There are two kinds of people in Westeros: those fighting for the Iron Throne and those trying to get through the day without being betrayed, beheaded or dragged into somebody else’s family drama. In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we finally spend time with someone who seems more concerned with finding his place in the world than conquering it.
And honestly? That is a refreshing change of pace.
HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, created by Ira Parker and George R. R. Martin, takes us back into the world of Game of Thrones, but with a different attitude. Based on Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, the six-episode first season follows Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, played by Peter Claffey, and his young squire, Aegon “Egg” Targaryen, played by Dexter Sol Ansell.
Set roughly 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series swaps sprawling political conspiracies for a more intimate story about ambition, loyalty, class and two very different people learning to navigate the same world.
There are still knights, violence, aristocrats with questionable morals and enough Targaryen family history to make a family reunion deeply uncomfortable. But this time, the story is smaller, funnier and considerably more interested in the people standing beneath the castles than those sitting inside them.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV series) Is the Fantasy Adventure We Needed Share on XForget the Iron Throne. Dunk Is Just Trying to Make It.
One of the smartest decisions the series makes is its choice of protagonist.
Dunk is not a master strategist. He is not a charismatic prince with a suspiciously complicated family tree. He is a tall, inexperienced hedge knight trying to establish himself after the death of Ser Arlan of Pennytree, the older knight who raised and trained him.
A hedge knight occupies an uncertain position in Westerosi society. He has the title and responsibilities of a knight, but lacks the wealth, land and noble connections that make life considerably easier for the aristocracy.
Sound familiar? It is the medieval equivalent of being qualified enough to do the job but somehow still needing three years of experience, two references and a contact who knows somebody in management.
Dunk arrives at a jousting tournament hoping to prove himself. His problem is that good intentions do not automatically translate into skill, status or success. He is physically imposing, but often uncertain about how the world works. His sincerity is his strength, even when his lack of experience makes him look like the last person who should be managing his own affairs.
Peter Claffey gives Dunk a convincing mixture of physical presence and emotional vulnerability. He looks like someone who could win a fight, yet frequently seems unsure how to handle an ordinary conversation.
That contrast makes the character interesting. Dunk is not a conventional fantasy hero who always knows what to do. He is someone trying to become the person he believes he ought to be.
And that is a much more relatable starting point than another royal deciding that everyone else must suffer because of an inheritance dispute.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV series) Is the Fantasy Adventure We Needed Share on XDunk and Egg Are the Show’s Greatest Strength
The relationship between Dunk and Egg is the heart of the series.
Egg is a sharp, observant boy who offers to become Dunk’s squire. Where Dunk tends to approach situations with sincerity and limited foresight, Egg is quick-witted and considerably more perceptive.
Dexter Sol Ansell gives the character a confidence that contrasts nicely with Claffey’s more uncertain performance. Their differences create a natural rhythm: Dunk has the physical stature, while Egg often appears to have the better understanding of what is happening around them.
It is a familiar storytelling dynamic, but familiarity is not a problem when the performances make it work.
Think about the friend who can assemble an entire holiday itinerary in twenty minutes and the friend who arrives at the airport having forgotten to check the departure time. Both are useful in their own way. Put them together, and you might even make it to your destination.
Dunk and Egg operate along similar lines. Their relationship gives the series room for humour without reducing the characters to walking punchlines.
More importantly, the show allows their connection to develop through small exchanges, moments of disagreement and the practical realities of travelling together. They are not simply two characters delivering exposition about the world. They are learning how to trust one another.
That character work is one of the reasons the series has been warmly received by critics. The BBC praised the chemistry between the leads, while The New Yorker highlighted the show’s return to character development. (BBC, The New Yorker)
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV series) Is the Fantasy Adventure We Needed Share on XThe Comedy Is a Welcome Change , With One Small Warning
Let us address the humour.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is considerably more comedic than its predecessors. It regularly undercuts the grandeur of medieval fantasy with awkward situations, crude jokes and the realities of life on the road.
The series understands that people living in a brutal world would not spend every waking moment speaking in dramatic monologues about destiny. They would also complain, embarrass themselves, make terrible decisions and occasionally behave like absolute fools.
That tonal shift gives Westeros a different texture. Instead of treating every encounter as a possible step towards war, the show finds comedy in the ordinary frustrations of its characters.
The humour is not always subtle, though. Some jokes are deliberately vulgar, and viewers who prefer their fantasy elegant, solemn and relatively restrained may find the approach excessive.
There is a difference between a show that uses comedy to reveal character and one that assumes every serious moment needs to be interrupted by a joke. For the most part, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms benefits from its willingness to be silly, but not every gag will land for every viewer.
Personally, the more interesting humour comes from Dunk himself: his earnestness, his awkward social instincts and his determination to do the right thing even when he has not fully understood the situation.
That is comedy with a character at its centre. And it tends to age better than a joke whose only purpose is to shock the audience.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV series) Is the Fantasy Adventure We Needed Share on XIs A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Worth Watching?
If you are looking for another sprawling fantasy epic filled with dragons, royal conspiracies and political betrayals, this is not quite the same experience as Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon.
But if you enjoy character-driven storytelling, an unlikely partnership and fantasy that can laugh at itself, the series has plenty to offer.
It is also a useful reminder that the best stories in an established universe do not always need to become bigger. Sometimes, they become more interesting by getting closer to the people who would otherwise remain in the background.
For South African viewers, Dunk’s struggle to earn respect in a society shaped by wealth, family connections and inherited status may feel familiar beyond the fantasy setting. We know what it means to watch someone work hard while navigating a system in which access and opportunity are not always distributed fairly.
The comparison has its limits, of course. Westeros is a fictional medieval society, not a direct reflection of contemporary South Africa. But stories about dignity, class and the desire to be taken seriously can travel well beyond their original setting.
And Dunk’s situation carries a lesson worth considering: integrity matters, but good intentions alone will not always be enough. You still need judgement, experience and the ability to recognise when the person standing beside you understands something you do not.
Fortunately for Dunk, Egg is usually paying attention.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV series) Is the Fantasy Adventure We Needed Share on XA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is not trying to outdo Game of Thrones by making everything larger, darker or more complicated. Its best moments come from a simpler idea: two unlikely companions attempting to find their place in a world that has already decided who matters.
Peter Claffey gives Dunk a convincing mixture of awkwardness and decency, while Dexter Sol Ansell brings intelligence and energy to Egg. Their chemistry carries a story that might otherwise feel too slight to sustain an entire season.
The comedy will divide viewers, and the narrower scope means the series does not always offer the complexity of its predecessors. But its willingness to change the formula is part of its appeal.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (TV series) Is the Fantasy Adventure We Needed Share on XReview information and sources
- Series: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- Creator: Ira Parker, with George R. R. Martin
- Based on: Tales of Dunk and Egg, beginning with The Hedge Knight
- Lead cast: Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall; Dexter Sol Ansell as Aegon “Egg” Targaryen
- First season: Six episodes
- Original release: 18 January 2026 on HBO
- Season two: Renewed, with a planned 2027 release based on The Sworn Sword
Further reading: BBC review · The Guardian review · The New Yorker review · Rotten Tomatoes: Season 1 first reviews
Editorial note: This feature draws on the series information supplied and published critical coverage. It is an editorial assessment, not a claim of an independently conducted, first-hand episode review. The article discusses the premise and broad themes without detailing major plot twists.
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