S01E01 Assassins
The true story of the Assassins. Originally a persecuted band of Ismailis, a Shi’ite Muslim sect, they found themselves vastly outnumbered by the Sunnis of medieval Persia. So they developed a special way of fighting...
Ancient Black Ops
S01E09: Ninja
The history of Ninja's, who first were a division of Japan's greatest Shogun.
Overview
From Ancient Greece to the frozen North, rulers have always needed their elite troops – men trained to perfection, skilled with a devastating array of weaponry – men who will track down their leader’s enemies and kill them. All assassination teams faced one big problem: getting close enough to kill. No one in the ancient world had sniper rifles. As a result even the most formidable Japanese Ninjas got captured and tortured.
This series brings some of the most dramatic tales of antiquity to life with a mixture of dramatic reconstruction, documentary filming and expert testimony.
Each episode details the intricate complexity of the elite troops who performed the assassination missions and how they worked. It shows what they had to do to achieve elite status, how they could dress, and the weapons they got to use when they completed their first mission.
Episodes
S01E02 Spartans
How the training of the Spartan 300 is bizarrely similar to that of today’s special forces. Here we see the distinctive Spartan helmet (pictured) protects them from spear thrusts and sword strikes. Within this battled...
S01E03 The Sicarii
The specialist hit squads that wreaked havoc against the Roman invaders in Jerusalem. This deadly band of stealthy assassins would eventually be cornered in the mighty hilltop fortress of Masada. What happened next has horrified...
S01E04 The Ghost Warrior
The Germanic Ghost Warriors were one of the first special forces trained to fight specifically at night. They emerged out of the fiercely independent tribes of Germania, the wild lands to the North of the...
S01E05 Viking Berserkers
The Viking Beserkers were the elite shock-troops of Viking warlords. Fuelled by alcohol, religious fervour and possibly hallucinogenic magic mushrooms, they believed they could adopt the spirits of wild animals. One single Viking Beserker, after...
S01E06 The Varangian Guard
A look at the story of the Varangian Guard, the elite bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperor.
S01E07 Aztec Eagle Warriors
A look at the story of what happened when 2 planes ended up on a collision course above Brazil.
S01E08 Hawaiian Koa Warriors
A look at the formidable Hawaiian Koa Warriors trained in the art of Loa, Hawaii's own martial arts.
S01E09 Ninja
The history of Ninja's, who first were a division of Japan's greatest Shogun.
S01E10 The 47 Ronin
A look at the group of 47 Ronin - dishonoured Samurais who had lost their status.
Cast
Kumud Pant
High Priest
Umit Ulgen
King Saladin
Murtaza Arif
Mamluk 2
Max Bracey
Harald Hardrada
Martin Krøis Holtmann
Himself
Nicholas Marshall
Assassin
