20 Best Historical Action Movies to Watch after Gladiator II

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Historical action films hold a unique place in cinema, combining grand narratives, intense battle sequences, and immersive period settings. For fans of Gladiator and its sequel Gladiator II, there is an array of similarly thrilling films that explore courage, honor, and the human spirit against the backdrop of history. These movies range from mythological sagas to real-life chronicles of war and conquest, offering a captivating experience for audiences who crave action-packed tales with depth and drama.

Here’s a look at some of the finest historical action movies and where to find them streaming online.

What are some of the best historical action movies to start with? 

At the heart of historical action films is their ability to blend emotional resonance with gripping visuals. Films like Braveheart and The Last Samurai exemplify this balance, with their protagonists embodying themes of rebellion and redemption. These films transport viewers to distant times while forging connections through universal struggles of freedom, loyalty, and survival.

Some historical action films delve into mythology and legend. 300, with its stylized depiction of the Spartan defense at Thermopylae, and Troy, inspired by Homer’s Iliad, bring ancient stories to life with cinematic flair. Similarly, Ben-Hur is an enduring classic that showcases the epic scale of historical storytelling, while King Arthur: Legend of the Sword offers a modernized take on a beloved legend.

Others, like Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and The Patriot, focus on the grit and strategy of warfare. These films emphasize camaraderie and leadership in the face of overwhelming odds, much like Gladiator. Meanwhile, Apocalypto stands out for its visceral portrayal of survival in a Mayan civilization under siege.

Historical action films also explore moral complexities. Kingdom of Heaven and Alexander present intricate depictions of political intrigue and cultural clashes. Dunkirk and Saving Private Ryan focus on the personal and collective sacrifices of war, presenting history through an intensely human lens.

Where can you watch these historical action movies online? 

The list below offers you all the options to stream, buy, or rent these historical epics on streaming platforms in India. We also give you offers to watch these iconic period movies for free if available.

Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV Plus
Apple TV
Crunchyroll
Hotstar
Jio Cinema
Zee5
Google Play Movies
MUBI
Sony Liv
YouTube
GuideDoc
Netflix Kids
Tubi TV
Sun Nxt
Hoichoi
Hungama Play
Alt Balaji
Curiosity Stream
EPIC ON
ShemarooMe
DOCSVILLE
Tata Play
Discovery+
ManoramaMax
MX Player
Spamflix
aha
Plex
WOW Presents Plus
Magellan TV
BroadwayHD
Filmzie
Lionsgate Play
MovieSaints
Dekkoo
True Story
DocAlliance Films
VI movies and tv
Eventive
ShortsTV Amazon Channel
Amazon Video
Cultpix
FilmBox+
Takflix
Amazon miniTV
AD tv
Shahid VIP
Bookmyshow
Lionsgate Play Apple TV Channel
Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel
Lionsgate Play Amazon Channel
MGM Amazon Channel
Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
Hoichoi Amazon Channel
ManoramaMAX Amazon Channel
Chaupal Amazon Channel
BBC Kids Amazon Channel
Sony Pictures Amazon Channel
Vrott Amazon Channel
Anime Times Amazon Channel
MyZen TV Amazon Channel
Museum Tv Amazon Channel
BBC Player Amazon Channel
MUBI Amazon Channel
Discovery+ Amazon Channel
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  1. Braveheart

    Braveheart

    1995

    #1

    Enraged at the slaughter of Murron, his new bride and childhood love, Scottish warrior William Wallace slays a platoon of the local English lord's soldiers. This leads the village to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against English rule.

  2. The Last Samurai

    The Last Samurai

    2003

    #2

    Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

  3. 300

    300

    2007

    #3

    Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, "300" is very loosely based the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians; the battle is said to have inspired all of Greece to band together against the Persians, and helped usher in the world's first democracy.

  4. Troy

    Troy

    2004

    #4

    In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.

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  5. Ben-Hur

    Ben-Hur

    1959

    #5

    In 25 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of trying to kill the Roman governor, he is put into slavery and his mother and sister are taken away as prisoners.

  6. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

    #6

    When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern, Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword Excalibur from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy... whether he likes it or not.

  7. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

    #7

    After an abrupt and violent encounter with a French warship inflicts severe damage upon his ship, a captain of the British Royal Navy begins a chase over two oceans to capture or destroy the enemy, though he must weigh his commitment to duty and ferocious pursuit of glory against the safety of his devoted crew, including the ship's thoughtful surgeon, his best friend.

  8. The Patriot

    The Patriot

    2000

    #8

    After proving himself on the field of battle in the French and Indian War, Benjamin Martin wants nothing more to do with such things, preferring the simple life of a farmer. But when his son Gabriel enlists in the army to defend their new nation, America, against the British, Benjamin reluctantly returns to his old life to protect his son.

  9. Apocalypto

    Apocalypto

    2006

    #9

    Set in the Mayan civilization, when a man's idyllic presence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, he is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.

  10. Kingdom of Heaven

    Kingdom of Heaven

    2005

    #10

    After his wife dies, a blacksmith named Balian is thrust into royalty, political intrigue and bloody holy wars during the Crusades.

  11. Alexander

    Alexander

    2004

    #11

    Alexander, the King of Macedonia, leads his legions against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians, he leads his army across the then known world, venturing farther than any westerner had ever gone, all the way to India.

  12. Dunkirk

    Dunkirk

    2017

    #12

    The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk between May 26th and June 4th 1940 during World War II.

  13. Saving Private Ryan

    #13

    As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home.

  14. Spartacus

    Spartacus

    1960

    #14

    The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus. After weeks of being trained to kill for the arena, Spartacus turns on his owners and leads the other slaves in rebellion. As the rebels move from town to town, their numbers swell as escaped slaves join their ranks. Under the leadership of Spartacus, they make their way to southern Italy, where they will cross the sea and return to their homes.

  15. Robin Hood

    Robin Hood

    2010

    #15

    When soldier Robin happens upon the dying Robert of Loxley, he promises to return the man's sword to his family in Nottingham. There, he assumes Robert's identity; romances his widow, Marion; and draws the ire of the town's sheriff and King John's henchman, Godfrey.

  16. The Eagle

    The Eagle

    2011

    #16

    In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Accompanied only by his British slave Esca, Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia - to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.

  17. Outlaw King

    Outlaw King

    2018

    #17

    Forced into exile by the English after being crowned King of Scotland, legendary warrior Robert the Bruce fights to reclaim the throne.

  18. Exodus: Gods and Kings

    #18

    The defiant leader Moses rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, setting 400,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.

  19. 13 Assassins

    13 Assassins

    2010

    #19

    A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.

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  20. Red Cliff

    Red Cliff

    2008

    #20

    In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.

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