After the hype surrounding Our Flag Means Death and One Piece, MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was seized by nostalgia. Many years ago he watched his absolute favorite pirate series: Black Sails. Unfortunately, the series is hard to find anywhere unless you want to buy it directly.
What kind of series is this?
This is what makes Black Sails so good: Unlike many other pirate series and films, Black Sails doesn’t try to score points with excessive romance or comedic interludes. Instead, the careers of the most important pirates are told over many episodes.
It’s also less about simple plundering trips or treasure hunts, but rather about the pirates’ fight for their freedom and their own city of Nassau. The series has a dramatic structure and culminates in the infamous pirate war between the Pirate Republic and the British Empire.
By the way, it’s only because of Black Sails that I want to visit Nassau, today’s capital of the Bahamas. The series shows the architecture of the city from before and how the pirates lived back then. For years I’ve just wanted to walk on the same street as Blackbeard and Hornigold back in the day.
Although the series had a difficult start, it now has a rating of 8.2 out of 10 on IMBb. For me personally, Black Sails is the best pirate series ever and is only surpassed in this regard by Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean.
But what makes Black Sails better than any other series I know is the great intro. I don’t know of anything more epic. You can find the trailer for Season 1 here:
Black Sails – Trailer for the first season of the pirate series
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Black Sails is a mix of Game of Thrones and Pirates of the Caribbean
Who is Black Sails worthwhile for? Anyone interested in pirates should have seen or at least know Black Sails. Even if you just think the pirates are “cool”, the series will definitely captivate you.
Action fans will also get their money’s worth. In addition to sea battles, there are also battles on land and a lot of saber rattling. The series isn’t quite as bloody and brutal as Game of Thrones, but it doesn’t hide the fact that things were pretty bad back then.
However, if you’re hoping for fantasy and voodoo in the style of Pirates of the Caribbean or for adventure like in Treasure Island, Black Sails is a bad choice. The series is a drama through and through.
Where can I watch Black Sails? Black Sails is backed by STARZ, a US company known for rarely working with major streaming services. Accordingly, you only have a few options to watch the series “for free”:
Otherwise you can only buy or rent Black Sails. I simply bought the Bluray box with all the seasons including bonus material, so I have the series at home and don’t have to hope for a good internet connection. In addition, the quality is often better. Unfortunately, you have to choose either the English or the German box.
We have another hot tip for pirate fans on MeinMMO:
Stream One Piece in German: This is how you can watch the anime legally on the Internet