Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2’s finale, and The Tales of Dunk & Egg books by George R.R. Martin.
Summary
There’s going to be a long wait forHouse of the Dragonseason 3, but HBO’s plans for theGame of Thronesfranchise should make it more bearable. That’s particularly important givenHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s endingis mostly setup for the future, laying the groundwork for Rhaenyra to take King’s Landing, multiple major battles to take place, and more storylines besides.
The problem with that - besides criticism that there was too much setup - is thatHouse of the Dragonseason 3isn’t expected until 2026.There will likely be another two-year gap, which itself is increasingly common for big-budget TV shows, and with that comes a harder wait. However, HBO has multipleGame of Thronesspinoffs in development. One of those,A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, will be important when considering the wait for season 3.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Will Release Before House Of The Dragon Season 3
It Will Be 2025’s Game Of Thrones TV Show
AfterHouse of the Dragonended, Max revealed ateaser forA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, as part of a bigger look-ahead for what’s upcoming on the streaming service (and HBO). Though only a very brief glimpse of the show, it does reveal what will effectively beHouse of the Dragon’s replacement next year.A Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill be released in 2025, ensuring there’s a return to Westeros even whileHouse of the Dragonseason 3 is in production.
Based on George R.R. Martin’sThe Tales of Dunk & Eggnovellas -The Hedge Knight(1998),The Sworn Sword(2003), andThe Mystery Knight(2010) -A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’s storyfollows the book series' eponymous protagonists.Dunk is Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight, and his squire, Egg, is actually Aegon Targaryen(yes, another one), who will later become the fifth king of that name. It follows them on their various journeys around Westeros, and includes or references other notable figures, such as Maester Aemon (Egg’s brother).
Every Targaryen In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Explained
The Targaryen dynasty was in full swing by the time of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the upcoming Game of Throne spin-off will have plenty.
In a way, the show will return audiences to what they were used to for most ofGame of Thrones' run: a Westeros-set TV show releasing every single year. That seems to be one of HBO’s goals with its franchise, given it has so many spinoffs planned, andA Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill become the proving ground for it. What’s good is that it covers a different part of the timeline to both previous shows, ensuring it will feel fresh, hopefully more than just another franchise entry, and a must-watch for fans of those shows.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomswas originally subtitledThe Hedge Knight, but that is no longer the case.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Will Be Very Different To House Of The Dragon & GOT
Don’t Expect The New Game Of Thrones Spinoff To Be As Epic
AlthoughA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsshould hopefully appeal toGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragonviewers, and help ease the wait for season 3 of the latter with another visit to Westeros,people should not expect this to be exactly the same.House of the Dragonbroadly follows theGame of Thronesblueprint: that is, it’s quite epic in scale, with lots of focus on the political scheming of the major, most influential players, and has lots of huge action set pieces, often involving dragons.
It is to Game of Thrones what The Hobbit was to Lord of the Rings (or at least, The Hobbit book, if not the movies): shorter, breezier, and lighter.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will have its own political aspects and some action, but it is a much smaller story.It is toGame of ThroneswhatThe Hobbitwas toLord of the Rings(or at least,The Hobbitbook, if not the movies): shorter, breezier, and lighter. That is no bad thing, and isn’t meant in any way to diminish the quality of it, because not everything needs to be epic.
Daemon’s Vision Explained: Daenerys Targaryen, White Walker & More Game Of Thrones Connections
Daemon Targaryen has more visions at Harrenhal in House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale, connecting to his story, Rhaenyra, and even Game of Thrones.
Indeed, I’d argue it’s a good thing for the franchise to have a show that’s smaller scale (and dragon-free), because it ensures it will feel unique rather than the franchise attempting to do the same thing over and over. However, after complaints aboutHouse of the Dragonseason 2 being too slow or lacking in plot, it’s worth noting and being aware of. These are really fun stories that showcase a different side of Westeros, and it should be every bit as good as its predecessor spinoff, but itwillbe different.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms (2025)
Based on a set of prequel novellas by George R. R. Martin, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place one hundred years before Game of Thrones. The series follows a knight and a squire who travel across the lands of Westeros during one of the most tumultuous times in the nation’s history.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
