If you’re like me and love the legacy that is Game of Thrones, you may have noticed that there’s been a trailer for a spin-off series titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that dropped recently. And like me, you might have wondered— what is this, and who is it about? Well, I’m here to fill you in on all of the details of this new story and how it fits into the GOT world and timeline.
Who is it about?
As explained in the opening of the trailer, the story follows Ser Duncan the Tall, a former squire to Ser Arlan of Pennytree. Duncan, nicknamed Dunk, is the main character in George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas: The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight. Based on what we know from those, Dunk is an orphan who was raised in the slums of King’s Landing. We can already presume that Ser Arlan’s time in the show is pretty short, as the trailer opens with Duncan carrying the man to his funeral. According to the novellas, Dunk essentially transforms into a knight on his own after that by donning the late Arlan’s armor and sword. Is that allowed? Technically, no, but I suppose we will get to see how that plays out for him. It seems like he will be the type of character who crawls his way out of nothing without making morally questionable decisions along the way. After all, he left enough of a legacy for Prince Jeoffery to point out that he had four whole pages in a historical knight book.
When does it take place?
According to the trailer, this is a tale 100 years before Game of Thrones. To clarify a bit more, that places it roughly 70-80 years before the events of the House of the Dragon. So that means the Targaryens still rule Westeros, but dragons no longer exist. I know…I’m sorry for the bad news. But hey–shows can still be good without dragons (right?)
What the trailer reveals…
Dunk begins his solo travels and eventually stumbles upon a young boy who asks to become his squire. Since the novellas are titled ‘The Tales of Dunk and Egg’, we can assume the bald, young squire is “Egg.” I don’t want to spoil too much, but there’s far more to the boy than meets the eye. Dunk doesn’t know that, of course–he simply sees a small, untrained boy and agrees to take him on anyway.
The trailer shows glimpses of the duo’s journey through wooded trails and quiet moments at campfires, hinting that this will be more of an adventure story than the dark, courtly intrigue we’re used to in Game of Thrones. Personally, I love that the tone feels lighter and puts a stronger focus on purer, more heartfelt moments. Dunk says he wants to be a good knight and swears to “defend the weak and the innocent.” Finally, someone in Westeros who doesn’t have all of these underlying dark intentions. The Game of Thrones universe is already superb, but after the dark intensity of House of the Dragon, I am ready for a story that follows someone with a good heart who truly just wants to do the right thing.
If you are a big fan of court politics, though, don’t worry, it is likely that Dunk and Egg will still cross paths with Westeros royalty throughout the story. There were several clips of Targaryen banners and gatherings at what seems to be a royal tournament of some kind–perhaps, Dunk’s legacy begins with him winning it?
The Cast
The male lead of the show, Ser Duncan the Tall, will be played by Peter Claffey. Claffey is an Irish actor who has appeared in several notable projects, including the series Vikings. And if you’re wondering whether he’s tall enough to portray a man with such a title–coming in at a whopping 6’5″, I’d say yes.
Duncan’s tiny sidekick, Egg, will be portrayed by Dexter Sol Ansell, an eleven-year-old from the UK with a surprisingly extensive résumé. Most notably, he played a young Coriolanus Snow in the recent Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
There are several Targaryen characters listed in the lineup, played by Finn Bennett, Henry Ashton, and Bertie Carvel. Ashton had a small role in Outlander, and Bennett has a recurring role on Netflix’s True Detective: Night Country series. Bertie Carvel’s acting career is extensive, but something interesting I noticed was that he is listed as part of the cast of the new Harry Potter series. Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of him in the upcoming years!
Speaking of which–when will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms be released?
The series is set to premiere on January 18, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max. There will only be six episodes with new entries airing every Sunday that follows. I appreciate the ode to the Game of Thrones by releasing episodes on Sunday nights, but I can’t lie that our streaming society has spoiled me, and made me wish it could be released all at once.
When it comes to sequel potential, it seems very likely. The first season is said to cover the first novella, which means there could be two additional seasons, one for the additional two novellas. But I’m sure they will probably wait to see how the first few episodes are received before making any official announcements on the topic.
Ending Thoughts
Even though we won’t see a return of any of our old favorite characters (including Dany’s dragons), I still think this show has the potential to be something epic. You can tell from the trailer that the show is going to have a lot more warmth and humor than its predecessors, which already makes me super excited. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved Game of Thrones…and House of the Dragon is pretty good, but both were shows that didn’t exactly give me the warm and fuzzy feels. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms seems like a show that will leave us wanting to be better people than before we watched it. And if we’re lucky, it’ll remind us to…
