The action genre includes many iconic TV shows, and some of the best and most overlooked are historical dramas. These series are set long ago and can be even more thrilling than works that take place in the contemporary era. This is because the fight sequences are even more gory and gritty. Today, many battle scenes are defined by guns and modernized fighting styles. Going back in time to experience the intensity and violence of how warfare and everyday conflicts unfolded is a window into a piece of history with which many people aren't familiar.

All the best historical TV shows have fun crafting period atmospheres and costumes to immerse the viewer in a time gone by. Whether this is thousands of years ago or a more recent era of the 20th century, the differences in styles and technologies immediately set these projects apart. While not all of these works are the most historically accurate, they make up for these anachronisms with high-octane battle sequences and unforgettable fight choreography that will leave the viewer astounded.

10 Warrior (2019–2023)

19th Century San Francisco is a tangled web of epic fights and secrets

Warrior is an action TV show with fast-paced action scenes set in the late 19th century in San Francisco. Andrew Koji plays the protagonist, Ah Sahm, a young man who comes to San Francisco from China on a quest to find his missing sister. Of course, his plans don't unfold as he expects, and Ah comes into with many powerful people who have no qualms about hurting him. Fortunately, his martial arts skills are some of the best seen on TV in recent years.

It takes a skillful show to balance these bloody moments with such sharp cultural commentary, but Warrior easily pulls it off.

Each of the characters brings a different skill and fighting style to the table, allowing Warrior to explore many different niches of martial arts and allowing the characters to bring a unique strength to each battle. Alongside the action and adventure, Warrior is deeply involved in conversation with the socio-political events and discrimination faced by Chinese immigrants during this era. It takes a skillful show to balance these bloody moments with such sharp cultural commentary, but Warrior easily pulls it off.

9 Brittania (2017–2021)

The conflict between Britain and Rome gets a fantastical edge

Though Britannia incorporates some fantasy elements alongside its historical setting, this doesn't take away from the impact of the onscreen action. If anything, the magical moments and mystical powers that appear throughout Britannia make the conflict between the British and the Romans more potent. Unlike other historical action series, Britannia uses the grim and gritty realities of the past to juxtapose the heightened elements of magic, transporting the viewer to another world.

Though Britannia only ran for three seasons, it left a mark on the genre since it introduced such a dynamic ensemble of characters, religions, and empires. There are a plethora of TV shows that tackle the conflicts between the British and the Romans, and by incorporating otherworldly elements, Britannia stands apart and distinguishes itself. With recognizable faces like Kelly Reilly featured in the cast, Britannia draws us into the complex politics and religions of its story.

8 Peaky Blinders (2013–2022)

Tommy Shelby strikes an imposing figure as the brutal antihero of Peaky Blinders

Before he was Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy brought the brilliant gangster Tommy Shelby to life for all of Peaky Blinders's six seasons. Peaky Blinders begins in the wake of World War I, with Tommy returning from the fight a changed man, ready to do whatever it takes to be rich and comfortable no matter what. Chronicling Tommy's successes, failures, and development into an unforgettable antihero, Peaky Blinders works because of Murphy.

Waiting for the Peaky Blinders movie has been agonizing ever since the project was confirmed, as it will be thrilling to catch up with the Shelbys in a new era. The series tackled issues of industrialization and the changes in the British government as the 20th century progressed through the cruel and exacting lens of Tommy's business sense. Working in the criminal underground forced Tommy and the other characters to get their hands dirty in almost every episode, giving the show a bloody edge.

7 Vikings (2013–2020)

Full of drama, bravery, and violence, Vikings is as memorable as the history it's based on

Most audiences are no stranger to movies and TV shows that tackle the era of Vikings, taking their legendary exploits and transforming them into heightened and dramatized stories. In the TV show Vikings, historical records, legend, and myth come together to create an unforgettable sweeping period piece full of intricate battles. Vikings is one of the action shows that mines its conflict and tension from imposing set pieces and major wars, providing a sense of the period's massive scale.

The series was popular enough to warrant the spinoff Vikings: Valhalla, which aired on Netflix and served as a gory continuation of Vikings. However, the original series is still the best to watch, especially if you're looking for an action show that doesn't skimp on the blood and guts. Vikings was criticized for its historical inaccuracy, as it sometimes relies on tropes and cultural shorthand to elicit reactions in the audience rather than using truthful pieces of the past.

6 Black Sails (2014–2017)

This thrilling pirate adventure has a few tricks up its sleeve

The Starz network is no stranger to tackling historical drama, literary adaptation, and epic tales of revenge and love. Black Sails premiered the same year as Outlander, one of Starz's most successful historical dramas. While Black Sails didn't have the longevity of Outlander, the pirate adventure shouldn't be forgotten. Imagined as a prequel to the iconic novel Treasure Island, Black Sails is a swashbuckling adventure that grows and evolves throughout the seasons, becoming a true joy to watch.

Each installment of the show grows in scale and character development, becoming much more than a traditional pirate story.

Black Sails makes changes from the Treasure Island story, introducing more historical figures and real events that flesh out the story and root it in a gripping reality. Though Black Sails season 1 relied on the gorgeous visuals and exciting set pieces to propel the story, each installment of the show grows in scale and character development, becoming much more than a traditional pirate story. However, this isn't to say that Black Sails ever holds back from giving the audience plenty of thrills and chills.

5 The Last Kingdom (2015–2022)

The battles between the Vikings and the Saxons is on display in The Last Kingdom

Loosely based on the novel series The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell, The Last Kingdom evolved a great deal as the series progressed, and not just because the show moved from the BBC to Netflix. Beginning in the mid-800s and chronicling the growths and changes of Saxon and Viking relations up through the mid-900s, The Last Kingdom is more than a typical Viking drama. Alexander Dreymon anchors the cast as Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the fearless warrior with ties to both the Saxons and the Danes.

His development is set against the bloody backdrop of the vicious wars in The Last Kingdom and the ruggedly beautiful landscapes that the viewer gets to inhabit alongside the characters. The Last Kingdom came out a few years after Game of Thrones and took its cues from the successful fantasy series that didn't hold back from sacrificing beloved characters. Though The Last Kingdom stays away from magic and mysticism, reality is the most brutal part of the show.

4 Band Of Brothers (2001)

One of the greatest war TV shows of all time

The iconic World War II miniseries Band of Brothers is renowned for its truth and devastation in bringing to life the experiences of young soldiers fighting on the Western Front. Though not everything is completely accurate to the lives of the men Band of Brothers touches upon, it's overwhelmingly vivid and realistic, transporting the viewer into the thick of the fighting. Witnessing the characters go from training to the heat of battle, Band of Brothers is immersive from start to finish.

Though it's been many years since Band of Brothers premiered, few shows have come close to its lasting legacy.

Band of Brothers is a TV show that accurately captures the horrors of war, showcasing the sacrifice and trauma that these men weathered throughout the war. Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who gained recognition for their harrowing war movie Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers uses similar tactics to give viewers a front-row seat in the action, for better or worse. Though it's been many years since Band of Brothers premiered, few shows have come close to its lasting legacy.

3 Rome (2005–2007)

Every niche of the Roman Empire is explored in this unforgettable series

The Roman Empire is a well-tread part of ancient European history, with many films and series touching upon the famous figures of the period. In Rome, the short-lived but instantly memorable show from the early 2000s, the audience gets a front-row seat to the sacrifices and political planning required not only to build an empire but to maintain it. The cost takes a toll on the major players like Julius Caesar himself, as well as the foot soldiers carrying out his orders.

Touching upon these different social classes and stratifications across the sprawling empire, Rome holds up well today, 20 years later, even if the visuals aren't quite as complex as modern series. However, part of the reason that Rome has remained timeless is because the action and fighting feel so real and vivid. Rome finds the perfect balance of deliberate pacing and mining tension from character-driven moments and juxtaposes this intensity with violence and thrilling battle.

2 Shōgun (2024–Present)

The beloved historical book is made even more real and complex through the series

When James Clavell's novel got a new, updated adaptation in 2024, it almost immediately became the definitive version and has been making waves ever since. It didn't take long for the popularity with critics and audiences to translate to a renewal for Shōgun, even though the show was originally intended to be a miniseries. Shōgun takes place at the end of the 16th century in Japan, as tensions between internal rulers and pressures from outside forces were creating complex political issues for the country.

The work of Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai, and Cosmo Jarvis as the central three characters of Shōgun is a large part of the series' success. Exciting enough to be an action-packed adventure and complex enough to be considered a shrewd political thriller, Shōgun appeals to audiences of all kinds. It will be interesting to see where the writers and showrunners take Shōgun in season 2 since the explosive ending of season 1 left the audiences and characters shocked.

1 Deadwood (2004–2006)

The Wild West might not be glamorous, but it's impossible to look away from

Timothy Olyphant leads the cast of Deadwood, the bloody Western drama that made a lasting name for itself despite its short run. Blending real events and fictionalized elements, Deadwood takes the concept of the lawless West to the extreme, as the titular town answers to no one. Set in the time before Deadwood became part of the Dakota territory, all the characters have a reason to escape to Deadwood. Some want to make their fortune, while others are looking to quench their thirst for blood.

Action shows take a lot of forms, and in Deadwood, the gory tone of the story is made clear from the beginning. Though there are plenty of drama scenes where no blood is spilled, Deadwood made use of HBO's looser guidelines and didn't hold back from demonstrating how far the characters will go to get what they want. When revisiting Deadwood today, it only becomes clearer that this TV show is something that will be ed for a long time.