His Dark Materials Smartly Avoided The Next Game Of Thrones Trap

His Dark Materials may have been unfairly compared to Game of Thrones, but the later HBO series avoided one trend surrounding the fantasy hit — and it was better because of it. Despite its controversial ending and legacy, Game of Thrones had an undeniable impact on fantasy television. Because of this, many shows are still trying to be the “next Game of Thrones.“

His Dark Materials is among the series that came out directly after the adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s books. In fact, the fantasy show premiered the same year that Game of Thrones ended. However, despite its proximity to season 8’s run, His Dark Materials didn’t embrace a tendency of other modern fantasy shows. That’s precisely why it worked.

Despite Coming Out Right After, His Dark Materials Didn’t Try To Be Game Of Thrones

Although His Dark Materials came out immediately after Game of Thrones — and did face comparisons to the prior hit — the adaptation of Philip Pullman’s books never tried to be the other series. Shows like The Witcher, The Rings of Power, and The Wheel of Time strived to capture the dark and mature tone of the HBO show, even when it didn’t suit them.

His Dark Materials, on the other hand, never felt like it was intentionally trying to replicate that element of Game of Thrones. The series did get dark at times, but that was required to faithfully adapt the books. And it always maintained a strong undercurrent of hope, while focusing on very different themes from Martin’s story.

While The Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, and The Witcher were bound to have some similarities with Game of Thrones — all these stories have large scopes and power struggles — the later TV adaptations noticeably leaned into brutal realism, political feuds, and shocking twists.

They didn’t necessarily benefit from mirroring Game of Thrones, as none of these series managed to match its mainstream popularity. They were likely better off emphasizing the individual strengths that made their own source material stand out. That’s what His Dark Materials did, and in hindsight, it made it a better show.

Ignoring The “Next Game Of Thrones” Trend Set His Dark Materials Apart

His Dark Materials had a quieter run than most modern fantasy series, but in the long run, it benefited from ignoring the push to be the “next Game of Thrones.“ The show stood out from many other fantasy releases that debuted after season 8. Its commitment to delivering the story from the books — one that felt original compared to other fantasy fare — secured a positive legacy for it.

Indeed, His Dark Materials wound up being a great adaptation, which didn’t end up being true of The Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, and The Witcher. It also saw its story through to the end, an impressive feat considering how many fantasy shows are canceled prematurely.

And of course, His Dark Materials delivered three strong outings of television, taking far less time to find its footing than most of what’s out there. It’s not the only unique fantasy series to come out in recent years, but it did avoid the pressure to be like Game of Thrones when it was at its greatest. That’s commendable, especially since it yielded such great results.

Release Date

2019 – 2023

Network

BBC One

Directors

William McGregor, Amit Gupta, Leanne Welham, Charles Martin, Otto Bathurst, Euros Lyn, Dawn Shadforth, Harry Wootliff

Writers

Francesca Gardiner, Amelia Spencer, Sarah Quintrell