The 10 Best Historical & Period Drama Series on Netflix in 2025

Over the years, Netflix has been home to a growing library of brilliant, award-winning historical and period dramas. From brutal Viking rule to the scandal-filled Regency era — there are so many historical periods to explore!

In this list, we count down the 10 finest historical and period dramas that you can stream on Netflix in 2025. Whether you’re looking for something historically accurate, such as The Last Kingdom, or slightly more fantastical period dramas like Bridgerton, we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a tour!

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The series was rather tragically overlooked when it came out in 2023, but we’ll continue to be flag bearers for it for the foreseeable future which is why we had to include it on this list. Coming from the same showrunners of Deutschland 83 and Netflix’s very good award-winning limited series Unorthodox, the series is set in Marseilles in 1940 with Nazi Germany on the march throughout Europe. Fast approaching, a group of otherwise ordinary people do everything possible to help refugees flee France before it’s too late. 

An excellent performance from Gillian Jacobs makes this a must-watch series in addition to nailing the aesthetics down to a tee, but most importantly, it’s engaging and has an important story to be told. 

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All the Light We Cannot See is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Anthony Doerr. Netflix adapted the novel into a 4-part series in 2023. Directed by Stranger Things veteran Shawn Levy, the story takes place during World War II, where the lives of a blind French girl, Marie-Laure LeBlanc (Aria Mia Loberti), and a German soldier, Werner Pfennig (Louis Hofmann), unexpectedly intertwine. 

The series garnered fantastic reviews from critics and casual fans alike, earning praise for its deeply emotional, human story.

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Released just recently in January 2025, American Primeval is the latest Western project Netflix has to offer. The 6-episode limited series offers a gory, brutal, and violent tale. It’s a gritty look at the birth of the unforgiving American West.

Created by Mark L. Smith, the series is set in 1857 during the Utah War and follows a mother, Sarah Rowell (Betty Gilpin), and her son, Devin, fleeing their past and facing the harsh landscapes on the frontiers. 

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Barbarians is a German historical series. The two-season show is based on real historical events. Most notably the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, which saw Germanic tribes battle the Roman Empire. The battle dates back to around 9AD. The cast includes Laurence Rupp (Arminius), Jeanne Goursaud (Thusnelda), and David Schütter (Folkwin Wolfspeer). 

Critics praised the series for its historical accuracy, intense battle sequences, and strong performances. I’ve always found Barbarians to be one of the lesser-talked-about shows on Netflix. It’s about time it went back into the spotlight. Sadly, there are no plans for another season. 

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The English Game is simply a must-watch for any football fan. Created by Julian Fellowes (the man behind Downton Abbey), the 6-episode miniseries documents the origins of the modern game of football (or soccer in the US). The series takes place in the late 19th century and chronicles the class divide between upper-class and working-class players, showing how the game ultimately evolved into a competitive, professional sport.

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A period drama needs several key ingredients to be great. It has to have a compelling story with fantastic costumes and, most importantly, authenticity to the era it’s set in. We’re pleased to report that the German series The Empress has all of those key ingredients in incredibly large quantities. The series, which returned for its second season in late 2024, follows the forbidden love of Emperor Franz and Elisabeth. It’s full of politics and fantastically crafted dialogue but most important, it looks stunning. 

There’s good news, too, because as of early 2025, the series has been confirmed to be coming back for a third (but sadly) and final season.

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Is Bridgerton historically accurate? No, not by a long shot. It’s a pure, indulgent fantasy set in an alternate version of the Regency era in England. But do I love it? Yes, very much so. Based on the bestselling novels by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton takes place in high English society, where connections through marriage means power, and where scandals are rife. 

Bridgerton is a stunning show, filmed in some of the UK’s most scenic places, such as Greenwich in London. It’s totally self-indulgent and engrossing. It’s one of Netflix’s biggest success stories and will return for its fourth season in 2026.

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If you’ve already seen the original Vikings series, great, now it’s time to move onto Vikings: Valhalla! However, if you haven’t seen Vikings, you don’t need to worry. Vikings: Valhalla can be watched on its own terms, you don’t have to watch the original show to enjoy it, although doing to may enhance your experience. 

Vikings: Valhalla chronicles one of the most exciting eras in history. It follows legendary Vikings Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett), Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), and Freydis Eriksdotter (Freydis Eriksdotter). The series is packed full of adventure, bloody battles, political struggles, war, and more. It’s not completely historically accurate — the narrative condenses real-life events — but that makes it all the more entertaining! 

Vikings is one of my personal favorite shows of all time, and this sequel did not disappoint. It stands on its own as a great show. Plus, it’s fully wrapped up, so there’s no need to worry about it being canceled prematurely (although with that said, I think it should’ve gotten more than 3 seasons). 

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Back when The Crown season 1 was made, it was one of the most expensive productions ever. Created by Peter Morgan, the series chronicles the life, trials, and tribulations of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The series is a beautifully crafted, insightful look into the Royal Family and the many political events and scandals that occurred throughout Queen Elizabeth’s reign. 

The series took home myriad awards, including 7 Golden Globes and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. This makes it one of the most successful Netflix shows ever and arguably defined an era for the streamer. 

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Based on The Saxon Stories by bestselling historical fiction writer Bernard Cornwell, The Last Kingdom tells the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon). An English noble, Uhtred kidnapped by Danes as a child and raised by Vikings, embracing their culture. And unlike other shows like Vikings (which is more of a condensed history), The Last Kingdom takes as few dramatic liberties as possible to remain authentic.

The series ran for 5 seasons, and it gets better and more epic as it continues, thanks in part to a large injection of cash from Netflix taking it over from the BBC.  The Last Kingdom saga wrapped up 2023 with Seven Kings Must Die — a feature-length, epic conclusion to the story.