amazon's adaptation of Tolkien's Second Age of Middle-earth managed to come back strong with its sophomore season. Sure, season 2 is still divisive among audiences, but a 15% jump in Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score is still worth applauding. Beating the narrative is immensely challenging in a world where collective opinions can form so rapidly, and this series is taking steps in the right direction. The problem with a poorly received season 1, though, is that the series already missed its window to impress the right audiences, meaning it may never achieve viewership to merit the cost.
I Loved This Character In Rings Of Power Season 2, But I Hope We Never See Him Again
Rings of Power played with fire by including this character in season 2, and after it paid off, I hope that Prime Video leaves him behind for good.
The Wheel Of Time Has The Greatest Potential To Match GOT's Immersion
The Wheel Of Time's Books Have The Strongest Adaptation Potential
There's one major difference between The Wheel of Time and the other TV shows listed above: it's the only one that's adapting source material as direct and vast as A Song of Ice & Fire. In fact, Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time books are even more immersive. The Rings of Power has a wealth of lore to pull from, but the Second Age is one of Tolkien's least-detailed eras. House of the Dragon is pulling its material from a fictional history book, and The Witcher novels just aren't as sprawling.
Amazon Prime's The Wheel of Time had the greatest potential to introduce television fans to a world as epic as George R.R. Martin's and adapt writing directly from a beloved and completed story. Yet, it's received some of the worst reviews of the shows above, especially from book readers, critiquing the show's numerous creative liberties and its overall production value. One thing is for sure: season 3 is going to be make-or-break for The Wheel of Time, and it's off to a very promising start.
The Wheel of Time just had its highest-rated episode yet, with 3x04 earning a 9.5/10 on IMDb, earning acclaim from book readers.
We're Still Waiting For A True Game Of Thrones Replacement, But House Of The Dragon Is The Best So Far
HBO Quality Is Hard To Beat
These four shows all have their merits and their flaws, but it's apparent that none of them has achieved either the critical success or the cultural appeal that Game of Thrones had at its best. I'm still waiting for the true replacement, be it Malazan, The Stormlight Archive, or something else, but I have my doubts that it will happen any time soon.
For the time being, House of the Dragon is the show that's filled the Game of Thrones shoes best. It's the only show to achieve award acclaim and offer performances on par with its predecessor, and, of course, HBO's production value goes a long way. Season 2 was shaky, but "The Red Dragon and the Gold" is proof that HBO still offers a blockbuster quality that no other service can compete with. I'd love to see all of these shows succeed, but House of the Dragon is winning the battle for the time being.
Game Of Thrones
- Release Date
- 2011 - 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
- David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Directors
- David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff
Cast
Jon Snow
Isaac Hempstead WrightBrandon Bran Stark
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff
- Franchise(s)
- Game of Thrones
- Creator(s)
- David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
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