A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Game of Thrones’ New Spinoff

It’s almost time to return to Westeros. The highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, lands on HBO this week. It marks a few firsts for the franchise. For starters, Ramin Djawadi isn’t composing the score. Secondly, it won’t bear the trademark Game of Thrones opening credits/theme song. Thirdly, it’ll zero in on characters we’ve never met before, with no discernible connections to the nine major houses of the realm.

Before the series premieres, let’s delve into the plot, the cast, the crew, and the characters of your new favorite Westerosi obsession.

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The Plot, the Cast, and the Crew

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on the first novella in the Tales of Dunk and Egg series by George R.R. Martin. Season 1 adapts The Hedge Knight, with season 2 bringing the second novella, The Sworn Sword, to life, and season 3 (should it get the greenlight) adapting the final novella, The Mystery Knight. In terms of timeline, season 1 transpires 89 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

HBO is understandably tight-lipped regarding the plot, but the six-episode season centers on Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall and his squire, known only as Egg, as Dunk competes in the tourney at Ashford Meadow. Think of this series as a “buddy comedy,” of sorts. Tonally, it’ll be quite different from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. While the fate of the realm won’t necessarily hang in the balance, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will present its own set of unique stakes. The Targaryens still rule the roost and, as the synopsis puts it, “the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory.”

The series stars Peter Claffey as Dunk, Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Daniel Ings as Lyonel Baratheon, Bertie Carvel as Baelor Targaryen, Finn Bennett as Aerion Targaryen, Sam Spruell as Maekar Targaryen, Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway, Edward Ashley as Steffon Fossoway, Henry Ashton as Daeron Targaryen, Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Plummer, and Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree.

Martin serves as co-creator and executive producer alongside co-creator, executive producer, and showrunner Ira Parker.

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A Hedge Knight and His Squire

Let’s start with our two leads – Dunk and Egg. Dunk is a kind, quiet, and well-meaning knight of surprising stature. The novella describes him as just shy of seven feet tall. Born in Flea Bottom, Dunk spent his childhood in a time of war. He grew up during the First Blackfyre Rebellion, merely trying to stay alive before a grizzled old knight, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, took the boy under his wing. Dunk traveled the realm as a squire with his hedge knight mentor. In The Hedge Knight, Arlan affectionately describes Dunk as “Dunk the lunk, thick as a castle wall” and as “slow as an aurochs.”

Martin confirmed a decade ago that Dunk is an ancestor of Brienne of Tarth, so that’s a fun nod to the high fantasy series that started it all.

Egg is Dunk’s squire. A young bald boy of about nine, he’s bold and sometimes impertinent, often speaking out of turn. He and Dunk are best buddies, though, Dunk’s occasional threats to “clout” him in the ear notwithstanding.

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The Dragons (Without Dragons)

The Targaryens of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are not who they used to be during the times of Aegon the Conqueror. In the show, we have King Daeron II Targaryen on the Iron Throne. His son, Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen, serves as Hand of the King and is next in line for the crown. Baelor fought valiantly during the First Blackfyre Rebellion. He’s softspoken, cordial, and well-liked. His son, Valarr Targaryen, is competing in the tourney at Ashford Meadow.

His younger brother, Prince Maekar Targaryen, is more reserved and colder. Whereas Baelor would gladly interact with the smallfolk, Maekar sees himself and his family as superior.

Maekar’s son, Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen, also called “Aerion the Monstrous,” is precisely that — monstrous. His overinflated ego and domineering demeanor make him difficult to get along with. Even though dragons no longer exist in this world (*cough cough* Dany’s future eggs *cough cough*), Aerion believes himself to be a dragon reborn.

Prince Daeron “the Drunken” Targaryen is Maekar’s oldest son. He would rather be drinking in a tavern than wielding a sword and shield and has no interest in competing in tourneys as a knight, unlike his brother, Aerion.

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The Dornish Puppeteer, The Laughing Storm, and the Quarreling Apples (of House Fossoway)

Tanselle, also known as “Tanselle Too-Tall,” hails from Dorne. She arrives at the tourney at Ashford Meadow with her crew of Dornish puppeteers, who provide a series of shows for attendees. Tanselle and her group put on puppet performances, telling the legendary tales of Florian and Jonquil, Nymeria, and Symeon Star-Eyes.

Lyonel “the Laughing Storm” Baratheon is the Lord of Storm’s End and the head of House Baratheon. He is a competitor at Ashford Meadow. He earned his nickname from laughing at his opponents and, in true Baratheon fashion, is the life of the party.

Raymun Fossoway is the squire of his older cousin, Ser Steffon Fossoway. He quickly befriends Dunk at Ashford Meadow. Raymun and Steffon quarrel incessantly, with the latter believing himself superior to his non-knight cousin.

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What to Expect for Season 1

Here are some light predictions from yours truly. Having read The Hedge Knight, I can tell you that, as mentioned above, this series will be tonally different from its predecessors. Expect more dark comedy and wholesome moments. You can also expect it to be smaller in scope, more intimate, and tight-knit.

Narratively, the main focal point will be the tourney at Ashford Meadow, and the development of the iconic friendship between Dunk and Egg. Since there are only six episodes, each roughly 30 minutes, the plot will be more straightforward and less convoluted than Game of Thrones. There will also be a strong focus on the smallfolk and the houses outside the Targaryen line, which could be a fun change of pace after the Targaryen-centric House of the Dragon.

Most of all, expect a tried-and-true hero’s tale with coming-of-age elements — a story of courage under fire, embracing your destiny, and what it truly means to be a knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

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Will you be tuning in to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Which character are you most excited to see on screen?

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