Fourth Wing: The Fantasy Series Poised To Beat Game Of Thrones

3 days ago 11

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys in Game of Thrones

Published Feb 7, 2026, 8:15 PM EST

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An upcoming Prime Video fantasy series, based on a highly acclaimed book series, has the potential to beat Game of Thrones in every possible way if done right.

Game of Thrones might have stumbled a little towards its final chapter. However, all these years after its end, it remains one of the most memorable fantasy shows ever created, and even its franchise extensions seem to be doing well. Any fantasy show that even manages to come close to repeating Game of Thrones' commercial success and critical acclaim up till season 7 would be considered a rare triumph in modern TV.

Interestingly, it looks like one upcoming TV adaptation of a fantasy book series will not only match Game of Thrones' legacy but also potentially surpass it if everything goes well.

What Is Fourth Wing About?

Credit: Entangled Publishing

Written by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing is an adult fantasy romance that centers on a scholarly 20-year-old woman, Violet Sorrengail. Violet hopes to join the Scribe Quadrant to make the best use of her thinking abilities. However, her mother orders her to join the Dragon Rides Quadrant even though she is not physically capable of surviving the brutal training and competition at the Basgiath War College.

While figuring out how to bond with dragons, Violet uses the strength of her wits to outshine others at the academy.

During her journey, she also navigates a deadly attraction to Xaden Riorson, a fierce wing leader whose father was executed by her own mother. The more Fourth Wing progresses, the more Violet learns about the kingdom of Navarre and the world beyond it. She even learns about the web of lies and politics that holds the kingdom together as she deals with her growing romantic feelings for Xaden.

How Fourth Wing Compares To Game Of Thrones

Although both Game of Thrones and Fourth Wing feature dragons, political drama, and high body count, they are significantly different in terms of storytelling. Game of Thrones scales itself beyond the POV of just one character and unfolds several subplots happening across two continents. Fourth Wing, in contrast, focuses more on the main female character's perspective and feels more contained than Westeros.

Even the treatment of magic systems is significantly different in Fourth Wing, while its dragons are portrayed more as sentient beings. Unlike the ones in HBO's Game of Thrones, the dragons in Fourth Wing have their own unique laws and politics and also possess the ability to communicate telepathically.

Put simply, Game of Thrones is more layered and politically dense in how it weaves together multiple factions and long-running power struggles. Meanwhile, Fourth Wing thrives on its more accessible character-driven storytelling, romantic tension, and the personal journey of its protagonist.

Why Fourth Wing Can Be Even Bigger Than Game Of Thrones

Joffrey grabbing at his throat in Game of Thrones

Given how different Fourth Wing and Game of Thrones are in terms of storytelling, calling Fourth Wing a Game of Thrones replacement would be unfair. However, Fourth Wing can rise in the ranks and become as big of a cultural juggernaut as Game of Thrones if it manages to leverage its strengths. The developments in CGI allow the upcoming Fourth Wing adaptation on Prime Video to perfectly capture the diverse sets of dragons from the books.

If it gets the romance aspect of the books right, it could even tap into the massive "BookTok" demographic and bring a whole new wave of viewers to Prime Video.

Prime Video's Fourth Wing is reportedly planned as a multi-season series, with each installment focusing on only one book from the original series.

The magic in Game of Thrones is more subtle and rare. Fourth Wing, in contrast, makes it flashier and far more integral to most combats. Prime Video's adaptation must ensure that it accurately captures the books' high-energy fantasy instead of watering it down. This will demand a higher budget, but it will pay off if the series stays true to the books' portrayal of spectacle.

Fourth Wing also benefits from the accessibility of its immediate stakes and "Dark Academia" survival story. Not to mention, its portrayal of a protagonist with a chronic illness also makes it more relatable, which could make its Prime Video adaptation far more inclusive and grounded than Game of Thrones.