A New ‘Game of Thrones’ Show Is Coming—What to Know About ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’

It’s been over a year since we last got a Game of Thrones show, and considering House of the Dragon season 2 left a bad taste in many fans’ mouths, it’s felt like a very long time since we were really excited about this franchise. Of course, the original series was completely groundbreaking, catapulting the fantasy genre into the mainstream.

And while the prequel series had a few missteps in its sophomore season, there’s still a lot to look forward to when it comes to the world of Westeros. Not only is a third season of House of the Dragon coming this summer—with many huge plot points to cover—but we’re also getting another Game of Thrones prequel in one week’s time.

Here’s what you should know about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. After having seen the first four episodes so far, I recommend checking it out.

1. The Source Material
2. The Timeline
3. The Cast and Crew
4. Release Date, Schedule, Episode Lengths
5. Trailer

The Source Material

The Game of Thrones universe is based on books written by George R.R. Martin, and HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is no exception. Only this time, the prequel series is based on a series of novellas following the smallfolk rather than kings and queens. These novellas, called Tales of Dunk and Egg, follow characters Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg. The story begins with Dunk traveling to the town of Ashford to participate in a tourney as a newly-knighted knight.

The first season will follow the first novella, The Hedge Knight, which is less than 200 pages—a contrast to Martin’s other works in the world of Westeros, which are typically very long. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has already been renewed for a second season, and the rest of the show is expected to follow the rest of the novellas in the series: The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight.

The three novellas were published between the years 1998 and 2010.

During a panel at New York Comic Con in the fall of 2025, Martin discussed why he decided to write about the smallfolk rather than the Great Houses, revealing, perhaps surprisingly, that he was impacted by critics’ comments.

“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’—the smallfolk, as I call them,” Martin recalled on the panel. “And that resonated with me. Believe it or not, occasionally, we do listen to some of the critics, if they know what they’re talking about.”

The Timeline

As mentioned, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is another Game of Thrones prequel series. It takes place nearly 100 years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, a.k.a. Game of Thrones, meaning it’s a sequel series to House of the Dragon.

The first novella, The Hedge Knight, begins in 209 AC—After Aegon’s Conquest—during which King Daeron II Targaryen leads the realm, and Prince Baelor Targaryen serves as his Hand. At this point in Westerosi history, the last of the dragons have died out, and while the Targaryens still sit the Iron Throne, they will not have dragons until Daenerys Targaryen’s storyline in Game of Thrones.

So, yes, we regret to inform our readers that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will not feature dragons! It’s certainly disappointing, but there are other entertainment parts, we promise. Check out the official logline for the show:

A century before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.

The Cast and Crew

The new prequel was created by Martin himself, alongside showrunner Ira Parker, who worked as a producer on House of the Dragon and has credits on shows such as The Sympathizer, The Nevers, and Better Things. While promoting the series, Parker has proved his intentions in following the source material as closely as possible, impressing fans with his dedication and love for the story.

“They say when you’re writing that you should not want to please everybody, that you shouldn’t write for the audience, that you should pick one person and write for them. I did this season for George [R.R. Martin],” Parker shared at New York Comic Con. “The fact that he’s happy makes me very happy. Hopefully, this extends to other people.”

Among the list of producers on the show includes House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal.

As for the cast, the central characters are played by mostly up-and-coming actors, including Peter Claffey (Wreck, Vikings: Valhalla, Bad Sisters) as Dunk and Dexter Sol Ansell (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Robin and the Hoods) as Egg. See the full cast list below:

• Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall
• Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg
• Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon
• Bertie Carvel as Baelor Targaryen
• Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree
• Sam Spruell as Maekar Targaryen
• Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway
• Finn Bennett as Aerion Targaryen
• Edward Ashley as Ser Steffon Fossoway
• Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle
• Henry Ashton as Daeron Targaryen
• Youssef Kerkour as Steeley Pate
• Tom Vaughn-Lawlor as Plummer
• Daniel Monks as Ser Manfred Dondarrion

Already, fans are loving Claffey as Dunk and Ansell as Egg through the trailers and other promotional videos. The actors have been doing press for the series, leading to fans dubbing them “actually Dunk and Egg [in real life].”

Release Date, Schedule, Episode Lengths

If you’re interested in watching A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, you don’t have to wait long to check out the premiere! The new series releases its first episode on Sunday, January 18, at 10:00 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. The first season will consist of six episodes, and the episodes will run anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.

You might be surprised by the short season and episode runtimes, but if you’re familiar with the novellas, you’ll understand why. As mentioned, The Hedge Knight has fewer than 200 pages, meaning if HBO wanted to do one-hour episodes, the writers would have come up with a lot more to add to the story, which is always risky. Considering Parker wants to be faithful to the book, these runtimes are for the best.

Here’s the full release schedule for you to screenshot and remember:

Trailer

Ready for a preview of what’s to come? Check out the final trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms below:

Don’t miss the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO and HBO Max on January 18.