History Series / RiseOfEmpiresOttoman

* ShootTheMessenger: When Mehmed dispatches diplomats to Wallachia to remind Vlad that he's behind on his tribute payments, Vlad pretends to be offended that they won't remove their hats in his presence (knowing full well that Turkish cultural mores insist they keep their hats on in public), and then has their hats [[CruelAndUnusualDeath nailed to their heads]]. One of the historians [[AndThatsTerrible points out]] what a breach of etiquette this is, even in wartime, especially in Turkish culture.

* ThatManIsDead: Mehmet is initially reluctant to take up arms against Vlad Dracula in spite of the latter's increasing defiance against the Ottomans since he still considers him a brother. After Vlad captures and executes Hamza Bey, an important ally of Mehmet and father to his favorite consort Gülbahar Hatun, she states that Vlad is a monster and no longer Mehmet's brother.

''Rise of Empires: Ottoman'' is a 2020 English-language Turkish miniseries covering UsefulNotes/TheFallOfConstantinople, as seen through the eyes of the young Ottoman Sultan, Mehmet II. Creator/CharlesDance narrates.

* ShameIfSomethingHappened: Mehmet gets the governor of the Genoese colony of Galata to collaborate with the Ottomans by just calmly pointing out how much they could profit from doing trade with the new empire, and ''how disappointed'' he would be with them if they hindered his success in any way. When the governor tries to assure Mehmet that the Genoese are his allies, Mehmet orders his cannons to start firing over Constantinople and into the Golden Horn, [[spoiler: disguising the sound of his army cutting away at the trees and moving his fleet over land and into the Golden Horn behind the iron chain that protects it]], and erasing ''any'' thought the governor may have had that Mehmet was bluffing and wasn't in range.

* TheUnHug: Before Mehmet leaves for war, his young son hugs him goodbye. Mehemt is so emotionally stunted he can only awakwardly stand still until he sorta returns the hug.

* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Far from showing mercy, Mehmet let his forces RapePillageAndBurn for three days; the custom of the time for a city that had refused to surrender. So many of the Christian inhabitants were enslaved that he had trouble repopulating the city afterwards.

* BittersweetEnding: Overall, the series has tended to gravitate to this even as it almost always ends with Mehmet the Conqueror achieving his goals.
** Season 1, despite showcasing Mehmet's success, gives notable screentime to the defeated Byzantines--[[spoiler:portraying Constantine's LastStand sympathetically, highlighting the pathetic and tragic end of Gustiniani, as well as the execution of Candarli Halil Pasha. Despite clearly raring for the opportunity to finally eliminate his obstructive mentor, Mehmed finds no joy in it, as he did owe his growth into a good ruler to his tutelage.]].
** Season 2 also highlights that the Wallachian campaign was emotionally draining for Mehmed. [[spoiler:Despite repelling and winning the Night Attack at Targoviste, he and his entire remaining army were reduced into {{Shell Shocked Veteran}}s after seeing Vlad's "forest of corpses". The fact that among the dead is Hamza Bey--[[YouAreTooLate who Mehmet was supposed to rescue]]--takes away the satisfaction of the victory. In the very last scene of the final episode, an aged Mehmed II finally looks upon Vlad's impaled head, wistfully remembering their childhood before he walks away.]]

* ArchEnemy: Vlad Dracula from season 2 serves as one to Fatih Mehmet. While the Ottoman Sultan has faced down the last Roman emperor (Constantine XI) and the renowned sellsword Giovanni Giustiniani before, neither had the kind of ItsPersonal antagonism that Mehmet has with his stepbrother.

* {{Determinator}}: There are [[UnstoppableForceMeetsImmovableObject two leaders of this sort, each on opposing sides, going up against each other]]: [[TheConqueror Mehmet is determined to take Constantinople]], [[HoldTheLine Constantine is determined to hold Constantinople]]. [[TheWarSequence Lots of bloodshed]], [[MacrossMissileMassacre cannon]] [[MoreDakka fire]], [[SceneryGorn and destruction]] [[WarIsHell follow]].

* WarIsHell: Given that lots of people, both soldiers and civilians, die on both sides, lots of cannon fire is aimed at a populated city, and much of that city is destroyed by the end, this mini-series does NOT stray away from just how nasty war can be.

* ArchEnemy: Vlad Dracula from season 2 serves as one to Fatih Mehmet. While the Ottoman Sultan has faced down the last Roman emperor (Constantine XI) and the reputed sellsword Giovanni Giustiniani before, neither had the kind of ItsPersonal antagonism that Mehmet has with his stepbrother.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Impalement on a large wooden stake was a favored punishment and psychological warfare tactic of Vlad Dracula. The boyars who betrayed his father and brother were the first victims of it, and any Ottoman soldiers or scouts that were captured alive would be left on a stake for Mehmet to find. Even Muslim villagers in Vlad's path weren't spared from this fate, [[spoiler: and neither was Hamza Bey when Vlad ambushed him]]. The historians brought on for the interview segments note how, while detailing the precise method it was inflicted, how an excruciatingly painful and 'slow' death it was.

It received a second season in 2022, ''Mehmet Vs. Vlad'', covering Mehmet's rivalry with the Wallachian king UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler.

* ThatManIsDead: Mehmet is initially reluctant to take up arms against Vlad Dracula despite the latter's increasing defiance against the Ottomans since he still considers him a brother. After Vlad captures and executes Hamza Bey, an important ally of Mehmet and father to his favorite consort Gülbahar Hatun, she states that Vlad is a monster and no longer Mehmet's brother.

* YoungConqueror: Mehmet captures Constantinople at the young age of 21.

** Downplayed by Giovanni Giustiniani. He's initially a very brave and capable soldier who ties up Mehmet's forces for a considerable length of time, [[spoiler:only to flee when Mehmet's forces breach the city walls and dying a few days later on a ship with the sullied reputation as "the man who ran" rather than as the last defender of Constantinople.]]

It received a sequel in 2022, ''Rise of Empires: Ottoman: Mehmet Vs. Vlad'', covering Mehmet's rivalry with the Wallachian king UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler.