House of the Dragon Season 3 won’t hit HBO or Max until 2026, but that doesn’t mean George R.R. Martin fans will be forgotten in 2025. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a brand new Game of Thrones spin-off, is scheduled to premiere next year, introducing fans to two of the most charming characters in all of Westeros: Dunk and Egg.
George R.R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” are a series of novellas set about a century before the events of the original Game of Thrones series. The Targaryens are in power, but they aren’t nearly as mighty as they were in the age of Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), Daemon (Matt Smith), and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). The catastrophic events of House of the Dragon will mark the end of dragons in Westeros…until Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) arrives on the scene with Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal. Not only that, but in this era, House Targaryen is still smarting from the fallout of a second civil war, known as the Blackfyre Rebellion.
When A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres, viewers will watch a humble knight named Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) attempt to make his way in an era of uneasy peace. The realm is still divided into those who are loyal to the reigning King Daeron II and those who sided with a Targaryen bastard named Daemon Blackfyre. Without dragons, the Targaryens cannot wholly unite the realm for the impending doom seen in Aegon the Conqueror’s “Song of Ice and Fire.”
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will follow Ser Duncan and his loyal squire “Egg” (Dexter Sol Ansell) as they travel Westeros, pulled into local conflicts and attempted coups. First, though, “Dunk,” as Ser Duncan is called, has to meet Egg and prove himself as a knight.
Here’s everything we know so far about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms:
What is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms About? The Next Game of Thrones Spin-Off:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdsoms is about a lowborn knight named Ser Duncan the Tall, nicknamed “Dunk,” trying to make his way in Westeros without money nor connections. The show’s first season will cover the events of George R.R. Martin’s novella, The Hedge Knight, which follows Dunk to the Tourney at Ashford. In Martin’s work, Dunk is followed to the tournament by a bald boy named “Egg” who wants to be his squire. While at Ashford, Dunk meets a beautiful Dornish puppeteer named Tanselle. When Prince Aerion Targaryen attacks the girl, Dunk comes to her aid, unwittingly setting off a violent chain of events…
The official HBO logline for A Knight of the Seven Kingdsoms reads: “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.”
Future “Dunk and Egg” novellas cover the duo’s adventures.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Release Date: When Will the New Game of Thrones Show Premiere on HBO?
The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently in production in Belfast, Northern Ireland. There are only supposed to be six episodes in the first season, versus the eight or ten episode runs of prior seasons of House of the Dragon.
Given how long HBO typically takes to produce a season of House of the Dragon, fans should expect A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to premiere sometime in 2025.
Who’s Who in the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Cast?
- Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall: Ser Duncan the Tall is the aforementioned hedge knight struggling to make a name for himself at the Tourney at Ashford. He was born in Flea Bottom and plucked from homelessness by Ser Arlan of Pennytree on account of his huge size. Dunk is played by Irish actor (and former rugby player) Peter Claffey. You can see Claffey on Bad Sisters or Vikings: Valhalla.
- Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon “Egg” Targaryen: Even though Dunk assumes the little bald boy trailing him, hoping to be a squire, is a stableboy, he is in fact Prince Aegon Targaryen. Prince Aegon shaved his head to avoid detection as a silver-haired royal, because his deepest desire was to become a knight. Aegon was nicknamed “Egg” by his best friend, older brother Aemon — who later become Maester Aemon at the Wall. He is the youngest son of Prince Maekor Targaryen. Dexter Sol Ansell is best-known for playing young Cornelius Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
- Finn Bennett as Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen: Prince Aerion Targaryen was Egg’s devilish older brother, who believed he was a dragon in human form. Aerion is cruel and vindictive. When he targets a puppeteer for her putting on a show where a knight defeats a dragon, Dunk comes to her rescue…causing all sorts of drama. HBO fans will remember Finn Bennett played Peter Prior in True Detective: Night Country.
- Bertie Carvel as Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen: Prince Baelor Targaryen is the eldest son and heir of King Daeron II and his Dornish queen Myriah Martell. He was renowned for being noble in all possible ways and accomplished as a warrior. His nickname, “Breakspear,” came from defeating Ser Daemon Blackfyre at tourney when he was only a teen. In the books, he has the dark hair of his Dornish mother, but it’s unclear if HBO will continue with that. Actor Bertie Carvel recently played Tony Blair on The Crown.
- Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle: Tanselle is a Dornish puppeteer whom Dunk gets a little bit of a crush on when they meet at the Tourney at Ashford. Egg is also charmed by her. Things get hairy when she offends the erratic Prince Aerion with her show. Tanzyn Crawford is an Australian actress who played Kathryn Hahn’s rebellious daughter in last year’s Tiny Beautiful Things.
- Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, “The Laughing Storm”: Ser Lyonel Baratheon was the current lord of Storms End during the Tourney of Ashford. He was known to be a tall, powerful fighter, fond of competition. Daniel Ings has appeared in shows like Lovesick, Black Mirror, and The Gentlemen.
- Sam Spruell as Maekar Targaryen: Prince Maekar Targaryen was Baelor’s younger brother and the father of Aerion and Aegon. He was known as being both harsh and stern, and not charismatic like brother Baelor. Maekar was a talented warrior who had led armies during the Blackfyre Rebellion. Sam Spruell recently made waves played Ole Munch on Fargo.
How is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Connected to House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place in between HBO’s existing Westeros-set dramas, House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. Ser Duncan the Tall is mentioned in the original A Song of Ice and Fire novels, featuring in the Game of Thrones books as an exemplar of knightly virtue. (Bran Stark idolizes him, for instance.) Aegon’s brother Aemon, as mentioned, becomes the kind, old blind maester who takes Jon Snow and Sam Tarly under his wing at the Wall. .
