We’ve got under a month until the next highly anticipated spinoff of Game of Thrones on HBO. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set to be one of the first big shows on the 2026 television schedule, and I, like many, can’t wait! The show is based on the George R. R. Martin trilogy of novellas, Tales of Dunk and Egg. This will be the second spinoff of the wildly successful fantasy show after House of the Dragon, and it will be another exploration of an ancient member of the Targaryen family tree, this time, Aegon Targaryen (Egg) as he squires for a hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk).
There is a lot to get into, including all the casting news, the first trailer, and news that HBO has already confirmed that the show has been renewed for a second season.
What Is The A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Premiere Date?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will drop its first episode on January 18th, 2026, and will also be available to stream weekly with an HBO Max subscription. One difference between the show's first season and GOT and HOTD is that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 will only be six episodes, running 30 minutes each. Of course, with a second season already being planned for 2027, at least we won't have to wait too long for more.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Trailer
HBO finally released a full trailer in December 2025 and the show looks amazing. There is a ton of action, and even a little humor, hinting at it maybe being a little funnier than the first two series in the franchise. We get a good look at what it means to be a hedge knight, and the forces Dunk and Egg could be up against (and siding with)
The A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Cast
The cast for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is like the casts in the previous shows in the franchise in that it's huge. It also contains some familiar names from the Great Houses of Westeros, like Targaryen, Baratheon, and Tyrell. Here are all the confirmed main cast members and their character names:
- Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk)
- Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon Targaryen (Egg)
- Finn Bennett as Prince Aerion Targaryen (Brightflame)
- Bertie Carvel as Prince Baelor Targaryen (Breakspear)
- Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle
- Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Laughing Storm)
- Sam Spruell as Prince Maekar Targaryen
We also know a lot of the names in the supporting cast, and what their character names are:
- Edward Ashley as Ser Steffon Fossoway
- Henry Ashton as Prince Daeron Targaryen
- Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate
- Daniel Monks as Ser Manfred Dondarrion
- Steve Wall as Lord Leo Tyrell
- Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway
- Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Plummer
- Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree
- Ross Anderson as Ser Humfrey Hardyng
As Variety commented on, the Daeron Targaryen that will be in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be a different one from the character we have heard about in Season 2 of House of the Dragon, just to clarify.
George R.R. Martin had commented on the cast, mainly Claffey and Ansel, regarding their portrayal of Duncan and Egg, saying it’s been like they “walked out of the pages” of the book for the show in a statement he released to The Hollywood Reporter in August 2024:
I visited the set in Northern Ireland in July and loved what I saw. Great cast. [The lead characters] Dunk and Egg look as if they walked out of the pages of my book. My readers are going to love them. I certainly do. [Showrunner Ira Parker] is doing a great job.
It's a nice endorsement from Martin, and I'm sure fans of the book series will get excited about it. I know I am.
What A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Is About
I’m sure that if you’re reading this and you have no idea what The Hedge Knight is, you are completely clueless as to what this series could be—aside from the title and the fact that knights will be involved. Well, we are here to educate you.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Is Based On the Novella, The Hedge Knight
According to HBO, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on the George R.R. Martin novella, The Hedge Knight, which is only about 160 pages long. The series takes place only a century before the events of GOT, when the Targaryens are still the rulers of Westeros.
In this series, there are no dragons, as they are extinct, but there are the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall, a knight, and his lovable squire, Egg, as mentioned above. The show will follow their story as they travel across Westeros, taking on “powerful foes” and experiencing “dangerous exploits.”
For a GOT show to not focus entirely on political warfare or backstabbing might be a shock to some viewers. That, for me, is refreshing. If you've read Martin's books, you know that there is a world rich for exploration outside of the halls of power, and these stories bring them to us. The show will undoubtedly do the same.
The show will likely be simpler, and that should be a good thing. I'm sure it will still delve into some of the politics of the Seven Kingdoms, but focusing on a smaller story will be a welcome relief. Don't get me wrong, I'm still really excited to get back into the big stuff in Season 3 of House of the Dragon, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is going to just be really fun.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Will Have A “Different Tone” Than Game Of Thrones
While this might be obvious, George R.R. Martin confirmed that this series is going to be very different from Game of Thrones. Martin posted about it on his personal blog in May 2024, saying that it will have a “different tone,” but this is still the world of GOT, so no one is ever really “safe:”
The Hedge Knight will be a lot shorter than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, with a much different tone…but it’s still Westeros, so no one is truly safe.
Keep in mind this was before the title change to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, so he is talking about the same show! The Hedge Knight is the first of the current three books in the series of novellas now called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Owen Harris And Sarah Adina Smith Directed The Six Episodes
While we know there will be six episodes of the series, HBO also confirmed that they will be directed by two different directors—Owen Harris will direct three, and Sarah Adina Smith will direct the other three.
Harris has directed several shows, including one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix, Black Mirror, and one of its Emmy Award-winning episodes, “San Junipero.” Sarah Adina Smith is responsible for several other shows, like Looking for Alaska, Lessons in Chemistry, and more.
So now we've got just a little while longer to wait! Let's go!
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