‘Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’: 5 issues we realized on the New York Comedian Con panel

HBO’s upcoming fantasy collection A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms took to the stage Thursday at New York Comedian Con, the place showrunner Ira Parker, co-creator and writer George R.R. Martin, and stars Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell mentioned the Westeros-set collection.

Along with releasing the present’s trailer, the panel additionally revealed a number of intriguing particulars about what viewers can anticipate from the present, with Martin maybe revealing a bit too a lot about a few of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ key plot twists.

From huge battles to forged Mario Kart competitions, this is what we realized on the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms NYCC panel.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will characteristic spectacular jousting sequences.

Primarily based on Martin’s novella The Hedge Knight, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is about a century earlier than the occasions of Sport of Thrones, and lengthy after the final Targaryen dragons have died out. The collection introduces audiences to new knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Claffey), also referred to as “Dunk.” After the dying of his former hedge knight grasp, he heads to a event at Ashford Meadow to earn some coin.

Jousting is among the many challenges Dunk will face at Ashford Meadow, and for Martin, these sequences had been a very powerful to get proper.

“I set [the show’s team] a problem, which I feel Ira and other people have delivered,” Martin mentioned on the panel. “I mentioned, ‘Let’s do one of the best jousting sequences which have been ever placed on movie.’ A modest little problem for Ira and this group.”

Martin cited 1952’s Ivanhoe because the golden commonplace for jousting scenes earlier than telling the viewers, “You guys can decide how nicely we did, however I feel we did fairly nicely.”

Parker added: “We additionally did one thing hopefully nobody’s ever seen earlier than, which is a event at night time, which simply appears badass.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is “one huge violent remedy session” for Dunk.

All through the panel, Parker emphasised that the present’s perspective was completely that of Dunk, a member of the smallfolk with little affinity for the politicking and backstabbing on show in Sport of Thrones or Home of the Dragon. Due to that, the tone may be very totally different from that of HBO’s different Westeros exhibits.

“Following Dunk on this journey ought to be a really grounded, gritty, earthy, ground-up really feel,” Parker mentioned. “We have by no means had this angle earlier than. Anyone who grew up within the slums of King’s Touchdown as an orphan, who got here up on this world. [He] did not have a reputation, did not have an inheritance, did not have any cash, does not have one of the best coaching in the entire world, and he is simply attempting to make it. He is attempting to exit and do one thing arduous that he is by no means performed earlier than. He is out of his consolation zone. And hopefully lots of that may resonate with lots of our viewers.”

For Claffey, taking part in Dunk meant taking part in somebody who was studying to embrace all elements of himself, even his lowly background.

“He tries to place away or extinguish that aspect of him that he desires to overlook, that younger boy in Flea Backside simply attempting to outlive. [He was] nearly half-human, half-dog, roaming the streets,” Claffey mentioned. “Nevertheless it serves him to know that that’s who he’s in sure conditions in the direction of the top of our story. It serves him to have that persona, that ‘by no means hand over’ and ‘battle tooth and nail’ kind of attribute. So I feel he will get to kind of settle for himself. It is one huge violent remedy session.”

Dunk and Egg’s actors bonded over Mario Kart.

Dunk is just half of the duo on the heart of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The opposite half is his squire Egg (Ansell), a bald younger boy decided to serve Dunk at Ashford Meadow.

The pair’s chemistry is vital to Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas — might Claffey and Ansell’s chemistry measure up?

In line with the panel alone, we’re in good palms. Claffey and Ansell share the identical teasing dynamics on show within the novellas, particularly when it got here to discussing one factor particularly: Mario Kart.

Throughout filming, Claffey and Ansell would go to an arcade to play Mario Kart, the place they racked up a ton of tickets. (For what? “A PS5,” Ansell mentioned.)

“Considered one of my favourite methods to decompress after set, as a result of we had a lot work to do, was to return again and kick Dexter’s ass in Mario Kart,” Claffey mentioned.

“I saved profitable!” Ansell retorted.

If Dunk and Egg discovered themselves in 2025, you may think about their discussions sounding quite a bit like that.

Episode 5 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will characteristic a large motion sequence.

Brandon Davis moderates the “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” panel with Ira Parker, Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, and George R.R. Martin.
Credit score: Lily Kartiganer/Mashable

When panel moderator Brandon Davis requested Parker, Claffey, Ansell, and Martin what episode they had been most excited for audiences to see, all 4 had totally different solutions. For Parker, it was episode 6, as a result of that meant the viewers may have seen your complete present. Claffey mentioned that episode 4 “hits the toughest,” whereas Ansell mentioned he loves the third episode.

Nevertheless it was Martin who divulged probably the most, calling episode 5 “very potent, as a result of that is the large motion episode.”

In line with Martin, episode 5 incorporates a Trial of Seven, which readers of The Hedge Knight will acknowledge as a trial by fight with seven champions on both sides of the battle, as a substitute of only one. It is a pivotal second in The Hedge Knight, and revealing that it occurs in episode 5 would possibly have been extra of a spoiler than HBO was ready to present months earlier than the present’s Jan. 18 debut. However that wasn’t the one spoiler second from the panel.

Did George R.R. Martin spoil A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ twist at New York Comedian Con?

Enormous, big spoiler warning for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms incoming for anybody who hasn’t learn The Hedge Knight.

Early interviews and trailers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms have saved particulars about Egg imprecise past him simply being Dunk’s sassy squire. However e-book readers know that he’s really Aegon V Targaryen, a prince in disguise.

Martin alluded to this through the NYCC panel, telling Ansell, “You are not smallfolk. You may at all times be a Targaryen, and you’ve got royal blood in you.”

At that time, nervous giggles arose from the viewers and even the panel, who possible did not anticipate the cat to be out of the bag lower than an hour after the trailer’s launch. However to study why Egg disguised himself and what function he and Dunk should play within the wider historical past of Westeros, you may have to look at A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. (Or take a look at The Hedge Knight to organize!)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 2026 on HBO Max.