From Norse gods to animated kids riding dragons, these top-rated movies and TV series about Vikings are the best in the subgenre, according to IMDb.

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 first season in February, and The Last Kingdom had its final season on Netflix in March. The wave of popularity of Vikings has most recently swung its ax with Robert Eggers' The Northman.

By looking at the highest-rated Viking-themed movies and TV shows on IMDb, fans of the genre can get an idea of which have earned the best response from fans and critics.

8 Vikings: Valhalla (2022 -  ) 7.1

The spin-off series to The History Channel's hit show, Vikings, dropped in February 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 show quickly became the most-watched show on Netflix, (via Deadline) and has already been picked up for two more seasons. Most fans will say it's definitely worth the watch, and looking at its ratings, Vikings: Valhalla is sitting comfortably in the upper echelon of Viking lore.

7 Norsemen (2016 - 2020) 7.7

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 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 How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) 7.8

The second movie in the How To Train Your Dragon franchise picks up five years after Hiccup and Toothless became Viking-Dragon pals. The sequel follows Toothless and Hiccup as they find a cave full of dragons, and new characters threaten to undermine the camaraderie between the humans and dragons.

The follow-up brought back the magic of the first movie. Fans loved all the charm and thrills that they came to expect from the franchise and were surprised with its greater emotional depth. The sequel is even considered one of the best Viking movies of all time, as it impressed fans and critics alike. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Picture that year.

5 The Northman (2022) 7.8

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.

4 Thor: Ragnarok (2017) 7.9

In the sequel to 2011's 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 and thrown into a gladiator-like fight. 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: Ragnarock is a comedic, action-packed, and profound take on the character.

3 How To Train Your Dragon (2010) 8.1

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 of Hiccup and Toothless and the Vikings in their land of Berk.

How To Train Your Dragon started an entire franchise that spans three feature films, three TV series, and five short films. The series has been heavily awarded and couldn't have done it without such a strong start. The film has also been praised for its empowering depictions of people with disabilities.

2 The Last Kingdom (2015 - 2022) 8.5

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 series, Uhtred is conflicted with loyalty to his homeland and to his newfound family.

While the show was a hit for Netflix, it always maintained a cult following and didn't hit the mainstream popularity some of its counterparts did. However, it is regarded as one of the best epics action shows on TV. Fans of the action-packed, beautifully shot Viking tale sing its praises as an underrated medieval history gem. The series' final epic conclusion comes with the film Seven Kings Must Die, now filming and set for release in 2023 on Netflix.

1 Vikings (2013 - 2020) 8.5

The show 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 real events, Ragnar Lothbrok is a legendary Viking who was rumored to have descended from the Norse god, Odin.

Due to its compelling characters, scenery, and intriguing world, fans of the gritty historical drama placed this as a top Vikings series to date. 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.

Next: 10 Best TV Shows Like Vikings Valhalla

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