Rise of Empires: Ottoman

Premise

Season 1

In the first season,Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror wages a campaign to take the Eastern Roman capital of Constantinople in 1453, resulting in the capture of the city and establishment of the Ottoman Empire.Following the death of his father Murad II, the young Sultan Mehmed II ascends to the throne with an unwavering ambition to capture the Byzantine capital. The series chronicles the technical challenges of the siege, including the construction of the massive Orban cannons and the innovative transport of the Ottoman navy over land to enter the Golden Horn. Amidst internal friction with Grand Vizier Çandarlı Halil Pasha and guidance from his stepmother Mara Branković(played by Tuba Büyüküstün), Mehmed faces off against Emperor Constantine XI and the Genoese defender Giovanni Giustiniani. The season culminates in the successful Ottoman breach of the Theodosian Walls, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of the Ottoman Empire as a global power.

Season 2

Mehmed vs. Vlad, Mehmed the Conqueror and Vlad the Impaler, childhood companions in the Ottoman court, go head-to-head in the 1462 Ottoman invasion of Wallachia.

Years after conquering Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II faces a direct challenge to his authority from his childhood friend, Vlad Dracula (the Voivode of Wallachia), who refuses to pay his annual tribute.Mehmed dispatches the senior diplomat Hamza Bey to Wallachia to forcibly bring Vlad to Constantinople. Instead, Vlad ambushes the Ottoman delegation, capturing and executing them by impalement.The show utilizes flashbacks to explore the childhood of Mehmed, Vlad, and Radu when the Wallachian princes were held as royal hostages under Sultan Murad II, establishing the deep personal roots of their bitter rivalry.To isolate Vlad from Western aid, Mehmed sends his trusted stepmother, Mara Hatun, on a dangerous mission to Buda to negotiate directly with Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus , successfully convincing him to stay neutral.The Ottoman forces reach the strategic port city of Nicopolis along the Danube River . Vlad utilizes high-ground positioning and water-tactics to gain an early upper hand, forcing the Ottomans to plan a risky river crossing.

In June 1462, Mehmed's army successfully breaches the river barrier under the cover of night and enters Wallachia, with Radu assisting as a tactical guide.Knowing he cannot defeat the Ottoman military in a standard pitched battle, Vlad retreats into the dense Carpathian forests and unleashes brutal psychological and scorched-earth tactics—burning his own crops, destroying shelters, and poisoning water supplies.

The narrative introduces a parallel storyline in Constantinople. With Mehmed away on campaign, Gülbahar Hatun is left in charge of the imperial palace to protect the young Şehzade Bayezid, as political tension builds.

As the Ottoman army's resources dwindle and the soldiers suffer from dehydration, Vlad escalates his tactics by launching biological warfare. He purposely sends plague-ridden civilians into the path of the advancing Ottoman ranks, causing the bubonic plague to breakout among Mehmed's troops.

Vlad extends this biological strike to the capital. He sends secret, infected operatives to infiltrate the Grand Bazaar and slip into the imperial palace, planning to assassinate the royal lineage by spreading the disease.Seeking to break Vlad's resolve, Radu leads a specialized detachment to close in on Vlad's fortress. He attempts to capture Vlad's wife, Anastasia(fictional character), as a political hostage, but she chooses to commit suicide by jumping from the battlements rather than surrender.

Cast and Characters

Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu as Mehmed the Conqueror:The 7th Ottoman Sultan,son of Sultan Murad II and Huma Hatun.He successfully conquers Costantinople.Driven by a lifelong obsession to fulfill a prophecy and cement his legacy, he orchestrates the historic 1453 Siege of Constantinople in Season 1. In Season 2, his reign faces a severe internal and external threat as he leads a grueling military expedition into Wallachia to depose his rival, Vlad the Impaler.

Tommaso Basili as Constantine XI Palaiologos (season 1):The last emperor of Byzantine Empire. He dies saving his capital during the siege of 1453.

Daniel Nuță as Vlad the Impaler (season 2):The Voivode (Prince) who ruled the principality of Wallachia, located in modern-day Romania.

Radu Andrei Micu as Dimitrie (season 2)

Ali Gözüşirin as Radu the Beautiful (season 2):The Younger brother of Vlad and prince of the principality of Wallachia.He defeated his brother Vlad supporting the Ottomans under Sultan Mehmed II.

Tuba Büyüküstün as Mara Branković: She was a Serbian princess who was married to Murad II and the stepmother of Mehmed II.She had no children but she became an important figure in her stepson's government, where she was his trusted advisor. Her major role was as a diplomat for the empire with missions to Venice and Hungary.

Yasemin Eti as Gülbahar Hatun :The primary consort of Mehmed II and the mother of his prince, Beyazed II.She plays a crucial role in the Ottoman Imperial Harem as shown in the docudrama.

Damla Sönmez as Ana

Osman Sonant as Loukas Notaras (season 1)

Tolga Tekin as Murad II:Father of Mehmed II and the 6th Ottoman Sultan himself.

Episodes

Critical response

Generally, the reception is positive. Rise of Empires: Ottoman delivers, with a similarly novel approach, a chronicle of historical events. Daily History concludes that "the series uses correct timeline and description of the attack on Constantinople is incredibly accurate from the Ottoman perspective."

However, "despite the historical accuracy of the show, the dramatized events are more geared towards a captivating watching experience rather than an actual depiction of events." Some historians, such as Florian George Calian, suggest that the historical accuracy of at least the first session might be open to question: "In the Netflix production Mehmed enters an empty Hagia Sophia alone, thus converting the most wanted building in the world into a mosque. The scene is dubbed by interviews with contemporary scholars, making viewers interested in acquiring historical knowledge believe that the series is well documented. But unfortunately, everything depicted here is inaccurate."

Critics praised the series for its high production values and engaging pacing, with Amanda Guarragi of Ready Steady Cut noting that the show possesses a "cinematic feel equivalent to Game of Thrones while educating viewers." While some historians nitpicked specific costume choices, media critics like Johnny Loftus of Decider lauded the dramatization for "putting faces with the names that rise out of the historical record," creating a highly accessible and visually impressive entry point into Ottoman history.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 87% based on 66 reviews, and an average rating of 4.3/5.