Crusader Kings 3: 14 Rarest Formable Kingdoms

Key Takeaways

Forming rare kingdoms in
Crusader Kings 3
is a challenging yet satisfying experience for veteran players.
Kingdoms like Jerusalem, Livonia, and Trinacria require specific criteria and strategic gameplay to form.
New content updates from Paradox Interactive continue to introduce more unique kingdoms to the game.

Forming a kingdom is always a fun challenge to do in Crusader Kings 3. Many players get tired of creating the same kingdoms over and over again, so creating a rare kingdom is a nice way to spice up the Crusader Kings 3 experience.

Rare kingdoms are difficult to form, with many kingdoms having circumstantial requirements or simply being in locations that are generally difficult to conquer in Crusader Kings 3. Getting across the finish line by creating some of the rarer and more interesting kingdoms is worth the time and effort, with the achievement being extremely satisfying, especially for veteran Crusader Kings 3 players.

Updated September 15, 2024 by Ewan Selmes: The world of Crusader Kings 3 is a complex mash up of roleplay, sandbox, and historical simulation wrapped up into a map-based strategy game. This historical flavor gives the game a lot of opportunities to explore ahistorical and often fantastical outcomes quite divorced from the flow of actual history.

In the game, players can form kingdoms and empires based on the land they hold. Some of these kingdoms will be formed by the AI players quite readily, whereas others are much more difficult to encounter – even for players attempting to create them.

1 Jerusalem

Highly Disputed Religious Land

Taking Part in A Crusade Helps With Gaining Jerusalem
Must Be A Christian Ruler
Expect Many Wars And Battles

A part of the world that sees many battles in Crusader Kings 3 is Jerusalem. As the game’s title suggests, many crusades take place here throughout the game, with massive armies descending upon the coastal realm. This is the main difficulty in forming the Kingdom of Jerusalem, as so many other rulers will desire that strip of land and that title.

Players must have their ruler as a Christian ruler and have the regions of Urdunn, Palestine, and Oultrejourdain to form the Kingdon of Jerusalem. Participating in a crusade is a smart move players will want to take to make gaining the Kingdom of Jerusalem easier, although players can form this kingdom independently outside a crusade. If players contribute a lot to a crusade, they will be given the option to form the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but this is quite a challenge as many other Christian rulers will be taking part.

2 Livonia

Latigalian Kingdom Located Around The Baltics

Located In Northern Europe Next To Estonia
Must Have Latigalian Culture
Gain Forest Specialist Soldiers Upon Creation

This Baltic kingdom sits between Estonia and Lithuania, where modern day Latvia is located. Livonia is a very cool kingdom to make, as players get benefits that are unique to that area of the world. Players receive specialist forest soldiers who can be summoned at any time, and a new nickname of either Mother/Father of the Baltics, or Scourge of the Baltics if the ruler doesn’t have Baltic heritage.

To form the Kingdom of Livonia, players must have a fame level of Distinguished and must be of Latigalian culture or have Baltic heritage with a Vidilist faith. Estonian rulers will not be able to form Livonia. Players cannot be of a higher ranked title than Duke/Duchess and must be independent. Finally, players need to hold the entire region of Livonia, which includes the duchies of Latigalians, Courland, and Livonia.

3 Trinacria

The Boot Of Italy

Located In Southern Italy Near Sicily
Must Have Capital In Palermo
Surrounded By Many Threats

The kingdom which splits Italy in two at its shoe-like southern half is a very interesting kingdom to form in Crusader King’s 3. Players need to be of Latin culture, have at least 10 Learning, have 1500 gold, and have their realm capital be within the Kingdom of Sicily, specifically Palermo for players to receive the Kingdom of Trinacria as opposed to the Kingdom of Naples.

Players also need to have a fame level of Illustrious to perform the “Empower the Sicilian Government” decision, which is the required decision needed to form the Kingdom of Trinacria. This kingdom is located between the northern Italian states and the mighty Byzantine Empire, along with many of the Middle Eastern kingdoms and empires from the south likely to attack, making this task very difficult.

4 Sultanate Of Rum

Sunni Muslim Kingdom In Anatolia

Located Between the Byzantine And Seljuk Realms
Of Sunni Muslim Religion
Must Have Illustrious Fame

The Sultanate of Rum is an interesting kingdom to form, with its location near the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire, the Seljuk Empire, the Arab nations, and the Persian nations. In history, the Sultanate of Rum was founded by vassals of the Seljuk Empire, with Rum being involved as adversaries in the three famous crusades by the Christian powers into Jerusalem.

Rum is formed in Crusader Kings 3 through a number of requirements. Players must control and have their capital city within the Asia Minor region; players must have an Islamic character, have their character’s level of fame be at least “Illustrious,” have the Devoted Servant trait, and must be an independent ruler or have a liege who follows Islam. Players should make sure to not have a title already higher than King or Queen, or be a vassal of the Byzantine Empire, as this makes forming the Sultanate of Rum impossible.

5 Mann And The Isles

Rare Kingdom Among The British Isles

Kingdom Of Mann And The Isles Crusader Kings 3

Strong Army Boost Once Formed
Part Of The Northern Lords DLC
Grants The Legacy Of Piracy Modifier

The Isle of Man, or Mon, is located between the north of both Ireland and England, a location which has been fiercely contested throughout time. Although the Isle of Man is a very small island, it can be the birthplace of the rather cool Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. Part of the Northern Lords DLC, the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles has some unique benefits upon formation, with players receiving 5000 levies, 1000 Jomsviking pirates, 1000 Bondi soldiers, and 500 Varangian veterans automatically.

This kingdom additionally grants players the “Legacy of Piracy” modifier for their dynasty, allowing players to raid and sail in major rivers. This modifier also halves the embarkation cost while doubling the raid speed. Another modifier players will gain from forming this kingdom is “The Stolen City” modifier, which decreases build time by -200% and build costs by -50%. The final benefit is that the player receives the nickname choice of either “The Terrible” or “The Great.” To form the Mann and the Isles kingdom, players must be a Viking of North Germanic or Norman culture, be the Count and Duke of the Isle of Man, while also having the “Living Legend” fame level.

6 Bene-Israel

Judaism-Based Kingdom In India

Bene-Israelite Group Originated In India
Difficult To Form As Judaism Not Common In India
Realm Capital Must Be In India

The Kingdom of Bene-Israel is essentially India, where Malabarism, which is an interpretation of Judaism from the Malabar region, is dominant. It’s an interesting challenge for players as it is an alternative history that could’ve actually happened, with the Bene-Israelis being a legitimate group in India throughout history. This kingdom is quite difficult to form as there are not many rulers around India that follow Malabarism in CK3, so players will most likely need to convert their chosen ruler.

Having a Malabarism following character is a requirement for forming the Kingdom of Bene-Israel, along with players having to control the duchies of Chera Nadu and Konkana. Players must have a piety level of “Devoted Servant,” while also having their realm capital in the region of India.

7 Danelaw

A Real-Life Situation That Occurred

A Viking-Ruled Realm In Northern England
Actually Happened In The Late 800’s
Launchpad For A Complete Viking England

The Viking raids of England and the British Isles are some of the most famous conflicts of all time. However, in Crusader Kings 3, players can end the conflict for a while by forming Danelaw in England. This kingdom is unique as it requires players to negotiate with the neighbors of the claimed Viking land in England. Upon acceptance of Danelaw from the West Germanic or Brythonic neighboring ruler in England, two kingdoms are created: the Kingdom of Danelaw and the Kingdom of England.

Players need to have a tribal government while having at least “Distinguished” as their fame level. Players must be a Count or Duke who controls two Duchies which are de jure to the Kingdom of England region, along with having their realm capital within the Kingdom of England region. Once formed, the Kingdoms of Danelaw and England enter a truce for 25 years, meaning that if the players’ counterpart in this negotiation is loyal to their word, then the players’ kingdom will be safe from any local threat.

8 Switzerland

Heavily Disputed Location Makes Forming Switzerland Difficult

Located Around Strong Opponents
Ruler Must Be Of Central Germanic, Latin, Or Frankish Culture
Must Be A Duke, Duchess, Or Lower

The Kingdom of Switzerland is quite an odd kingdom to form as players must be part of an empire and cannot have any title which is higher than Duke or Duchess. Forming the kingdom seems relatively simple when looking at the requirements. However, with Switzerland sitting just above the ever-changing Italy and below such contested realms like Burgundy, France, and Lotharingia, players will have to win many battles and fend off large threats.

Players must control the Duchies of Currezia and Transjurania while having a level of fame that is at least “Illustrious.” Players must also have a liege who holds any empire title, so starting as a Duke or Duchess of a nearby empire is a good idea for making this challenge more straightforward. The final requirement is the players’ character must have a Central Germanic, Latin, or Frankish culture.

9 Toledo

A Minor Spanish Kingdom Plagued with Conflict

Part of the Iberian Struggle
Requires Toledo and one of a variety of other duchies
Mozarabic faith
Fate of Iberia DLC

The kingdom of Toledo is in a difficult place. It doesn’t often get formed because there are other, easy options available to both players and the AI in its region. It also required the Mozarabic faith to form, which is one of the minority faiths part of the Iberian Struggle.

All this means that Toledo can feel like a difficult choice to form, especially since it’s unavailable to characters not following the Mozarabic faith. But it can still be a good choice for players who want to win the struggle with the Mozarabs, and it’s an interesting choice.

10 Israel

Disputed Territory and a Minority Religion

Strong opponents
Few allies available to Jewish rulers
Jerusalem must be Jewish faith

Forming the Kingdom of Israel as a Jewish character in Crusader Kings 3 is quite a difficult task. Characters of Jewish faiths have few allies available to them, and many of them start in very precarious positions with stronger opponents all around them.

Not only that, but the decision requires a good level of Fame (Illustrious) and a good level of Piety (Devoted Servant) in addition to the standard land and faith requirements. But this is a great goal to work toward in Crusader Kings 3, even if it is one of the more difficult kingdoms to form.

11 Baleo-Tyrrhenia

A Motley Collection of Mediterranean Isles

Grants a very nice modifier, Controlling the Mediterranean, for 100 years
Requires western Mediterranean duchies of Mallorca, Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily

Baleo-Tyrrhenia is a fun kingdom to form, but it’s not without its challenges. The required duchies are variously held by different characters of different faiths and cultures – and of varying strengths. It can be difficult to build the power base required to take all of the duchies, but the reward is a unique kingdom well placed in the Mediterranean for further expansion.

Or, for players playing faiths or cultures with access to raiding mechanics, it’s the perfect launching point for an extended era of Mediterranean pirate raids. But the real prize of forming Baleo-Tyrrhenia is the Mediterranean Conquest casus belli, which grants the player the ability to invade any coastal Mediterranean province.

12 Daneland

The Danelaw’s Harder to Form Older Brother

Requires both Danelaw and England to exist
High or Late Medieval Era

Daneland is an interesting formable kingdom that can only be created in the later eras of the game, making it a very rare find indeed. In addition to the timeline and era requirements, the Daneland can only be formed by the holder of the Danelaw title while the Kingdom of England still exists.

For many players who’ve bothered to form the Danelaw, England will be one of the first things to go. The Danelaw can only be formed after 1100 AD, which is pretty late in the game for players on the earlier start dates, so it’s no surprise that the Kingdom of Daneland is one of the rarest formable kingdoms in Crusader Kings 3.

13 Canaries

Small Islands with a Unique Faith

Requires one of Iberian heritage, Achamánic faith, primary title Duchy of Canarias
Every county needs at least 10 Development

This one can be very difficult to form indeed, as one of the requirements is a reformed Achamánic faith, which is a pretty hard task. The easier routes to forming it involve invading it as an Iberian culture and switching it to the primary title, but even that is quite involved.

And since it doesn’t offer very much in the way of rewards for forming it – save the kingdom title itself – it isn’t exactly high on most players’ lists of things to do. And many players don’t even know the decision exists. That, plus the creation requirements, means that the Kingdom of the Canaries remains one of the rarest formable kingdoms in Crusader Kings 3.

14 Fashion

Realms Are Temporary, But Style Is Permanent

Built On Style And Swag
Part Of The Fashion Of The Abbasid DLC
Must Control Milan

A kingdom that is purely based on how stylish players’ characters are, the Kingdom of Fashion is a fun and extremely rare formable kingdom that can only be formed if players have the Fashion Of The Abbasid DLC. This kingdom is available to any realm of any culture or faith, so long as the player has control of its de jure capital of Milan, a place renowned for style.

The Kingdom of Fashion seems to be quite inconsistent with appearing as a formable option for players, with it being more of a lucky event to receive than it having a set list of requirements. The only requirement is that players must own and control Milan.