What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe First King
Matteo Rovere · Film · 2019
If you loved The First King, start with The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The First King across media.
What hooked you in The First King was the way the weight of destiny forces brothers and allies into brutal, unforgiving conflict.
Books on the same thread
Oedipus the King
Sophocles · Book · 2015
Explores: Inevitable fate, Hubris, Parricide and incest.
Like the tragic fratricide in The First King, this work examines how an inescapable, divine fate dictates the violent destruction of family bonds and the ruin of men.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Anonymous Anonymous · Book · 2015
Explores: mortality and the fear of death, the nature of kingship, male friendship and platonic intimacy.
This epic mirrors the raw, ancient brotherhood found in The First King, exploring the profound intimacy and loss between two men navigating a harsh and unforgiving world.
The Winter King
Bernard Cornwell · Book · 1997
Explores: Post-Roman Britain, Warrior Culture, Religious Conflict.
If the visceral warrior culture of The First King moved you, this retelling captures that same grounded, gritty struggle for survival and loyalty in a shifting landscape.
Oedipus Rex
Sophocles · Book · 1991
Explores: inevitability of fate, tragic irony, hubris.
Much like the inevitable doom overshadowing the brothers in The First King, this play highlights the devastating power of fate to corrupt and destroy those who resist it.
Series on the same thread
The Last Kingdom
Stephen Butchard · Series · 2015
Explores: warrior culture, identity crisis, cultural clash.
This series echoes the themes of The First King by placing personal identity and loyalty against the backdrop of an evolving, often violent historical struggle for power.
Rome
Bruno Heller · Series · 2005
Shares a thread with The First King: Betrayal.
The political betrayal and raw historical atmosphere of The First King resonate here, offering a deeper look at the power struggles that define the birth of empires.
Primal
Genndy Tartakovsky · Series · 2019
Explores: Survival, Unlikely friendship, Human-animal bond.
The primal bond and struggle for survival in this series mirror the intense, wordless connection between the brothers in The First King as they face nature alone.
The King: Eternal Monarch
Series · 2020
Explores: Duty vs. Love, Fate vs. Free Will, Good vs. Evil.
While set in a different era, this story shares the focus of The First King on how destiny and duty force individuals to choose between love and survival.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This podcast explores the foundational myths of a nation, much like the origin story of Rome depicted in The First King, uncovering the violence behind historical narratives.
Mahabharat
Fever FM - HT Smartcast · Podcast
Explores: Ancient History, Indian Epic, Moral Lessons.
The grandeur and moral gravity of this epic tale parallel the legendary scope of The First King, focusing on how ancient conflicts shape the fate of civilizations.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The First King based on the legend of Romulus and Remus?
Yes, The First King depicts the journey of Romulus and Remus. The story follows these two shepherds and brothers as they embark on the path that leads one of them to become the founder of the greatest nation ever seen.
Does The First King feature the death of one of the brothers?
Yes, the plot of The First King confirms that the fate of the chosen founder of the nation involves killing his own brother. The narrative focuses on the conflict between the two loyal brothers during their journey.
What is the main conflict in The First King?
The main conflict in The First King centers on the brothers Romulus and Remus. While they begin their journey as loyal shepherds, their fate ultimately requires one brother to kill the other in order to establish the greatest nation ever seen.
Is The First King a story about the founding of a nation?
Yes, The First King tells the story of how two shepherds, Romulus and Remus, take part in a journey. This path leads to the founding of the greatest nation ever seen, though it requires the tragic sacrifice of one brother by the other.