So, it’s finally happening. We are heading back to Westeros, but honestly, it’s going to feel way different than the sprawling, dragon-heavy chaos of House of the Dragon or the world-ending stakes of Game of Thrones.
We’re talking about Dunk and Egg.
If you’ve read the novellas, you know. If you haven't, you're about to meet a massive, somewhat thick-headed but incredibly noble hedge knight and his bald, precocious squire. HBO’s production of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episodes is moving fast, and unlike the main series, this isn't an epic about who sits on the Iron Throne—at least not directly. It’s a road trip. It’s a western. It’s a much more intimate look at what life is actually like for the people who aren't high-born lords living in massive castles.
The first season is officially adapting The Hedge Knight. That’s the first of the three novellas George R.R. Martin has actually finished. Peter Claffey is playing Ser Duncan the Tall, and Dexter Sol Ansell is playing Egg. Honestly, the casting looks spot on. Claffey has that "big guy who doesn't realize how big he is" energy that Dunk absolutely requires.
How many A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episodes are we getting?
HBO has confirmed that the first season will consist of six episodes.
Six. That’s it.
Compared to the ten-episode blocks we used to get for Thrones, it feels short. But here’s the thing: The Hedge Knight is a short book. It’s barely 100 pages depending on your edition. Stretching that into ten hours would involve a lot of filler, and nobody wants another "crashing the wedding" subplot that goes nowhere. By sticking to six episodes, showrunner Ira Parker (who worked on House of the Dragon) can focus on the specific beats of the Ashford Meadow tourney without losing the pacing.
Think about the structure. You’ve got the arrival at Ashford. You’ve got Dunk trying to find armor that actually fits his massive frame. You’ve got the meeting with Egg at the inn. Then, the tension starts building with the Targaryen princes—and yeah, there are a lot of Targaryens in this era, but they aren't all silver-haired gods. Some of them are total messes.
The pacing of these A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episodes has to be tighter than the previous shows. We aren't jumping between the Wall, Essos, and King’s Landing. We are staying in one place. One meadow. One week in time. It’s a bottle season, basically.
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The timeline matters more than you think
This show takes place roughly 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones. That means no Ned Stark. No Robert Baratheon. But it also takes place about 70-80 years after the Dance of the Dragons.
The dragons are dead.
The Targaryens are at the height of their political power, but they are also starting to rot from the inside. You’ll hear names like Baelor Breakspear and Maekar Targaryen. These aren't just historical footnotes; they are active participants in Dunk’s life. The stakes in these episodes are intensely personal. It’s about a man trying to prove he’s a knight when he doesn't even have a horse or a shield to his name.
What the plot of the first season actually covers
Let’s get into the weeds of what to expect from the narrative arc.
Dunk is a squire to an old hedge knight, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. Arlan dies. Dunk buries him and decides, "Hey, I’m a knight now." He takes the old man’s gear and heads to Ashford to compete in a tournament. On the way, he meets a bald kid named Egg who insists on being his squire.
That’s the setup.
But because this is Westeros, a simple tournament turns into a diplomatic nightmare. Dunk hits a prince. You don't hit princes. Not in this world. This leads to the "Trial of Seven," which is one of the coolest concepts Martin ever wrote. It’s a seven-on-seven judicial duel. It’s messy. It’s violent. And it changes the course of Targaryen history in a way that most casual fans won't see coming.
George R.R. Martin is heavily involved as a writer and executive producer. That’s usually a good sign. He’s been vocal on his Not A Blog about how the tone is different. It’s lighter, but the "lightness" makes the moments of brutality hit harder. When someone gets hurt in these A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episodes, it’s not a nameless soldier in a field of thousands. It’s a character you’ve spent three episodes getting to know in a tavern.
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Why the smaller scale is actually a relief
Look, House of the Dragon is great, but the CGI dragon battles can get exhausting. It’s a lot of spectacle.
Dunk and Egg is about the "smallfolk" and the "hedge knights." A hedge knight is basically a freelancer. They don't have a lord. They sleep under hedges (hence the name). They are often hungry. This show is going to look "dirtier" than Thrones. Less gold, more mud.
The budget is still high—it’s HBO, after all—but the money is going into costume detail and set pieces rather than massive winged lizards. This allows for more dialogue-heavy scenes. We’re going to get those long, tense conversations that made the early seasons of Game of Thrones so addictive.
Misconceptions about Dunk and Egg
People keep calling this a "prequel," and while technically true, it’s really a standalone story. You don't need to know who Rhaenyra Targaryen was to understand why Dunk is nervous about fighting a prince.
One big misconception: that it’s a kids’ show because there’s a child protagonist.
Egg is smart, but the world he lives in is terrifying. The show will deal with themes of classism and the "right to rule." Just because Dunk is 6'11" doesn't mean he's safe. In fact, his size makes him a target. The episodes will likely lean into the irony that the most "knightly" person in the Seven Kingdoms isn't actually a knight in the eyes of the law.
Wait, is Dunk actually a knight?
The books are purposefully vague about whether Ser Arlan actually knighted him before he died. Dunk tells everyone he was knighted, but he’s a terrible liar. This internal guilt—this "imposter syndrome"—is the backbone of his character. It’s what makes him relatable. He’s just a guy trying not to get caught while doing the right thing.
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Future seasons and the "Fire and Blood" connection
If the first six A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episodes do well, we have two more novellas ready to go: The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight.
- The Sworn Sword moves the action to a drought-stricken Reach. It’s a story about water rights and old grudges from the Blackfyre Rebellion.
- The Mystery Knight takes place at a wedding at Whitewalls and involves a secret conspiracy to start another civil war.
The problem? Martin hasn't finished the rest of the stories. He’s teased titles like The She-Wolves of Winterfell and The Village Hero for years. Sound familiar? We are potentially looking at another situation where the show catches up to the books. However, since these are smaller stories, it’s much easier for the writers to work with Martin to map out the ending than it was with the sprawling mess of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Real production details you should know
- Location: Filming took place primarily in Northern Ireland. This gives it that classic Thrones look—overcast skies, lush greenery, and real stone structures.
- Directing: Owen Harris (who directed the famous "San Junipero" episode of Black Mirror) is handling the first three episodes. This suggests a very character-focused, atmospheric approach.
- Release Date: We are looking at a late 2025 or early 2026 premiere.
The choice of Owen Harris is fascinating. He’s known for high-concept, emotional storytelling. If he can bring that same intimacy to the Ashford Meadow, we’re in for something special. It won't feel like a corporate spin-off; it’ll feel like a story that actually needed to be told.
What to do while you wait for the premiere
Don't just sit there. If you want to be ahead of the curve, there are specific things you can look into that will make the viewing experience 10x better.
First, read the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms collection. It’s one book that contains all three novellas. It’s an easy read. If you’re not a reader, grab the graphic novels. They are beautifully illustrated and give you a great sense of the visual scale of Dunk compared to everyone else.
Second, brush up on the First Blackfyre Rebellion. You don't need to be an expert, but knowing who Daemon Blackfyre was—and why some people still think his descendants should be on the throne—is the "political static" in the background of this entire series. It’s the "Red Scare" of Westeros. Everyone is looking for "Blackfyre sympathizers" under every bed.
Third, look at the heraldry. This show is going to be a feast for people who like flags and sigils. Every knight at Ashford has a unique shield. The show is leaning into this "heraldic porn" because it’s how Dunk identifies his enemies and allies.
Keep an eye on the official trailers for the "Sunset" imagery. The novellas have a very specific "end of summer" feel. It’s a period of peace that everyone knows isn't going to last. Capturing that bittersweet atmosphere is going to be the difference between a good show and a great one.
The wait is almost over. This isn't just another Targaryen history lesson. It’s the story of a giant and a boy walking down a dusty road, and honestly, that’s exactly what the franchise needs right now. No more dragons for a bit. Just a sword, a shield, and a very long walk.
Get ready for the hedge knight life. It’s not glamorous, but it’s definitely not boring.