Popverse's top stories

• Jeremy Renner and his Marvel co-stars laughed at Thor’s foam hammer when they made the first Avengers film
• Simon Kinberg on writing X-Men movies, producing Glenn Powell's The Running Man remake, and co-creating Star Wars Rebels [Popversations]
• Which Dragon Ball Z characters are the most painful to voice, according to the voice cast themselves

Once there was a gladiator who inspired a rebellion. He became a hero, a leader, and a legend. That man’s name was Spartacus.

From the creative minds of Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Steven DeKnight, Spartacus is a historical drama that aired on Starz from 2010 through 2013. The series was based on the historical figure Spartacus, retelling the legend of his rebellion against the Roman Republic. The show received critical acclaim for telling a story on a cinematic scale in the television medium.

With the sequel series Spartacus: House of Ashur on the way, now is the perfect time to catch up on Starz’s Spartacus saga. If you’re not sure where to begin, Popverse has you covered. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about watching Spartacus, reading the tie-in material, and more.

How to watch Spartacus in release order

Spartacus ran on Starz for three seasons, but each season had a different subtitle. As a result, some streaming services like The Roku Channel treat each season as a separate show. Not to worry, the following watch order will help you get it straight. The first season was Blood and Sand, the second was Vengeance, and the final season was War of the Damned. Gods of the Arena was a prequel miniseries that ran between the first two seasons, and House of Ashur is an upcoming sequel. If you need to see it laid out visually, refer to this list.

• Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010)
• Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)
• Spartacus: Vengeance (2012)
• Spartacus: War of the Damned (2013)
• Spartacus: House of Ashur (2025)
  
  

How to watch Spartacus in chronological order (with the tie-in material!)

Starz’s Spartacus saga doesn’t jump around the timeline too much, but there is a prequel miniseries that aired between the first two seasons of the television show. If you want to watch Spartacus in timeline order, make sure you watch Gods of the Arena before starting the first season. Everything else is the same as the release order. However, keep in mind that House of Ashur is an alternate history (more on that in the next section). As a bonus, we’re including the tie-in material in our chronological order.

• Spartacus: Blood and Sand (comic book) (note: dubious canon status)
• Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (television miniseries)
• Spartacus: Blood and Sand episodes 1-5 (television series, season 1)
• Spartacus: Swords & Ashes (novel)
• Spartacus: Blood and Sand episodes 6-7 (television series, season 1)
• Spartacus: Morituri (novel)
• Spartacus: Blood and Sand episodes 7-13 (television series, season 1)
• Spartacus: Vengeance (television series, season 2)
• Spartacus: War of the Damned (television series, season 3)
• Spartacus: House of Ashur (television sequel) (note: alternate history)
  
  

Are they doing a new season of Spartacus?

Starz is producing Spartacus: House of Ashur, a 10-episode series that will serve as a sequel to their Spartacus franchise. Nick E. Tarabay will reprise his role as Ashur.

Yes, we know the last series ended with him being decapitated.

The series will be set on an alternate timeline where Ashur wasn’t killed. The official series description states, “The series poses the question: what if Ashur hadn’t died on Mount Vesuvius at the end of ‘Spartacus: Vengeance?’ And what if he had been gifted the gladiator school once owned by Batiatus in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion?”

Starz hasn’t revealed the release date for the series, but it’s expected to premiere sometime in late 2025. In the meantime, you should check out the official Redband trailer.

Why was the first Spartacus replaced?

Andy Whitfield played Spartacus for the first season of the Starz historical drama, which was given the subtitle Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Unfortunately, Whitfield was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010. Starz produced Spartacus: Gods of the Arena as a prequel miniseries to give Whitfield time to recover. Whitfield was briefly declared cancer-free, but the actor relapsed in September 2010, forcing him to abandon the role. Starz recast the role with Liam McIntyre. Tragically, Whitfield lost his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011, passing away at the age of 39.

What is the difference between Spartacus and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena?

The short answer is that one is a television show, and the other is a prequel miniseries.

Spartacus is a historical drama focusing on Spartacus’s rebellion against the Roman Republic. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is a prequel miniseries set five years before Spartacus’s arrival. The miniseries focuses on a gladiator named Gannicus. The character would return for Spartacus: Vengeance.

Where can I watch Spartacus?

You don’t need to travel to a coliseum to see Spartacus; you just need a Starz subscription. Starz is the streaming home for all three seasons of Spartacus, Gods of the Arena, and the upcoming House of Ashur sequel. The series is also available to stream on The Roku Channel. Please note, the availability of Spartacus may change as streaming licenses expire and new deals are made.

Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:

• Upcoming movies
• Upcoming TV shows
• Upcoming comics
• Upcoming games
• Upcoming fiction books
• Upcoming comic conventions