In just a few short months, George R.R. Martin fans will find themselves back in Westeros with HBO’s new, highly anticipated series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The upcoming show marks the third installment set in the author’s beloved land of fire and ice, following the mainline Game of Thrones series and its successor, House of the Dragon. So, will this new series bring more magic, dragons, and drama? Let’s find out!
Here’s everything you need to know about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
The Tie to Game of Thrones
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will serve as a prequel to the epic fantasy series Game of Thrones. While we will see some Baratheons, Targaryens, and highborns scattered throughout, this narrative’s sole focus is on its lowborn lead, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his friendship with a young squire. The prequel is in no way trying to compete with Game of Thrones, and that’s why you should be thrilled about it.
When Does It Take Place?
Based on George R.R. Martin’s The Tales of Dunk and Egg series of novellas, this prequel is set about a century before the events of Game of Thrones but well after the events of House of the Dragon, and just over 50 years after the death of the last dragon. So, we’re in an age when the Targaryens still sit on the Iron Throne and the last dragon still lingers in living memory.
What’s the Plot?
Whereas its predecessor shows focused heavily on Westeros’ royalty and their salacious, often scandalous drama, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will pivot and bring us into the life and daily struggles of a more common character, through a much lighter, more comedic tone.
Our story centers on a lowborn hedge knight—a freelance knight, if you will—named Ser Duncan the Tall, the titular “Dunk,” played by Peter Claffey, of Bad Sisters. When we meet him, his master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (The Regime’s Danny Webb), has just died. Needing money, Dunk sets out to compete in the jousting tournaments at Ashford Meadow, which sets certain events into motion with effects that will ripple out far and wide. It’s at the tournament that Dunk meets the diminutive “Egg” (Dexter Sol Ansell, of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), a bald little boy with an enormous secret who is determined to be Dunk’s squire.
While the series of novellas follows the unlikely duo as they traverse the Seven Kingdoms, experiencing trials and tribulations, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits, season one will begin by following Dunk’s adventures as he meets Egg, and they attempt to enter the tournaments. However, much like the case with the late Heath Ledger’s character in A Knight’s Tale, Dunk lacks the proper name and resources to do so.
At this year’s New York Comic-Con, Martin told audiences what inspired him to write something so vastly different from his previous works. “One of the things that one of the [critics] said was, ‘Here it is, another fantasy, and we get to hear more about kings and lords, and lords and kings. Nobody ever writes about the common people.’ And that resonated with me.”
Who’s In Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is co-created and executive produced by George R.R. Martin and Ira Parker, who also serves as showrunner. As for who is starring, in addition to Claffey and Sol Ansell, it’s a beefy list.
Let’s tackle some Targaryens and Baratheons. Finn Bennett (True Detective) stars as Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen; The Crown’s Bertie Carvel as Crown Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen; Sam Spruell (Fargo) as Prince Maekar Targaryen; Outlander’s Henry Ashton as Daeron Targaryen; and Daniel Ings, of The Gentlemen, as Ser Lyonel Baratheon.
Other cast members include Tanzyn Crawford, of Tiny Beautiful Things, as Tanselle, Edward Ashley (Masters of the Air) as Ser Steffon Fossoway, Steve’s Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate, Daniel Monks (Kaos) as Ser Manfred Dondarrion, The Long Shadow’s Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, of The Agency: Central Intelligence, as Plummer.
What We Know About Seasons and Episodes
Season one of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will consist of six episodes. It’s a short season, I know, but the real bummer is that the episodes are only 30 minutes long. There’s a good reason for that, though. According to show creator Ira Parker, it’s because the prequel is based on a series of novellas.
“When I heard that it was going to be six episodes, and they wanted to do shorter half-hour episodes, I was like, ‘Great.’ That means we can do one novella a season. That means we can start the way that we’re supposed to start and just follow Dunk in his journey into this world. We can be ground up. We can be slow. We can be intimate and just give people a little enjoyment, a little treat inside this world.”
If you’re paying attention, you’ve just realized how many seasons we’re likely to see, but only if viewership numbers are there for season one. For those who don’t know, there are three novellas in George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg series: The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight.
Is There a Trailer?
In conjunction with its 2025 New York Comic-Con panel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms released its first teaser trailer in October. As you can tell, the differences between it and Game of Thrones—also House of the Dragon—are vast, so let’s explore those.
How A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Will Differ from Game of Thrones
While there are many differences, the two major ones between the fantasy series are pretty obvious: There will be—hold your breath—no magic or dragons. I repeat, no magic or dragons. I know, that’s another bummer, but you have to remember, this is a time in Westeros when no one is thinking about magic. So, it’s best to go ahead and get that expectation out of your system.
Parker recently told Entertainment Weekly that the series is a gritty medieval story that “could basically be 14th-century Britain. This is hard nose, grind it out, gritty, medieval knights, cold with a really light, hopeful touch. It’s a wonderful place to be. We are ground up in this series; we are starting right at the bottom. We’re not with the lords and ladies, the kings and queens.”
Other differences viewers will notice start with the opening title sequence. There isn’t one. Instead, there’s just a simple title card with medieval typography in between the beginning action of each episode. The fact that there are no sprawling visuals with orchestral accompaniment seems to reflect the type of person Dunk is: plain, simple, and right to the point—things our previous Martin adaptations were not.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also won’t have the massive scale that its predecessors did and do. Where Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have been sweeping fantasy epics loaded with palace intrigue, this prequel is all about heart, with one focus. It’s more of a snack-sized, character-driven story set in the same world as GoT.
Martin called the series, “as faithful an adaptation as a reasonable man could hope for,” then further elaborated on his personal blog that “there are no dragons this time around, no huge battles, no white walkers … this is a character piece, and its focus is on duty and honor, on chivalry and all it means.”
Release Date
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET. New episodes will debut weekly on Sundays through February 22.
In the meantime, don’t forget to check out what’s new on HBO Max this month, but if I were you, I’d go hardcore and revisit Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Also, don’t forget to stay updated on the platform’s price increase. Just a heads-up, it will likely happen before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ arrival.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $10/month
- Simultaneous streams
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2 or 4
- Live TV
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Live sports available in Standard and Premium plans
- Price
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Starting at $10/month or $100/year
Stream Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon now on HBO Max.