Ronit J

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Synopsis:

A century before GOT, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg, wandered through Westeros while the Targaryen dynasty ruled the Iron Throne, and dragons were still remembered. Great destinies and enemies await the incomparable friends.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Review:

I honestly really liked House of the Dragon Season 1. It was slow, had some dull moments, but I found the way it depicted dragons and used them in the power struggle to be quite interesting. However, I was pretty disappointed when I learned that Season 2 was largely a filler season. Either that, or it mishandled the emotional moments pretty horribly.

I was sceptical about starting A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. However, I also knew that these are very much loved novellas, whereas HoD adapted a kind of reference book. With a clearer narrative in place with the novellas, I thought I could give AKotSK a shot. I’m so glad I did. Not only is AKotSK a beautifully made, emotionally moving series, it’s also relatively low scale, feeling like a breath of fresh air.

Smaller Scale, Emotionally Tight

Unlike Game of Thrones, which has a sprawling cast of characters and political intrigue, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms tells the simple tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a Hedge Knight looking to legitimise his knighthood by entering a tourney. The smaller roster of characters, coupled with the focus on Duncan, made the story much tighter. The shorter episode durations also helped keep things fast and simple. While Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) also plays a pretty important role, the story largely still focuses on Dunk, his past, and his present predicament, in the wake of his mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree’s (Danny Webb) death.

I’m guessing that the political intrigue and sprawling epic scale of House of the Dragon did scratch fans’ Game of Thrones itch. However, without a clear narrative outline at its foundation, that show quickly devolved into a slog. With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, that isn’t the case. Not only does it avoid the politicking, it mostly focuses on two characters to tell a simple story, the complexity of A Song of Ice and Fire becoming a mere backdrop. But that’s not to say the show is all simple.

The action scenes are high-energy, thrilling spectacles comparable to the Battle of the Bastards. Dunk’s backstory is beautifully explored, pulling at all the right emotions. Even the present predicament is as engaging as it is frustrating, owing to the spoiled Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennet). It has all the best emotional and character parts of GoT, but none of the politicking. That makes it a unique experience on its own. New fans can enjoy it without context, and it’s familiar enough for fans to feel satisfied.

Overall, a brilliant show that’s as binge-worthy as it is enjoyable to watch one episode at a time.

A Balance of Dark & Light

Game of Thrones was a very dark fantasy show. With the bloody gore and violence, with sex and many characters constantly dying off, it made for quite a heavy watch. House of the Dragon was exactly that, but with more focus on political intrigue than character building. While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also has all the violence of its preceding shows, it doesn’t feel nearly as bleak. That, I believe, is a major reason why the show works so well.

After the GoT phenomenon, everyone wanted to make the next GoT. HoD was an attempt at that, but ultimately failed for many reasons. So, instead of trying to do more of the same, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes a different route. It feels more classical, albeit with the dark and disturbing elements of ASOIAF. There are several warm moments between characters with ample humour—both slapstick and dark—which gives the show a much lighter tone than its predecessors. It also has—for the most part—a happy ending. But more importantly, because this was a complete story with a definitive ending, AKotSK feels a lot more satisfying.

Also, there’s the subtle mockery of GoT in the opening episodes with the OST suddenly cutting away to Ser Duncan loudly defecating behind a tree, and many similar scenes across the season. There are plenty of references to the earlier shows, but AKotSK doesn’t depend on them; it stands on its own. And that, I believe, is the second major reason why this show worked so well.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Ending Explained

After a very difficult fight, an injured Ser Duncan overpowers Aerion during the Trial of the Seven and forces him to withdraw his accusation. He has absolved himself, but two of his supporting knights fell during the trial. Prince Baelor (Bertie Carvel) meets him to announce that he’ll send a maester to look after Duncan’s wound. Duncan swears fealty to him. As Raymun (Shaun Thomas) & Steely Pate (Youssef Kerkour) help Baelor remove his helmet, they see a fatal mace wound on the back of his skull. Baelor collapses and dies in Duncan’s arms.

In the aftermath, Prince Maekar “The Anvil” Targaryen (Sam Spruell) formally knights Ser Duncan. He requests that Egg continue to squire for him because Egg refuses to squire for another knight. Maekar proposes that Ser Duncan take Egg to Summerhall, the Targaryens’ palace. He refuses, which angers and disappoints an eavesdropping Egg.

Later, at Beesbury’s funeral, Daeron reveals to Ser Duncan how Aerion was also a kind child, but the Targaryen madness eventually got to him. He requests Ser Duncan to squire Egg. Later, Ser Duncan requests to meet with Maekar. He argues that the Seven Kingdoms need a good man, as Baelor once said. Ser Duncan suggests that Egg needs real-world experience, not sheltered training in a palace. Maekar refuses.

Ser Duncan nails a penny to a tree in memory of Ser Arlan and the origin of his name. Egg arrives, declaring that Maekar has ordered him to squire for Dunk. In the end, Dunk & Egg set out on their next adventure.

In a mid-credits scene, Maekar searches for Egg, suggesting that Egg escaped and lied about his father’s orders. While this ending is different from The Hedge Knight novella, where Maekar agrees with Duncan, this changed detail feels more apt for the GoT universe. Also, it paves a path for an interesting conflict in season 2.

Is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Worth Watching?

Yes.

Don’t go expecting the political intrigue of GoT or HoD. Instead, relish in the warm, character-driven story of this relatively self-contained fantasy. Its action is thrilling, its humour is amusing, and its story is just so satisfying.

Will there be A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2?

Yes. The show was already renewed for Season 2 in November 2025, even before the release of the first episode.

In Conclusion:

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 is a fantastic show that feels fresh and unique, despite its familiar setting. The heart and warmth balance out the violence and darkness beautifully.

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What did you think of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1? Let me know in the comments below! Any other manga, anime, series, book, or movie you’d like me to review? Let me know your recommendations, and I’ll be sure to check them out.

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Until next time!