15 Awesome Movies like Gladiator

“Are you not entertained?” because you will be while you watch these movies.

Gladiator is a timeless classic that reignited the “swords and sandals” genre while giving us one hell of a story along the way.

You don’t get a better character than Maximus Decimus Meridius, the movie’s lead brought to you by Russell Crowe. Plus, not to mention the incredible action scenes littered throughout the film.

But, if you’ve watched Gladiator more times than you can count (like me), you’re no doubt looking for something similar to watch.

In this article, you’ll discover 15 movies like Gladiator that you’ll love.

Read through the list and choose one to watch today.

Troy

Troy is the epic Greek saga that tells the story of the Trojan wars.

When Paris, a Trojan prince, has an affair with the Spartan King’s wife, all of Greece unites to wage war against the city of Troy. However, the walls of Troy have never been breached.

But, the Greeks have one thing on their side that the Trojans don’t have, the demi-God Achillies and his band of mercenaries.

This movie has a very similar feel to Gladiator and will satisfy your thirst for the clashing of swords. There are many incredible fight scenes in this movie, pretty much from the moment it starts until the credits roll.

The film stars Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Diane Kruger, and Orlando Bloom.

Kingdom Of Heaven

During the twelfth century, all of Europe is at war in Middle-Eastern Jerusalem. The city has yo-yoed between ownership; one day, it’s a Muslim state, and another day it’s besieged by a Christian crusade and is back in “God’s hands”.

When blacksmith Balian travels to the city, he finds himself transformed into a warrior who defends the city and its people with everything he’s got.

This movie is like Gladiator as it follows a man who goes from a nobody to a well-known hero. Plus, the fight scenes are pretty epic too, and if you loved the opening scene of Gladiator, you’d love this movie.

It stars Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Eva Green, Edward Norton, Jeremy Irons, and David Thewlis.

The Last Samurai

During the 1870s, US military officer Captain Nathan Algren is hired by the Japanese Emperor to train the country’s army in the art of modern warfare, using rifles rather than swords.

However, the local Samurai opposed the intervention and rebelled against the modernisation of their country.

Captain Algren is captured during a battle and spends years living with the Samurai, falling in love with the people and their culture.

The movie is another “one man standing for something bigger than himself”, just like Gladiator.

It stars Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Koyuki, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tony Goldwyn, and Timothy Spall.

Robin Hood

In 2010, Ridley Scott, the director of Gladiator, hired Russell Crowe to star as one of the world’s most famous outlaws… Robin Hood.

The movie follows Robin Longstride, who must bring the people of England together to fend off an army of invading Frenchmen. The problem is the local nobleman has sided with the enemy, leaving Robin and his band of men fighting an uphill battle.

Robin Hood is an action-packed movie that Empire Online said was “Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe at their most entertaining since Gladiator.”

With that said, I found the movie fun to watch and had some amazing fight scenes that feel rather Gladiator-esque.

The movie stars Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Oscar Isaac, Mark Strong, William Hunt, and Kevin Durand.

Spartacus

This classic movie arguably inspired Gladiator and proved people’s interest in ancient Rome, even 60 years ago.

The movie follows Thracian slave Spartacus, who rebels against his owners. However, when he’s sold to a gladiator trainer, his life changes, and he finds himself fighting for his life every day.

While in gladiator school, he convinces other fighters to revolt against their master and escapes to the countryside, where he faces off against the Roman empire.

In real life, Spartacus and his rebels almost brought Rome to its knees; it’s the perfect David vs Goliath story.

The film stars Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, Peter Ustinov, and Charles Laughton.

Ben-Hur

Nominated and winning several Academy Awards, this movie is impressive, considering its over 60 years old.

Like Gladiator, it’s set during Roman times and follows the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who was betrayed and sold into slavery.

After years of slavery, Judah regains his freedom and returns to his homeland to confront the person who betrayed him.

Sound familiar?… it should; the movie was definitely used as inspiration for Gladiator.

The movie stars Charlton Heston, known for The Ten Commandments, The Omega Man, Soylent Green, and The Three Musketeers. He’s joined by Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, and Haya Harareet.

Centurion

Centurion follows Roman leader Quintus Dias who is sent to England to investigate the disappearance of the Roman 9th legion and rescue its general from a nearby Pict camp.

However, things don’t go to plan, leaving a small group of soldiers fighting for their lives while being hunted by the Picts, an unforgiving tribe with no love for the Romans.

While the movie wasn’t a massive hit at the time and may have gone under your radar, it’s well worth watching if you enjoyed Gladiator.

Starring in the movie is Michael Fassbender, known for X-Men: First Class, Band Of Brothers, Hex, Shame, and Prometheus. Olga Kurylenko, she’s known for her roles in Quantum Of Solace, Hitman, Oblivion, Max Payne, and Johnny English Strikes Again.

Braveheart

“They may take our lives, but they’ll never take…OUR FREEDOM!”… sorry, I had to. You’ve no doubt heard that quote before; it’s pretty epic.

Braveheart follows a young William Wallace, a Scottish rebel who wants revenge on the English King Edward I after he murdered Wallace’s wife a day after their marriage.

William Wallace raises a large army to take on the English, resulting in one of the biggest battles in English history.

The movie stars Mel Gibson, known for Lethal Weapon, Mad Max, The Passion Of The Christ, The Patriot, Ransom, and Conspiracy Theory.

The Patriot

War veteran Benjamin marries and puts his violent past behind him. However, when his wife dies, he’s left to raise seven children alone.

When the American revolution begins, one of his sons is murdered in cold blood by an English redcoat, resulting in Benjamin taking up arms to get revenge.

The movie follows similar themes to most films on this list of one man standing for his beliefs.

This movie stars Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs, Joely Richardson, and Lisa Brenner.

Alexander

After King Alexander of Macedonia defeats the Persian Empire, he marches his army across the continent, travelling further than anybody from his country ever has.

In real life, Alexander has one of the largest empires known to man, he was a conqueror, and there’s a reason they attach the word “Great” to his name.

Throughout this movie, the battle scenes are fantastic. Empire Online describes them as “Spectacularly brutal battle scenes and intense attention to detail.” What more could you want?

The movie stars Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson, Val Kilmer, and Jared Leto.

A Knight’s Tale

While this movie is an entirely different genre and period, it shares a similar concept of a man working through the ranks through gladiatorial/tournament events.

Medieval peasant William Thatcher adopts a fake identity so he can enter a tournament solely for noblemen.

While he’s competing, he meets a beautiful lady who takes a liking to him.

It’s a funny and action-packed movie that has very loose Gladiator ties.

Starring in the movie is the late Heath Ledger, Shannon Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Mark Addy, and Rufus Sewel.

Rob Roy

Rob Roy is based on the real-life Scottish hero who wanted to transform his small town into a better place to live for all his people.

To do so, he borrows money to buy cattle. But, when the money is stolen, he decides enough is enough and begins to steal from the rich so the poor people can live better lives.

This movie’s lead character is similar to Maximus from Gladiator; all he wants is for the people of his country to live better lives without being taken advantage of.

The movie has a great cast, with Liam Neeson leading the way with Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth, and Eric Stoltz.

King Arthur

When the Roman empire pulls its forces from England to face an uprising back in their homeland, Arthur, a Roman commander, is forced to stay behind to cover any retreating nobles.

The problem is there is a Saxon army approaching, and Arthur realises those who’re left in England, including the local population, will need a leader should Rome fall.

The movie is packed full of fighting and has a dark feeling to it.

While it covers a different era to Gladiator, if you enjoyed the epic fighting and often grainy scenes, you’ll love King Arthur.

It stars Clive Owen, known for Killer Elite, Closer, Children Of Men, Inside Man, Chancer, and The Knick. He’s joined by Kiera Knightley, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Winstone, and Ray Stevenson.

Immortals

Theseus, a mortal man, is selected by the Greek Gods to fight the deadly King Hyperion, whose brutality knows no bounds.

To stand a chance, he searches for a mystical weapon called The Epirus Bow.

On his journey, he encounters numerous challenges as he travels across Greece, not only from Hyperion’s men but from some of the God’s themselves.

The movie stars Henry Cavill, known for his roles in Man Of Steel, The Witcher, Justice League, and Enola Holmes.

300

Now, I couldn’t make this list without including one of my all-time favourite movies.

300 is the incredible live-action version of the Frank Miller story of the same name. It’s based on one of history’s most impressive last stands that changed the world.

In 480 B.C., the Persian empire is at its peak, and “God King” Xerxes has his eyes set on conquering all of Greece. He brings his entire Persian army to the West for an all-out assault but is shocked to discover only 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas stand in his way.

This movie is like Gladiator as it tells the story of a tyrant and those who stood against him.

This action-packed movie stars Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Michael Fassbender, Peter Mensah, and Dominic West.