Netflix loves Vikings. It's common for the streaming service to revive shows on the verge of cancellation as Netflix originals, and some even start as Netflix originals from the first season. Depending on the country, if you search “Vikings” on Netflix, you'll find countless series and films. Among them, Vikings (2013-2020) and The Last Kingdom (2015-2022) are the most loved by viewers.

‘Vikings’, which aired on the History Channel and streamed on Netflix, begins with the Viking Ragnar Lothbrok rising to fame as a Viking in the mid-9th century and ends with his sons' defeat at the Battle of Eddington in England. Travis Fimmel’s Ragnar is a brutal warrior but also a romantic who longs for a new world. He goes on adventures through England and France, experiencing numerous battles and conspiracies.

The biggest appeal of this series is the conflict that arises from people of different cultural backgrounds meeting. The Vikings worshiped Norse gods like Odin and Thor, while England and France had long embraced Christianity. In the show, Athelstan (played by George Blagden), who was a church monk, becomes attracted to the Norse gods, while Ragnar becomes interested in Christianity. Vikings like Floki (Gustaf Skasgard) see Christianity as a false religion and consider it an honor to kill Christians. Rollos, another Viking, converts to Christianity to ally with the French.

Vikings has been popular since its premiere in 2013 and ran for a total of 6 seasons and 90 episodes until 2020. In 2021, a sequel, ‘Vikings Valhalla’, set 100 years after the ending of ‘Vikings’, premiered its first season as a Netflix original series. The third season of Vikings Valhalla is scheduled for release in 2024.

The Last Kingdom is a series that aired on BBC in the UK from 2015. Ragnar Lothbrok, the main character of the ‘Vikings’ series, was killed by King Aella of Northumbria in England. Ragnar’s sons cry for revenge and gather all the warriors of the North, forming an invading army of England called ‘The Great Heathen Army’.

The main character of the series, ‘Uhtred’ (played by Alexander Dreymon), was a boy of about 10 years old during the time of the ‘Great Heathen Army’. He was a nobleman of the ‘Bebbanburg’ castle, but he was kidnapped by the Vikings during the war. The Viking chieftain (Jarl), ‘Ragnar’, raised Uhtred like his own child, and Uhtred becomes culturally assimilated into their way of life.

But when Ragnar was killed, Uhtred became a fugitive. He returned to his home, Bebbanburg, with a murder charge against him, but his uncle didn't welcome Uhtred, who was claiming ownership of the castle. The only option left for Uhtred was to pledge allegiance to Wessex, ‘The Last Kingdom’, which had not yet been conquered by the Vikings.

King Alfred of Wessex promises Uhtred land and a title in exchange for helping him stop the Vikings’ southward advance. Uhtred fights alongside Alfred against the Vikings, but he struggles with his dual identity of being both Saxon and Viking.

This series is fun to compare to Vikings (2013-2020). The series was produced for two seasons by BBC, the UK's public broadcaster, so the story unfolds with England as the center. The Vikings' homeland may be Norway and Denmark, but the setting of the story is always the British Isles. Also, while ‘Vikings’ tells a story about the Vikings adventuring and pillaging around the world, ‘The Last Kingdom’ focuses on the process of Anglo-Saxons and Danes (Vikings) merging.

It's also worth noting that Vikings and The Last Kingdom show the same events and characters in completely different ways. Ubba, one of Ragnar's sons who appears in Vikings, also appears in The Last Kingdom and has a conflict with the main character, Uhtred. In Vikings, ‘Ubba’ (played by Jordan Patrick Smith) is portrayed as a romantic figure who wants to see the world like his father, but in The Last Kingdom, ‘Ubba’ (played by Rune Temte) is more prominent as a brutal warrior.

The Last Kingdom began production as a Netflix original series starting with season 3. Like Vikings, it has gained quite a bit of popularity and has been released up to its 5th season. The movie, ‘Seven Kings Must Die’, which tells the final journey of Uhtred, was also released as a Netflix original film in 2023.