THE 9 BEST MILITARY TV SHOWS OF 2025
Whether you’re unwinding after a long day, catching up with fellow Vets, or just looking for a show that actually feels authentic, 2025 didn’t disappoint. This year delivered a strong lineup of military-themed TV that goes beyond surface-level action and gets closer to the realities of service.
Some of these shows revisit real-world conflicts and historic moments, while others use fiction to explore the mindset, camaraderie, and challenges that come with life in uniform.
We’ve ranked the best military-related TV shows of 2025, broken down where to stream them, and explained what makes each one worth your time. Whether you’re looking for something intense, reflective, or just plain entertaining, there’s something here for you.
Here Are the Best 2025 Military TV Shows
2025 has been full of memorable and noteworthy military TV shows, but we’re giving you the rundown of the most captivating and binge-worthy shows that you can easily catch up on as the year comes to a close.
1. Surviving Black Hawk Down
Where to Watch: Netflix
Genre: Documentary / Military History
Release date: February 10, 2025
This docuseries takes you into Mogadishu in 1993. Rather than playing up the spectacle, this series digs into real voices — U.S. Soldiers, Somali fighters, and civilians whose lives were changed in a flash. The interviews and footage paint a picture that’s raw, human, and unforgettable.
For anyone who’s served, Surviving Black Hawk Down goes beyond Hollywood and gets at the grit and cost of combat in a way few shows do.
2. The Terminal List: Dark Wolf
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Genre: Action / Military Thriller
Release date: August 27, 2025
If you’re drawn to tactical action and the psyche of operators, Dark Wolf gives you that.
Centered on Navy SEAL Ben Edwards before he became a household name, this prequel shows how the grind of deployments and shadow missions shapes a warrior’s instincts and choices.
There’s plenty of firepower, but also a focus on the internal load that comes with serving in elite units. This series is big on authenticity and doesn’t shy away from the emotional weight behind the missions.
3. Marines
Where to Watch: Netflix
Genre: Documentary / Military Reality
Release date: November 10, 2025
This series isn’t a scripted drama — it’s day-to-day life with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit as they grind through training, patrols, and readiness exercises.
From the crazy early mornings to the tough calls in training environments, Marines gives you a front-row seat to what it really takes to stay ready — the sweat, the pride, and yes, the humor along the way.
For Veterans, this feels real. There’s no glossing over the grind, and it’s a great reminder that even when there’s no deployed trailer in sight, Marines are always prepared.
4. Fallout
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Drama
Season 2 release date: December 17, 2025
Based on the iconic video game universe, Fallout imagines a world reshaped by nuclear conflict. Survivors form factions, vie for power, and fight for survival in a landscape where the rules of engagement are constantly changing.
While not strictly a military show, Fallout leans hard into survivalism, chain of command, and strategic thinking under fire — themes that resonate deeply with Veterans and service members.
5. Boots
Where to Watch: Netflix
Genre: Military Comedy-Drama
Release date: October 9, 2025
You’ve probably heard war stories told with a grin and a groan — Boots captures that dynamic. Based on the memoir The Pink Marine, the series follows a young recruit on the path from civilian to Marine.
It balances the humor of boot camp absurdities with real reflection on identity, belonging, and the weird brotherhood that boots build.
Even though it only lasted one season, Boots left a mark with its heart and humor — a rare blend for military storytelling in 2025.
6. Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test
Where to Watch: FOX, Hulu, Tubi
Genre: Reality / Military-Style Competition
Release date: September 25, 2025
This show drops celebrities into a grueling, special-forces-inspired course where mental toughness is just as important as physical stamina.
It’s not a traditional documentary or scripted show, but the intensity, discipline, and breakdown moments hit home in a way many Veterans can relate to.
It’s reality television, sure — but it channels that crucible experience in a way that’s interesting, if not a little surreal to watch.
7. Turning Point: The Vietnam War (Netflix)
Where to Watch: Netflix
Genre: Documentary / Military History
Release date: April 30, 2025
This documentary series walks through the Vietnam War’s defining moments — from political decisions to battlefield turning points — with an eye for how that conflict reshaped the nation and the military community.
It’s thoughtful, reflective, and packed with the context that helps veterans and history lovers understand that era on a deeper level.
Turning Point is meaningful and historically rich, though its impact didn’t quite reach the cultural prominence of other series on this list.
8. The Last Frontier (Apple TV+)
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
Genre: Thriller / Drama
Release date: October 10, 2025
Set against the unforgiving backdrop of Alaska, this fight-for-survival mystery follows a U.S. Marshal unraveling a conspiracy after a plane crash in the wilderness.
The terrain is brutal, the stakes are high, and tactical thinking plays a key role in every choice. While not a strictly military show, The Last Frontier borrows heavily from survival and operational themes that make it worth watching.
9. The American Revolution (PBS)
Where to Watch: PBS
Genre: Documentary / Military History
Release date: November 18, 2025
This PBS documentary series revisits the American Revolution through a modern lens, focusing not just on famous figures but on the lived experience of the soldiers, militias, and civilians who fought the war that created the nation.
Using letters, battlefield analysis, and expert commentary, The American Revolution explores leadership under pressure, asymmetric warfare, and the reality of fighting with limited resources against a global superpower.
For Veterans and military-minded viewers, this series stands out for its grounded approach. It strips away mythology and instead presents war as it has always been: chaotic, costly, and deeply human.
What TV Show Is Your Favorite?
The best military TV shows of 2025 succeeded because they treated conflict as more than an action spectacle. Whether through firsthand testimony, elite operations, or speculative futures shaped by war, these series explored the cost of service, the weight of command, and the human side of combat.
For viewers interested in realism, Surviving Black Hawk Down and Marines lead the pack. For modern military thrillers, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf delivered. And for those drawn to broader reflections on war’s legacy, Fallout and Turning Point offered something deeper. Let us know what TV show was your favorite!
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BY LAUREN PIETTE
Editor at VeteranLife
Lauren Piette is a content strategist and editor at Military Brands, where she curates and polishes storytelling that informs, supports, and empowers the military community. With experience across digital content publication, SEO-driven content creation, and audience engagement, she blends strategic...
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Lauren Piette is a content strategist and editor at Military Brands, where she curates and polishes storytelling that informs, supports, and empowers the military community. With experience across digital content publication, SEO-driven content creation, and audience engagement, she blends strategic...
