A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms delivers less of a grand, epic tale and more of a personal story of a knight finding his way in the world, but it does the Game of Thrones franchise proud and delivers an enjoyable series.
What Is It?
This Game of Thrones prequel follows the humble and noble hedge knight Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall and his young squire “Egg” as they travel the world of Westeros, forging their bond and carving out a place for themselves amid the politics and dangers of the realm.
Streaming: HBO, One Season Totaling 6 Episodes (So Far)
Starring: Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Daniel Ings, Shaun Thomas, Tanzyn Crawford
Created By: Ira Parker, George R. R. Martin
Johnny Jay’s Thoughts:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place about one hundred years prior to the events of Game of Thrones, veering away from the grand storytelling of that show to focus on the lowly Ser Duncan, who is but a hedge knight—literally a knight who sleeps under a hedge at night because he has no lands or wealth of his own—and the young boy he takes on as a squire. It will certainly seem like a departure from GoT or House of the Dragon because of its more modest central characters and lack of grand scope or political intrigue. But consider it Game of Thrones-lite, not because it produces a lesser version of that bigger tale, but because it offers an easier introduction to the world of Westeros and the many characters that populate it.
The series is based on George R. R. Martin’s popular “Dunk and Egg” tales, which consist of three novellas thus far, all published together under the title A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The first season of the show covers The Hedge Knight and also expands on that to a degree, and future seasons will either cover the other novellas or the dozen or so unfinished stories in the series (I’m sure GRRM will be getting around to completing those any time now).
One thing that struck me while watching AKOTSK is its similarities in story structure to Apple TV’s Pluribus (you can read my review of that one at this link) because you could argue that very little happens in each episode. Admittedly, the episodes in the HBO series are much shorter (about 30 minutes without intro and closing credits), but considering the amount of story and characters packed into the typical Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon installment, AKOTSK definitely moves at a slower pace. But that is not a bad thing, as it is not trying to kick off a grand, epic tale at this point. Its focus is Dunk and Egg, and their story is quite interesting even if it does not include dragons, deceptions, and dizzying epic battles.
The show takes a slow and steady approach as it develops its characters and rolls out its story, but it is never plodding or boring. In fact, I found myself far more engaged in this series than House of the Dragon, which can be rather convoluted and confusing, and my eyes rarely drifted to my phone, which they tend to do when I am watching something that loses my interest. You do not have to know a bunch of lore to understand the episodes, and AKOTSK introduces you to its world at a very reasonable pace.
Note that there is very little in the way of fantasy elements in this show, as it is much more about Ser Duncan finding his place among the other knights of Westeros. Also, the cast is very male-centric, as it focuses mostly on knights in a Medieval-style world where women take up secondary roles. There are a few female characters of interest that are introduced, but they get very little screen time.
I have not provided too many details in the review intentionally so as to stay as spoiler-free as possible, and I advise trying to avoid spoilers because there definitely are some intriguing twists and turns throughout the show. But I will say that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compares very favorably to early Game of Thrones so far, and this is a great jumping-on point if you have not seen that one yet. It is also a pretty quick watch at only six episodes, and you should enjoy it even if you don’t plan on delving further into the GoT universe. It is definitely a good addition to the franchise, seeming like a breath of fresh air, and I look forward to further installments.
What’s Next?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was renewed for a second season in advance of its premiere, and word is that they are already working on the third season as well. The early viewership numbers for the show have been promising, and my guess is that this one will stick around for a while, especially since it is much cheaper to produce than other entries in the franchise. Since production has begun on the second season, I expect that to premiere in early 2027.
Are you watching A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and do you consider it a good addition to the Game of Thrones franchise? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.
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