A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the second spin-off that HBO has produced after Game of Thrones finished airing. Unlike its two predecessors, however, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, much like its source material, is going to bring a different vibe to Westeros. While House of the Dragon, and Game of Thrones before it focused on major conflicts in the world of Westeros, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will focus on smaller conflicts, quieter journeys, and the bond between two characters of principal importance to the history of Martin’s world.
The first, of course, is the titular knight, Ser Duncan the Tall. A hedge knight (a knight who wanders without a lord’s banner) of humble origins, Ser Duncan’s life is a testament to grit, honor, and improbable fortune. Born in the slums of King’s Landing, Duncan’s beginnings are unremarkable. He is not a secret prince, nor the hidden heir to a fallen house. There is nothing about his lineage that should have destined him for songs or sagas. He was one of the orphans of the streets, surviving by wit and muscle until Ser Arlan of Pennytree, a knight of modest reputation and wandering spirit, gave him the chance to squire. From those unpromising roots, Duncan the Tall would take up his own sword and forge his own legend.
At a tourney in Ashford, Duncan’s path crossed with that of a peculiar young boy who would change the course of both of their stories. The boy was known simply as Egg, a name as humble as his supposed origins, but one that was indicative of an important secret: Egg was, in fact, Prince Aegon Targaryen, scion of the ruling Targaryen dynasty, grandson to the king. Against all odds and appearances, the future King Aegon V would become the squire of the wandering knight Ser Duncan the Tall.
The story is set almost a century before the events of Game of Thrones — in a period when the Seven Kingdoms are ruled by the Targaryens and dragons were still in living memory, albeit extinct. It occurs roughly 100 years after the conclusion of House of the Dragon and roughly 100 years before the turmoil that sets Game of Thrones in motion.
Beyond the two leads, the world of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is populated by figures whose names will be familiar to lore-hungry fans. Ser Barristan Selmy, famous in the era of Robert Baratheon and Joffrey Baratheon for his service as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, was only a youth when he first met Ser Duncan later in his life. This connective tissue, threaded lightly throughout the tales, links the seemingly modest adventures of Dunk and Egg to the grand narrative tapestry of Westeros.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on a series of short stories written by George R.R. Martin, collectively known as the Tales of Dunk and Egg. These novellas chronicle the exploits of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire as they travel the length and breadth of Westeros as wanderers, knights errant, and occasional catalysts for unexpected change.
So far, there are three published novellas in the series: The Hedge Knight (1998), The Sworn Sword (2003), and The Mystery Knight (2010). The collected edition of these three tales was published under the title A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in 2015, complete with illustrations by Gary Gianni. Martin has expressed his intention to write more stories following the pair, but he has also been clear that these will come only after he finishes his long-anticipated The Winds of Winter.
What sets these tales apart from the broader epic of A Song of Ice and Fire is their scale and spirit. The stories retain all the richness, worldbuilding, and moral complexity that Martin fans cherish, but they unfold with lighter touch and delightful wit. Egg’s youthful irreverence and Duncan’s earnest valor bring levity and warmth to a world otherwise known for betrayal, bloodshed, and ruin. Though there are seeds of tragedy sown amid these travels, and the grim truths of Westerosi politics are never far, the novellas are often funny, heartwarming, and grounded in everyday human (and occasionally Targaryen) quirks and ambitions.
In bringing these tales to the screen, HBO has faithfully preserved both the intimate scale and the broad sweep of Westerosi lore. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is scheduled to premiere on January 18, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max, and will consist of six episodes in its first season. The episodes are reported to be roughly 30 minutes each, a deliberate choice to mirror the brisk pace of the novellas themselves.
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The first season will primarily adapt The Hedge Knight, the opening tale in the Dunk and Egg canon, introducing viewers to the ragged but resolute Ser Duncan and the bright-eyed boy who will come to be known as Egg. Over these six chapters, audiences can expect jousts, tavern brawls, noble intrigue, and the peculiar, melancholic humor that marks Martin’s earlier tales.
Casting for the series emphasizes fresh faces guided by talented veterans. Ser Duncan the Tall is portrayed by Peter Claffey, in what is his breakout role; Egg is brought to life by Dexter Sol Ansell. The cast also includes Finn Bennett as Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen, Bertie Carvel as the genial but weary Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon (the “Laughing Storm”), Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, and Sam Spruell as Prince Maekar Targaryen. Additional performers fill out the tapestry of Westerosi life, portraying characters from knights and nobles to traveling entertainers and scheming courtiers.
Behind the camera, the series is guided by executive producers including Martin himself and showrunner Ira Parker, whose vision aims to keep the story intimate and focused on Dunk and Egg’s perspective, rarely straying into the minds or plots of distant highborn courts. The directing team is split between Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith, dividing the first season’s episodes between them to strike a balance of narrative rhythm and tone.
One of the most striking features of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is its tonal departure from what many audiences expect from Westeros. There are no dragons on this screen. There are no vast, sweeping battles for thrones. Instead, the story leans into the life of the common folk and lesser nobility, the taverns, the muddy roads, the winding political undercurrents of towns and keeps that never see the glare of the Iron Throne.
The path that awaits the duo is rich with possibility. George R.R. Martin has teased where the characters might go in future stories, and by extension, future seasons of the show. The second season, already greenlit ahead of the first’s premiere, is expected to draw from The Sworn Sword. Longer term, The Mystery Knight and other untold tales could paint a panorama of a Westeros in mid-century flux, with succession crises, simmering tensions between houses, and moments that quietly reshape the destiny of the Targaryen line itself.
Reference:
https://collider.com/game-of-thrones-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-hedge-knight
