Movies like Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning! (1993)
The best movies like Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning! (1993) are The Scarlet and the Black (1983), Ethel & Ernest (2016) and Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004). If Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning! hooked you with its animation and war, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedRed Cliff II (2009)7.3/10 from 518 votes
- NewestThree Kingdoms: The Beginning (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseBuddha: The Great Departure (2011)Also in Japanese
The Scarlet and the Black (1983)
Fr. Hugh O'Flaherty is a Vatican official in 1943-45 who has been hiding downed pilots, escaped prisoners of war, and Italian resistance families. His activities become so large that the Nazis decide to assassinate him the next time he leaves the Vatican.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEthel & Ernest (2016)
This hand drawn animated film, based on the award winning graphic novel by Raymond Briggs, is an intimate and affectionate depiction of the life and times of his parents, two ordinary Londoners living through extraordinary events.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIke: Countdown to D-Day (2004)
The story of the senior-level preparations for the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 from the time of Dwight D. Eisenhower's appointment as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, to the establishment of the beachhead in Normandy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBuddha: The Great Departure (2011)
Prince Siddhartha is heir to the Shakya kingdom, which is constantly at war with the more powerful Kosala kingdom. His father tries to raise as him as a warrior leader and to shield him from the miseries of the world. Meeting the young outcast girl Migaila, Siddhartha experiences love for the first time but also witnesses the suffering that afflicts humankind. Meanwhile, in Kosala, Chapra rises through the military, despite his lowly origins, to become a hero and general of the army. A final showdown between the two kingdoms forces Siddhartha to re-evaluate the path he is following.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBuddha 2: The Endless Journey (2014)
2500 years ago, in India, Siddhartha was born as a prince of the Shakya clan, but he gives up his position as a prince to see the world. He meets a strange boy named Assaji, who can predict the future, a monk with only one eye and Depa. Siddhartha continues traveling. Siddhartha is overwhelmed by the sufferings he witnesses around him. Meanwhile, Prince Ruri of Kosara begins his attack on the Shakya clan. Second Buddha movie from Tezuka Productions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisField of Lost Shoes (2015)
A group of teenage cadets sheltered from war at the Virginia Military Institute must confront the horrors of an adult world when they are called upon to defend the Shenandoah Valley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWalking with the Enemy (2014)
Regent Horthy is the leader of Hungary and a German ally, but his favorable standing with Hitler changes as the war comes to an end. Forced to cede Hungary’s power or else witness the execution of his son, Regent Horthy gives up control of his country to the Nazis, who quickly move Hungarians to ghettos and death camps, with no hope in sight. But the despair changes when a young man named Elek emerges. Separated from his family during the relocations and aided by the woman he loves , Elek defies the enemy by becoming one of them. In a race against time, disguised as a Nazi Officer he embarks on a mission to save his family and thousands of his countrymen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOutlaws - For Greater Glory (2012)
A chronicle of the Cristeros War (1926-1929), which was touched off by a rebellion against the Mexican government's attempt to secularize the country.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLegend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Intrigue 1 (2022)
The story focuses on the exploits of rivals Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li, as they rise to power and fame in the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, respectively.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFate/Grand Order the Movie: Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot 1 Wandering; Agateram (2020)
The wandering knight, Bedivere, reaches the end of his journey. It is A.D. 1273 in Jerusalem. The Holy Land has been transformed into a massive desert and its people have been forced out of their homes as three major powers wage war with each other in this wasteland. The Knights of the Round Table come together to protect the Holy City and their Lion King. With the whole of his kingdom summoned into a strange land, Ozymandias, the Sun King, quietly plots against the tyranny of this bizarre realm. The mountain people, protectors of those who were stripped of their land, await their chance at rebellion. In order to fulfill his mission, Bedivere heads for the Holy City where the Lion King rules. There he meets humanity’s final Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru, who has come to Jerusalem, accompanied by his Demi-Servant, Mash Kyrielight, in their quest to restore human history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Sky Crawlers (2008)
Youngsters called Kildren, who are destined to live eternally in their adolescence. The Kildren are conscious that every day could be the last, because they fight a war as entertainment, organized and operated by adults. But as they embrace the reality they are faced with, they live their day-to-day lives to the full.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Miniaturist (2017)
A woman moves to live with her new husband in 17th century Amsterdam, but soon discovers that not everything is what it seems.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Great War (2019)
In November of 1918 as World War I was ending, a unit of American soldiers goes behind enemy lines to find a lost platoon of African American soldiers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLegend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars (1988)
For the past 150 years, humanity’s two greatest nations have been deadlocked in a meaningless war. In what is hoped to be a miraculous victory, the Alliance embarks on a battle to break through the Empire’s frontline. Like many other “decisive” battles, this can only end in disaster; a sentiment shared by Imperial nobleman Reinhard von Lohengramm and Alliance Commodore Yang Wen Li, both of whom realize how to turn the fight in their favor. And while the tides of war may never change, these two men must rise to the occasion, solidifying their place in history as heroes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLegend of the Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War (1993)
Reinhard von Müsel and Yang Wen-li return to their respective homes, one victorious and the other defeated. While Reinhard earns the new name Lohengramm, Yang and his friends celebrate some welcome news.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & war
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Kill Team (2019)
When Andrew Briggman — a young soldier in the US Army during the invasion of Afghanistan — witnesses the murderous behavior of fellow soldiers, under the direction of a malevolent Sergeant, he faces a moral dilemma. His increasingly-violent platoon becomes suspicious that someone in their ranks has turned on them, and Andrew begins to fear for his safety. A fictionalized dramatization based on a true story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPrizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher (2022)
At the turn of the 19th century, Pugilism was the sport of kings and a gifted young boxer fought his way to becoming champion of England.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBattleground (1949)
Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley and his American compatriots have already seen one of their own, Roderigues, perish under enemy fire. The men try to rebuff another series of Nazi attacks, but what they really need is a change in the weather. Without clear skies, they'll never get the air support they need.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1952)
A fugitive lord and his six retainers disguise themselves as monks to bluff their way through a hostile checkpoint.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe One That Got Away (1957)
Based on the true story of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, the only German prisoner of war captured in Britain to escape back to Germany during the Second World War.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSangokushi: The Distant Land (1994)
Third movie of the Sangokushi animated film trilogy. The movie covers the longest time span of the three films, from Liu Bei's expedition to Shu in 211 CE to the death of Kongming in 234 CE.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & war
Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes (2025)
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Cao Cao defeated Dong Zhuo, welcomed the emperor, and fought at Guandu, becoming a great hero.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & history
Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms (1992)
Begins during the Yellow Turban rebellion that initiated the downfall of the Han dynasty. Liu Bei is striving to find a way to bring order to a chaotic world. He befriends Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. They take the Oath of the Peach Garden, to live and die together as warriors for justice. Cao Cao (eventual antagonist) ponders how to fulfill his destiny as "a hero in a chaotic world or a villain in a peaceful one." English dub version cuts out 18 minutes of the film.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & history
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1985)
Sangokushi is set in the waning days of the Han dynasty. Central rule has disintegrated, and the land is controlled by multiple warlords. Liu Bei Xuande is a warrior who aspires to build a just state and to serve the people.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & war
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II: Tensho's Heroes (1986)
The sequel to 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' (1985)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & war
The Lost Bladesman (2011)
During the warring period of the three kingdoms, ancient China is in turmoil. To unify the country, general Cao Cao, the real power behind the Emperor, enlists the aid of the greatest warrior in the land, Guan Yu. However, Guan Yu is a loyal friend of Cao Cao's enemy Liu Bei so to persuade the peerless warrior to fight, Cao Cao takes his beloved Qi Lan hostage. After leading Cao Cao's forces to victory Guan Yu sets out with Qi Lan to rejoin Liu Bei. Now Cao Cao has deemed him too great a threat to live, and on the journey he must face all the forces at the Emperor's command sent to destroy him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDingjun Mountain (1905)
The first Chinese film ever made, a sung representation of Battle of Mount Dingjun.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & war
Red Cliff II (2009)
The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRed Cliff (2008)
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.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThree Kingdoms: The Beginning (2026)
Toward the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, amid nationwide unrest, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao sought to enlist General-in-Chief He Jin’s support to check the power of the eunuchs and restore the Han Dynasty to its rightful order. Unexpectedly, Dong Zhuo seized the chaos to march his troops into the capital, plotting to dethrone the reigning emperor and install a new one.Swept up in the torrential tide of troubled times, a host of warlords emerged one after another: Yuan Shu, Lü Bu, Sun Jian, as well as Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Turmoil engulfed Luoyang, and the fate of the great Han Empire stood at a crossroads…
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & history
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!?
The closest matches to Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning! are The Scarlet and the Black (1983), Ethel & Ernest (2016) and Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!?
Start with The Scarlet and the Black (1983), the closest match to Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!.
What is the highest-rated movie like Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!?
Red Cliff II (2009), rated 7.3/10 by 518 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!?
Three Kingdoms: The Beginning (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!?
Yes: Buddha: The Great Departure (2011), Buddha 2: The Endless Journey (2014) and Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Intrigue 1 (2022).
How are movies similar to Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning! chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.