A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: What to Expect in Season 2
Dunk and Egg survived one tourney, but their problems are just beginning. Plus, will we see Maester Aemon?
Spoiler Alert: The following article reveals plot details from season 1 of the HBO series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and from the novellas it is based on. If you have not watched the show or read the books, stop here if you wish to avoid spoilers.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was a huge surprise. This third series set in the world of ice and fire created by George R. R. Martin starts out quite differently from its two predecessors. It’s funny, heartwarming at times, full of silliness and memorable characters, with a genuinely nice guy as the protagonist. By the end of the season, however, it became clear this story is still very much a part of Martin’s world, as we got a gruesome battle and the loss of the crown prince. The show debuted to a Certified Fresh 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics and viewers alike falling in love with the cast, the music, and the adaptation choices made by showrunner Ira Parker.
The first season followed Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) as he entered a tourney at Ashford to make a name for himself as a knight. Along the way, he meets a boy calling himself Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), who is revealed to be prince Aegon Targaryen. After a bit of a squabble with another prince, Dunk is forced to fight in a trial of the seven. Though he is declared innocent and is free to go on the road with Egg as his new squire, their journey is not without trouble. HBO has already announced a season 2, but what will it look like? The novellas make it very clear where Dunk and Egg’s journey will take them next, though the HBO adaptation has taken some liberties that could make things more interesting and a bit unpredictable. Grab your horse and put on your armor, because we’ll explore where A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will take us next when it returns for season 2.
What is the plot for season 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
Season 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will adapt Martin’s novella The Sworn Sword. After spending a year in Dorne looking for the puppeteer Tanselle (played in the HBO series by Tanzyn Crawford), Dunk is sworn to the service of Ser Eustace Osgrey of Standfast. Soon enough, Dunk and Egg become embroiled in the schemes of the local nobility, with squabbles over a dam, an inheritance, and suitors for a local lady.
Given how the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms changed things and expanded on certain scenes from the novella, it is likely season 2 will continue the trend and do more than just what is on the page.
Will we visit Dorne?
In theory, we should! At one point in The Sworn Sword, Dunk remembers the time he and Egg spent in Dorne looking for Tanselle. Last time we saw the puppeteer she was being assaulted by Prince Aerion (Finn Bennett), and at the very end of the season, Dunk and Egg seemingly decided to head to Dorne since neither of them had been there before — and because Tanselle is from there.
Though Dorne plays a big role in the history of Westeros, and we do see bits of the region in Game of Thrones, there is still a whole lot of it we haven’t seen. This would be a great chance for audiences to experience the region.
Will we see the Blackfyre Rebellion?
Throughout season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we hear bits and pieces about a recent rebellion — the aftermath of which we see in Dunk’s flashback when he is briefly knocked unconscious in episode 5. This is the Blackfyre Rebellion, a big succession crisis for the throne that resulted in a huge conflict. Though we haven’t really seen any of the fighting or met any of those involved, Ser Eustace tells Dunk about his experience fighting in the rebellion in The Sworn Sword. He even tells the story of what happened in the final Battle of the Redgrass Field and the misconceptions people have about it.
It is quite possible season 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will expand on this by actually showing us flashbacks to the Blackfyre Rebellion, and potentially giving us appearances by its main players — including one Brynden Rivers aka The Three-eyed Raven from Game of Thrones.
Are we going to see Maester Aemon?
Game of Thrones fans first heard about Egg when he was mentioned by Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan), also known as Aemon Targaryen, the maester to the Night’s Watch at Castle Black. During an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, Ira Parker revealed they almost included Aemon in the first season.
It makes sense to include him in season 2, as the novella states that Dunk and Egg rode through Oldtown and visited Egg’s brother during their time there. Given Aemon is one of very few characters who appear in both the novellas and Game of Thrones, it makes sense for Aemon to show up at some point.
Will Dunk be reunited with Lyonel Baratheon?
Lyonel “Laughing Storm” Baratheon (Daniel Ings) was a standout character of season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a charismatic, noble man who felt like a cross between King Robert (Mark Addy) and Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal). His role may not have been big, but he was as memorable as any other character.
Unfortunately, if we go by the sacred text of the source material, fans won’t get to see Ser Lyonel in season 2, as Dunk and Egg don’t really reunite with anyone from the Ashford tournament. Still, who is to say what strange fellows the duo will run into in their long journeys, or what small changes Ira Parker and his team might make in the upcoming season?
Prince Maekar didn’t seem very happy about Egg disappearing. Will he return?
The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ends with a fun little tag where we see Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell) angrily looking for his son Egg, as we realize that the young prince lied to Dunk about his father giving him permission to travel the kingdoms with him. This is a departure from the books, in which Maekar sent Egg off with his blessing. Now, it could be just a silly gag that’s forgotten in the next season, or a larger change that will impact how the second novella is adapted. There is a chance we might see Targaryen soldiers pursuing Dunk and Egg throughout the season for this misunderstanding.
We’ll find out when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms returns for season 2 sometime in 2027.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Season 1 is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
