Still Hooked on ‘Black Sails’? Here Are the Best Historical Adventure Series to Watch Next

If the morally complex world of ‘Black Sails’ left a hole in your watchlist, you are far from alone. Even though ‘Black Sails’ has been off the air since its final season, fans continue to discover, watch, and rewatch the series for its engaging and complicated characters and storylines. The show had a rare gift for making you genuinely care about pirates plotting in Nassau, and that kind of storytelling does not come around often.

The hallmarks that made ‘Black Sails’ exceptional, including morally ambiguous protagonists, power struggles in lawless territories, and historically-inspired storytelling, can be found across various other productions. Whether you are drawn to the grit, the politics, or the spectacle of ships colliding at sea, there is a rich landscape of historical adventure series out there waiting for you.

What Made ‘Black Sails’ So Addictive in the First Place

Although its series finale originally aired on Starz back in 2017, ‘Black Sails’ is still regarded as one of the best pirate shows of all time, filled with complex characters and high production values. Part of what set it apart was its willingness to blend the fictional and the real without flinching.

‘Black Sails’ balances fiction with historical authenticity, accurately depicting the politics of Nassau as a pirate republic while including real historical figures like Charles Vane, Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Woodes Rogers. That combination of recognizable history and inventive drama is the benchmark every recommendation on this list is being measured against.

The Best Pirate Shows in the Same Vein

For viewers who want to stay close to the sea, a handful of series deliver that same salt-and-danger energy. The HBO Max original ‘Our Flag Means Death’ stars Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby and is based on the very real pirates of Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet, using history to bring out a lot of humor and heart. It is a very different tone from ‘Black Sails,’ but the shared DNA of real historical figures navigating a chaotic pirate world makes it essential viewing.

‘Our Flag Means Death’ blends humor, romance, high adventure, and elements of fantasy to tell a tale of determination and unlikely friendships that resonates far beyond the genre of action and adventure. And for those who want something more grounded in real documentary-style drama, the Netflix docuseries ‘The Lost Pirate Kingdom’ is worth a look. The six-episode series whisks viewers away to a pirate republic based in Nassau, Bahamas, unfolding an intriguing narrative about the rise and fall of a pirate realm that began in 1715, shortly after the close of the War of the Spanish Succession.

Netflix also debuted ‘One Piece’ in 2023, its live-action interpretation of the classic manga series, telling the story of a charismatic pirate named Monkey D. Luffy who sets off on a race to find the titular treasure and become King of the Pirates. It skews lighter in tone but delivers swashbuckling adventure in abundance.

Golden Age of Piracy TV Shows for the History-Hungry Fan

If the political scheming and period detail of ‘Black Sails’ were your entry point, then ‘Spartacus’ is the logical next port of call. ‘Spartacus’ is a historical action drama that ran on Starz for three seasons and is widely credited with setting the blueprint for the gritty, edgy tone followed by many modern historical dramas, making it sure to hit many of the right notes fans of ‘Black Sails’ are looking for.

‘Spartacus’ focuses on the actual historical figure who led a major rebellion of slaves against the Roman Republic, and like ‘Black Sails,’ the show provides plenty of visceral storytelling alongside forward-thinking representation for its time. ‘Rome’ is another titan in this space, an HBO historical drama about the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire that delivers the same kind of intricate political drama set against stunning period production.

For fans drawn to the nautical and colonial setting specifically, ‘Turn’ is a historical drama set during the American Revolution that, much like ‘Black Sails,’ is full of mystery and intrigue with a plot that always keeps viewers guessing while incorporating many real-life figures. It swaps Caribbean pirates for founding fathers but never loses that edge-of-your-seat tension.

Historical Adventure Series That Capture the Same Epic Scope

Sometimes the ‘Black Sails’ itch is less about pirates specifically and more about the scope and weight of an epic historical narrative. ‘Vikings’ intricately details a culture that most people know more from Halloween costumes than actual history, with different factions set up against each other as they all want the same thing, and in ‘Black Sails” case, it is treasure. The History Channel series ran for six full seasons and remains one of the most rewatchable dramas in the genre.

‘Poldark’ is one of the most popular shows recommended for ‘Black Sails’ fans, running from 2015 to 2019 across five seasons, following Captain Ross Poldark as he returns home to Cornwall after the end of the American Revolution to find that things have gotten increasingly worse in his life. The British historical drama is filled with romance, action, and drama that should feel immediately familiar to anyone who finished all four seasons of ‘Black Sails.’

For those who do not mind a touch of fantasy woven into their period drama, ‘Outlander’ comes highly recommended. In ‘Outlander,’ Claire Randall is magically transported back in time to the 1700s in Scotland, and she falls in love with a highlander named James Fraser, having to decide whether she wants to stay in the past or return to her husband in the future. The show’s grounding in the 18th century and its talent for complicated, passionate characters makes it an easy transition for fans of the Starz pirate drama.

Why These Shows Keep Finding New Audiences

The enduring appeal of ‘Black Sails’ and the shows it resembles comes down to something simple: people love watching complex characters fight for survival in worlds that do not reward mercy. From Viking raids to Roman conquests, from Tudor courts to frontier settlements, the elements that drew audiences to Nassau’s shores appear in different forms across numerous acclaimed series.

‘Black Sails’ is a prequel series based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s work, set before the story of ‘Treasure Island,’ following the adventures of Captain Flint and his various crewmates, and the interesting, complex characters along with the intense and unique storylines made it a favorite among viewers. That creative foundation is genuinely hard to replicate, which is why the search for something equally satisfying never really ends.

The good news is that the genre has never been more populated with quality options, from prestige cable epics to streaming originals reinventing what a pirate story can look like. Which of these shows do you think comes closest to capturing what made ‘Black Sails’ so impossible to put down?