What Can We Expect From 'A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms'?
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There are certainly a lot of things to keep an eye on in the world of adaptations of George R.R. Martin’s work, especially in the realm of Game of Thrones. There are plenty of rumors and suggestions about what is currently in development, but an under-the-radar series is the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Originally set up as a contrasting product to House of the Dragon, with the two series trading off a new season releasing every other year to each other, AKOTSK was instead delayed into 2026, the same year as HotD’s next season. Despite this delay, we think it is important to keep people in the know about just what this spin-off show will be tackling, since much like HotD, it will explore a new and very different era of Targaryen rule.
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'The Tales Of Dunk And Egg' Novellas
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on a trio of novellas written as background to the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. They follow the exploits of a hedge knight (a knight without great wealth, land, or titles) named Ser Duncan the Tall and his Squire, Egg. However, Egg is quickly revealed in the first novella to really be Prince Aegon of House Targaryen, whose distinctive silver hair has been shaved off, leaving him bald. The series takes place several decades after the civil war depicted in House of the Dragon, and is also several decades before the events of Robert’s Rebellion.
This is an era where the Targaryens are without their dragons, and so have to rely on politics, loyalty, and alliance to ensure they can remain in power. The series also tackles the aftereffects of the First Blackfyre Rebellion, another Targaryen civil war where a cadet branch of the family tried to overthrow the main line but lost, and fled with the legendary Targaryen sword Blackfyre. However, generally speaking, Dunk and Egg keep away from major politics, or at least they try to, with their stories generally more focused on the common folk and smaller events compared to large battles or big moments in the world’s lore.
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Despite this, two of the three existing novellas feature notable events. The first is The Hedge Knight, which is the story Season 1 looks to be adapting. When Duncan comes to the defense of a female performer being harassed at a tourney by an angry Prince Aerion Targaryen (also the man who shaved Egg’s head while he was drunk), the arrogant and volatile prince demands a Trial of Seven. This fight sees seven warriors fight seven warriors to determine the guilt of one party over the other.
While Duncan’s side wins the match, one of the Targaryens participating is accidentally killed by his brother. This death eliminates the Crown Prince and changes the course of the Seven Kingdoms. Then, the third novella sees Dunk and Egg accidentally in the middle of the Second Blackfyre Rebellion. A son of the dead rebel Targaryen leader returns to Westeros in disguise and brings together several old supporters of the First Rebellion at a wedding tourney. This plot gets complicated, but suffice to say, the scheme from the traitors is foiled, and a key character called Bloodraven makes a prominent appearance.
'A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms' And Adaptation
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From the character names in the cast list, it seems very clear that Season 1 of AKOTSK will adapt just the first novella of the series. It is also being made extremely cheaply, compared to Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon episodes. Now, that might spook some fans, but there is a clear reason why: This is not an era of huge battles or giant dragons; it is generally an era of peace and lower stakes. The events of the novellas are small-scale, consisting of two tourneys and an exploration of a squabble between two small-time titleholders (the plot of the second novella). It is therefore sensible to avoid huge budgets and instead put the money into the costumes, actors, and other elements of the show.
That is not to say that there might never be larger-scale conflicts or scenes of battle. Something else that is sure to make fans wince is the fact that, as this explanation has mentioned, there are only three novellas to draw material from. That translates into three seasons, and maybe HBO/Warner Bros. would be happy with that, but we know G.R.R. Martin has mapped out details and plots for other Dunk and Egg stories. The reason for this is that Aegon, Egg, eventually becomes king of Westeros, and Ser Duncan the Tall is made the head of his Kingsguard. The two end up fighting against the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion; there is a lot of crazy drama with Aegon’s children, and then, it all ends at the Tragedy at Summerhall. This incredibly mysterious event sees a royal palace burned to the ground, the death of Aegon, Duncan, and multiple royal family members, and the birth of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, who would one day abduct Lyanna Stark and begin Robert’s Rebellion.
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Now, would the novellas go up to such a point? We genuinely do not know, since G.R.R. hasn’t written them, and there is less detail available on the later novella ideas he has. But, if he’s mapped out his plans, it is possible AKOTSK could include at least some material of a matured Aegon and older Dunk with hints at the future. It is equally possible that the small-scale production of AKOTSK would be maintained, and seasons past Season 3 would continue to focus on Dunk and Egg as they travel across the Seven Kingdoms with adventures in each major realm, perhaps bringing the series total up to seven seasons while both characters remain relatively young. But it might also just be down to how fans receive the story, and if the show is popular enough to go beyond Season 3.
AKOTSK may also give us new POVs and scenes that add more information to the existing novella story, much like how HotD took the content of the World Book and Fire & Blood, and narrativized it into the version seen on screen. Such a change could help to paint a broader picture of events we witness, and better inform viewers about what this era of Westeros is like. It is also possible that, in a theoretical Season 2, the scenes of Dunk and Egg in the rural countryside might be contrasted against new scenes far removed from their isolated location, with politics and events back in King’s Landing or elsewhere. They might take up position as a sort of B-plot, to show a more complete picture and catch up with key characters who will appear in Season 1 at the tourney, yet do not reappear in the next two novellas. We’ll have to wait and see just how they adapt the series.
The Deeplore Possibilities And Connections To Other Shows
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There are a LOT of theories among the fan community about many elements of the Dunk and Egg novellas. While their plots are generally straightforward and there is a lack of dangling threads, individual characters and experiences in each story inform an interesting picture about the wider plotlines of A Song of Ice and Fire. For instance, dreams repeatedly occur in the novellas that seem to warn of future events within their stories, but also possibly hint at the future of various characters. The series also sees appearances from various important characters known by wider history, or sees people appear who will become more important to history later in their lives. For example, the appearance of Bloodraven in the third novella, The Mystery Knight, is sudden and with limited explanation, but with possible hints that he was in disguise as another character for much of the story. Despite only appearing in this third novella, the character played a key role in the First Blackfyre Rebellion, and casts an unseen shadow over the three existing Dunk and Egg stories because of this. But it is Bloodraven specifically that loops things around to the story of House of the Dragon, Game of Thrones, and other possible spin-offs in G.R.R. Martin’s world.
Fans may remember from HotD Season 2 when Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith, had a vision that showed him the future, and we got a brief glimpse of a much younger Targaryen man with a distinctive birthmark on his cheek. That was Bloodraven, the Three-Eyed Crow/Raven, who we saw portrayed by Max Von Sydow in Game of Thrones. His role in various events in this era and beyond is significant, due to rumors he had a deep connection with Old God magic, which seems confirmed by his ultimate fate in finding the Children of the Forest beyond the Wall and becoming one with the roots of a weirwood tree. We don’t yet know what impact Old God magic will have on HotD, but it seems likely that the TV version of G.R.R. Martin’s world will expand and add in new ideas of its own, much like HotD has. AKOTSK may significantly increase Bloodraven’s presence to help emphasize that character’s significance, with links back to the events we’ll see in HotD and to help give us a glimpse at more mystical events in Westeros, but we’ll just have to wait and see how Season 1 turns out sometime next year.
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