The premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is coming to HBO in January 2026, will bring us back to Westeros once again. Yes, the same Westeros we first discovered in Game of Thrones (2011) and then explored in House of the Dragon (2022). All of those shows are based on A Song of Ice and Fire and complementary texts by George R. R. Martin. This is G.R.R.M.’s world, we’re just living in it. Or, HBO is.
But with a new show comes questions. When there are two series, the answer is easy: One comes before the other. Simple. But where does the third one fit? And what do you need to watch before? Here is everything you need to know about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
When Is ‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Set?
To understand when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set, it’s important to understand that the history of Westeros is told from one reference point: the coronation of King Aegon “the Conqueror” or Aegon I Targaryen, who was the first ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Maesters refer to the history of Westeros as “before the Conquest” and “after the Conquest.” Very biblical stuff.
So when is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms set? In the year 209 after the Conquest, a period of relative peace for the Seven Kingdoms, which at that point were ruled by King Aerys I Targaryen. The HBO series will follow a young knight, who will end up becoming Ser Duncan “the Tall” (Peter Claffey), and his little squire, who is actually Aegon V Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell) in disguise.
The series is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novellas known as Tales of Dunk and Egg. So far, there are three novellas, “The Hedge Knight,” “The Sworn Sword,” and “The Mystery Knight,” which were collected in the book A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The first one takes place around 209 after the Conquest, the second one around 210 or 211, and the third one around 212 after the Conquest.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is planned to run for three seasons, adapting all three of these stories to show us what was going on in Westeros during those three or four years. There’s still a chance there could be more if the show is successful and if George R. R. Martin can write more in time, but we probably shouldn’t hold our breath for that. We’re still waiting on Game of Thrones book six, after all.
How Does ‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Relate To ‘House Of The Dragon’ And ‘Game of Thrones’?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms happens squarely in the middle of the two series. House of the Dragon focuses on the civil war for the throne called the “Dance of the Dragons,” which culminates in the near extinction of dragons. House of the Dragon is set to take place from 101 to 129 after the Conquest, still a good eighty years before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
What about Game of Thrones? Well, that starts in the year 298 after the Conquest, so the new show is a little less than 90 years before the original show set in Westeros. Pretty much in the middle. And there are some clear nods to Game of Thrones in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, too. Aegon V is the brother of Maester Aemon, who appears in Game of Thrones. Don’t remember him? He’s the Maester of the Night’s Watch, and he makes it quite a long time in the show, dying in Season 5.
That’s not all, as Duncan the Tall is an ancestor of our favorite Game of Thrones knight, none other than Brienne of Tarth. It’s not yet clear how closely related they are, but the family resemblance is pretty easy to see.
How we get from the tales of Dunk and Egg to the aforementioned Egg becoming Aegon Targaryen V, called “the Unlikely” because no one ever expected him to become King and Duncan the Tall as the Lord Commander of his royal guard, we still don’t know. But hopefully A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will weave the story of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones in a way that takes us exactly there. There have already been many stories told in Westeros, and many stories that could have been told. What makes this one special? We will soon find out.
