10 Best War TV Shows Ever Made, Ranked

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Because war and conflict have long played a role in human history, they've also been a major source of inspiration for the arts. This goes back to the days of the Flavian Amphitheater (Colosseum) in Rome, where naval battles were recreated for the masses, and there were depictions of combat stretching back further in time. Nowadays, we prefer our recreations of war to be a bit less bloody, confined to flickering lights on screens.

War has been one of the most important genres in movies and television for most of the medium's existence. Some of the best films ever made are legends of the battlefield tale, including war movies like "Apocalypse Now" and "Saving Private Ryan." Still, television has hardly been devoid of depictions of war, as its episodic format has proven ideal for the genre. There have been countless series and miniseries depicting human conflicts with everything from Roman skirmishes to the American Civil War, World War II, and many other important conflicts marking significant moments in history.

It makes for compelling entertainment, but it also shows us the darkest side of humanity. Through the lens of the small screen, we can witness true carnage from the safety of our living rooms. While there are plenty of great war television series to choose from, some are better than others. These 10 are among the all-time best, and they're ranked based on an average of their aggregate scores from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic.

• Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Nicole Kidman
• Creator: Taylor Sheridan
• Rating: TV-MA
• Seasons: 2
• Where to watch: Paramount+

While most war series are about an overall conflict, "Lioness" is more specific, focusing on single covert operations carried out by the CIA during the post-9/11 era war on terror. Station chief Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldaña) leads a team of operatives in the Lioness program, which employs highly trained female volunteers in dangerous, risky missions to take out specific high-value targets, so there's plenty of action, espionage, and intrigue from one episode to the next.

The series kicked off in 2023, focusing on Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira), a Force Recon Marine tasked with getting close to the daughter of her target so she could take him out. In Season 2, she becomes Capt. Josephina Carrillo's (Genesis Rodriguez) handler on her mission involving the rescue of an American Congresswoman held captive by a Mexican cartel. Each season consists of eight intense episodes, and "Lioness" was renewed for a third season in August 2025.

War television often focuses on men, while rarely showing the brave women who fill the trenches and foxholes beside them. "Lioness" upends this practice by almost entirely focusing on women, offering a fresh perspective in an ongoing conflict that resonates and remains relatable. It's no surprise that the series will debut Season 3 in October 2026, and if its past performance is any indication, "Lioness" will continue for some time.

• Cast: Terence Knox, Stephen Caffrey, Tony Becker
• Creator: L. Travis Clark, Steve Duncan
• Rating: TV-14
• Seasons: 3
• Where to watch: Prime Video

The Vietnam War gave rise to many television and film adaptations, though a huge influx followed the release of "Platoon" in 1986. There was "China Beach," "Vietnam War Story," and one of the most successful, 1987's "Tour of Duty." The series remained on the air for three seasons, totaling 58 episodes. "Tour of Duty" centered around a U.S. Army infantry platoon operating in South Vietnam and touched on some pretty heavy topics, including fratricide, sexuality, substance abuse, and more.

The show resonated with veterans while attracting those who hadn't served, as it closely mirrored the experiences of American soldiers who fought in the conflict. "Tour of Duty" featured plenty of action sequences, but it also focused on military life outside of combat life, showing what the men went through during downtime. It also touched on PTSD and the difficulty in returning home.

Season 1 focused primarily on search and destroy missions operating out of Camp Ladybird, which was not a real firebase. Seasons 2 and 3 shifted the location closer to Saigon, adding Carl Weathers in the final season as Col. Brewster. The shifting tone of the second and third seasons upset the ratings as the network moved the show to a less-than-desirable timeslot, ultimately resulting in the cancellation of "Tour of Duty" in 1990.

• Cast: Franz Dinda, Tom Wlaschiha, Rick Okon
• Creator: Johannes W. Betz, Tony Saint
• Rating: NR
• Seasons: 4
• Where to watch: Hulu

In 1981, German director Wolfgang Petersen spent a pretty pfennig directing "Das Boot," which is widely regarded as one of the greatest war movies ever made. In 2018, a sequel to the film, based on Lothar-Günther Buchheim's 1973 followup novel "Die Festung," hit the small screen. Renamed "Das Boot," it begins in 1942 when the young and inexperienced crew of U-612 sets sail in the already bloody waters of the Battle of the Atlantic, where submarine warfare has seen countless U-boats sink Allied ships.

It doesn't take long for the crew to come into conflict with their commander, Capt Klaus Hoffman (Rick Okon), but that's only one part of the story. As the series unfolds, a young woman named Simone Strasser (Vicky Krieps) finds herself torn between two worlds: the Germany she calls home and the French Résistance, forcing her to question everything she thinks she knows to be true.

The stories above the surface and below intertwine to combine into a detailed, dramatic narrative that's truly gripping. "Das Boot" works because it tells its own story, taking from the novel and original movie and expanding into a larger-scale narrative that unfolds as the seasons explore the wider conflict of World War II. Like its predecessor, "Das Boot" has earned numerous accolades and a significant number of viewers. Thankfully, you can watch it in the States on Hulu.

• Cast: Callum Turner, Austin Butler, Matt Gavan
• Creator: John Orloff, John Shiban
• Rating: TV-MA
• Seasons: 1
• Where to watch: Apple TV+

There are three miniseries set during World War II, all of which are related and featured in this article. "Masters of the Air" is the most recent, arriving in 2024. The nine-episode miniseries is based on Donald L. Miller's 2006 book, "Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany." The series details the lives of the aviators of the 100th Bomb Group operating under the 8th Air Force in England.

They pilot B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers over Europe in an effort to gain air superiority, beginning in the spring of 1943. At the time, Germany had extensive air defenses throughout its territory, making bombing runs incredibly dangerous, especially during daytime operations. To avoid civilian casualties and missed targets, the 100th Bomb Group only flies during the day, leading to some seriously deadly runs.

The series is based on the true accounts of members of the 8th Air Force and their actions during World War II, which accounted for half of all U.S. Army Air Force casualties (approximately 26,000). It features an ensemble cast and covers air operations throughout the war in Europe, ending with the German surrender and the return of the 100th from England back to the States. The level of detail employed throughout the series is incredible, but it can be difficult to watch.

• Cast: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker
• Creator: Bruno Heller, William J. MacDonald, John Milius
• Rating: NR
• Seasons: 2
• Where to watch: HBO Max

HBO's "Rome" is an interesting historical series, as it's not exactly a war show, but it's not-not a war show. It's an epic story about the rise and fall of Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds), the subsequent fall of Mark Antony (James Purefoy) and Cleopatra (Lyndsey Marshal), and the rise of the Roman Empire under Emperor Augustus (Simon Woods). Through it all, there are several battles fought by the soldiers, primarily focused on Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) and Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd).

"Rome" is very much the story of the titular city, told from the points of view of the lowest levels of society to the very top of its leadership. Its depiction of war is widespread, as the series covers the conclusion of the Gallic Wars in 52 BCE, Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon in 49 BCE, resulting in Caesar's Civil War of 49 BCE, and finally, the War of Actium, which lasted from 32 to 30 BCE.

That was the final civil war of the Roman Republic, resulting in the establishment of the Roman Empire. The series depicts formations and proper fighting techniques the Romans used at the time, and while all of the military aspects of "Rome" are exceptionally well done, the characters are what make it an excellent series. The cast is extraordinary, consistently delivering award-winning performances across both seasons.

• Cast: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit
• Creator: Larry Gelbart
• Rating: TV-PG
• Seasons: 11
• Where to watch: Hulu

In 1970, a film named "M*A*S*H" killed it on the silver screen, and while it's a great war movie, the television series that arrived in 1972 absolutely buried the film with its success. "M*A*S*H," which stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, ran for 11 seasons, consisting of 251 episodes, and is one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. It's also one of the best war TV shows ever aired, and unlike pretty much every other war series, "M*A*S*H" features almost no combat whatsoever.

Despite taking place in Korea during the Korean War, combat isn't the central theme of the series. Instead, "M*A*S*H" focuses on the hospital's staff and the impact that treating the war-wounded has on their psyche. The show jumps from comedy to maudlin like a yo-yo, and the cast handles the shifts with aplomb. "M*A*S*H" is also one of the most anti-war war shows that's ever aired, further making it somewhat unique.

There are episodes that deal with controversial topics of the day, many of which are relatable decades later, and the series was celebrated throughout its run. "M*A*S*H" earned a plethora of accolades, including 14 Primetime Emmy Awards. On top of that, its finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," remains the most-watched scripted television finale in history. More than 100 million viewers tuned into CBS in 1983 to watch the final episode of the long-running series.

• Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, James Ransone, Lee Tergesen
• Creator: David Simon, Ed Burns, Evan Wright
• Rating: TV-MA
• Seasons: 1
• Where to watch: HBO Max

When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, numerous reporters also went into the country attached to various units. One such embedded reporter was Evan Wright, whose 2004 book "Generation Kill" is the basis of the eponymous 2008 series. Like the book, "Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War" details Wright's experiences while embedded with the U.S. Marine Corps' 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.

Wright's book covers his time during the first phase of the Invasion of Iraq, which took place between March and April 2003. The seven-episode miniseries covers this period in great detail, showing everything from Wright's perspective while covering the lives of the Devil Dogs fighting on the ground. "Generation Kill" is one of the best miniseries of all time, and despite only featuring seven episodes, each one digs deep into the conflict.

Because the story is told from the on-the-ground perspective of the Marines, it shows their gung-ho "Oorah" attitude going into the conflict and how this dissolves upon the realization of what looms ahead following the month-long fight. "Generation Kill" is only the beginning of the story of what would ultimately become one of the U.S.' longest wars, and the miniseries' depiction of the true horrors of that war is on full display from beginning to end, as it pulls no punches.

• Cast: James Badge Dale, Joseph Mazzello, Jon Seda
• Creator: Bruce McKenna
• Rating: TV-MA
• Seasons: 1
• Where to watch: HBO Max

The 2010 miniseries "The Pacific" focuses on the widespread military conflict that took place throughout the Pacific theater of operations during World War II. The series is a companion to both "Masters of the Air" and the #1 show in this article, as it tells similar stories focused on the people who fought during the conflict. The primary focus is on members of different regiments of the 1st Marine Division that took part in several key operations of the war, including Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and more.

A key feature of "The Pacific" that distinguishes it from contemporary miniseries is its depiction of graphic violence, as it doesn't hold back whatsoever from showing the horror of war. In one scene, a bored Marine casually tosses pebbles into the collapsed skull of a Japanese soldier that's already filled with bloody water. In others, bodies pile up as American defenders fire nonstop throughout the night, mowing down hundreds of men as they relentlessly attempt to break through their defenses.

This makes "The Pacific" difficult to watch for some viewers, but it also aligns with the history of the conflict. While there was no shortage of violence in the European or African campaigns, the Pacific saw some of the most intense fighting when the Marines directly engaged Japanese forces in direct combat. The series embraces this fact and depicts it incredibly well.

• Cast: Cosmo Jarvis, Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai
• Creator: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
• Rating: TV-MA
• Seasons: 1
• Where to watch: Hulu

"Shōgun" is a 2024 miniseries and the second adaption of James Clavell's 1975 novel, "Shōgun: A Novel of Japan." The first miniseries aired in 1980, and while it's an excellent watch, the more recent one is greater in terms of production quality, its depiction of violence, and feudal combat. Unlike every other series mentioned, "Shōgun" isn't based on a true story and is instead loosely based on the first Englishman to visit Japan, William Adams, and the nation's unification.

The miniseries is primarily focused on two men: John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), who is loosely based on Adams, an English sailor shipwrecked in Japan. The other is Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a powerful daimyo (feudal lord), loosely based on Tokugawa Ieyasu. Their interactions detail a clash of cultures and how a slew of other characters interact. The war aspect comes into play later in the series, but it's a payoff that was entirely worth the wait.

When "Shōgun" premiered, it immediately garnered widespread critical acclaim. It's the first Japanese-language series to score a Primetime Emmy Award, but it didn't stop there. The series won numerous accolades, including a Peabody Award. It frustratingly holds a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes thanks to two reviewers, but despite its near-perfect score, the miniseries has received almost universal praise.

• Cast: Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston
• Creator: Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg
• Rating: TV-MA
• Seasons: 1
• Where to watch: HBO Max

In 2001, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg adapted Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 book, "Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne: From Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest," into the greatest war miniseries of all time. The 10-episode saga details the wartime experiences of "Easy" Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from paratrooper training through their time fighting in Europe during World War II, and it's a harrowing depiction of combat.

"Band of Brothers" focuses primarily on Richard Winters (Damian Lewis), the company commander, who takes his men through training and behind enemy lines in the opening assault on D-Day. They parachute into the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden, liberate a concentration camp, and are the first Allied troops to breach Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" mountain retreat.

Through it all, there's bloody combat, soldiers' stories, and some of the most harrowing war footage ever seen on the small screen. "Band of Brothers" is based on a true story, and the men whose story it's based on give interviews throughout the episodes. These cut into the action, giving firsthand points of view that you don't often find in similar fare. The series is, in a word, epic, and it won six Primetime Emmy Awards while paving the way for most of the series listed above, including "The Pacific" and "Masters of the Air."