HBO is officially moving forward with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, the latest Game of Thrones spinoff centered on the characters nicknamed Dunk and Egg. After the success of the original Game of Thrones series and the record-breaking inaugural season of its prequel House of the Dragon, HBO has greenlit another prequel about famous Westerosi characters. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will feature George R.R. Martin as a series writer, is now the third official Game of Thrones project with a series order, though there are still several more spinoffs like Jon Snow’s sequel in development with HBO.
Titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, HBO’s new Game of Thrones spinoff is based on the two characters created by Martin who are known as Dunk and Egg. Dunk, also known as Ser Duncan the Tall, is one of the most notorious knights in Westerosi history who would go on to become Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Egg, also known as Prince Aegon Targaryen and, eventually, King Aegon V “Egg” Targaryen, is his secretly royal squire. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will continue HBO’s exploration of Game of Thrones’ dragon-riding House Targaryen, while also solving several mysteries of the family’s lore from the original series and House of the Dragon prequel.
Who The Hedge Knight Is
The titular hedge knight in Game of Thrones’ prequel series is Ser Duncan the Tall, who is ed for his battle prowess and legacy by characters in the original show. In Game of Thrones lore, a hedge knight is a type of wandering knight who has no master, meaning they travel throughout Westeros seeking employment and entering tourneys to earn money. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight will thus explore Ser Duncan the Tall’s journey as a hedge knight long before Game of Thrones’ timeline.
When Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Takes Place In Game Of Thrones' Timeline
The prequel series will work to fill in the gaps in Westeros and the Targaryens’ history between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones' timelines. HBO’s description reveals that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place approximately one century before Game of Thrones. The Tourney at Ashford, which is where Dunk’s story as a hedge knight truly begins, takes place in 209 AC, which gives a more precise estimate of the prequel’s timeline. House of the Dragon’s civil war is set in the early 130s AC, while Game of Thrones’ story picks up in 298 AC. As such, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is expected to begin around 70 years after House of the Dragon and 90 years before Game of Thrones’ timeline.
During A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ timeline, House Targaryen still holds onto the Iron Throne, with the Targaryens' last dragons dying only a few decades beforehand. Depending on whether the series begins before or after 209 AC, King Daeron II Targaryen or King Aerys I Targaryen will be sitting on the Iron Throne. While Houses Velaryon and Hightower will have long sured the heights of their power, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will doubtlessly still feature Houses Stark, Lannister, and Baratheon as great powers in Westeros.
What Books A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Is Based On
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is based on a series of novellas by George R.R. Martin titled Dunk and Egg. The series includes three short stories so far, beginning with The Hedge Knight. The first novella explores Dunk’s early journey as a hedge knight, in which he meets “Egg” on the road while heading to the Tourney at Ashford. The second book in the series is The Sworn Sword, which is a stronger exploration of what it means to be a sworn knight in Westeros. The third Dunk and Egg novella is The Mystery Knight, which sees Duncan and Aegon lured to a wedding feast featuring a tourney with a rare prize.
Author George R.R. Martin has already revealed his intentions to write more Dunk and Egg installments, suggesting A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will extend beyond the published short stories. Additionally, the prequel series will doubtlessly be based on information revealed about the legacies of Ser Duncan the Tall and King Aegon V Targaryen from the original Game of Thrones TV show and the main A Song of Ice and Fire book series.
Dunk & Egg’s History Explained: What Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Story Will Be About
While House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones follow some of the most momentous wars in Westerosi history, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place during a time of small rebellions and relative peace. The new Game of Thrones prequel series will have a much smaller scale, as it’s expected to primarily focus on the friendship between Dunk and Egg as well as the more specific journeys of knights in the realm. The set-up for the story will see the squire turned hedge knight Dunk happening upon a boy with a shaved head on the road to a tourney, who Dunk ends up taking on as his squire.
After discovering that Egg is secretly in line to inherit the Iron Throne in The Hedge Knight, Dunk is asked to train Aegon to be a better knight than his brother Aerion, leading the two to travel as knight and squire. The duo continues to train and adventure together throughout Westeros in the remaining Dunk and Egg books, with their close relationship being maintained throughout their lives. In 233 AC, Aegon ascends the Iron Throne and Duncan laters s the Kingsguard, eventually becoming Lord Commander. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight likely won’t extend into Egg’s reign as King, so the series is apt to simply explore their journeys together on the road.
Will There Be Any Dragons In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight will be the first Game of Thrones series without dragons. The last dragon of House Targaryen dies in 153 AC, which is over 50 years before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ timeline. While there won’t be any Targaryens riding dragons in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, there will be dragon eggs, which means the series could depict characters attempting to hatch the creatures.
Can Any GOT & HOTD Characters Appear In Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms?
Although there aren’t any Game of Thrones characters featured in House of the Dragon, the prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms can feature at least one original character. The Game of Thrones character greatly expected to appear in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is Maester Aemon. Revealed to actually be Prince Aemon Targaryen, Game of Thrones’ Maester Aemon is the elder brother of King Aegon V “Egg” Targaryen, so a young version of the character will likely be a recurring figure in the new spinoff. Unfortunately, there likely won’t be any House of the Dragon characters returning for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.