One of the Most Pirated TV Shows of 2021 Wasn’t Even a New Series

A new report listing the most pirated shows of 2021 reveals that one of those shows wasn’t even a 2021 release. Somehow, two years after its original airing, Game of Thrones‘ controversial eighth and final season remains the sixth most pirated show, according to tech firm Akamai (via The Wrap). Many fans expressed disappointment with the beloved show’s ending. Star Peter Dinklage, who played the witty Tyrion Lannister in the series, recently responded to that backlash. “You try [to avoid the chatter], but that was impossible,” Dinklage told Variety. “You’re reminded of it on a daily basis by the fans. They had deep knowledge, but if somebody loves something they have their version of it in their head, so we got criticism early. Then, when we were leaving, they criticized again because they didn’t want us to go. Some got angry. But if you appeal to everyone you’re doing something wrong. And we offended a lot of people.”

Outside of Game of Thrones‘ final season, the list of most pirated shows is full of superhero series from Marvel and DC, spanning Marvel’s growing Disney+ offerings and DC”s continued presence on The CW. You can check out the complete list below.

What do you think of Game of Thrones Season 8 as one of the most pirated shows of 2021? Let us know in the comments section. Game of Thrones is streaming now, in its entirety, on HBO Max.

1. Loki Season 1

In Marvel Studios’ Loki, the mercurial villain Loki resumes his role as the God of Mischief in a new series that takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Michael Waldron created Loki for Disney+. The series stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki, with Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Tara Strong, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Sasha Lane, Jack Veal, DeObia Oparei, Richard E. Grant, and Jonathan Majors.

2. WandaVision Season 1

Marvel Studios’ WandaVision blends the style of classic sitcoms with the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision – two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban life – begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

Jac Schaeffer created WandaVision for Disney+. The series stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff and Vision. The cast also includes Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, and Evan Peters.

3. Rick and Morty Season 5

Hold onto your butts – it’s season five, baby! Rick, Morty and the fam are back with ten all-new episodes that consume unheld butts. Sex, romance, testicle monsters … a guy named Mr. Nimbus … It’s everything you want, get your butt ready! 

Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon created Rick and Morty for Adult Swim. The show’s voice cast includes Roiland, Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer, and Sarah Chalke.

4. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Season 1

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities – and their patience – in Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

Malcolm Spellman created The Falcon and the Winter Soldier for Disney+. The series stars Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, reprising their roles as Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson, with Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Danny Ramirez, Georges St-Pierre, Adepero Oduye, Don Cheadle, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Florence Kasumba, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

5. The Walking Dead Season 10

The Walking Dead is a story that started 10 years ago with one man trying to find his family. That family grew and gradually communities took shape. They fought and survived, thrived and gave birth to a new generation. It is a tale of humankind and there are more stories to tell.

It is now Spring, a few months after the end of Season 9, when our group of survivors dared to cross into Whisperer territory during the harsh winter. The collected communities are still dealing with the after effects of Alpha’s horrific display of power, reluctantly respecting the new borderlines being imposed on them, all while organizing themselves into a militia-style fighting force, preparing for a battle that may be unavoidable.

But the Whisperers are a threat unlike any they have ever faced. Backed by a massive horde of the dead it is seemingly a fight they cannot win. The question of what to do and the fear it breeds will infect the communities and give rise to paranoia, propaganda, secret agendas, and infighting that will test them as individuals and as a society. The very idea of whether civilization can survive in a world filled with the dead hangs in the balance.

Game of Thrones Season 8

Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne begins.

Based on the book series by George R.R. Martin and created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones Season 8 is the final season of HBO’s fantasy saga.

The Flash Season 7

Barry Allen lived a normal life as a perpetually tardy C.S.I. in the Central City Police Department. Barry’s life changed forever when the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator exploded, creating a dark-matter lightning storm that struck Barry, bestowing him with superspeed and making him the fastest man alive – the Flash.
After a thrilling cliffhanger last season which saw the new Mirror Master victorious and still-at-large in Central City, the Flash must regroup in order to stop her and find a way to make contact with his missing wife, Iris West-Allen.

With help from the rest of Team Flash, which includes superheroes Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, Ralph Dibny and Nash Wells, as well as the Flash’s adoptive father, Joe West, meta-attorney Cecile Horton, tough cub reporter Allegra Garcia and brilliant tech-nerd Chester P. Runk… Flash will ultimately defeat Mirror Master.

But in doing so, he’ll also unleash an even more powerful and devastating threat on Central City: one that threatens to tear his team – and his marriage – apart.

Vikings Season 6

Vikings follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the sagas of Ragnar’s band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods, legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors.

Michael Hirst created Vikings for the History channel.  The series stars Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgård, and Alexander Ludwig.

9. True Beauty Season 1

True Beauty is a romantic comedy about a high school girl who becomes popular after mastering her makeup via YouTube tutorials, becoming a goddess. The drama follows her romantic story with Lee Su Ho, the only boy who ever saw her without her makeup.

True Beauty is based on the Line Webtoon comic series. It stars Moon Ga-young, Cha Eun-woo, Hwang In-youp, and Park Yoo-na.

Superman & Lois Season 1

After years of facing megalomaniacal supervillains, monsters wreaking havoc on Metropolis, and alien invaders intent on wiping out the human race, the world’s most famous superhero, The Man of Steel aka Clark Kent and comic books’ most famous journalist, Lois Lane, come face to face with one of their greatest challenges ever – dealing with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society. Complicating the already daunting job of raising two boys, Clark and Lois must also concern themselves with whether or not their sons Jonathan and Jordan could inherit their father’s Kryptonian superpowers as they grow older. Returning to Smallville to handle some Kent family business, Clark and Lois are reacquainted with Lana Lang, a local loan officer who also happens to be Clark’s first love, and her Fire Chief husband Kyle Cushing. The adults aren’t the only ones rediscovering old friendships in Smallville as the Kent sons are reacquainted with Lana and Kyle’s rebellious daughter, Sarah. Of course, there’s never a dull moment in the life of a superhero, especially with Lois’ father, General Samuel Lane looking for Superman to vanquish a villain or save the day at a moment’s notice. Meanwhile, Superman and Lois’ return to idyllic Smallville is set to be upended when a mysterious stranger enters their lives.

Todd Helbing and Greg Berlanti created Superman & Lois for The CW. It stars Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as the title characters.