After binging nearly all of the 13 episodes of Iron Fist, I came to realize not only how the series is the best Marvel show, but it is actually similar to another terrific series: Game of Thrones.
Be forewarned that this article will be filled with spoilers, so only read ahead after you’ve watched both shows!
If the actor who plays Danny Rand, otherwise known as The Iron Fist looks familiar, it’s probably because you recognize him from Game of Thrones. Jones played the character Ser Loras Tyrell, The Knight of Flowers in Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones is known for its intricately detailed look into the political intrigue between the various houses seeking to claim the Iron Throne. Iron Fist has its fair share of political battles, whether it is between the Meachums and Rands, Gao and Bakuto, and even within the Meachum family.
Joy and Ward Meachum are siblings, and Danny Rand is like a brother to them, which means they all get to compete for the love of Joy and Ward’s great dad, Harold Meachum. Harold incidentally tries to turn them all against each other for his own evil devices. The rivalry turns messy, of course, just like how things often got out of hand among the Lannister children in Game of Thrones.
This point stems from the political and sibling rivalry aspects of both shows. It was just wonderful to see the twists and turns that Iron Fist took, from Colleen Wing’s double betrayal, to Bakuto’s betrayal, to the Meachums’ antics. The backstabbing in Game of Thrones have far more deadly results, but you have to appreciate that Iron Fist manages to attach real consequences nonetheless.
All of the different Houses and heirs to the Iron Throne in Game of Thrones make for plenty of opportunities to battle both politically and to the death. Iron Fist doesn’t have nearly as many factions vying for power, but it’s the first time the Hand was exposed as an imperfect, fractured organization. The different power-hungry characters in Iron Fist keep the show’s story turning in unexpected and interesting ways.
The use of magic in both shows is rather subdued, without giant spectacles displayed, but with enough power to be significant. Danny Rand’s magical power is called upon during important moments throughout the series, but is not really the focal point – it’s more about the man wielding the magical power of the Iron Fist.
Aside from the White Walker zombies, there is legitimate resurrection of a few characters in Game of Thrones. And like them, Harold Meachum is shown to come back from the dead as a living, breathing man. He just comes back a little bit on the psychotic side.
Game of Thrones has the Iron Throne, and in Iron Fist, we’ve got the Rand Corporation. Control of either means ultimate power and wealth, and a huge part of both shows has to do with gaining the seat of power.
Sure, both shows have projectile weapons, but both Game of Thrones and Iron Fist feature mostly either hand-to-hand combat, or melee weapon fights. The wonderful intimacy of close quarters combat lends to bloody good fun. Plus, we get to see our favorite characters let out pent up rage over their sworn enemies.
There are a handful of varying religions represented in Game of Thrones, sometimes being the crux of important plotlines through the series. Iron Fist’s title character is quite religious. Danny Rand’s reliance on Buddhist teachings come up several times, mainly to calm down help center his Chi.
One of the greatest aspects of Game of Thrones is how different and varied the cultures are represented on screen. Differences in language, attire, attitude, and values are readily apparent, and result in creating wonderful scenes of culture shock amongst characters who visit different lands. Danny Rand experiences severe culture shock when he returns to modern society after being raised as a monk for the past 10 years. This unfortunately makes him naïve to the ways of the western world, but it also means he’s probably got a good heart too.
Daenerys Targaryen (“Dany”) has three dragons for pets in Game of Thrones, and Danny Rand faces off against one in Iron Fist. Sure, we don’t get to see Iron Fist’s dragon (only his red eyes), but both Dany and Danny possess the power of dragons.