A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the new series in the universe of Game of Thrones. For MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes, it is a major highlight right at the beginning of the year because it avoids the weaknesses of other shows.
What is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms anyway? The new HBO series premieres on January 19, 2026, on HBO Max. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place about 80 years after House of the Dragon and nearly 90 years before Game of Thrones. At that time, Westeros was quite peaceful and follows Ser Duncan the Tall on his path to becoming a noble knight.
Along the way, he meets the young Egg, who wants to be his squire. Together, the two aim to grow and face the dangers in Westeros.
The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms consists of 6 episodes, all of which I was able to watch in advance. Already after the first episode, I knew that the show was on the right track, as it is already one of the significant series highlights of January.
Though set in Westeros, it is not Game of Thrones
Already after just under 4 minutes, the series shows: It does not want to be a Game of Thrones, even though it is set in Westeros. As the main musical piece from Game of Thrones plays, it suddenly gets interrupted because Ser Duncan, played by Peter Claffey, is sitting on the toilet. This directly prepares the audience for the atmosphere of the series.
Especially Ser Duncan himself is quite atypical for Westeros standards. He wants to be a noble knight. He struggles with insecurities and does not use nasty plots to get closer to his goal. Duncan is lovable, heroic, and indeed a true knight.
This is an exciting contrast in a world full of nasty villains. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a light-hearted series. While there are dramatic or emotional scenes, most of the time it is fun because the show relies on a lot of humor and wit.
What I particularly liked was the timing of the series. Jokes are never drawn out, and dramatic scenes are lightened up with a fart or other scatological humor. It fits surprisingly well into the dirty world.
However, the series never becomes too silly, but remains lovable. Many of the side characters only need a few lines to earn a place in my heart. A major highlight in this regard was Ser Lyonel, played by Daniel Ings, and Ser Raymun, played by Shaun Thomas.
2 people who want to grow
In Season 1, you accompany Duncan and Egg as knight and squire. The two have great chemistry, which made me root for both of them right away. Their relationship consists of several facets: Duncan as the big, strong hero, Egg as the smart, intelligent little boy. Both with hearts in the right place.
Even when Duncan yells at him or scolds him, you can see that he feels bad about it. In the quiet moments between them, their relationship is quietly but credibly developed. They become a team quickly, but both also struggle with their own problems. They complement each other perfectly and form a beautiful red thread for the rather simple story that unfolds over 6 episodes.
The episodes are between 30 and 40 minutes long, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shows how to perfectly utilize 6 such episodes. Stranger Things and Fallout have disappointed me recently. They unravel the story with side plots for supporting characters that are rarely satisfying. It is simply too much.
The story of Ser Duncan and Egg does the opposite. It respects the viewer’s time, letting side characters truly be side characters. Short lines are enough to clarify relationships, and for me as a viewer, there is no interruption in the actual story. I want to see the story of Duncan and Egg, not that of all of Westeros. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms achieves this fantastically.
This is how prequels, sequels, and spin-offs should be. Not everything has to be an ever-growing narrative. Even small stories about a knight and his squire can show facets of Westeros that are just as good as royal intrigues and scheming.
The 6 episodes went by easily, and I didn’t need a nasty cliffhanger to be excited for Season 2. I want to see what happens next for the two because the characters are so great, not because multiple side plots are left unresolved.
Action must not be missing
Despite the funny mood and distance from Game of Thrones, the series looks quite good. It is beautifully shot, the sets are idyllic, and fit perfectly with the characters. I also really liked the costumes.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shows in the fight scenes that they at least draw inspiration from Game of Thrones. The few action sequences are beautifully choreographed, play with some ideas, and show how dirty a knight’s battle can be. Moreover, not only swords are used as weapons, creating variety.
No matter how silly the humor was beforehand, I was always emotionally invested during the fights and cheered for my favorites. I wanted to see them win because they had grown so dear to me.
Stranger Things and Fallout disappointed me at the end of 2025, but with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the series year of 2026 has a wonderful start. I am already excited to see where the heroes go in a future Season 2, as I wish Duncan and Egg all the best in a nasty world like Westeros. On January 19, 2026, you can watch the first episode of the series yourself. You can find all information about it here: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: When does Episode 1 come out? – All release dates of the HBO series
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