A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS and The World of Dunk and Egg, Explained

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HBO is bringing the beloved characters Dunk and Egg to the screen, giving fans of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire a glimpse into a part of Westeros they haven’t seen before. This new series tells a different kind of story, set during a time of recovery after a brutal Targaryen civil war – nearly a century before the events of Game of Thrones. Though set in the past, the events of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will have consequences that echo when the White Walkers eventually return.

It seems incredible that a story with just one knight and his assistant could lead to all of this. Let’s explore HBO’s new series and find out how.

What Is A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms?

HBO is creating a new live-action series called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a spin-off of Game of Thrones. The show is based on George R.R. Martin’s book of the same name, which compiles three stories he previously released featuring the characters Dunk and Egg.

These stories each feature a complete adventure starring a well-known pair: Ser Duncan the Tall, a large, simple, and honorable hedge knight, and his squire, Egg. Dunk believes he isn’t very bright, but he’s actually just too honest for his own good – he always tries to do what’s right, even when it puts him in danger. Egg is a small but spirited and clever boy who often helps Dunk out of trouble, though his stubbornness can sometimes create new problems for them both.

The first season of the show will be based on George R.R. Martin’s story, “The Hedge Knight.” The title comes from Ser Duncan’s life as a ‘hedge knight’ – knights who weren’t tied to a specific lord or castle. Instead, they traveled around, taking on short-term jobs. It wasn’t a particularly prestigious life, but it allowed them to choose who they served and why, and to see more of the world instead of being told where to go. The season will also introduce Ser Arlan of Pennytree, an honorable hedge knight who Duncan served as a squire for.

We’re aiming to create a new story each season. However, after the third season, we might run out of material unless Martin writes more.

Who Is Making A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Ira Parker, a writer on the first season of House of the Dragon, is the showrunner and executive producer of this new series. He developed it alongside George R.R. Martin, who is also an executive producer. While Martin has been critical of some of HBO’s previous adaptations of his books, he praised this series as a remarkably faithful interpretation. It will also offer a unique approach compared to other shows based on his work.

How Will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Feel Different From Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon?

Compared to its HBO predecessors, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms tells a more focused and personal story. Both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon were large-scale epics featuring numerous characters and spanning vast lands. In contrast, the Dunk and Egg stories center on the adventures of just two characters, feeling like a classic buddy road trip set in Westeros—though one that often gets sidetracked by troublesome nobles, danger, and sword fights.

What really excites me about this new show is the shift in perspective. Unlike much of what we’ve seen from Westeros, it’s not just about kings and queens. Dunk and Egg spend a lot of time with the everyday people – the smallfolk – and that’s huge. We finally get to see how decisions made in castles actually affect the lives of regular folks trying to survive. And I have a feeling these interactions, these glimpses into the lives of the common people, are going to ripple outwards and change the world in ways we can’t even imagine. It’s a really smart move that promises to add a whole new layer to the story.

Unlike the other HBO series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms won’t feature any dragons. The dragons had disappeared nearly twenty years before the story begins, before Ser Duncan’s life was forever altered by a young boy.

When Does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Take Place?

The Targaryen family ruled Westeros for almost 300 years. The events in House of the Dragon, including its civil war, happen around 130 years after Aegon first took control of Westeros. About 80 years after that, we meet Dunk and Egg. This means the stories in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms take place roughly 90 years before the beginning of Game of Thrones.

The new HBO prequel focuses less on when Dunk and Egg’s story takes place and more on the world around them. They’ll be traveling through a Westeros still healing from another Targaryen civil war – a conflict that ultimately weakened the Targaryen dynasty and set it on a course for destruction.

What Happened in Westeros Before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

As a huge fantasy fan, I’m really excited about House of the Dragon. It tells the story of the first big war between the Targaryens, and it’s a war fought with dragons! It’s actually pretty tragic because that conflict is a big part of what eventually led to dragons disappearing altogether. Losing those incredible creatures really weakened the Targaryens – their power, influence, and respect all took a massive hit. And sadly, things didn’t get any better with their second major war; it just made everything worse for them.

The Blackfyre Rebellion was a year-long civil war sparked when the king’s newly acknowledged half-brother challenged his claim to the Iron Throne. It deeply divided the Seven Kingdoms, but it wasn’t a simple case of good versus evil – both sides had legitimate arguments and capable leaders who could have ruled effectively. Though King Daeron II ultimately won, the conflict was incredibly close, and some continued to fight for the opposing side even after it officially ended.

Dunk and Egg begin their travels thirteen years after the initial Blackfyre Rebellion, at a tourney held in Ashford. Though the castle wasn’t particularly important, the Targaryen family attended, showing how much they needed to improve their reputation at the time. This tourney would become a famous, realm-changing event.

As Dunk and Egg journey together, they forge a strong friendship and encounter people who fought on opposing sides of the recent civil war. Regardless of which side they supported, most are unhappy with House Targaryen for plunging the kingdom into another violent struggle.

The trailers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms show the rising anger towards House Targaryen, which will eventually lead to Robert Baratheon taking the Iron Throne within a century. They also hint that this series will be a departure from HBO’s other Game of Thrones adaptations. However, despite these changes, the story of Dunk and Egg will still have a significant effect on the overall events of Game of Thrones.

How Will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Connect to Game of Thrones?

Okay, let’s talk about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. If you’ve somehow managed to avoid hearing why everyone calls Dunk “Egg,” and you’d prefer to go into the six-episode first season completely unspoiled, consider yourself warned – I’m about to potentially reveal some key details!

Prince Aegon Targaryen, known simply as “Egg,” is a somewhat overlooked member of the royal family – the fourth son of Prince Maekar Targaryen’s fourth son. When Ser Duncan first meets Egg, he doesn’t realize the boy’s true identity, partly because Egg has shaved his head to conceal his Targaryen silver hair (though his distinctive dark purple eyes are harder to hide). By the time Prince Maekar allows his son, a relatively unimportant figure at court, to travel with the hedge knight, Ser Duncan knows exactly who Egg is and understands he must protect the Prince’s identity. This is crucial because many people on the continent still resent the Targaryens winning the Blackfyre Rebellion.

Ser Duncan likely wasn’t the only one watching over Egg. Aegon’s uncle, Lord Brynden Rivers – also known as Bloodraven – is a key figure in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. If you watched Game of Thrones, you’ll remember him as the Three-Eyed Raven, the same role Bran Stark eventually takes on.

He also showed up in a vision Daemon Targaryen had on season two of House of the Dragon. However, during the time of Dunk and Egg, he wasn’t trapped in a tree—he was actually a member of the royal court.

As a huge fan of both Dunk and Egg and Game of Thrones, I always loved finding the connections between the two! It’s more than just a little nod, actually. Remember when Maester Aemon was dying in Game of Thrones and kept calling out for Egg? That really got me! And the stories of Dunk and Egg aren’t just their own adventure, they’re deeply connected to the Mad King and Rhaegar Targaryen’s lives, which adds so much depth to the whole story.

For further information, you might be interested in these articles: Brynden Rivers, the Three-Eyed Raven of King’s Landing; Rhaegar Targaryen’s brief life and enduring impact; and Aerys II, the Mad King of Westeros.

We’ll get to the details later – how and why things happened is a story for the end. Right now, let’s simply appreciate the start of a remarkable connection that reshaped the world of Westeros.

Let me tell you, if you love Dunk and Egg as much as I do, you absolutely need to follow Mikey Walsh over at TopMob. He’s a fantastic writer, and honestly, he’s obsessed with ranking all the Targaryen kings – which, let’s be real, is a worthy obsession. You can find him on Bluesky at @burgermike, or wherever people are passionately debating the best Targaryen ruler.

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2026-01-09 22:05