New Look Released For ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’: The Show to Offer a New Perspective on the Game of Thrones World
HBO is set to bring a new side of Westeros to viewers with its upcoming series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The show, created by Ira Parker and George R. R. Martin, is a prequel to Game of Thrones and adapts Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas.
HBO has also released new images from the series, giving fans new look at the characters and setting.
The story follows Ser Duncan the Tall, or Dunk, played by Peter Claffey, a hedge knight who travels the land without serving any lord. Dexter Sol Ansell plays Egg, a young boy who becomes Dunk’s squire.
Other main cast members include Finn Bennett as Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen, Bertie Carvel as Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen, Sam Spruell as Prince Maekar Targaryen, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, and Tanzyn Crawford as the Dornish puppeteer Tanselle. The series will have six episodes and is scheduled to premiere on HBO in January 2026.
One of the first things fans will notice is that there is no grand opening title sequence. Gone are the detailed maps, spinning gears, and orchestral music. Instead, each episode opens with a simple title card, a decision showrunner Ira Parker says reflects Dunk’s personality.
“All decisions came down to Dunk, trying to channel the type of person he is into every aspect of this show, even the title sequence,” Parker told Entertainment Weekly.
“The title sequences on the original [Game of Thrones] and House of the Dragon are big and epic and incredible. Ramin Djawadi’s score is orchestral and large and beautiful. That’s not really Dunk’s M.O. He’s plain and he’s simple and he’s to-the-point. He doesn’t have a lot of flash to him.”
The series adapts the first novella, The Hedge Knight, and focuses on a smaller, more personal story than the large-scale battles and political drama seen in House of the Dragon. Dunk knights himself after his master dies and enters a local tournament to prove his worth. Along the way, he encounters Egg, who is determined to become his squire.
The timeline takes place around fifty years after the last dragon’s death and well after the Targaryen civil war. Parker noted that there is no magic or dragons in this period. “This could basically be 14th century Britain,” he said.
“This is hard nose, grind it out, gritty, medieval knights, cold with a really light, hopeful touch. It’s a wonderful place to be. We are ground up in this series, we are starting right at the bottom. We’re not with the lords and ladies, the kings and queens.”
Unlike other Westeros shows, Parker promised that the series would stay focused on ordinary people. Viewers follow Dunk, Egg, and the small folk—the blacksmiths, performers, and barmaids, rather than cutting to the royal courts.
When Targaryens such as Prince Baelor and Prince Maekar appear, it’s clear their influence has faded, and they no longer command the awe they once did.
The newly released images highlight the grounded, medieval tone of the series. Dunk is seen in simple armor traveling with Egg through villages and countryside, reflecting the intimate and human nature of the story.
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