A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Review

I have to give a lot of credit to Game of Thrones. Despite how disastrous the ending was, a conclusion so bad that it almost banished the universe out of public relevancy for years, the franchise has been slowly self-reviving as of late. With House of the Dragon earning a lot of attention, I’ll admit I was sceptical about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms at first. Did we really need another spin-off, especially while House of the Dragon was ongoing? Well, I’m happy to report that, though not perfect, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms slots exceptionally well into the Game of Thrones franchise timeline, carving out an appropriate spot for itself, rather than stealing any other show’s thunder.

So, let’s talk about it! It’s time for our full series review of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. In case you haven’t had a chance to check out the series for yourself just yet, I’ll be avoiding spoilers in this article. Feel free to read ahead, and then watch this series for yourself, and let me know if you agree with my thoughts! With that being said, let’s get discussing!

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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Review

Image by HBO

Where House of the Dragon felt like a similar tale of political turmoil to Game of Thrones, simply set in a different time period, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms feels like a complete departure from what fans are used to from this franchise. While the series is as R-rated as can be, it’s still a remarkably tame and cruelty-free series, as least by Westeros’ standards. Fans should be aware of this going in – expectations are going to be the killer of this show for a lot of viewers. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is best experienced as a story loosely connected to Game of Thrones by some faint plot threads, as opposed to a direct successor.

The first sign that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was a different kind of story for this franchise was its scale. Focusing on the tale of a single knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, the story of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a far cry from the vast, interconnected narrative of Game of Thrones. The episodes themselves even play into this miniaturised feeling behind the show, as each episode comes in at around 30 minutes. The series is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, which explains this far less grandiose take on the franchise, but it still feels odd to watch this universe in action in such a different way. Still, this is a welcome change of pace, as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms proves itself a refreshing departure from the norm of this franchise, rather than another House of the Dragon-sized experience – I don’t think my brain could handle keeping up with another one of those!

Its size isn’t A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ only form of rebellion against tradition though. This series has a notable focus on comedy throughout its six episodes, a point that the first episode drives home as early as possible. Here’s where my opinion on this series may deviate from public consensus a little, because I’d be lying if I said that the comedy in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms worked for me all of the time. A lot of the humour here feels a little juvenile for me, with a lot of attention given to the perceived funniness of bodily functions and full-frontal nudity. I find it odd that in a franchise like Game of Thrones, where nudity is so common in a non-comedy context, we’re meant to find nudity funny in this instance. There were certainly a few moments that landed for me, and the comedic approach to this series did add to its feeling as a more wholesome corner of this universe, but I could do with a little less in future seasons.

Image by HBO

The real heart of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms lies with its characters, of which there are a surprising amount, given the show’s length. I must commend the series’ ability to craft a handful of extremely likeable characters, despite allowing the viewer to spend very little time with them. Well-written dialogue has always been a strong point of shows in the Game of Thrones franchise, and given A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ ability to present characters with less than an hour of screentime as incredibly endearing, I think it’s safe to say that that strength continues to shine here. Even the series’ villain, who I’ll keep anonymous for now, is truly despicable, with the character giving off some major Joffrey vibes, even if his portrayal does lack Jack Gleeson’s incomparable ability to be hateable.

The two stars of the show, however, are Dunk and Egg themselves, brought to life by Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell. It’s no secret, given the promotional material, that the friendship between these two is the crux of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and through a combination of stellar character writing and excellent acting, their relationship is every bit as endearing as fans will have hoped. Ansell is a phenomenal child actor, and really makes his mark here, but Claffey deserves all of his flowers for his portrayal here. Dunk is incredibly likeable, wears his heart on his sleeve, and rises to the occasion of being a true knight when it’s required of him. The central duo of this show are the heart of its story, and I’m glad to say that each of their scenes remind me of the best times of Arya and The Hound’s adventures in Game of Thrones.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also tells a notably more noble story than any other entry in this franchise. When it comes to Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we’re watching political figures levy for power in an endless showdown with their rivals. Even the most beloved characters are driven to heinous actions, and while that sort of nuanced writing is exactly what makes this franchise so special, it’s truly refreshing to see the protagonists of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms being so unquestionably good-natured. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a very spiritual and humanity-focused show, an aspect of storytelling that goes left behind too often in Westeros. Admittedly, Dunk’s goodwill as a protagonist does make the show feel markedly more generic than other entries in the franchise, but as a trade-off, his character is far more consistently written. Again, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms introduces a welcome change of pace from what fans have come to expect, basking in its greatest strength as a series – subversion.

Image by HBO

I’ve talked a lot about the wholesomeness of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, so I should mention that the show is only wholesome by Game of Thrones standards. As the story ramps up in the final episodes, things get pretty intense pretty quickly. The show is still R-rated, and proves itself as such with rare instances of extremely graphic violence. Don’t get too comfortable! However, the show’s main focus prioritises characters over action at almost every turn, which allows for the series to connect itself to Game of Thrones in subtle ways.

I won’t give anything away here, but I love how A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms connects itself to the events of Game of Thrones a century later. The show can certainly be enjoyed in its own capacity, completely independent from Game of Thrones, but for fans of the original series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms introduces some very interesting connections, and plays heavily with the idea of the butterfly effect, how the actions of one knight completely changes the course of history, leading to far more grandiose events down the line.

So overall, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was a very enjoyable departure from the norm in Westeros, but fans should go in knowing that they’re about to experience something very different from what they’re used to. The comedy didn’t always land, and it was a little short for my taste, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does a phenomenal job with what it’s got, carving out a cosy spot for itself in the Game of Thrones timeline. What did you think of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Be sure to let us know, and thanks for reading!

See also: The Top 10 Best Movies of 2025

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Where to Watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Image by HBO

You can catch all episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms now streaming on HBO Max in the U.S., or NOW TV in the U.K. Season 2 is on the way, and with filming already underway, the season is set to premiere in 2027. Up next for this franchise is House of the Dragon Season 3, which premieres this June. The Game of Thrones revival is upon us!

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