Netflix’s “How to Become a Tyrant” asks a simple question and answers it with six dense episodes of history, politics and cold calculation. The documentary series, narrated by Peter Dinklage, looks at the lives of six dictators and one dynasty to explain how power gets built and held onto.
The premise is straightforward. Everybody wants total control over society, and the show explains step by step how that control can be won and kept. It covers Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Joseph Stalin, Muammar Gaddafi and the Kim family, each treated as a case study in the mechanics of rule.
The Book Behind the Show
The series draws heavily on the 2011 non-fiction book The Dictator’s Handbook: Why Bad Behavior Is Almost Always Good Politics. That book’s argument about the logic of power underpins every episode, though the show rarely names it directly.
Dinklage’s Voice
Dinklage reads the narration with a deadpan delivery that suits the material. He plays the role of a calm observer, walking through the facts without ever raising his voice. The show leans on him heavily, and he carries it.
Waller Newell’s Role
Waller Newell appears as a commentator throughout, offering analysis and context for each dictator’s rise. His presence gives the series a second perspective, keeping the tone from becoming purely instructional.
The Six Case Studies
Each episode focuses on one figure, moving from the early days of their career to the peak of their power. The show doesn’t spend equal time on all six, but the six together cover a wide range of tactics.
The series avoids moralizing. It treats these leaders as practical operators rather than monsters, which makes the lessons feel more useful even as the subject matter remains grim.
What the Series Teaches
The core lesson is that power isn’t won through charisma or ideology alone. It’s won through control of the institutions, loyalty, and fear. The show breaks down each element of that control with examples from across the six leaders.
“Everybody wants absolute power to transform society to their liking.”
That line sums up the whole project. The series doesn’t pretend the desire for power is noble. It just wants to explain how it works.
Where It Went Next
The success of “How to Become a Tyrant” led to two more series using the same format, both still narrated by Dinklage:
- “How to Become a Cult Leader,” released 28 July 2023.
- “How to Become a Mob Boss,” released 14 November 2023.
Those follow-ups expand the frame beyond heads of state to other kinds of authority figures.
The Verdict
This is a sharp, focused piece of documentary work. It’s dense, sometimes too dense for casual viewing, but anyone willing to sit with the material will come out with a clearer sense of how power operates in practice.
The show doesn’t waste time on spectacle. It sticks to the facts and the analysis, letting the stories speak for themselves. That restraint is the show’s strength.
Final Score
“How to Become a Tyrant” earns a 10 of 10. It’s a rare piece of television that delivers exactly what it promises: a clear, analytical look at power, told with discipline and wit.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
