A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the next Game of Thrones spinoff, and the show’s premise should benefit from one of House of the Dragon’s most common critiques. The new series, which is set to premiere in early 2025, is one of the many upcoming Game of Thrones spinoffs, set to explore an era of Westeros history in between the two current shows. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be set roughly 80 years after House of the Dragon and 90 years before Game of Thrones.
The story of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on George R.R. Martin’s “Dunk & Egg” novellas, following the characters Dunk and Egg in their travels around Westeros. House of the Dragon got off to a hot start, bringing attention back to the Game of Thrones universe after the original show’s ending nearly tarnished its reputation. However, House of the Dragon season 2 began to suffer more critique, with the decrease in scale from Game of Thrones being among the issues.
The Next Game Of Thrones Spinoff Continues House Of The Dragon’s Decrease In Scale
House Of The Dragon Took A Notable Step Down In Scope
House of the Dragon offers a very similar premise to Game of Thrones, examining a war that breaks out after a conflict of succession for the Iron Throne. It’s similar enough to work as the perfect follow-up to the original series, but has enough differences to not feel like a rehash of the exact same concepts. Still, there’s a difference in scope between the two series that can sometimes negatively affect House of the Dragon’s tone. The prequel is an inherently smaller story with a smaller, more centralized cast, yet it tries to embrace an epic tone akin to Game of Thrones.
House of the Dragon worked best in season 1, when the story essentially took place under one roof, with the massive ensemble meeting at weddings, funerals, and other events. Those early episodes, “Driftmark,” for example, felt almost like a play. Season 2 took a step up in scale, expanding to other regions of Westeros and showing full-scale dragon battles, but it lacked the raw intimacy that made the dynamics work so well in season 1. Trying to prominently integrate the Aegon’s Dream prophecy furthered this issue, drifting away from the successful, grounded political/familial story.
A Smaller Scale Makes Sense For A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Story
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Is More Centralized & Character-Oriented
Recently, George R.R. Martin, the writer of the A Song of Ice & Fire novels that all of these shows are based on, took to his blog Not A Blog to discuss the new show. He explains how A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will differ from previous Game of Thrones shows, explaining that it’s on a much lower budget and naturally smaller in scale. Knowing the story of the Dunk & Egg novels, this works out perfectly. This prequel won’t deal with dragons and massive set-pieces and will focus more on a central dynamic and character-driven narrative.
It will feel more akin to the narrative of Arya and The Hound in Game of Thrones than the noble court drama of House of the Dragon .
While the phrase “lower budget” may raise some red flags after House of the Dragon season 2 seemingly cut episodes due to financial reasons, it needs to be considered relative to the content of the show. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will mostly follow its two main characters walking the roads of Westeros, interacting with various characters, both noble and lowborn. It will feel more akin to the narrative of Arya and The Hound in Game of Thrones than the noble court drama of House of the Dragon.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Change Will Help It Stand Out From Game Of Thrones
Embracing Different Stories Is The Key To The Game Of Thrones’ Franchise’s Success
While House of the Dragon felt like a necessary step to remind audiences of what Game of Thrones could be, the fantasy universe won’t succeed on television if it continues to recycle the same premise. From the Blackfyre Rebellions to Robert’s Rebellion to Aegon’s Conquest, there are many more epic stories HBO can tell that will resemble Game of Thrones, but the franchise may find its greatest success in the narratives that differ from the original, offering different facets of this beautifully designed fantasy world.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be the first show to feel notably different in every aspect from the original. Especially after the issues of the Game of Thrones ending and House of the Dragon season 2, this could be a terrific step back to allow audiences some room to breathe. George R.R. Martin has been consistent in his praise for the new series. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms seems like it might be a refreshing change in every regard, hopefully getting the franchise back on track once again.