If A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has shown fans anything so far, it’s that a clear continuity runs between this newest Game of Thrones entry and its predecessors. The premise and familiar Westerosi jargon remain intact, even as the universe’s timeline shifts considerably. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is sandwiched between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, though it isn’t particularly close to either. The Targaryens still rule the realm roughly 75–80 years after the Dance of the Dragons (129-131 AC), i.e., the war between Kin depicted in House of the Dragon.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Could Run For 10 Seasons, Longer Than Game of Thrones
George R.R. Martin gave A Knight of the Seven Kingdom's showrunner 10 to 12 outlines so HBO can finish the series before GRRM writes more books.
The events of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms unfold in 209 AC, while Game of Thrones Season 1 is set in 297 AC, i.e., roughly 90 years before Game of Thrones. As a result, the series – which is lighter in tone and exists in a liminal space – is neither firmly tethered to what came before nor what follows. Yet, its events carry weight, particularly as its eponymous protagonist plays a crucial role in shaping the reign of one of Westeros’ most notable Targaryen Kings, Aegon the V, fondly remembered as Egg by his elder brother, Grand Maester Aemon, on Game of Thrones. Currently, Westeros is ruled by Daeron II Targaryen, whose eldest son is Baelor, followed by Aerys, Rhaegel, and Maekar.
Ser Duncan The Tall Is Still Just Dunk
Dunk, frequently dismissed as big and stupid, is already at Ashford, having taken the young, shaven-headed Egg on as his squire. Despite lacking in almost everything except intact morals, Dunk boldly makes a case for himself before Prince Baelor Targaryen, displaying courage and unwavering determination.
Plummer instructs Dunk to approach one of the true knights gathered at Ashford, saying one of them will have to vouch for him or his late master, if not both. This task becomes the heart of Dunk’s challenge in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 2. On top of everything else, he must secure coin, buy proper armor, and, at Baelor's instruction, a sigil of his own.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Quietly Confirms 28 Year Old Game of Thrones Theory
28 years after The Hedge Knight's release, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 quietly confirmed Dunk was not knighted by Ser Arlan of Pennytree.
The episode cold-opens with Dunk fondly speaking of his mentor, the Hedge Knight, who took no wives, owned no lands, and sired no children, yet the scenes show he lived freely and indulged often. The jovial Ser Arlan shared everything with Dunk, even a patch of ground beneath a tree when it rained at night. As Dunk speaks of his late master’s honor, Ser Arlan appears bare, clearly having just shared an intimate encounter.
Dunk recalls that his late master once offered his services to Houses Florent, Hayford, and Tyrell, yet no one at Ashford seems to remember him. In the meantime, the Targaryens’ arrival has young Egg, who, as we know from George R. R. Martin’s novella, The Hedge Knight, is evading his royal family and scrambling for cover. The announcement is made that Baelor, King Daeron’s firstborn, is the Hand of the King and heir to the Iron Throne, accompanied by his brother, just Maekar. This gives Dunk an idea: if no lord will remember his late master, surely the ruling House will. And it turns out, Baelor does.
The Targaryens Baelor And Maekar Hold Court
Dunk has an unpleasant encounter with Prince Aerion, one of Prince Maekar's four sons (besides Daeron & Aemond), who embodies everything the worthless lot of the Targaryens: silver-haired, cruel, and pompous. Dunk refuses every task Aerion gives him, from managing horses to fetching wine and female company, leaving the prince to mock him for his un-knightly appearance.
Knighthood has fallen on sad days.
As Dunk willingly works to tame Aerion’s horse, he encounters two genuinely honorable brothers of the Kingsguard, modest and unpretentious, yet perfectly capable of delivering a shady burn. He proudly introduces himself as Ser Duncan the Tall, while one of the men gives his and his sworn brothers' names as Ser Roland of Crakehall and Ser Donnel of Duskendale. Everywhere he goes, people across the moral spectrum take issue with Dunk’s ragged appearance. The Darklyn of Duskendale identifies his family roots as humble crabbers, answering Dunk’s question that he found his place in the Kingsguard much the same way his family found their trade.
Dunk follows a servant and quietly slips up to the room where Baelor and Maekar are discussing the latter’s missing sons, Daeron and Aegon. Daeron had been commanded to enter the lists, but he sat out instead, leaving his father disappointed in him. Baelor offers reassuring words, but Maekar’s attention shifts to Dunk, and what unfolds next is an unpolished yet earnest attempt by Dunk to secure someone willing to vouch for him so he can enter the tourney. Baelor recalls Ser Arlan as a knight who “never won a tourney but never shamed himself either,” right before testing Dunk’s knowledge of his master’s past feats. He demanded to know whether Ser Arlan ever mentioned the Grey Lion and, if so, what his true name was. “Damon Lannister — the Grey Lion. The Lord of Casterly Rock now,” answers Dunk, thereby winning Baelor’s approval.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Who is Egg?
There's more to A Knight of the Seven Kingdom's Egg than casual Game of Thrones fans realize.
Dunk’s mannerisms lack courtly polish, but he walks out in search of a puppeteer named Tanselle Too-Tall to request her to paint him a new sigil. Though he doesn’t have the slightest clue about what would accurately represent him, with Egg’s help, they agree on an elm tree with big branches and with a shooting star above. Dunk attempts to flirt with her but fails, later asking Egg whether he handled it poorly. Minutes later, Lyonel Baratheon, introduced in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1, calls on Dunk to join him in a tug of war. Dunk helps him secure the victory, with Egg joining in too. Egg also helps Dunk see that his and Tanselle’s tall stature is a shared trait, while Dunk assures him that he will grow up to be a fine knight one day.
The last bits of the night see Dunk approaching Steely Pate, the armorer for the tourney, only to learn it will cost him 800 stags. Pate agrees to a barter for an old armor, accepts 2 Stags, instructing Dunk to bring him to the remaining Stags within a day. So, Dunk, left with no choice, sells one of his three horses, Sweetfoot, though he’s confident he will bring the horse back once he wins. His motive, which he shares with Egg, is to be employed in the service of some Great House. “Perhaps even House Targaryen,” he hopes, to which Egg clarifies that the Targaryens don't take many Hedge Knights. When Dunk mentions Ser Donnel, Egg adds that his father owns half the crabbing fleets in Westeros.
The Tourney Begins At Last
At last, the tourney kicks off, with Dunk hoisting Egg onto his shoulders. They watch the favorite and second in line to the Iron Throne, Prince Valarr, among others. Amid the brutal fights, Egg asks to be put down and Dunk looks worried, picturing Ser Arlan in his grave. He settles into the quiet of the night, while Egg calls on Blackfyre bastards to yield.
“A Hedge Knight is a bridge between the lords and the Smallfolk,” Ser Arlan’s words, delivered by Dunk, are arguably the most important lines coming out of the episode. Dunk ends the episode on a hopeful note, recalling both the good and the bad of his late master. “His name was Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and I am his legacy. On the morrow, we will show them what his hand has wrought,” says Dunk as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1, Episode 2 “Hard Salt Beef” concludes.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
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- January 25, 2026
