One of the most common tropes of the war genre is the way in which soldiers are portrayed, especially the protagonists. Typically, one of the most important aspects that filmmakers and showrunners will try to emphasize is the bond between soldiers, an essential aspect of life during wartime, which allows them to succeed. It can be observed in many war movies and TV shows, because it’s such a crucial part of being a soldier. It is an aspect that is drilled into soldiers from the moment they set foot in training.
Soldiers are trained to leave no one behind and to put aside their differences for a common goal. Combatants come from many different walks of life, yet are often able to get along with each other for the sole reason that they share the same values and the same desire to fight for their homeland, and if it comes down to it, to die for it. If this is an aspect you’re a fan of, you should definitely check out these war-themed TV shows, because they totally nailed the aspect of brotherhood and camaraderie.
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‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
If the title wasn’t enough of an indication, Band of Brothersis definitely mainly about the bond shared between the American soldiers at the show’s heart. The story takes viewers across some of the most popular and pivotal battles across the Western Front of the Second World War, from the D-Day Landings at Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge. Stylistically, it’s heavily inspired by Saving Private Ryan, which makes sense considering Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks collaborated on both Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.
Audiences get to know and identify the squad of characters at the center of these events, with each bearing a distinct personality and role within their platoon. This allows users to resonate with the various characters, which makes it that much more painful when one of them is lost to the horrors of war. Each loss is really felt by the characters and the audience, to the point that it’s more akin to losing a family member than a friend, which is exactly how it is supposed to feel.
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‘The Pacific’ (2010)
The Pacificis a spin-off of Band of Brothers, only this time, it takes viewers to the Pacific Theater, which is a totally different ballgame than the Western Front. Gone are the verdant meadows and wooded groves of Central Europe, instead replaced by the reeking swamps and thick rainforests of East Asia and Oceania. The American forces here aren’t just fighting the Axis Forces, but the environment, too, meaning sticking together and helping each other out is absolutely crucial.
Once again, through some of the most important battles of this particular theater of war, The Pacific emphasizes the importance of brotherhood during wartime. Yes, the characters do sometimes conflict with each other and get into fights or arguments, but at the end of the day, they are important to each other, and they always make sure to keep their brothers close as they endure the nightmare of warfare. The Pacific wasn’t quite as good as its predecessor, but it was still brilliant for many of the same reasons, including its central theme of brothers in arms.
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‘Masters of the Air’ (2024)
Masters of the Airis the second Band of Brothers spin-off, though it wasn’t received nearly as well. It’s still pretty good, it’s just not as groundbreaking as the original. This story once again returns to the Western Front of the Second World War, only, instead of showing what’s going on down on the ground, it takes viewers high up into the sky. Much of the series focuses on a whole new kind of battlefield, one fought with aircraft rather than boots on the ground, and which presented a whole new series of dangers.
The main characters are part of a bomber crew conducting a series of raids on German positions. As a result, brotherhood is extremely important. A bomber plane only works if all of the crew members are on the same page. It involves defensive gunners, bombardiers, pilots, navigators, and a commanding officer who must all work in tandem in order to see the mission through. Like the two shows before it, Masters of the Air succeeds in showing the bond between soldiers as they fight in the world’s deadliest conflicts.
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‘SAS: Rogue Heroes’ (2022–2025)
Britain’s Special Air Service, also known as the SAS, is one of the most elite Tier One special operations units in the world, and also happens to be one of the oldest. The unit traces its origins back to the Second World War, where they were specially trained and selected for some of the most daring operations in the conflict. SAS: Rogue Heroes is a show that dramatizes the origins of this unit, with many of the actors playing real-life individuals from the time period.
With the unit having small, humble beginnings, it’s only natural that everyone involved would quickly get to know each other and would often heavily rely upon each other in order to see their dangerous missions through. One slip up and the chances are, they won’t be going home, so teamwork is absolutely imperative. From the banter shared between the original SAS members to their attitude in the heat of battle, this series exemplifies the bond that exists between the SAS of 80 years ago, which persists even to this day.
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‘Home Fires’ (2015–2016)
Home Fires is definitely a show about friendship and camaraderie during wartime, but of a very different kind than the one that can be found in other entries on this list. See, Home Fires actually takes place far from the Allied war efforts during the Second World War, instead focusing on life in the United Kingdom. Most of the characters in the show are ordinary civilians, each of whom has a very important part to play in the war effort.
See, this show isn’t about brotherhood, but sisterhood, as much of it revolves around the Women’s Institute, which devoted much of its time to supporting the Allied troops from behind friendly lines. Many of the characters in this show bond over their boyfriends or husbands being away at war, while they all do their best to manufacture supplies or other necessary goods for soldiers overseas. This show nailed the aspect of camaraderie in that it successfully depicted how everyone pitched in to help during the war, even if they weren’t actively in combat, and how many united with their neighbors to overcome an international threat.
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‘Six’ (2017–2018)
SEAL Team Six is the US Navy’s Tier One special forces unit, and is widely regarded as one of, if not the most elite special forces group in the world. They have conducted some of the most famous and daring special operations in military history, including the mission to assassinate terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in 2011. Sixis a show about the secret lives those on SEAL Team Six lead, and details some of the more famous missions they have embarked upon.
As with any movie about SEAL Team Six, Six makes sure to emphasize the bond between the SEALs, as they have taken on some pretty dangerous missions with each other, and have come to trust each other with their lives. Though they come from many different backgrounds, their loyalty to their country and to their fellow warriors is unmistakable. Six isn’t unique in its depiction of the brotherhood of SEAL Team Six, but it nails it, nonetheless.
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‘The Liberator’ (2020)
The Liberatoris a four-part animated miniseries, one that has a really unique style of animation. It’s a peculiar blend of comic art and hyperrealism, or at least, that’s how it feels for a lot of people. It’s primarily a biographical series following Felix Sparks (Bradley James), who served in World War II and later became a high-ranking official in the US military. In particular, the show follows Sparks’ frontline combat experience during the Allied Invasion of Sicily, while also touching a bit on the war effort in France.
Since many of the people depicted in the show are based on real soldiers, it’s very important that the show embodies the attitudes and personalities of actual US combatants. As such, teamwork and trust are what allow Sparks to survive, as he places his faith in his brothers in arms, and vice versa. The unity of the American ground forces combined with the dangerous environments makes for a thrilling, yet heart-wrenching experience, which is able to take audiences through a rollercoaster of emotions in just four short episodes.
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‘Barbarians’ (2020–2022)
Barbarians is set in the First Century, during one of the Roman Empire’s many invasions into Germania. Germania was, at the time, inhabited by various Germanic tribes, such as the Teutons, who were frequently at each other’s throats. However, when they faced invasion by the Romans, they quickly learned to throw away their previous squabbles and fight the larger force of invaders. What resulted was a major show of force and some stiff resistance, which gave the Romans a lot of trouble in their conquests.
Though this show is largely about ancient warfare rather than modern warfare, it still does a brilliant job of portraying the power of unity and the will to fight for the common good. What the Germanic tribes lacked in discipline, they made up for in ferocity and for love of their homeland. At the end of the day, Barbarians is a remarkably intense war show that depicts why banding together in the face of adversity and looking out for your fellow warrior are important parts of winning any war.
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‘Generation Kill’ (2008)
Generation Kill is based on a non-fiction book by Evan Wright, which, in turn, is based on Wright’s own personal experiences serving as a war correspondent during the Iraq War. The American Invasion of Iraq, or the Iraq War, lasted from 2003 until 2011, and was kind of a soft spot for American audiences, as many were opposed to their country’s unwarranted interference in places where they felt America didn’t belong. On top of that, many media outlets failed to show the true horror of the conflict.
Generation Kill made sure to show it in full force, with some really intense violence and chaotic firefights. At the core of the show is a cast of both soldiers and non-combatants, including Evan Wright himself, who is played by Lee Tergesen. Not only do the American soldiers make sure to look out for each other, but also for embedded journalist Evan Wright, who begins to bond with them, eventually becoming an honorary member of their family, so to speak. Generation Kill shows how the American forces accepted a non-combatant as one of their own, which was essential in their efforts to protect him.
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‘M*A*S*H’ (1972–1983)
M*A*S*His a groundbreaking wartime sitcom that surely needs no introduction. The long-running series is set during the Korean War, a forgotten, yet bloody conflict with aftereffects that remain well into the 21st Century. Not much of this show takes place on the front lines of the war; instead, it takes audiences behind the lines, to a group of surgeons and medics who are sent to deal with any battlefield injuries or such. One wouldn’t expect to find a lot of comedy in such a grim situation, but the show makes it work by including some admittedly outlandish, but still hilarious moments. Though it still has its fair share of darkness in it.
One of the most important parts of M*A*S*H is its colorful cast of characters, which are often eccentric for the sake of comedy. Despite the fact that the show is largely unrealistic in the way that it makes war seem much funnier than it actually is, it does do a pretty good job of portraying the bond that exists between combatants and non-combatants, especially between medics back at home base. Though they may not be facing the bullets directly, their cooperation and friendship are still an essential part of their jobs, particularly when it comes to saving lives.
M*A*S*H
- Release Date
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1972 – 1983-00-00
- Showrunner
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Larry Gelbart
- Directors
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Larry Gelbart
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Loretta Swit
Margaret Houlihan
