# Barbarians (2020)

> Three interwoven lives collide in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where Germanic warriors confront the expanding Roman Empire.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/79325

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, action, history, war
- Created by: Arne Nolting, Jan Martin Scharf, Andreas Heckmann
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Laurence Rupp, Jeanne Goursaud, David Schütter, Gaetano Aronica, Bernhard Schütz, Eva Verena Müller, Florian Schmidtke, Jeremy Miliker
- TMDB rating: 7.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9184986/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: brutal
- Tone: grim, tense, earthy, brooding, visceral

## What critics say

Critics find the series a serviceable, violent historical war drama whose battle spectacle outweighs its uneven character writing and dialogue.

## Synopsis

Barbarians (2020-2022) is a German historical war drama series created by Arne Nolting, Jan Martin Scharf and Andreas Heckmann for Netflix. Set in 9 A.D. Germania, it follows three interwoven figures whose fates converge during the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where Germanic warriors halt the advance of the Roman Empire. Laurence Rupp plays Arminius, a Cheruscan leader navigating tribal rivalries and the pressure of an invading legion, while Jeanne Goursaud plays Thusnelda and Gaetano Aronica plays the Roman commander Varus. The engine of the series is the tension between loyalty, ambition and survival, as alliances shift and each side pays for its choices in close-quarters forest warfare. Its two seasons of six episodes each form one continuing story rather than standalone episodes, and the saga is built on mounting battles, political maneuvering and grinding brutality. Set in a dense, mud-soaked wilderness, the tone is grim, earthy and tense, with a focus on the human cost of conquest. Fans of Spartacus, The Last Kingdom and Vikings will find resonance in its blend of ancient warfare, tribal intrigue and sweeping historical scale.

## Shows like Barbarians

- [1864 (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/48746)
- [King & Conqueror (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/157052)
- [Rome (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/1784)
- [The Warrior Princess (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/112750)
- [Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/76464)
- [Spartacus (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/44179)
- [Maximilian and Marie De Bourgogne (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61682)
- [Dime Quién Soy: Mistress of War (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/93279)
- [Vikings: Valhalla (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/96719)
- [Tribes of Europa (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/79342)

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